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The attraction Baxter came up with was to be a log flume ride called Zip-a-Dee River Run. 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 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. Although Dick Norris had demanded a log flume ride, Imagineers were not initially sold on the idea, with many feeling that log flume rides were beneath Disney since they were in almost every average amusement park. Eventually however, it was decided that Disney’s log flume would be different, because of the story they would tell.

In 1984, the name of the attraction was changed to Splash Mountain. Michael Eisner suggested the change, in order to promote the new Disney-Touchstone film Splash. 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. On July 17 , 1989 , Splash Mountain opened in Disneyland and the attraction proved so popular that Michael Eisner decided to add it to the other Disney theme parks, including Walt Disney World.

Construction began on the Walt Disney World’s Splash Mountain in 1990. 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. 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.

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 also be seen, 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.

After passing Brer Rabbit’s house, the flume turns a corner into a scene where riders see that Brer Bear has fallen into a trap set for Brer Rabbit. Brer Bear is hanging in the trap at the top of the tree, while Brer Fox scolds him and tries to get him down. Across the ride track, Brer Rabbit can be seen laughing at the situation. The next scene that riders enter is the Laughing Place scene. Here on the left, Brer Rabbit tells guests that his “laughing place is where (he will) be”. The scene then progresses to show that Brer Rabbit has once again tricked Brer Bear, whose head is stuck a bee hive, (apparently having thought that it was Brer Rabbit's laughing place). After riding underneath Brer Bear, the log goes down the rides second drop, which happens in complete darkness.

After the drop, the next scene riders see is Brer Bear with the bee hive on his nose. Once again it looks as if Brer Rabbit as outsmarted the antagonists, expect . But while he lies on the ground laughing. , Brer Fox sneaks up behind him and catches him. The flumes then pass a scene showing Brer Rabbit tied up by Brer Fox before going up the rides final hill. As the flumes continue to ascend up the hill, two vultures taunt guests as they pass by ("Everybody's got a laughing place, maybe this is ones one’s yours"). On the left of the track, Brer Rabbit (who is still tied up) pleads with Brer Fox to do anything to him, except for throwing him in the Briar Patch. Not realizing he’s been tricked, Brer Fox does just that, with guests plummeting 52.5 fet feet down into the Briar Patch with him. While going down the drop, a camera takes guests pictures which they can buy in the exit gift shop.

* The Frontierland back story for Chick-A-Pin-Hill states that at one time it was dammeddamned. When the dam broke, it created the 52.5 foot waterfall that guests plummet down.