Whatever you think of the fact that Splash Mountain is on the verge of undergoing a significant overhaul, the fact is that whether you’re excited for the new version of the ride or not, we’re all going to lose the ability to ride it sooner rather than later. Work on Splash Mountain is likely to get underway in the near future, and that’s going to mean a loss of great moments on the ride, like getting completely soaked when you’re not expecting it.
Splash Mountain is a traditional flume ride and the entire experience is a build up to a massive drop at the end. There usually is a pretty big splash at the end, but if you’ve ever actually been on the ride, then you know that, depending on where you’re sitting, there are actually other spots that can soak you even more. A recent viral TikTok shows off just how unexpected it can be, and if you know, you know.
@bozoztok ♬ original sound - bozoz
If you’ve ridden Splash Mountain, you’ve probably been this guy before. While you’re expecting the big drop at the end, both the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom versions of the attraction have smaller drops that take place earlier in the ride, and in the case of this one, it happens in the dark, so you might not realize it’s coming.
With the big drop, you can actually end up with water going over you and around you rather than on you because of the force with which you hit that water. The smaller drop tends to create a smaller splash, that is actually more likely to just land in the boat, and thus you get soaked, especially if you’re in the front.
Pretty soon images like this will be all we have of Splash Mountain, and when the ride returns it will be different. Splash Mountain is being transformed into one of Disney World biggest upcoming attractions, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and while it will still be a log flume ride, the story and characters involved, as well as the technology that brings it all to life, will be all new.
One big question is how the ride itself might change. There isn’t necessarily any specific need for the ride itself to undergo any actual updating. While one assumes the track itself will be replaced with new components, where the track goes could remain the same, meaning that all these extra drops could still be there in the new ride. However, decisions might be made to reroute the track for any number of reasons. We could end up with more drops in the new attraction or we could lose the ones we have.
We’ve been told what the story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be, but what it means for the actual ride remains to be seen. We don’t even know when our last chance to ride Splash Mountain and get soaked will be, though it will likely be soon, with the new Tiana ride already slated for a late 2024 grand opening.
