Classic Disney World Attraction Closed for Good

Disney says its final goodbye to beloved attraction.

It’s not a secret that Walt Disney Co.  (DIS) - Get Free Report does much of its needed refurbishing and regularly scheduled maintenance in January and February each year. While you couldn’t say it’s a slow time for Disney, because there really isn’t one, but it is the best time for the theme parks to do its needed renovations and fixing up what needs fixing.

Disney knows that its guests may only make a trip to its theme parks once in a lifetime and wants to be respectful of its guests' time, energy and money, so it puts out its scheduled maintenance and refurbishing schedule for its guests to use to help them plan their vacations. This maintenance schedule is helpful for so many reasons. It helps Disney guests set expectations about what attractions may not be available during their visit.

Secondly the renovation and maintenance schedule can help guests move their travel around to be sure to wait until an attraction opens back up. It also helps guests plan to make their visit sooner, to get a chance to see something before it closes, and sometimes get one last ride in before an attraction closes for good. Disney World's refurbishment schedule can be found on Disney Tourist Blog and other sites, and its best to check these sites before finalizing travel arrangements as closures are subject to change. 

Despite Pleas Disney Closes Ride

Fans of the iconic Disney World’s attraction Splash Mountain made an attempt to gain traction to save the ride, with the “Save Splash Mountain” trend on social media. However, despite protesters of the closure best efforts, the ride that echoed a distasteful Southern slant met its demise Jan. 23. Splash Mountain’s theme was “Song of the South”, and the theme did not ring right with how Disney wants to be portrayed in today’s society. Disneyland will also be closing its Splash Mountain at a later date.

The rebranding of Splash Mountain is a positive one. The new theme is from Disney’s “Princess and the Frog.” The ride will pick up where the movie left off and continue to follow Tiana and friends through Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. In the “Princess and the Frog” Tiana is following her dreams and provides a level of empowerment and encouragement that is more aligned with what Disney wants to become synonymous with in today’s society.

Disney Heard Different Pleas

Splash Mountain fans valiant effort to keep it alive was partially founded on bad data. The petitioners stated that the ride had been known to have a three-hour wait according to Cinema Blend. While some people thought this may have been true, it wasn’t completely factual because there were long waits on hot days when the ride would have longer wait times. The idea that the ride would cool off park guests would increase its perceived value to the park and its guests.

There was a petition in 2020 to have the beloved Splash Mountain rethemed because of the negative perception of the theme. Disney agreed, it was time to retheme the ride and move forward with a positive and uplifting theme for the ride.

Disney pursued the closure of Splash Mountain and fans flocked to ride it one last time. The attraction is now closed after three decades and after fans waited in long lines to get one last ride in. Some guests were saddened, while others thought it was about time that Disney rethemed the ride.