Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom wrapped up its difficult year of 2020 with an evacuation late on New Year’s Eve.
The ride was stopped at around 9:15 PM, though My Disney Experience still listed it as having a 35 minute wait.
They stopped letting guests into line around the same time.
Several logs were backed up in areas.
Work lights were turned on inside and Cast Members were visible evacuating guests.
We learned in June 2020 that Splash Mountain at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland would soon be re-themed to The Princess and the Frog, though no date for the re-theming has been announced. As the year went on, Splash Mountain broke down several times, including during Magic Kingdom’s reopening in July. It then went on to be temporarily closed and drained. Soon after it reopened, a log was fully submerged in August. Guests were evacuated in September. In October, things were looking up when a classic projection scene was finally restored. But only a week later, the attraction’s goose animatronic fell over and was covered in nets.
We wish we could say Splash Mountain left its troubles in 2020, but unfortunately the ride broke down once again at 10:00 AM on January 1, 2021.
Thankfully, this issue was not as serious as the night before and they still allowed guests into line while the ride was broken down.
It was back up and running within ten minutes.
How do you feel about Splash Mountain’s frequent technical issues? Let us know in the comments.
I don’t know the history of maintenance but it sounds like they just kept putting band-aids on a real problem. I say this because a lot of companies and other places are too cheap to fix the heart of the problem untill several people get hurt or killed
We were there a month ago and it worked fine. It took over three tries to get on Winnie the Pooh because it kept breaking. No report on that though. Still not as many problems as Rise of the Resistance either. Great ride and I hope they decide not to re-theme it. It is my family’s favorite!
I really can’t say what is or isn’t happening technically, but can unequivocally state for the record that Disney’s Song of the South themed ride is more than a piece of Disney history and that “re-theming” it is just another way of pandering to whining liberals that would seek to eliminate all of U.S. History if allowed. Disney Inc. has very effectively attacked it’s Christian conservative family fan based solicitors and guests, and I seriously doubt that they will ever get them/us back into the parks. Disney’s go with the political flow attitude will most definitely draw a very different kind of audience that’s for sure. One that now can and will manipulate what is to be considered as morally acceptable as a spoiled youngster might act. As with any spoiled adolescent when the lines are finally drawn and Disney exec’s have become weary of the political and social manipulation, that very same child will protest each and every decision and very effectively destroy any business that Disney might have had going forward and you’d better believe that we religious conservatives will not feel one iota of remorse as Disney stock will most predictably suffer immensely as the liberal minority lawsuits mount financially breaking Disney’s back.
Do all of the eight people in the front boat live together? And, even if they tried to enforce distancing people in different boats, when a ride shuts down, there is a pile-up for who knows how long. Doesn’t look like an absolute minimum of 6 feet distance between the stopped boats. Yes, 6 feet should be the absolute minimum distance, although people seem to treat it as the furthest, and that is in the right conditions. Stories Ive read about Splash Mountain evacuations crystalize for me a big reason not to go to Disney World right now. I wonder if Disney tracks how many people have been infected now. I know most of the people going now are from Florida, so they should be tracked in Florida’s numbers, although I don’t know if Florida has enough effective contact tracing. Does Disney employee their own contact tracers? They are actually probably the best equipped anywhere for this because they can track guest movements with Magic Bands and WiFi.
The CDC guidelines say anyone who hss been within 6 feet of anyone infected for 15 minutes over a 24 hour period should be traced. You might not know that the person ahead of you on Splash Mountain was near you while you entered a park and during your mobile order food pickup or while waiting for an elevator with you at your resort the next morning, but Disney does. The only way you could know for sure is by opting into the tracing Google or Apple installed on your phone, but Florida is not participating in that.
My life won’t go on as we know it with the technical problems splash mountain has
It may be a sign that the ride itself doesn’t like the plans for the re-design.
The reason it’s breaking down is it’s wants to stay splash mountain I think it’s stupid to change a ride 80% of the visitors don’t even know song of the south
Well the ride runs continuously so it will breakdown from time to time. They all do.
It’s a omen, should have left splash mountain the way it was instead of caving in to groups like BLM, Song of the South was a classic movie, but no you wanted to change history, thats how it was back in those days,stop trying to change it.
Why is this a big deal? I’ve gotten stuck on WDW rides before. For some reason, whenever the temperatures drop in Florida, the ride stops and not always because if a passenger needing extra help embarking or disembarking the ride. Got stuck in the Haunted Mansion more than once. It was kind of cool, actually.
Was there in October 2007 off-season went on 10 x one right after the other enjoyed myself immensely wish they wouldn’t change the name hope to keep the ride going in 2021
You should know that what they say they announced about a re-theme, doesn mean it is true. Since there was no official announcement of it nor a date when it will happen, it sounds more like a lie.
Splash Mountain is a classic and memorable ride for me. It’s one of the highlights I remember from my first visit when I was 5 in 1992. I don’t care how many times it breaks down, I’ll still stand in line for it!
