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/* Attraction History */
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{{Template:Infobox Disney ride |
| land=Frontierland
| image=SplashSplashMW.jpg| smaller=true| caption='''The drop on front of Splash Mountain.|alt= Splash Mountain drop'''
| park=Magic Kingdom
| duration=10
| based_on=Song of the South
| opened= October 2, 1992
| fastpassaudio-animatronics=68|custom_label_2= Disney Genie +|custom_value_2=Yes| audio-anamatronicssponsor=68Ziploc| closed= January 22, 2023
}}
Splash Mountain was an attraction located in [[Frontierland]].
==Attraction History==
Splash Mountain was originally developed as an attraction for Disneylandby Imagineer Tony Baxter. In the summer of 1983, Imagineer Tony there were three problems looming on Baxter 's mind. The first, was trying that Disney needed to figure out a way to attract guests to the park's scarcely visited Bear Country land in Disneyland<ref name= "Jack1"> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2010/06/splash_mountain_part_one_1.html </ref> . Also on his mind, lingering was the fact that the America Sings attraction in Tomorrowland was about to close, with its 114 Audio Animatronic animals. To add to all of that, Dick Norris Nunis, who oversaw Disneyland , wanted his Imagineers to create a log flume attraction for the park<ref name= "Jack1"/>. FinallyOn top of all this, while stuck in rush hour traffic Tony was also concerned about the closing of America Sings and its 114 Audio Animatronics. Baxter thought would later recount: {{Quotation| I kept thinking, ‘What a terrible waste of all those Audio-Animatronics characters. Isn’t there something we can do with them?’”<ref name= "avenue"> http://www.disneyavenue.com/2015/06/making-of-splash-mountain.html </ref>}} Finally, while driving to work one day, Baxter came up a solutionto all three of these problems at once.The Working with Bruce Gordon and John Stone, the attraction Baxter he came up with was to be a log flume ride called "Zip-a-Dee River Run" <ref name= "Jack1"/>. The ride would be based on the 1946 Disney film "Song of the South", which was chose, chosen because its main characters- Brer Fox, Brer Bear and Brer Rabbit- had been popular walk-around characters since the parks park's opening. By choosing Song of the South , Baxter also knew that he would be able to reuse the Audio Animatronic animals located in America Sings, thus solving two problems with one attraction<ref name= "avenue"/>. Although Dick Norris Nunis had demanded a log flume ride, Imagineers were not initially sold on the idea, with many feeling . Many felt that log flume rides were beneath Disney , since they were already in almost every most average amusement park. Eventually however, it was decided that Disney’s log flume would be different, because of due to the story they that it would tell<ref name="Korkis"> https://www. mouseplanet.com/10394/Splash_Mountain_Double_Anniversary</ref>. According to Stone:{{Quotation| "The three of us— Tony, Bruce Gordon and myself, literally spent the next three days in Tony's office preparing about 30 storyboards and outlining the entire project"<ref name="Korkis"/>}} Although the designs for Splash Mountain came together in a matter of weeks, it would be six years until the attraction would open to the public <ref name= "avenue"/>. In 1984, the name of the attraction was changed to Splash Mountain after a suggestion by Michael Eisner that the attraction also promote the new Disney-Touchstone film "Splash" <ref name= "Korkis"/>. Although Eisner's other suggestion of adding a mermaid to the ride (to further tie in with the film) was rejected, the new name stuck <ref name="Jack1"/>. On July 17, 1989, Splash Mountain opened in Disneyland and the attraction proved so popular that Michael Eisner decided to add it to Tokyo Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. On June 25, 2020, Disney announced that Splash Mountain would be rethemed to a Princess and the Frog attraction. It is unclear at this time, when the renovation will take place <ref> https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/splash-mountain/news/25jun2020-splash-mountain-to-be-rethemed-to-the-princess-and-the-frog.htm </ref>. On January 22, 2023, Splash Mountain officially closed <ref> https://wdwnt.com/2023/01/last-look-at-splash-mountain-in-magic-kingdom/</ref>
