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Credit: DisneySplash Mountain in Walt Disney World will soon undergo a bit of construction as Disney recently filed a permit for work to be done on the Magic Kingdom ride.
The permit, which you can view here, was filed on March 26, 2021, and is for “roofing” construction on Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort.
Unfortunately, the permit doesn’t go into specific details as to what will be done on the Magic Kingdom attraction, however, we did check the refurbishment calendar for Walt Disney World through June 8, 2021 (which is the furthest date out that we can check at time of publication) and it doesn’t look like the Magic Kingdom attraction will be closing anytime soon. The official webpage for the attraction also doesn’t mention any closure. This means that even though a bit of construction will take place according to this paperwork, it doesn’t seem to be major enough to temporarily close the ride.
The refurbishment calendar is subject to change and Inside the Magic will update you as we get information.
Related: Disney Files Construction Permit For “it’s a small world”
Splash Mountain takes Guests through Br’er Rabbit’s story as he looks for his “laughing place”. Disney World describes this attraction as:
Gently drift through a colorful Southern bayou along with happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit as he looks for his “laughing place.” But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare.
Glide by over 100 adorable Audio-Animatronics geese, frogs, raccoons, possums, bees, alligators and other down-home critters as they sing classic Disney ditties, including “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “Ev’rybody’s Got a Laughing Place.”
Then hang on to your hats—this delightful musical cruise ends in an exciting 5-story splashdown into a thorny Briar Patch!
In case you missed it, back in June 2020 Disney announced (after a petition coincidentally made its rounds on the Internet) that the classic theme park attraction Splash Mountain would be rethemed to the 2009 Disney Princess animated movie The Princess and the Frog.
We do want to note that this permit is likely not related to the retheming of Splash Mountain as Disney has not yet announced when they would begin construction on that project, but Inside the Magic will continue to update you as we get information.
Disney’s official announcement from June 2020 regarding the retheme reads, in part:
Today we are thrilled to share a first glimpse of a project Imagineers have been working on since last year. Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined. The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog.” We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.
Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new “land” added to Disneyland park, so it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of “The Princess and the Frog” to our parks.
[…]
The approach to retheming or “plussing” attractions (as Walt Disney referred to it) begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about. And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.
Last summer, Disney also confirmed that they had not yet announced a timeline for the attraction retheme:
As part of the creative development process, conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.
Stay tuned for more!
Is Splash Mountain one of your favorite rides? Let us know in the comments below.
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