What's Behind Splash Mountain?

I don't ride Splash Mountain as often as I used to; The log boat remodel a few years ago turned the once-moderate final splash into a super soak-a-thon, so I now only take a chance if we're headed back to the hotel (in case a change into dry clothes is necessary).

Even when I don't ride, however, I never tire of staring at this wonderful, magical work of imagination. If this were a real hill with a real rockslide, one would have to marvel at the strength of that old mill's roof!

My very first ride on Splash Mountain, way back in 1989, was extra-special, because my family and I got to descend via a staircase instead of a waterfall. The ride had been closed for repairs all morning, and we'd joined a very long line of eager guests waiting in the hot sun for its promised late opening. Finally, we boarded for our first trip. We got nearly as far as the first interior drop (the little one under the handcart), when we noticed the water level rapidly dropping. Moments later, we were beached in a dry flume, waiting for a cast member to escort us safely out of the mountain. When the assistance arrived, we were guided through one of those mysterious emergency exit doors. We stepped out into the sunlight and...

(SPOILER ALERT: Just in case you didn't know what the back of Splash Mountain looks like...)

Splash Mountain: A Tony Baxter Masterpiece

 

How many people have passed through the barn door entry to Splash Mountain since its 1989 opening? One thing's for certain: no one who enters this incredibly fun (and mega-popular) adventure leaves without some free Splash Mountain water as a souvenir.

I've always enjoyed the way the building provides a smooth transition from reality (well, Disneyland reality) into the ride's animated fantasy world. The queue winds through the convincingly real-looking barn setting while written quotes from the Br'er Rabbit tales foreshadow the adventure up ahead. Before guests know it, they've stepped from the barn into the "underground" rabbit burrow tunnel leading to the loading platform.

From that point on, it's a world of singing geese, evil plots, bees, laughing places and scary drops. The getting-soaked finale actually draws you more completely into the story; it's the price you pay for escaping the fox's lair!

Tony Baxter, the genius and magician behind Splash Mountian, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, The Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland's New Fantasyland and much, much more recently announced that he's moving from full-time Imagineering to more of a consulting and mentoring role. Tony, thank you for all the great memories, fun, thrills and true magic you've given the world. You have worked wonders and delighted and inspired millions of people. You are amazing.

Time Machine Day: Magic Mountain 1975

El Bumpo!

Way back before Six Flags took ownership...back when the Goldrusher mine train was the park's biggest coaster...when not one, but two of the world's tallest skyrides soared above its landscape..back when pay-one-price admission was about eight bucks...Southern California's Magic Mountain had a completely different character from what customers find there today; it offered a much more mellow, easygoing type of park experience.

Today, I've got seven photos from my 1975 visit. Sadly, most of the rides seen in these shots are long gone. All but the first and last pictures were taken from the long-departed Metro Monorail.

Goldrusher, thankfully, still exists, and here you can see most of its layout. The first drop/turn and a second lift hill are hidden on the other side of the...er..."mountain." Goldrusher is mostly notable for its neat terrain-hugging route and a dynamite high-speed helix finale. In the background, one of the park's two Eagle's Flight skyrides gave amazing views; look how high up that thing went!

Splash Mountain's True Laughing Place

The way we see it, Splash Mountain has two different "Laughing Places." The first one, deep inside the mountain, is full of music, bees and singing animals. The second one -- the "true" Laughing Place for humans -- is the turnaround point, right where the logs burst back into daylight after the big drop.

If you watch from the viewpoint above the tunnel, you can see log after log of guests make the turn, and you'll hear similar reactions from every set of passengers as they laugh, shriek and glance at one another to find who got the biggest soaking. It's got to be one of the happiest spots in the park.

The Full Splash Mountain Drop

Many Disneyland guests have no idea just how far down that final Splash Mountain drop goes, since all they see from the walkway is the top half.

From Tom Sawyer Island, the Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes, or the lower deck of the Mark Twain, you can get a clear view of the full fall. That is one lulu of a log flume drop.