Disneyland guests could wait hours in line to ride Splash Mountain one last time before its extensive transformation into “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” a “Princess and the Frog”-inspired attraction.
Tuesday is the last day the ride will be operational before its official closure on May 31, according to Disneyland officials.
While the attraction itself isn’t getting torn down, it will undergo a complete makeover and return re-themed as “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” which is scheduled to open in late 2024 at the U.S. Disney Parks.
Splash Mountain wait times at Disneyland could be about four hours long if Walt Disney World is any indication.
When Florida’s version of Splash Mountain closed in January, guests waited 220 minutes — over three hours long — on its final day of operation. The extra long wait times at Magic Kingdom set a new wait time record for the attraction.
A previous record of 210 minutes was set in 2020, according to Thrill Data, a website that monitors wait times at theme parks.
While the potentially long wait times can be intimidating to some, guests in line for Splash Mountain, even after the park closes, can still get on the attraction. As of 10:43 a.m., the attraction had a 55-minute wait time, according to the Disneyland app.
For those who can’t make it to Disneyland, they can still remember Splash Mountain with a bottle of “genuine Splash Mountain water” that has been sold on eBay.
One listing had an asking price of $1,000.
While the 33-year-old attraction has been loved by Disney fans, it has also faced its share of criticism.
The ride has been criticized in recent years due to the fact that it features characters and music from the 1946 animated feature “Song of the South,” a movie that has been criticized for its stereotypes of Black men and its romanticized view of the post-Civil War South.
Fans called for Disney to redo the theme of Splash Mountain in 2020 amid a racial reckoning across the U.S.
Along with the ride closure, the theme park has removed other nods to Splash Mountain throughout the resort. In March, Lyrics from “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” were quietly removed from the set list of Disneyland’s Magic Happens parade.
The song also originated from the 1946 feature. Disneyland officials replaced the song with another song from the 1953 feature “Peter Pan.”
Along with the new ride, Princess Tiana fans can also enjoy a new restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, that will be coming to Disneyland at a later date.
Fans can also shop at Eudora’s Chic Boutique, located In New Orleans Square in Disneyland. The store sells apparel, decorations, household items and more.
