One of the Magic Kingdom’s top attractions, Splash Mountain, is back again after a long refurbishment. While the characters from the world of Tiana are not featured, fans of the Song of the South version are sure to enjoy going back to the Laughin’ Place for at least another year. Given guest reviews of the ride, I suppose you could say it’s “Satisfactual.”
According to WDW Magic, the attraction opened to a nearly-instant 45 minute wait time (posted) with Genie+ reservations starting a little after noon.
You are probably aware that Splash Mountain in its current state has been deemed problematic by The Walt Disney Company, in spite of being one of the most beloved attractions at Walt Disney World. The company has gone so far as to label Zip-a-dee-doo-dah “not relevant” and ceased playing the song in parts of Disneyland. The song was also struck from the opening sequence at The Magic Kingdom.
With Disney Parks having had their best quarter ever in terms of guest spending, their budget-busting record may portend the opportunity to make changes to Splash Mountain in the near future. We’ve been hearing 2023-24 is when we’re most likely to see the attraction shut down and switched over to The Princess and the Frog. That said, it’s a risky venture for Disney to modify an attraction that is super popular; they’re probably not eager to have another Journey into Imagination situation. However, the chance to potentially upgrade an E-Ticket attraction is not one that Disney Imagineers often get.
Could this go either way? You bet.
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