Before 1982, Disney parks used the famous tiered-ticketing system, meaning guests could purchase booklets of tickets that would then be spent riding the individual rides. Each attraction “cost” a certain coupon to ride; the coupons were lettered “A” through “E”, with the E designation being reserved for only the biggest and most elaborate rides.
That system is no longer in use, but the term “E-ticket attraction” still holds meaning among Disney fans and parkgoers. These are the attractions that are a cut above the rest, that define the parks they reside in.
While other attractions might have more history, more thrills, more fame, or more fans, Splash Mountain is, arguably, the best example of what an E-ticket attraction should be. It is an absolute triumph of storytelling that is simply unmissable on a Disney vacation, taking its time to craft a tale worthy of its tremendous size, scale, and budget. That it is a water ride – and, more specifically, a log flume – only makes this fact even more amazing, as water rides typically forego theming and storytelling in favor of cheap splashes and thrills. Not so on Splash Mountain.
All of these factors combine to make it the best water ride in Central Florida (and, it should be said, Southern California – where the attraction first debuted — although there’s less theme park competition there). But, let’s dive a bit deeper and explore a few reasons why Splash Mountain rises above all challengers:
1. The queue
Disney’s Imagineers take their jobs very seriously. In putting together a new attraction, it’s not simply enough to make a great ride – they also have to make sure you transition into the world of the ride properly, and make sure nothing seems out of place along the way. This is the work of attraction queues, and it’s why Disney fans are so appreciative when a line for an attraction has care and detail worked into it.
Now, I won’t argue that Splash Mountain’s queue is particularly entertaining or groundbreaking – it is, for the most part, just a line. However, it doesn’t have to be full of interactive games and screens to be an effective storytelling device, and that’s exactly what Splash Mountain’s queue is for: Setting you up to ride the ride.
It twists and turns through the rustic, Southern landscape before entering the ramshackle buildings and shaftways that eventually lead you to the boarding platform. All the while, you’re treated to Bluegrass music and folk art-inspired decorations adorning the walls of the tunnel down to the station – humble distractions, yes, but excellent storytelling devices all the same.
In all, the whole thing transports you from the more generic version of “Frontierland” into the specific world of the Southern United States. And so, by the time you board, you’re not only living in the same world as the ride’s main characters, but you’re also accustomed to the visual and musical aesthetics of the show.
And, thankfully, it’s mostly in shade – that’s important too.
2. The unique story
While Splash Mountain is an amazing attraction, it does have a problem: Disney likes to pretend that that film it’s based on, Song of the South, doesn’t exist.
Unfortunately, when the film was released in 1946, America was still a long away away from making significant progress on social equality, and the film is, shall we say, somewhat controversial for its portrayal of African-Americans in the Reconstruction-era deep south. As such, the film has never been released on home video and likely never will. That’s not really a bad thing, in all honesty, but it does mean that the parts of the film that were nothing more than simple cartoon fables had been somewhat lost to history.
And so, in 1989, Imagineers decided to give those stories new life as a massive new attraction. The story of Br’er Rabbit and his attempt to flee Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear’s nefarious deeds is as charming as they come – and, because you can’t actually watch the original film, the ride’s story feels fresh and full in a way Disney’s book report-style attractions don’t.
In the era of corporate synergy, the Frozen take-over of Walt Disney World, and movies being made based on Tomorrowland, it may seem surprising that Disney would create a massive attraction based on a film they simply will never put out to sell. And, indeed, it’s extremely unlikely Splash Mountain would ever be built today. However, the story it tells is so charming, I think all told, the executives at the Walt Disney Company have to think it was worth it.
3. The music
But, while the film has mostly been lost to history, its music has not. And, for Splash Mountain, the music really is the heart of the attraction.
I’ve said before that the music of Splash Mountain is its most important feature, and I still believe that. Each of the songs gave the Imagineers such a lush and colorful world to play around in, and the resulting scenes perfectly capture the energy of the music. The “Laughing Place” scene in particular is as merry as they come, with the music playing in perfect harmony with the movements of the animatronic characters.
However, the single best moment of the attraction comes near the end, with the Academy Award-winning song, Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah, playing in the background: The riverboat scene at the attraction’s conclusion. It is the most joyous and celebratory scene on Disney property, and it showcases the heights that great music can lift an attraction to.
From the moment you first set foot in the queue until the moment you leave the gift shop, your entire experience within Splash Mountain lives in this musical world. It is the ride’s most prominent and important feature, more so than the characters and even the massive plunge. Without it, Splash Mountain simply wouldn’t be the same attraction, and it’d be tough to argue it’s actually the best water ride around. With the music, however, it’s not even a fair fight.
4. The design
Visually, Splash Mountain is absolutely stunning. When you see it out beyond the Rivers of America, it draws your eye from a distance. This, in effect, makes the attraction’s exterior structure something of a weenie: An eye-catching physical feature designed to lure guests into a ride. As you draw closer, it starts to look more and more like an imposing mountain as the forced perspective of the design takes hold.
Imagineers were diligent in putting together an exterior look that hides most of the log flume mechanism behind painted rock faces and faux grass. It’s all believable and, importantly, helps tell the story.
And then, once you’re on the ride, the real design work reveals itself within the show’s beautifully crafted set pieces. This is what separates it from other water rides: It isn’t really a log flume. It’s a dark ride, much like the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean, masquerading as a log flume.
Just as Space Mountain took the concept of a roller coaster and heightened it by using exquisite design work, so too have Imagineers uplifted the log flume into being something more – simply by taking care to put together beautiful show scenes.
You’d be hard press to find any attraction that rivals Splash Mountain’s visual beauty, let alone a water ride.
5. The length
The ultimate point of an E-ticket attraction is that they’re meant to feel special. Sure, Dumbo and the Carousel are great, but when you’ve waited 90 minutes to ride a log flume, you truly hope the experience is worthwhile. And, importantly, this is where Splash Mountain really delivers: Its length.
The ride is well over 10 minutes long, making it one of the longest at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.
This isn’t wasted time, however. The ride is brilliantly paced, and that 10 minutes flies by – but, it’s long enough to feel like a substantial experience. At the end of it, it feels like it’s worth the wait.
But the greatest aspect of its length is that it allows the attraction to tell a full story, one with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Because guests don’t usually know the story of Splash Mountain before they board the ride, Imagineers take their time to introduce characters and plot out the action. Guests probably don’t know who Br’er Rabbit is before they board, and so the Imagineers can’t take anything for granted. And, because guests are likely unfamiliar with the plot, they can’t take shortcuts in the story like they do on rides like Peter Pan’s Flight and The Little Mermaid.
The result is an attraction that feels more like a short film, with rising action, characterization and an eventual climax and denouement. And, for you English teachers out there, it provides a good lesson in story structure, with the ride literally rising and falling alongside the action.
The length of Splash Mountain is really just the cherry on top. It allows the rest of the elements to breathe and pace themselves properly, and the result is a fully-realized work of art. Every second of it is committed to telling a story, and that is what lifts it above all other water rides. They all focus on a brief respite from the heat, getting you a bit wet with minimal effort. Splash Mountain, on the other hand, wants to take your mind off the heat by sharing a compelling story with you.
You just may wind up getting drenched, too.
