Splash Mountain will be closed starting tomorrow at Magic Kingdom. The 30-year-old attraction will be completely reimagined into a Princess and the Frog-themed ride after Disney decided that the problematic Song of the South movie no longer deserved representation in its theme parks. Instead, construction walls will be installed overnight as work begins on transforming Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The ride system and layout should remain the same or similar to Splash Mountain, but guests will be going down to the bayou instead of the briar patch.
Earlier today, we were at Magic Kingdom to check on closing-day crowds and the turnout was immense as fans waited hours for one last splash.
We’ll start with a look at rope drop crowds. The crowds on the Liberty Square bridge were moderate, with most of the mass coming from the Early Entry entrance point from Fantasyland. Here’s a timelapse of the crowds, followed by photos.
The line quickly backed up into Frontierland as Cast Members worked to create a queue out of the flood of people. Eventually, a more orderly queue was created by utilizing switchbacks over the bridge that the ride passes under, and a queue down the Frontierland walkway.
Splash Mountain’s highest posted wait time as of 1pm was 200 minutes, but it is sure to climb into the evening as guests continue to try and ride it until the 11pm park close.
Another long line was the line for two pressed penny machines – one in the gift shop and one under the Frontierland train station. The pressed pennies are the only piece of Splash Mountain branded merchandise that Disney has sold for quite some time.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!