It is my favorite Disney ride ever and now I can only hope it lasts thru 2021 so I can get a few “last” rides during my visit in December. Not concerned in the least about mechanical issues, water isn’t deep enough to drown and my son actually had to walk off at one point. He thought that was a great experience on it’s own. Was last there in October of 2019 and that was my last ride on my last day before heading to the airport. That of course was before the announcement and I’ll leave that right there.
We were actually just there this past week and it got stuck in the same spot too. We were there for 20 minutes.
It’s time to shut it down, fix and re-theme it. The ride itself knows it’s time. Can’t wait for the princess and frog theme.
What caused it to break down in the first place?
I shall say, should’ve let it stay as Splash Mountain, the past is fighting change. 😄
Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom needs to be rethemed to western with canyons and western legends from Disney.
All rides in every park have issues. I live in Ohio and cedar point rides break down all the time.
In Orlando Florida a few years ago I was majorly injured and almost fell out of their car on splash mountain. I had told the attendant that I was too tall for the ride being 6’10” in height ‘ yet the attendant said I would be fine. As the log was moving over the falls I came out of my seat and almost out of the log I was riding in ‘ injuring my back and knees. Disneyland gave me 500.00 to shut my mouth and go away.
I guarantee you had I really got seriously injured I would be getting a lot more that a 500.00 payoff. This ride needs to be controlled better by staff that know what their doing ! Or at least make the logs larger for tall folks.
The name should remain the same , then perhaps that Rudd wouldn’t be so troubled
Coming from a passholder, the ride has taken a decline when it comes to maintenance. In almost each scene there is at least 1 anamatronic that is broken. When diving farther into the tree the water spouts no longer shoot water from one area to another. Turtles dangle in the air where water use to make it look like it was pushing them in the air. On top of all that the safety issues. They need to step it up or just close the ride and start bringing in princess Tiana.
It is kind of scary all these issues but also I am upset of changing the name on this ride…not correct after so many years
I am so disappointed to here of this many problems from Disney. They are known for a high quality experience. Have they lowered their standards? Rides should not be breaking down. Somebody is not doing their job. What happened to quality control?
I would not go on it again planning a trip 2021 but who wants to be stuck on a water log with a smaller child their would be a lot of anxiety
I won’t be going on it any time soon. But I also am waiting to go to Disney until everything is open. No discounts from Disney with only 1/2 of things being open is crazy!!! I’m not paying full price for a 1/2 experience.
Over priced and long lines breaks down sounds like oodles of fun. Sign me up!
I HATE that they changed it from Song of the south! Ignoring history is not going to help anybody AND it was a beautiful story.
I remember riding Splash Mountain decades ago. I don’t remember a time the ride broke down. Maybe it’s the age, poor preventive maintenance, poor operator training or a combination of these.
I’d like to share a personal experience regarding Splash Mountain.
I was a chaperone when our church youth group went to Disney World. It was a long day and we decided to leave immediately after the evening Electrical Parade. An hour before the parade and people had already starting lining up on both sides of the parade route.
I decided I would have a little fun by having each side of the street see who could yell the loudest. (The sidewalks had not been lined off yet.) My group being unaware of my plan, I stepped into the middle of the street and began pointing to one side and shouting: Mickey! Then the other side Minnie! The crowd responded with enthusiasm. About 5 minutes into doing this a Disney employee walks up to me, says, and I quote, “We’ve been watching you.” I thought I was going to be escorted out of Disney. “You have helped us to keep the crowd enertained, keepung their mind off of the wait. You were professional and the crowd loved it! Are you hear with a group?” Yes, I replied, with a church youth group. “OK, for helping us, I will personally escort you to any single ride in the park, as well as getting you on that ride ahead of everyone else.” My group was ecstatic! “What ride did they agree on?” Their answer: SPLASH MOUNTAIN!!!
:(
The breakdowns are completely unacceptable.
Our family loved Splash mountain!
I think that WDW should start putting some of the $$ generated daily back into existing rides rather than focus solely on adding new ones. The list of breakdowns is just getting longer.
It’s karma to Disney for changing the rides theme. I was never offended by the original and i think if you where you have serious life issues. And are in need of professional help.
Not surprising, my family went to Disney World Aug 2015, SEVERAL rides shut down, broke during the ride or stage show, place was an enormous disappointment & we wont b back
I’m concerned because it seems that the level of Disney care for rides is just not there anymore. Everything used to be checked and monitored daily. Now it is starting to feel like it is no more safe than the local carnival or something, which I do not trust with my safety. Maybe if they spent more time monitoring rides than masks, things would work better.
Honestly it sounds like its acting up as if to say dont change me. It all seemed to happen after the plans of remodel
Love this ride……one of the best…..Disney has of the last 16 years ruined so many incrediable rides. We had annual passes for years. We stopped going. We used to go every other weekend.
I think they should restore it with all the problems it sounds like this needs to be shut down and gone through.
Disney is simply not doing there routine maintence!! I being going to Disney since 1975. Things like this didn’t happen. They probably laid off some of there maintence crew!!!
I think Disney imagineers should change splash mountain to western river expedition.