Disneyland’s Splash Mountain marks 30 wet years on Wednesday, July 17 - OCR/SCNG

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

Can I ask a serious question about Splash without getting a sarcastic " go look on google earth" answer? I love Splash. one of the things i love is I feel like i am actually traveling through a real mountain. so my question is, is the mountain the actual show building or is there a show building behind the mountain facade like pirates and mansion? i ask because unlike those rides you are going in and out of the mountain so often i could never tell if i am in a show building behind the ride or is the ride itself the show building because the final drop is part the facade. it has always added to my enjoyment of the ride i just want a diffenitive answer.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Can I ask a serious question about Splash without getting a sarcastic " go look on google earth" answer? I love Splash. one of the things i love is I feel like i am actually traveling through a real mountain. so my question is, is the mountain the actual show building or is there a show building behind the mountain facade like pirates and mansion? i ask because unlike those rides you are going in and out of the mountain so often i could never tell if i am in a show building behind the ride or is the ride itself the show building because the final drop is part the facade. it has always added to my enjoyment of the ride i just want a diffenitive answer.

Yes, there's an additional show building behind the main mountain facade. You go into it on the first drop.

You can easily see it on Google (no sarcasm intended).

The fact that you can't tell if there's a second show building or how the ride is laid out in relation to Disneyland speaks to the quality of the attraction design and layout.

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

Yes, there's an additional show building behind the main mountain facade. You go into it on the first drop.

You can easily see it on Google (no sarcasm intended).

The fact that you can't tell if there's a second show building or how the ride is laid out in relation to Disneyland speaks to the quality of the attraction design and layout.

Thanks for the serious response. so are you saying the mountain is a show building and there is an additional show building behind it implying 2 show buildings 1 being the mountain the other behind the mountain? if not if its just the show building you see on google earth, then how does the final drop work, do you know? i mean since the drop is part of the facade is that portion of the ride in the mountain or are you coming out of the extended show building??

 

[SuddenStorm]

Thanks for the serious response. so are you saying the mountain is a show building and there is an additional show building behind it implying 2 show buildings 1 being the mountain the other behind the mountain? if not if its just the show building you see on google earth, then how does the final drop work, do you know? i mean since the drop is part of the facade is that portion of the ride in the mountain or are you coming out of the extended show building??

The first main mountain that's visible from the park contains the lift for the final drop, the exterior portions of the ride, and the showboat finale.

This image shows the ride from above. The cut off building on the bottom is the Mansion show building, and the white building to the left contains the interior portions of the Splash Mountain ride.

Here's a rough 3D render of the layout someone did that hopefully helps you see how the track is laid out inside the building:

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

The first main mountain that's visible from the park contains the lift for the final drop, the exterior portions of the ride, and the showboat finale.

This image shows the ride from above. The cut off building on the bottom is the Mansion show building, and the white building to the left contains the interior portions of the Splash Mountain ride.

View attachment 392079

Here's a rough 3D render of the layout someone did that hopefully helps you see how the track is laid out inside the building:

View attachment 392080

cool thank you for clarifiying it. its essential 2 show buildings but the majority of it is in the show building in the back. the fact that its blendid soo perfectly where i could never tell really shows what an amazing job they did of it. As a kid i thought it was all inside the mountain, then as i grew and saw google earth images i thought i t was all in the show building but then got confused how that works since the drop is in the facade out front. thanks again for explaining.

 

[SuddenStorm]

There are two questions about Splash Mountain being asked over on rodentconvos...

Did Bruce Gordon save $30,000 during Splash Mountain's construction by not waterproofing the structural steel?

Personally, this sounds like something someone made up somewhere to me. I don't buy it.

And, did Disney modify the dip drop in the early 2000s to accommodate a new fleet of logs?

I don't buy this one either, while many changes to the logs are well documented, I haven't been able to find any kind of documentation that the actual flume was altered beyond periodic maintenance. Except for, of course, the final drop rebuild of 2018.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Well you know it is a thrill when you go downhill cause you're riding in a mountain of your own free will! So you're zipping in a flash on a daring dash down a waterfall so rapid that you go splish splash! Z-z-z-z zip! Zip!

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Happy Birthday, Splash! I’m not a fan, but it’s undoubtedly a classic.

Not a fan? Did I read that right!?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Not a fan? Did I read that right!?

Yes, you did.

Haven’t been on in over 10 years. Maybe if the animatronics actually worked, I would ride more often. But I have no desire.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Yes, you did.

Haven’t been on in over 10 years. Maybe if the animatronics actually worked, I would ride more often. But I have no desire.

Interesting take!

 

[Jedi Stitch]

I got in line to make a splash when it a first summer there. It turned into a three hour tour, a three hour tour... Ah yes, 3 hours for my first time to ride, that was my weight. I feel sorry for my Brother David. He drove me down to Disneyland for my 16th Birthday, and my 17th with my Brother John. Dave never got to ride it. Every time he was in the que, the ride would brake down. John and I would go and ride it. As soon as Dave would join us in line. "attention to difficulties, the ride is down" Dave finally got to ride, when took my Mom and Dad down. Dad needing a wheel chair to get around then, Dave finally got to ride Splash.

 

[shambolicdefending]

Personal rambling to follow...

Splash probably holds the most sentimental value for me of any attraction. It was one of the first "thrill" rides I ever experienced. I remember being fascinated and trying to peak behind the walls when it under construction during a family visit in early 89. When we went back about a year later it was up and running, but I was initially too scared to ride it.

Sometime during the trip my dad basically forced me on it. He dragged me through the 45ish minute queue (which seemed insanely long at that time) with me resisting and bawling the whole time. But, father knows best. Once I survived my first time on the "big drop" I was hooked. I never missed a chance to go on it again. Our family was big enough to fill up a whole log by ourselves, and our Splash rides together were the highlight of all trips that followed through the years.

In 2016, my oldest son was finally tall enough to go on it for the first time. He's much more adventurous than I was and didn't need any convincing. His little brother, on the other hand, is a little more like me. He hit the magical 40 inches in 2017, but wanted nothing to do with the "big drop." I took a page from my dad's book and dragged him reluctantly through the queue (luckily we were there at rope drop when it's always a walk on). Just like me, he was on pins and needles until we got to the bottom of the briar patch, and then he realized how much fun it was. Back at the loading area he hopped off, sprinted through the exit and right back in line to go again, only slowing down to make sure I was following him.

I'm not sure which is more meaningful for me. Memories of going on it with my dad - who I'll sadly never get to experience Disneyland with again. Or, the role reversal of riding it with my own kids.