MyWDW: Splash Mountain

Work on the first Splash Mountain began in 1988 - the original name of the ride was slated to be Zip-a-Dee River Run, but then-CEO Michael Eisner decided that Splash Mountain would be a better name, partly because he wanted to use it as a tool to help promote the new film Splash (An idea which was set aside, but did give us a far better name for the ride, in my opinion). The ride was to be based on the animated segments of the Disney film Song of the South, a largely forgotten part of Disney history due to some controversy over racial sensitivity.

At $75 million, the attraction was one of Disney's most expensive single-attraction projects to date - the original idea was to reuse all of the characters from the unpopular America Sings attraction, which featured various animals singing old American classics. Splash Mountain opened in Disneyland in 1989, and the Walt Disney World version, with some minor changes to the way the storyline was presented, opened shortly after in 1992.

The ride tells the story of Br'er Rabbit, a young rabbit living in the south who wants to get out and find adventure, but he's tracked by a pair of bumbling hunters who want to eat him - Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. The rollicking adventures that follow include quite a few bouncy musical numbers, not to mention several drops all leading up to the ultimate 52 foot, 45 degree, 40 mph drop down into the briar patch.

Splash Mountain has remained largely unchanged since its original opening, the only notable addition being safety restraints added in early 2011. It's one of the most popular rides in the Magic Kingdom, and considered part of the park's "mountain range" of Splash, Space, and Big Thunder Mountains.

- Guests must be 40 inches (102 cm) or taller to enjoy this attraction.

- Guests must be able to transfer from a wheelchair or motorized scooter into a ride vehicle, which is a step down from the loading platform.

- Young children who meet the height requirement may enjoy the music and colorful characters on the ride, but the drops may be a bit much for them - use your own discretion!

- In the scene where Br'er Frog is fishing from the back of an alligator, take a look at the stack of bobbers arranged near his picnic basket, you may find a familiar pattern.

- During the final riverboat scene, watch the clouds - a cloud Mickey appears to be taking a nap in the sky!