Cheering Crowds Throughout the Night as Splash Mountain Takes its Final Plunge at Disneyland
Well, yesterday really was one of those zip-a-dee-doo-dah days, wasn’t it? Disneyland Splash Mountain closed last night.
Last night, Splash Mountain took its final plunge over at the Disneyland Resort, leaving guests far and wide absolutely soaked… in both river water and emotion.
With the ride officially closed, we can begin to really look forward to the bright new “tomorrow” of the flume attraction, as it begins its lengthy reimagining into the all-new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
But, for now, we wanted to share a look at the final hours of Splash’s operations at the Disneyland Park on Tuesday night. Our MickeyBlogger Greg was there all day soaking up the atmosphere, and sharing the momentous, high-emotion occasion alongside hundreds of fellow, Splash-loving guests.
So, let’s take a look at the crowd levels and other activity taking place around Splash Mountain yesterday, starting from early evening and drawing into the nighttime…
6.30pm on Tuesday, May 30th
Even before the Disneyland Park officially opened its gates yesterday, we were blown away by the high numbers of guests who had gathered bright and early in preparation for the day ahead. This article I wrote yesterday morning shows hefty lines formed at the park’s main entrance, as well as over at the Grand Californian’s security checkpoint.
It really set the tone for the day, as those crowds didn’t diminish at any point! These photos were taken by Greg at around 6.30pm, showing long, winding queues of poncho-wearing fans all waiting to enjoy their final splash atop the mountain.
As you can see from the signage, the approximate wait time at this point was an eye-watering 230 minutes! That’s almost four hours!
At one point, even Brook and Robin Lopez showed up to enjoy a final plunge.
You can see them here, being escorted by a plaid-clad Disneyland Cast Member, past many gaping guests!
It’s important to note that, despite the long wait times, high emotions, and surprisingly gloomy weather, that the atmosphere this evening was still alight with magic.
All these guests shown here were gathered to bid farewell to the long-beloved Splash Mountain, and there was a unique buzz of energy in the air that we’re sure will live on in our fond memories of the classic Disney Parks attraction.
While we’re excited for the next chapter, it has still been a very emotional ride watching this flume float towards its final plunge.
Yes, Disneyland Splash Mountain closed last night and will undergo a complete refurbishment.
However, as the night drew in, the energy over in Critter Country didn’t falter one bit!
8.30 – 9pm
As you can see, this gorgeous photo shows the sun setting over the final hours of Splash Mountain. With every boat racing down the mountain, guests all across Critter Country were cheering wildly, and were louder than ever during the night-time firework spectacular!
10pm
At 10:12 PST, Greg noted that the ride for Splash Mountain officially closed to guests.
Yep, it really happened!
At this point, there were a lot of Disneyland security guards present to monitor the area, which was still absolutely brimming with guests. After all, everyone wanted to take their final photos and cement their final memories of the classic attraction as we know it!
The ropes which had filled Critter Country and stretched right down to New Orleans Square were beginning to be slowly removed, and you can see a team of Cast Members taking up the rear of the line to stop anyone else sneaking in.
In case you haven’t already seen the videos we shared on our Twitter account, we can assure you that the crowd’s cheers and praise for Splash Mountain only grew louder as the night wore on.
No matter whether you’re sad to see Splash go or feeling ready for the upgrade, everyone present at this gathering was truly part of a special moment in Disney Parks history!
The Cast Members – all of whom were brilliant as always in keeping crowds looked after throughout the busy day – can be seen hugging and commemorating together, too.
At the end of the night, once the boats had officially drawn to a halt, Greg even spotted Tony Baxter – the former senior vice president of creative development in Walt Disney Imagineering – exiting the building. It’s the end of an era as we know it, folks!
Now we’re looking forward to the future, and the transformation towards Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we wanted to say thank you to all our MickeyBlog readers who joined us in bidding farewell to Splash Mountain yesterday, both on the blog and over on our social channels.
Be sure to stay tuned as we keep you posted on all the updates, both here in Disneyland and over at the Magic Kingdom, too!
So, Disneyland Splash Mountain closed. Now, all I think is left to say, is my oh my. What a wonderful day!
