Splash Mountain Retheme Continues as Disney Tears Classic Ride Apart

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splash-last-day

Credit: @SplashMtn1989

The renovation of one of Disney World’s most iconic and beloved attractions continues, with crews working hard on the upcoming project.

While Walt Disney World is filled with incredible rides, attractions, and experiences, few have obtained the legacy of Splash Mountain. Sure, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom all offer Guests a variety of fun and magic, for many, Splash Mountain was the epitome of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Splash Retheme
Credit: Disney

Splash Mountain’s History

Few Disney rides will ever match the infamy of Disney’s Splash Mountain. Found at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and the Tokyo Disney Resort, this classic log flume adventure sends Guests on a journey alongside Br’er Rabit as he outruns Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear.

The ride is filled with iconic music and theming, culminating in a massive drop that is sure to leave Guests soaked. However, as many Guests already know, Disney is currently in the process of retheming Splash Mountain, transforming it into a new experience themed around Disney’s hit 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. 

This decision was revealed following years of backlash against the attraction due to the problematic nature of its theming, which originates from Disney’s “forgotten” 1946 film Song of the South.

Splash Mountain statue of Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox outside the ride
Credit: Disney

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Splash mountain officially closed at Walt Disney World in January, with Disney starting the transformation process quickly. Less than a few days after closing, Splash Mountain was boarded up and removed from the official Walt Disney World website.

At the time of publishing this article, the version at both Disneyland Park and Tokyo Disneyland are staying open for the foreseeable future.

Splash Mountain
Credit: Disney

In the days since Guests have witnessed parts of the ride being dismantled piece-piece as Disney crews work hard on the project at the Walt Disney World Resort. Some new aerial photos of the construction and renovation were shared by bioreconstruct on Twitter, which you can take a look at below:

Aerial look at transformation starting of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Aerial look at redo of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. One thing that can be spotted is blue scrims along the log routing.

It’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on, but in the last few weeks, several props and displays have been removed from the attraction. Tarps and scrims now surround various parts of the ride.

We still don’t know what to expect on the inside of the attraction when it opens, but Disney did share a model of what the outside will look like. Take a look at it below:

splash-mountain-retheme-bayou-adventure
Credit: Disney

This model shows that the famous tree trunk at the top of Splash Mountain will also be removed during the renovation. The main structure and ride path will remain mostly unchanged, but everything else is expected to be redone.

Disney promises the new attraction, officially called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will be a worthy replacement, and we can’t wait to experience it alongside Princess Tiana when it opens in 2024 at the Magic Kingdom.

In other news, several locations have recently closed at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s massive shopping center.

Are you excited about this project? Will you miss Splash Mountain?

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