Since its opening in 1992, Splash Mountain has been considered an amusement park staple by the Disney faithful. Now, after 30 years, the ride’s doors have closed for good.
With locations in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, as well as Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Splash Mountain has been seen as Disney’s premiere water ride. In 2020, however, Disney announced that both U.S. versions of the ride would be made-over with a new theme from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The reason for the shakeup of one of the park’s most beloved rides is due to perceived racial insensitivity, as the ride is connected to one of the company’s dirty secrets: the infamous 1946 film Song of the South. The water ride famously included songs and narrative exposition during a peaceful ride, climaxing in a 50 foot drop into a “briar patch.”
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The announcement spurred a viral “Save Splash Mountain” movement that culminated in a petition on change.org that has received over 99,000 signatures, as many park goers shared sentimental memories involving the ride.
On January 23, the log-flume attraction ran for the final time, with CNN reporting masses of people attending to buy, sell, and trade Splash Mountain merchandise and memorabilia. Disney has announced that the rides will be undergoing a transformation to be reopened as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in late 2024, but what similarities the ride shares with Splash Mountain (other than presumably being a water ride) remains to be seen.
