Splash Mountain brings Joel Chandler Harris' tales of Br'er Rabbit to exhilarating, animated life in Frontierland. From the music and Audio-Animatronics characters to Chickapin Hill and the splashdown in the Brier Patch pond, this is a classic Disney Parks adventure. Since the tales of Splash Mountain are set in the Deep South, though, some might wonder what it's doing here in the Old West.
The truth is... it just didn't fit anywhere else.
The original Splash Mountain had debuted at Disneyland in 1989 and was an immediate hit. Plans were begun to add the attraction to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Although some consideration was given to placing it behind the Haunted Mansion or on the back portion of Tom Sawyer Island, the most practical site was the plot of land between Big Thunder Mountain and Pecos Bill Cafe.
To make it work, Imagineering designers altered the look of Splash Mountain's hillsides, choosing a reddish color palette that would blend better with the rock work of nearby Big Thunder. Other choices were made in regard to landscaping and architecture, creating a more rugged appearance, as opposed to the softer style of the Disneyland original.
For the most part, even the appearance of the characters is minimized outside the attraction. They show up in the form of weather vanes and wood carvings (Note: Some of the more cartoony elements in the area were added later with the implementation of Fastpass and to help Guests find their way.)
Once Guests enter the queue for Splash Mountain, a transition begins. The sounds of talking animals can be heard from tiny houses. Shadows on a wall allow us a glimpse of Br'er Frog telling tales to his grand-chitlins. Before we know it, we've moved past the old barn and down a rabbit hole that transports us to a magical time and place in the Deep South, when "folks was closer to the critters an' critters was closer to the folks."
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