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View Full Version : Splash Mountain: Open Once Again



Tomblie
05-29-2011, 07:06 AM
(Sorry if this was talked about already, didn't see a thread for it)

I was at Disneyland yesterday with my fiance. When we were waiting in line for Haunted Mansion we noticed that Splash Mountain was reopen again! It feels like it had been closed forever so we ran over there and got in line.

It was great to go on it again and there are some changes to the ride. Everything's cleaned up and looking fresh. I feel there was a newly added part of the ride where the log makes a drop while it's pitch black, shoots back up, then drops you again. I don't remember that part. Is it new? Also after the big splash down into the thorns, they display your log's picture above you on a screen. A nice little touch, I think.

My only complaint is they sped up the ride while you're inside. I don't know if it was just that day but we were zooming through all the inside musical parts of the ride. We couldn't really catch the music or have a chance to look at all the scenery before being pushed onto another part. The other bad part of this increased speed is that your log hits the walls HARD on the turns and it's very unpleasant.

Despite those complaints, it was great to go on the ride again. Anybody else have a chance to ride it since it reopened?

bumblebeeonarose
05-29-2011, 08:22 AM
My only complaint is they sped up the ride while you're inside. I don't know if it was just that day but we were zooming through all the inside musical parts of the ride. We couldn't really catch the music or have a chance to look at all the scenery before being pushed onto another part. The other bad part of this increased speed is that your log hits the walls HARD on the turns and it's very unpleasant.


That is how it seemed when we went to WDW, super fast. I guess if it is faster they can get more people through. It used to be a 10minute ride, I wonder how long it clocks now.

trypticon
05-29-2011, 10:10 AM
The drop, climb, and rop again in the dark is not new. Neither is showing your picture on the screen while still boarded on the log raft after the big drop. I'm not certain about a speed change, but when I rode the ride the last time it was open while I was there, it did smack against the sides of the walls pretty hard, and would even pile up regularly against other rafts in front, and eventually behind until there was enough of a driving force from the crashes to get the front raft moving again.

I would be interested in finding out if there really was a speed increase. That could give the drops a bit more edge, not that they really need it.

Lilo143stitch
05-29-2011, 10:39 AM
I hadn't been on splash in years before i rode it again recently. I just attributed the changes in speed and how hard we banged against the flume as well as how soaking wet i got to the fact that i wasn't 15 years old and 110lbs anymore :)

houseofmouse
05-29-2011, 10:42 AM
If it is still fast and bumpy this summer. I will got to City Hall and let them know. Maybe if they get enough they will slow it back down again.

Nikara
05-31-2011, 01:52 PM
The only change I saw in the outside area is that the single rider line is way more clearly marked. Unfortunately this has led to fifty junior highers waiting in that line. It was backed up past the picture viewing area. My favorite Disney secret is gone...

candles71
05-31-2011, 02:05 PM
It seemed pretty fast last year when we rode it. The up down up down again is my favorite part :).

fantasmicgallery
06-01-2011, 06:15 AM
"I feel there was a newly added part of the ride where the log makes a drop while it's pitch black, shoots back up, then drops you again."

This is the way the ride used to function prior to the addition of the longer boats in order to provide "more proper seating" for the riders. The longer boats made for a much rougher ride for anyone in the back of the vehicle, especially if they weighed over 150 lbs. I really miss the "double drop", and the smoother ride afforded by the shorter boats. Does anyone know if they also shortened the boats as well? My understanding was that there was a problem with the longer boats getting through the double drop, and that was the reason that it was removed in the first place. I for one would love to see the ride restored to it's prior configuration; it was a much smoother ride in the shorter boats, even at a higher speed.

Chessur
06-01-2011, 06:54 AM
This thread makes me feel vindicated... On my last trip, it seemed that I got much wetter than I had in the past, and I thought the ride seemed different - a little faster, a little bumpier. I made a point of stopping at City Hall to give the feedback that I preferred the ride the way it used to be, and the CM I spoke with said nothing had changed. I thought I was just being overly sensitive, so in a way it's nice to hear that something really is different!

I don't really mind getting a little wetter, but my butt and back sure wish they would slow it down so those bumps aren't as rough...

trypticon
06-01-2011, 08:03 AM
Splash Mountain is one of my fiance's son's favorite rides at the park. When we were last able to ride it, we even got the chance to stay in the lob boat for five consecutive trips through the ride. It was a great experience being able to go again and again and again without having to disembark and wait in line again, though there wasn't one. At the same time, my shoes and shorts and shirt, and entire body got so wet that my impression of the ride went from great to never wanting to ride a water ride again.

It's my own fault for not using the hotel laundry to dry my shoes, of course, but having to walk in the wet shoes for the rest of the day, and the rest of the week, created some remarkable calouses on my toes that became painful before the trip was finished.

And man, I have the song from the ride still stuck in my head eight months later.

