Why dosen't WDW Big Thunder Mountain have a splash down

[mitchk]

I was watching some Disney videos earlier, and I got to thinking, every Big Thunder Mountain (California, Paris, ect...) has a splash down (the train dips, and water shoots up from both sides of the tracks) expect for the WDW version. Why did they decided to leave that out of the Florida version? I know DL's was built first (even though it was originally designed for WDW). Florida's version opened about a year later, but without the splash. Is it because the WDW version has the flooded town scene? Anyone know :shrug:

 

[marni1971]

Yep - Tumbleweed replaced Rainbow Ridge and the splash down in Orlando.

Originally the water level was higher in the flooded town and ran a lot faster, giving a real flash flood effect.

 

[Horizonsfan]

Yep - Tumbleweed replaced Rainbow Ridge and the splash down in Orlando.

Originally the water level was higher in the flooded town and ran a lot faster, giving a real flash flood effect.

Maybe a dumb question, but why was the water level lowered?

 

[mitchk]

Thanks :wave: I had a feeling you would have the answer. Is the DL splash down Rainbow Ridge, I always thought it was Dinousar Gap:shrug: BTW, you say a lot faster, meaning the trains speed was faster when it first opened?

 

[imagineer boy]

Thanks :wave: I had a feeling you would have the answer. Is the DL splash down Rainbow Ridge, I always thought it was Dinousar Gap:shrug:

Yes, DL's splash down is in the Dinosaur gap. DLP's spash down is next to an old mining building. And TDL's does not have a splash down.

 

[mitchk]

Oh Marni1971, you mean the water ran a lot faster :hammer:

 

[marni1971]

Oh Marni1971, you mean the water ran a lot faster :hammer:

That I did

 

[filament]

DLP's spash down is next to an old mining building.

I'll try to make it clear, but I'm french...

In fact for DLP the splashdown is very interesting.
You know that the storyling of BTM is linked to Phantom Manor. a story of an indian curse. So in BTM there was an indian god : the thunder bird, who was protecting the mountain.
Ravenswood family, owners of Phantom Manor, were first one to find gold in BTM. So the curse was for them.
That's the story of the land.

When the curse of the thunder bird began there was an earthquake which started in BTM and finishes in PM (the curse I said ).
So you can see that in the Phantom Manor Boothill like in this picture :

In front of this place at PM there is the splashdown, in fact because of the earthquake the track falled.

That was perfect for the storyline. But now they added (in 1995 in fact) the picture shot.
Before 1995 :

And now :

Oh And I forgot ! We don't have still more splashdown effet. Since the Keelboats are runing again, this effect is stop...

I'm really sorry for my poor english

 

[agent86]

Maybe a dumb question, but why was the water level lowered?

I'm curious about this too, so I hope you get an answer. I'm guessing it probably has to do with saving money.

 

[agent86]

I'm really sorry for my poor english

No need to apologize. You were a lot more understandable to many posters on here are sometimes. :lol:

Thanks for the info and the photos!!

 

[marni1971]

I'm curious about this too, so I hope you get an answer. I'm guessing it probably has to do with saving money.

Sorry - from what I can tell, the pumping system was partially switched off/not repaired. Tumbleweeds flood originally came from a lake above the town (and below the small bridge beneath lift B) and cascaded down the hill behind Isobars wagon, rushed through the town and stopped at the cave entrance to be pumped back up to the top of the hill.