When Guests visit Disney World and enter Magic Kingdom, there are a few things that are nearly impossible to miss, depending on which land you are in. Of course, heading down Main Street, U.S.A., we can see the iconic Cinderella Castle. Then, in Tomorrowland, the Spaceship Earth building always captures the attention of Guests. The Pirates of the Caribbean flag is touch to miss in Adventureland, and Fantasyland holds the castle from Beauty and the Beast. In Liberty Square, Haunted Mansion looms over Guests, and in Frontierland, Splash Mountain has Guests wanting to get soaked. 

At the moment, Splash Mountain has closed down for a refurbishment. This refurbishment was expected as the attraction closes down every year during the winter months. Splash Mountain is set to remain closed through to February 11 at the moment as the attraction continues to get serviced with maintenance.

Some were wondering if this closure had to do with the large retheme that is meant to take place on this attraction. Disney has not yet announced when either Disney World or Disneyland will be seeing the newly updated Princess and the Frog attraction, but we do know that it is being worked on by Imagineers at the moment in terms of the planning and story of the attraction. As there is a lot to change, it makes sense that Disney is doing all that they can behind the scenes so that the attraction’s big closure will hopefully not last too long.

For those who do not know, Disney is ridding multiple Splash Mountain attractions to erase the Song of the South presence in their parks, which have racial undertones to it. Instead, the ride will be rethemed to Princess and the Frog, which will match the ride quite perfectly. This current closure, however, will not bring any of these changes to the attraction. It may, however, be an opportunity for Imagineers to look around the ride and start to plan a more in-depth staging idea.

So what is going on with the attraction right now?

We can see that at the moment, extensive refurbishments are being done with the exterior of the attraction. Although surrounded by construction walls, the scaffolding that has been put up to make changes to the rock work on the facade of the attraction is easy to spot. Thanks to Sara (@sara_sue21), we can take a closer look at the ongoing refurbishment on Splash Mountain!

As we can see, the majority of the touch-ups and changes are being done on the left side of the attraction at the moment.

In order to refurbish a water attraction, Disney must first clear the water, which we can see as the attraction has been completely drained.

It will be interesting to see how much of the rock work changes stay once the attraction is rethemed to Princess and the Frog.

The entrances for the attraction is also blocked off to ensure that no Guests enter the queue.

The official Disney World description reads:

A Hare-Raising Ride

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!

You Will Get Wet

This attraction includes 950,000 gallons of water, 3 dips and a 5-story drop. Where you’re seated will determine how wet you’ll get. Riders in the back may experience a sudden splash or spray; those who opt for the front can expect to get soaked.

For Guests looking to ensure their personal items remain dry, lockers are available to rent near the Main Entrance

How long do you think the refurbishment will last when Splash Mountain swaps to Princess and the Frog as the storyline and IP of the attraction?

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!

At Magic Kingdom, there is so much to see and do! Cinderella Castle is decked out for the 50th anniversary, and soon Festival of Fantasy and Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire will return. You can ride the three big mountains: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain, or calm things down on Peter Pan’s Flight. Rope drop the Park to get on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and then enjoy a mid-day snack with some Dole Whip. Be sure to meet Mickey Mouse and enjoy the firework show, Disney Enchantment!