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Credit: DisneyDisney is getting ready to introduce a new way to experience one of its most fabled theme park attractions.
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Few theme park attractions have become as legendary or as infamous as Disney’s Splash Mountain. While many other iconic attractions await at Disney, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain, few rides managed to become as emblematic of the Disney theme park experience as Splash Mountain.
Originally opened in 1989, Splash Mountain took guests on a journey up and down Chick-A-Pin Hill, landing them straight in the briar patch. A total of three attractions were built: one for Disneyland in California, one for Magic Kingdom in Florida, and one for Tokyo Disney in Japan.
While all three rides feature the same story, characters, scenery, and music, each is unique in many ways, with many considering Japan’s Splash Mountain to be the superior version.
Disney closed both U.S. versions of Splash Mountain in early 2023 to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a brand-new attraction based on Disney’s 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog.
Instead of tearing down Splash Mountain and restarting completely from scratch, Disney decided to retheme the classic log flume ride, adding dozens of new animatronics and set pieces to the decades-old ride.
However, the version at Tokyo Disneyland still remains open, with the resort getting ready to overhaul its version in a big way as well.
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Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opened at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World on June 28, 2024, with Disneyland’s version soon to follow. However, Tokyo Disney Resort plans on keeping its version of Splash Mountain open for the foreseeable future.
The Tokyo Disney Resort is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company (OLC), meaning Disney doesn’t dictate its closures, expansions, or new updates quite like the other parks.
The Tokyo Disney Resort has effectively rejected Disney’s Tiana makeover, instead doubling down on its version of Splash Mountain. As a result, this summer, Tokyo Disney is introducing a new way to experience Splash Mountain, offering a limited-time overhaul of the attraction called “Splash Mountain Get Wet MAX!”
This temporary overlay will run from July 2 through September 18, 2024, and will utilize new water spray systems to drench guests as much as possible during the hot summer months.
The resort recently advertised this exciting new experience on the official Tokyo Disney Instagram account.
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Get Wet MAX! was first introduced in 2021, with this year marking the third time in a row Tokyo has given its version of Splash Mountain this summertime makeover. Not only does this increase excitement for the ride, but it also confirms Tokyo’s intention to keep Splash Mountain a part of its theme parks.
The decision to close Splash Mountain came after decades of controversy surrounding the ride, more specifically, the ride’s source material. While Splash Mountain was a brand-new ride, its story, setting, music, and characters were all taken from an often-forgotten Disney film from 1946 called Song of the South.
While often commended for its visual style, Disney’s Song of the South is incredibly problematic for a variety of reasons, most notably for its portrayal of African Americans in the post-reconstructionist era South.
Over time, the film received significant criticism and backlash, leaving Disney with a difficult choice to make. Over the last several decades, Disney has slowly phased out physical copies of Song of the South and erased most remnants of the film online, and from its parks.
In 2020, Disney announced it would be closing both U.S. versions of Splash Mountain in an attempt to create a fun new experience, as well as resolve the controversy surrounding Song of the South.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure received rave reviews from fans following its official opening day last month, and excitement for the West Coast version of the ride continues to grow. However, fans can still experience Splash Mountain at Tokyo Disney.
Are you excited to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Do you miss Splash Mountain?