News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[ToTBellHop]

I'm sadder today than I thought I'd be. I was able to ride a few times this week and I didn't realize how much it would hit me that I feel like I grew up on this ride. I remember my first trip being terrified of that hill like it was yesterday. And then taking my kids through that same feeling until the magic moment when they hit 40 inches and I could bring them on what had been my favorite for 20 years.

I was sad about other closures (most recently GMR) but it is unique that Splash (as a concept and with its maintenance state notwithstanding) has enjoyed near-universal acclaim since the day it opened.

This is akin to closing Big Thunder or Space Mtn.

Time will tell if we enjoyed the fantastic ride system or the story more. I certainly hope we enjoy TBA, even if I am skeptical. I wasn’t honestly married to SotS.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Splash isn't the first great attraction WDW has closed/replaced, and some other losses (especially at EPCOT) were probably worse. Of course it's still disappointing and I'm sad to see it go, but it's not the most important thing that's ever happened.

Aren't we blessed to have so many bad Disney theme park decisions to choose from when deciding which is the worst?

Or that they have exponentially grown in the last 5-10 years alone?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

This is akin to closing Big Thunder or Space Mtn.

Or 20K. The only other time MK closed an E-ticket and the only thing comparable to today (even if, say, closing Snow White for a meet and greet was a worse decision).

Many of the parks rides have come and gone, but the park was blessed not to loose any of those headliners besides the submarines.

And now it's happened again with Splash...though it's not a total replacement.

 

[UNCgolf]

I’m aware and standby it. Splash has better animatronics, a better story, and has physical thrills those rides lack. The melding of a thrill ride with a dark ride is so rarely done well. Splash did it. But to be fair, I did not ride Horizons or WoM as they were both down for refurbishment when I went.

Oh I have no problem with thinking Splash is better than all of those attractions. I think they're all pretty comparable overall, but the drop in Splash definitely differentiates it. They're all among the best attractions Disney has built at WDW, though. There are only a handful of other rides that have been around more than 10 years that would group with them in that top category.

 

[ppete1975]

I guess we will see if it was the ride or the system in 2028 when it reopens….

Based on disneys recent construction timelines

Come on we all need a laugh today

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I guess we will see if it was the ride or the system in 2028 when it reopens….

Based on disneys recent construction timelines

Come on we all need a laugh today

Haha real talk, I do think this attraction opens late-Spring 2025.

 

[DisneyDean97]

View attachment 694141

Glad to see people showing Splash Mountain a lot of love on its final day. Truly a shame, this is a quintessential Disney attraction- great storytelling, a large cast of animatronics, iconic songs, long ride length and a beautiful facade... Disney just doesn't build rides like Splash Mountain, truly an end of an era.
Don't even get me started on losing Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah in the parks forever

 

[DisneyDean97]

I was sad about other closures (most recently GMR) but it is unique that Splash (as a concept and with its maintenance state notwithstanding) has enjoyed near-universal acclaim since the day it opened.

This is akin to closing Big Thunder or Space Mtn.

Time will tell if we enjoyed the fantastic ride system or the story more. I certainly hope we enjoy TBA, even if I am skeptical. I wasn’t honestly married to SotS.

This is true, in the sense that closing something as universally loved and popular as Splash is something that would be unthinkable five or ten years ago.

 

[Kirby86]

So how much money do you think they made in pressed pennies? If you buy one Disney makes 99 cents. There were lines at the penny machine in the gift shop yeasterday.

 

[aladdin2007]

Glad to see people showing Splash Mountain a lot of love on its final day. Truly a shame, this is a quintessential Disney attraction- great storytelling, a large cast of animatronics, iconic songs, long ride length and a beautiful facade... Disney just doesn't build rides like Splash Mountain, truly an end of an era.
Don't even get me started on losing Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah in the parks forever

Agreed. Farewell to the Laughin Place. Over 30 years of imagination and unforgettable timeless music, colors, storyline, theme, and atmosphere of artistic perfection. Next to the Haunted Mansion, it was probably the best theme park attraction ever designed. Don't ever forget that Mr. Baxter, its yours to always keep and treasure even if no longer there as such. It was an iconic structure in the Magic Kingdom map and was just so quintessential Disney, the crown jewel of the park for many years. Now we lose a mountain for.. a bayou......going to leave it at that.... Zipadeedoodah Brer Rabbit and friends, its time to be movin along, unfortunately.

 

[UNCgolf]

In thinking about it more, 20K has to be the worst -- mainly because they didn't actually replace it with anything. They just shut it down and left the space mostly unused for decades; it only became an actual attraction again when they built New Fantasyland.

Can you imagine if they shut down Splash Mountain and left the building there in plain sight unused for a decade?

 

[MagicHappens1971]

This is the current madness for Splash mountain, currently at a over 3.5 hour wait

 

[Animaniac93-98]

In thinking about it more, 20K has to be the worst -- mainly because they didn't actually replace it with anything. They just shut it down and left the space mostly unused for decades; it only became an actual attraction again when they built New Fantasyland.

Can you imagine if they shut down Splash Mountain and left the building there in plain sight unused for a decade?

Going to MK in the late 90s/early 2000s and looking at it from the sidewalk or Dumbo was such a tease.

I kept hoping one day they'd bring it back.

Then I saw the demo pictures on this site in 2004.

 

[Touchdown]

Except 20k was not that great a ride, nor is Submarine Voyage at DLR. They are slow loaders and have long lines because they’re ok/good rides. The only thing that more acceptable about this closure is that the flume will return.

 

[UNCgolf]

Except 20k was not that great a ride, nor is Submarine Voyage at DLR. They are slow loaders and have long lines because they’re ok/good rides. The only thing that more acceptable about this closure is that the flume will return.

20K was an amazing ride (and much better than the Submarine Voyage at DLR). It would be outdated today, but it was phenomenal at the time. One of the best rides at WDW -- which is probably why they created a new version at DisneySea.

It wasn't better than Splash Mountain, but that wasn't my point. It's that it wasn't actually replaced with anything, which made it worse. It was just a big plot of empty land where you could still see the former attraction while also reducing park capacity. At least we know Splash is being changed into a new attraction instead of just sitting there in the middle of the park unused.

 

[Touchdown]

Next highest wait is 85 min for FOP. Rise is 45 min.

 

[LittleBuford]

I'm sad I didn't get to ride Splash Mountain before its closure. I will miss it terribly. Let's hope Tiana's Bayou Adventure proves a worthy replacement.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I think while these distinctions are clear to us, the company clearly isn't going to rely on the public to also make the same distinction. It's a painful decision (and overall an unpopular one, at least as far as the attraction is concerned), but the decision to move on from the IP means it all comes out. Everywhere*.

*Except apparently Laughing Place in the Magic Kingdom entrance loop

 

[ppete1975]

So how much money do you think they made in pressed pennies? If you buy one Disney makes 99 cents. There were lines at the penny machine in the gift shop yeasterday.

How much could they have made,if they weren’t nervous of bad pr.

 

[ppete1975]

Haha real talk, I do think this attraction opens late-Spring 2025.

All joking aside i have a suspicion it might be even earlier. I dont think they want it down longer than needed both for the excitement and capacity. Also i think they had enough time to already have alot built and the budget prepared, and that was the reason they left it open as long as they did.