Intelligibility of Splash Mountain's plot

[LittleBuford]

I created this poll in response to a discussion taking place now over in the Splash Mountain thread. How much of the plot did you personally understand from the ride alone? The options I've provided seem to cover the full spectrum, but please let me know if you think I should add any.

For those who aren't sure of the full plot, here it is:

Spoiler: Splash Mountain plot

The plot behind Splash Mountain is a composite of several Uncle Remus stories. The different versions of Splash Mountain feature similar stories, albeit with small differences. Each ride presents scenes taken from the animated segments of Song of the South, telling the story of Br'er Rabbit, the mischievous hero who leaves his home in search of adventure. Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, the antagonists of the story, are determined to catch him but are repeatedly tricked into letting him free.

The sharp-witted Br'er Rabbit avoids a snare trap (as described in "Br'er Rabbit Earns a Dollar a Minute") and uses it to trap Br'er Bear instead. Br'er Rabbit continues on his journey to find his "laughing place". Out of curiosity, his foes follow but only for Br'er Rabbit to lead them into a cavern of bees. Br'er Fox eventually catches Br'er Rabbit in a beehive and threatens to roast him. Br'er Rabbit uses reverse psychology on Br'er Fox, begging the fox not to throw him into the briar patch. Naturally, Br'er Fox throws Br'er Rabbit into the briar patch (represented by the ride's picturesque flume drop); Br'er Rabbit escapes uninjured, remarking, "I was born and raised in the briar patch!" The other animals rejoice to have Br'er Rabbit back home, while Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are last seen narrowly escaping the jaws of Br'er Gator.

Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is a log flume with some dark ride scenes at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and formerly at The Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World Resort, based on the characters, stories, and songs from the 1946 Disney film, Song of the South. Although there are variations in the story and...

disney.fandom.com

ETA: Since I can't honestly remember if I'd already seen the film, I answered "I (think I) already knew the story; certain details may not have been clear to me otherwise."

2nd ETA: Here's a clarification of the last two options:

• "I (think I) already knew the story; certain details may not have been clear to me otherwise." This is meant for those who strongly suspect that they would not have been able to follow or infer the full story from the ride alone without prior knowledge of the narrative. (By "full story", I mean all of the major plot points, including Br'er Rabbit's use of reverse psychology.)
• "I (think I) already knew the story, but the plot probably would have been clear to me anyway." This is meant for those who strongly suspect that they would have been able to follow or infer the full story from the ride alone without prior knowledge of the narrative. (By "full story", I mean all of the major plot points, including Br'er Rabbit's use of reverse psychology.)

 

[Ghost93]

I had already seen Song of the South and had heard a teacher recount the story once in a class. So I knew what was happening when I first rode Splash. However, I may not have realized Brer Rabbit was using reverse psychology if I hadn't known the story.

I think Splash Mountain, as a whole, still works if you aren't familiar with the story. But that's one detail that might go over people's heads.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Knew all of it having prior knowledge of the story, watching the Dis film before ever going to WDW to experience the attraction. Had I not had the prior knowledge I think the attraction would have given me enough info to figure it out.

 

[doctornick]

I think it’s very easy to just ride the ride and enjoy it without really trying to follow the story closely - you can get caught up in the songs and images without really thinking about the plot.

But I think the story is pretty easy to follow and “get” if you pay attention to the details and dialogue in the ride.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The only part I don't get is the vultures. I understood the reverse psychology, but if Br'er Rabbit (and by extension, us) actually wants to go into the briar patch as a means of escape, then why are the vultures looming over our heads in a menacing way as if the briar patch is something to be feared?

 

[LittleBuford]

Knew all of it having prior knowledge of the story, watching the Dis film before ever going to WDW to experience the attraction. Had I not had the prior knowledge I think the attraction would have given me enough info to figure it out.

I think that puts you in the "already knew the story, but the plot probably would have been clear to me anyway" camp. Feel free to answer the poll accordingly!

 

[LittleBuford]

The only part I don't get is the vultures. I understood the reverse psychology, but if Br'er Rabbit (and by extension, us) actually wants to go into the briar patch as a means of escape, then why are the vultures looming over our heads in a menacing way as if the briar patch is something to be feared?

Some have suggested that the ride reveals the twist after it's happened, i.e., that we're supposed to believe (or at least fear) that Br'er Rabbit is in real trouble before learning at the end that he'd tricked Br'er Fox. That (together with the thrill factor) would explain why Baxter made the lift more ominous than the equivalent scene in the film.

 

[doctornick]

Regarding the “being familiar with the story” point, many might not have seen SotS or know the specific stories that were adapted, but anyone who has watched Bugs Bunny would probably have a good idea of the “trickster rabbit” archetype which would help them understand the plot. Even if they aren’t drawing on them consciously (I.e. having subconscious familiarity could make it easier to “get” the plot including the reverse psychology).

 

[LittleBuford]

Regarding the “being familiar with the story” point, many might not have seen SotS or know the specific stories that were adapted, but anyone who has watched Bugs Bunny would probably have a good idea of the “trickster rabbit” archetype which would help them understand the plot. Even if they aren’t drawing on them consciously (I.e. having subconscious familiarity could make it easier to “get” the plot including the reverse psychology).

This is a good point. As far as Splash Mountain is concerned, however, I don’t think the animatronic itself gives many clues as to what Br’er Rabbit is thinking. He looks genuinely terrified, with none of the knowing “wink, wink” quality that he displays in the animated sequence.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Regarding the “being familiar with the story” point, many might not have seen SotS or know the specific stories that were adapted, but anyone who has watched Bugs Bunny would probably have a good idea of the “trickster rabbit” archetype which would help them understand the plot. Even if they aren’t drawing on them consciously (I.e. having subconscious familiarity could make it easier to “get” the plot including the reverse psychology).