Although, I've also had Grim Grinning Ghosts stuck in my head for six years and ten months.

Goodnplenty
06-01-2011, 10:50 AM
I only get to DL once a year, but I was wondering. Did any of you regulars notice anything different? I believe that someone mentioned an effect that hasn't worked there in a long time. Was that fixed? I think it was referred to as "Brer Bear and Fox chasing Brer Rabbit again". Or was this a good ole sprucing up of SM?
GnP

ChrisGlass
06-01-2011, 12:09 PM
The bumping more often than not has to do with the weight distribution on the log. And once it clips, it's going to ricochet more.

When I rode it on Saturday, it seemed the same as ever before it went down. The only thing I noticed, was Brer Rabbit up on the handcart overhead wasn't going back and forth. The AA was moving, but the handcart was stationary. The new grass covering the mountain top is a nice touch, though.

MidwayManiac
06-09-2011, 10:02 PM
Other than getting more soaked than ever -and- both red and green cabbage being added to the watermelon/pumpklin area, I didn't happen to notice anything new.

Then again, I'm mad not very observant.

Grandpa Louie
06-10-2011, 07:01 AM
Splash Mountain is back open and as good as ever.

Kuzcofan
06-10-2011, 02:40 PM
Maybe the faster speed is from the cleaning. Maybe the water jets have more power because they arent as clogged or were replaced with newer ones. Also maybe the flume was cleaned and lets the water flow smoother/fasetr with less resistance. Perhaps after a few months it will slow down a little. Just a thought...

Geneva
06-10-2011, 03:58 PM
I was there last weekend with my husband and parents, who had never ridden the ride, and I assured them that they would likely only get mildly wet. Sadly, we all were drenched from head to toe by the end of the ride and had to leave the park for the evening to avoid ruining our shoes. It makes me not want to ever ride it again, unfortunately. Who really wants to walk around a park soaking wet? It's one thing for GRR to turn out soaked guests, but Splash never used to be this bad.

Malcon10t
06-10-2011, 08:33 PM
Splash has always soaked our crew. It really depends on weights and where the weight is placed in the log. If the heavier people in the group are in the center and lighters are front and rear, you get less splash. But if you have the heavier ones in your group up front, you will get pretty wet. In the past 5 years, I can't remember the kids ever coming off only "damp".

Geneva
06-10-2011, 08:42 PM
We were positioned exactly as you recommend: lighter people in the front and back and heavier people in the middle. Didn't seem to make a difference. In fact, pretty much everyone we saw get off the ride was similarly soaked and seemed upset.

theluckyrabbit
06-10-2011, 11:37 PM
I'm with Malcon10t. I have ALWAYS gotten wet on Splash Mountain. In 15+ years, I don't think I have ever walked away from that ride dry. Back to the re-opening, what really caught my eye (or ear?) when I was on Splash two weeks ago was the sound quality. The soundtrack was great, really really clear, particularly with the possums and rabbits in the ascent up for the big drop. I also noticed that those particular animatronics were looking really clean and moving very smoothly.

MadasaHatter
06-11-2011, 11:32 AM
Other than getting more soaked than ever -and- both red and green cabbage being added to the watermelon/pumpklin area, I didn't happen to notice anything new.

Then again, I'm mad not very observant.

I resemble that remark. I have been posting a lot. Always do after a visit. YOIKS

MadasaHatter
06-11-2011, 11:37 AM
I think Kuzco fan is right. Upon riding it the first five minutes it was re-opened I didn't notice it was faster. But upon reading this thread I think it was indeed due to the refurb and everything is squeaky clean and greased up all nice. As far as getting wet....I am rather tallish and rode the ride at least 50 times before ever getting the front row. You are sopping wet in the front row. I can vouch for that and everytime we had a full boat whoever was in the front row was wet. If the log was full and heavy then I would get my bottom and feets wet even in the back. Every once in a while I would walk out with a wet left shoulder or something strange like that and the rest of me dry. I always counted on getting wet on that ride!

disneyland addict13
06-11-2011, 07:28 PM
Just like mostly everyone else in the thread, I get pretty drenched every time I ride Splash. I'm okay with having wet clothes, but I can't stand having wet shoes, so my new tactic is to take plastic bags from any of the stores in the parks and wrap them around my shoes and socks before the ride to keep out the water. It's really effective and then I don't have to worry about wet shoes for the rest of the day!

theluckyrabbit
06-13-2011, 06:37 PM
You know, I'm not a big advocate of Crocs (the "classic" style makes me look like I have Donald Duck feet) but they do dry off very quickly! Comes in handy for this sort of thing.

jananafish
06-15-2011, 12:15 PM
yeah...i dont think i will be riding splash mountain anymore unless it's 80+ degrees. i hate getting wet on rides. it makes me feel really gross :/ before when i'd ride splash i never got wet; i don't want to start now!