==Construction in Disney World==
[[Image:SplashMountainConcept.jpg|thumb|400px|Splash Mountain concept art|alt= Splash Mountain Concept Art]]Construction began on the Walt Disney World’s World's Splash Mountain in 1990<ref> http://www.florida-project.com/walt-disney-world-photos/magic-kingdom/frontierland/splash-mountain </ref>. In order to build Chick-A-Pill Hill, (the structure which would eventually house Splash Mountain, ) the [[Frontierland]] train station on the [[Walt Disney World Railroad]] had to be removed. After the hill was built, the train station reopened and guests could now see the Zip-A-Dee-Lady scene inside Splash Mountain as the train passed by<ref name= "Jack1"/>. The rock formations on Chick-A-Pill Hill were first sculpted and then reinforced with rebar, wire mesh and sprayable concrete. When completed, the hill stood 87 feet tall and housed caves, swamps , and bayous. Also built, was a 950,000 gallon water reservoir which supplies water for the attraction. Splash Mountain (like [[Thunder Mountain ]] before it) was designed to be controlled by computers. There are two main ride control computers which monitor the attraction. If the two computers don't both agree on the millions of the commands being sent to the ride, they will stop the ride automatically. Splash Mountain was also built with an infra-red intrusion system that alerts cast members if somebody steps outside of their log. When completed , Splash Mountain took up 9.2 acres of land, including 2,600 feet of track<ref name= "Jack1"/>. Splash Mountain began its soft openings on July 27 17, 1992 and it was officially dedicated October 2nd<ref name= "Korkis"/>. In May 2018, a new preshow video was added to Splash Mountain's queue <ref> https://wdwnt.com/2018/05/photo-report-the-magic-kingdom-5-9-18-infinity-war-tron-ducktales-cosmic-rays-main-street-enhancements-etc/ </ref>. Subsequently, in August 2018, Ziploc became the official sponsor of Splash Mountain. As part of the agreement, Ziploc will also furnish plastic bags for guests to use while riding the attraction <ref> https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/splash-mountain/news/24jul2018-walt-disney-worlds-splash-mountain-to-have-new-sponsor.htm </ref>.
==Attraction Plot==
===Backstory===
According to Disney historian Jack Spence, the backstory of Splash Mountain states:
{{Quotation|Legend has it that deep in the “New-nited States of Georgia,” live critters that walk and talk in the same manner as human folk. <br> At the center of this magical land is Chick-A-Pin Hill and it's here that the Beaver Brothers had built their sturdy new dam. <br> But unbeknownst to them, Rackety Raccoon had also constructed a juice producing still in the same area. And it seems that while Rackety was concocting a new, experimental brew, he used a few too many blueberries with disastrous results.<br> When his still exploded, it took the Beaver Brothers' dam with it and water began to rush downhill and through the many caves, burrows, holes, and tunnels that crisscrossed the mountain.<br> From that moment on, the local critters started calling their home Splash Mountain and the name stuck. <ref name= "Spence2"> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2010/07/splash_mountain_part_two.html</ref>}}
===Queue===
[[Image:SplashMountainEntranceBrerRabbitLeaving.jpg|thumb|150px400px|The entrance to Brer Rabbit leaving home. Photo Credit: Disney|alt= Splash MountainBrer Rabbit Brer Fox Brer Bear]]The queue for Splash Mountains begins as guests enter Chick-A-Pill Hill. As they wind their way through the caverns, portraits of the ride's main characters can be seen. Small houses belonging to various animals can are also be seenlocated here, and if guests listen closely sounds will emit from some of the homes. Further into the queue, guests can also hear Brer Frog begin to tell the story of Brer Rabbit's adventure. After winding through Chick-A-Pill Hill, guests eventually reach the loading area, where they board their log flumes.