I've always thought it was a bit dissonant with the rest of the ride and hurts overall satisfaction with the preschool crowd. You have little kids who are just-tall-enough-and-just-brave-enough to ride, and right when they're getting over the apprehension they felt when they first saw the hill from the outside and starting to think "hey this isn't so bad after all," they're reminded at the end that they're supposed to be terrified, actually.

 

[Minthorne]

If the fox and bear plan to eat the rabbit, why do they chose to throw it away into a briar patch? Tenderizing.

 

[Kirby86]

The only part I don't get is the vultures. I understood the reverse psychology, but if Br'er Rabbit (and by extension, us) actually wants to go into the briar patch as a means of escape, then why are the vultures looming over our heads in a menacing way as if the briar patch is something to be feared?

It's because we're going to Brer Foxes lair. The vultures are there to say we were caught the bad guy won. The drop is how we escape

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I think it’s very easy to just ride the ride and enjoy it without really trying to follow the story closely - you can get caught up in the songs and images without really thinking about the plot.

But I think the story is pretty easy to follow and “get” if you pay attention to the details and dialogue in the ride.

This is more or less my feeling, although I do find it hard to put myself in the position of someone who went into the ride with no idea of the story. I don't think I had seen the film before riding (or have ever seen the whole thing), but I knew the story of Brer Rabbit and the briar patch from somewhere.

Going into it the way I did and having been on (and loved) the attraction many times over the years, everything seems clear and obvious to me in terms of Brer Rabbit tricking Brer Fox and Brer Bear once again (as he had with the Laughing Place). However, enough people don't seem to have understood that until the past day or two to make me think that plot point may not be entirely self-evident if you go in cold!

As you say, though, it's not even really essential to get that point to follow and enjoy the ride. If the take away is that Brer Rabbit got in trouble, had a narrow escape, and learned his lesson, I think that is close enough!

 

[Disney Analyst]

as a kid… none of it. I just kinda thought “goofy rabbit escaping predators”. Which… I guess is kind of the basic plot?

As an adult… goofy rabbit avoiding predators.


So… is it about a goofy rabbit avoiding predators?

 

[DryerLintFan]

The only thing we really didn’t understand was the chipmink/bird done where they said “turn around and show us your butt!”

That’s of course the part my daughter took home with her. She liked to randomly moon me singing in a chipmunk voice “turn around I’m showing my butt!!”

A couple years later i googled it and i don’t remember the real lyrics, but they’re apparently not “turn around and show us your butt!!”

 

[_caleb]

Thank you for making this thread, @LittleBuford!

I grew up riding Disneyland’s version, and only did MK’s a couple times until I took my kids. I believe I would have been vaguely familiar with the Br’er stories when I first rode it.

I’m in the camp that thinks the story wasn’t as clear on its own (from just the ride scenes and dialog). Maybe I was just slower on the uptake, but in my mind, I remember interpreting the scenes sort of like this:

• Queue: saw mill, then underground tunnels/burrows with red earth
• Loading: country/western/mining/mill town?
• Frog: not sure (never understood his dialog, don’t remember seeing him again)
• Briar patch (in a lake?): see other logs dropping
• Homes of the Br’er critters: cute, fun to hear them singing
• Time to be moving along: (Now I know this is where I was supposed to get that Br’er Rabbit wasn’t happy at home): since all the animals are singing this, it wasn’t clear to me.
• Br’er Rabbit a kid? An adult? A good guy? Sort of came off as cocky, I guess
• Br’er Bear hanging from a rope held by Fox? Are they bad guys? Just playing around?
• Laughin’ Place: What does this have to do with beehives and honey? (I now know the honey vs. tar)
• Br’er Rabbit, Bear, and Fox seem to be playing together, but Br’er Fox turns on Br’er rabbit and catches him?
• The lift: Scary, Br’er Rabbit shouting, we drop through the briar patch into a cave (didn’t get that we were being “thrown” into the briars)
• Long stretches of brilliant rock work, waterfall, tunnels
• Zip: a happy song, lots of critters throwing Rabbit a welcome party for some reason
• An alligator gets Fox and Bear
• Br’er Rabbit learned his lesson (whatever that lesson is- stay home? don’t mess with Foxes, Bears, and bees?)

Things that may have helped me understand before riding:

• Br’er is short for “brother,” not for “briar”
• Fox and Bear are bad guys
• Rabbit isn’t content at home (not sure why), but everyone else is
• What a “Laughin’ place” is
• Briar patch is where Br’er Rabbit lives

As others have stated, it’s difficult not to see the ride’s storyline through the lens of what I know now. As I mentioned in another thread: this became clearer to me when I had to explain the ride to my own children.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Also the Disneyland version, there’s a sad almost funeral sequence? That version turns dark: what is happening?

 

[Kirby86]

I always got the gist of what the story was. When I was younger maybe the reverse psychology went over my head at first but after the fact Brer Rabbit says Brer Fox threw him into the briar patch which was his home so I put it together.

 

[Kirby86]

Also the Disneyland version, there’s a sad almost funeral sequence? That version turns dark: what is happening?

In the rides story the mothers are telling their young ones to be careful of the Laughing Place or wondering away from home or Brer Fox will catch you like he did to Brer Rabbit.
The real world explanation they had animatronics leftover from America Sings and they wanted to reuse as much as possible.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I've always thought it was a bit dissonant with the rest of the ride and hurts overall satisfaction with the preschool crowd. You have little kids who are just-tall-enough-and-just-brave-enough to ride, and right when they're getting over the apprehension they felt when they first saw the hill from the outside and starting to think "hey this isn't so bad after all," they're reminded at the end that they're supposed to be terrified, actually.

It is the moment of the ride where Disney separates the men from the boys.