PHOTOS, VIDEO: Problematic Hopping Br’er Rabbit Animatronic Fixed on Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom

Jessica Figueroa

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Problematic Hopping Br’er Rabbit Animatronic Fixed on Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom

Jessica Figueroa

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Problematic Hopping Br’er Rabbit Animatronic Fixed on Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom

Much like the running Carnotaurus in DINOSAUR or the infamous Yeti from Expedition Everest, the jumping Br’er Rabbit scene in Splash Mountain is notorious for being broken on-and-off throughout the 28 years of the ride’s existence. Today marks a small victory for Splash Mountain fans, as the animatronic has finally been fixed.

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You can view the animatronic of Br’er Rabbit—known as the attraction’s “Million Dollar Rabbit”—actually working for once in the video below:

Seen bouncing along the hills, Br’er Rabbit invites Br’er Bear to his Laughin’ Place, complete with his bindle. This effect has been off since the reopening of the Magic Kingdom in July, and despite maintenance issues for other hugely popular attractions across Walt Disney World, it’s nice to see a classic attraction getting a much-needed tune-up, especially for “advanced” scenes like these—after all, the effect was ahead of its time in 1992.

That being said, however, it is unfortunate that we’re seeing a bit of a José Carioca situation here, with the animatronic repaired, but still looking slightly off with regards to its movement or posing. We’re happy to see these fixed, but it would be good to have them return to their intended form to offer guests the best show possible. Many of the other animatronics throughout the attraction are still broken or busted, like some of the chickens on the riverboat finale, Br’er Bear no longer bobbing up and down over the trap, and even poor old Br’er Frog, who still has a lazy eye. In any case, we’re hoping they’ll get around to repairing these other animatronics now that Br’er Rabbit is fixed.

Splash Mountain recently made headlines for a sunken log ride vehicle, but it seems the issue has been resolved since then, with no repeat incidents reported.

Despite an announced re-imagining to convert Splash Mountain into a “Princess and the Frog” themed attraction, Walt Disney World continues to boost the ride’s popularity through spontaneous merchandise releases and now, increased maintenance, ensuring that everything stays “satisfactual” through to the bitter end.

Have you witnessed hopping Br’er Rabbit on your trips down Splash Mountain? Let us know in the comments.

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