===The Ride===
After boarding their logs and moving out of the loading area, the first character guests encounter is Brer Frog. Located on the left hand side of the flumes, Brer Frog gives a warning about Brer Rabbit, "Mark my words, Brer Rabbit's gonna put his foot in Brer Fox's mouth." As the flumes continue on, an instrumental version the song, "How Do You Do" begins to play. Along the banks of the tracks, riders can see various houses including Brer Fox's, and also various pieces of farm equipment. These items were placed there so that riders would feel as if they were on a river in the Southern United States. After taking a right turn into a little cave, guests can see Brer Bear's house on their right hand side. After exiting the cave, the flumes go down the first drop in the attraction, "Slippin Falls".
After reaching the bottom of the drop and going around a bend, riders end up in "Doo Dah Landing". Here, various Audio Animatronic animals are singing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" in celebration of Brer Rabbit's return. On the left side, riders can see The Zip-a-Dee Lady, a large showboat which features some Audio Animatronics from the America Sings attraction in Disneyland.
'''How Do You Do''' - The first song guests hear on the attraction, played first as an instrumental and then with vocals. "How Do You Do" is performed by The Floozies (a 29 piece band from Oregon). The lead vocals are performed by Walter Steven "Sim" Hurgle, the band;s lead vocalist. One of the bullfrogs who provide the backing track is performed by Thurl Ravenscroft. '''Ev'rybody's Got a Laughin' Place'''-The second song guests hear on the attraction, is first played while the flumes travel through the Laughin' Place scene. "Ev'rybody's Got a Laughin' Place" is performed by Elisa, Georgia and Castell Newton who are three sisters from California that worked for The Walt Disney Company at the time of the ride's construction. Castell and Elisa sing the words, while Georgia is responsible for the high pitched, operatic 'ahh's' in the background. '''Burrow's Lament (aka "Sooner or Later" in Song of the South)'''-This instrumental is played as guests climb the final hill before dropping into the Briar Patch. '''Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah'''- The attraction’s final song, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" was recorded by a choir made up of over 75 members. The track was recorded in Disney's Burbank studio in 1987 and features Jess Harnell (as the voice of Brer Rabbit) singing a solo. ==Cast<ref> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287714/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_286 </ref>==
'''Brer Fox'''-Jess Harnell
'''Brer Frog'''-James Avery
'''Bullfrogs'''- Thurl Ravenscroft
'''Vultures'''- Edward Conor and John Kelfreese
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
* The Frontierland back story for Chick-A-Pin-Hill states that at one time it was damned. When the dam broke, it created the 52.5 foot waterfall that guests plummet down<ref name="note"> This information comes from the narration on the Liberty Square Riverboat</ref>.
*In the back story for the attraction, the logs that guests board are were carved out by long tooth beavers<ref> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2010/07/splash_mountain_part_two.html </ref>.
*The Zip-A-Dee-Lady showboat is 36-feet long and 22-feet high<ref> http://www.songofthesouth.net/splashmtn/trivia.html </ref>. *The logs reach speeds of up to 40 mph when going down the large drop <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/splash-mountain.htm </ref>. * Nick Stewart, who voiced Brer Bear in Song of the South, reprised his role in Splash Mountain <ref> http://www.songofthesouth.net/splashmtn/trivia.html </ref>. * Disney World's Splash Mountain was created by a team of Imagineers led by Eric Jacobson <ref name= "Korkis"/>.===Potential McDonald's Sponsorship===On October 10, 1985, Disney pitched McDonald's the idea of sponsoring Splash Mountain. In a pitch book created specifically for a meeting between the two companies, Disney created concept art that featured Brer Frog as the official "spokescritter for McDonald's". It is also notable that at this time the attraction was titled Brer Rabbit's Splash Mountain <ref> https://mouseinfo.com/2020/07/coulda-been-brer-rabbits-splash-mountain-presented-by-mcdonalds-pecos-bills-renamed-to-hungry-bear/ </ref>. Although McDonald's would pass on sponsoring the attraction, the two companies would reach an “an unprecedented global marketing alliance” in 1996, that allowed McDonald's to open dining locations within Walt Disney World's theme parks <ref> https://www.yesterland.com/mcwdw.html </ref>.
==Gallery==
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==References==