The park drew a large crowd for the ride’s last night of operation.
Sunday marked the final day of operation for one of the most longstanding, iconic rides at Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida: Splash Mountain. Having opened in 1989, the ride has remained mostly unchanged for decades, shooting patrons down its signature log flume to the tune of “Zip-a-dee-doo-da.” However, back in 2020, it was announced that the ride would soon be closed down and undergo renovations to be reborn as a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction.
The ride’s final day of operation drew a massive crowd of patrons old and young, eager to take one last spin through the bayou. Those present estimated that at its busiest point in the day, the queue for the ride reached the 220-minute wait mark. For the final ride of the night, the last ones to ride were the Disney cast members who operated it, their trip through punctuated by the cheers of thankful onlookers.
Cast Members are among the last to ride Splash Mountain. #DisneyWorld #SplashMountain pic.twitter.com/uSW1JqtMSN
— ThrillGeek (@thrillgeek) January 23, 2023
For now, the ride has closed down, with renovations to begin immediately. The ride is currently projected to reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure some time in 2024. “Fireflies will light up the night and invite you deeper into the bayou … almost like they’re waving you forward. Beautiful zydeco music will fill the air,” Carmen Smith, Disney Imagineering senior vice president for creative development, said about the upcoming ride in a Disney blog post.