Splash Mountain Closing for Refurbishment in Disney's Magic Kingdom
Refurbishment season is almost here once again, and Disney has recently announced that Splash Mountain is closing for Refurbishment in January 2022 in Disney's Magic Kingdom. What exactly is happening?
In this post, we will talk about the refurbishment planned for Splash Mountain at Disney's Magic Kingdom, when it's going to happen and what might be included in the project.
(UPDATE 12/8/21): Disney has scheduled a short refurbishment for Splash Mountain from January 10 to February 10, 2022, and reopening on February 13, 2022.
What is included in the refurbishment? Disney has not given the details of what exactly they are working on while it's down, but it is likely just regular seasonal maintenance and nothing major.
If you remember, more than a year ago, Disney announced that Splash Mountain is being re-themed to a Princess and the Frog ride. While many are hopeful, that is not what they are doing right now. This refurb is only maintenance and not to re-theme the ride.
It's probable that there won't be any structural changes to the ride or scenes. There could be some aesthetic changes to the outside of the building like fresh paint, however, plus the regular maintenance that all the rides must go through.
Expect to see scaffolding up on the outside of Splash Mountain, including the drop area when the work gets started. Disney is keeping Splash Mountain open for a while longer and they want everything looking fresh for the 50th Anniversary, and this is a start.
Hopefully, they take the time to fix some of the broken animatronic figures in the ride that haven't been working for a while. The Brer Bear and Brer Fox animatronic towards the beginning hasn't been working for a while and neither has the alligator biting Brer Fox's tail at the end either.
January and February, of course, is a great time for Splash Mountain to close because those are two of the coldest months in Florida and being a water attraction where people get wet, the timing is perfect. In fact, Disney often tries to time their ride refurbishments with the weather if possible like in this case.
Obviously, Disney can't shut down Splash Mountain until January because of the super busy months of November and December with all the holidays taking place. Therefore we get it in January.
While it is scheduled to reopen after just one month, sometimes refurbishments can take longer than originally expected so don't write any date in stone yet. Hopefully, they get it done in a timely fashion but delays happen so be aware of them.
Splash Mountain isn't the only ride getting a refurbishment in the coming months. Just recently we saw that Expedition Everest is closing down for a long refurbishment from January to April, which will be a bigger impact in that park than the Magic Kingdom.
We also know that Big Thunder Mountain is closing for a short refurb in February.
When we find out the exact details of the refurbishment to Splash Mountain we'll update you so stay here at Ziggy Knows Disney for the latest Disney news!
There are many other attractions closing in Disney World for refurbishment, so make sure to read the full list in the link.
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Your Thoughts:
I want to know what you think about Splash Mountain closing for refurbishment in January...
- Does the timing of this closure affect you and your family?
- How much do you love Splash Mountain?
Let us know in the comments section below!
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My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.
I am glad that Splash Mountain is getting a refurbishment. January seems to be a great time for the closure. My husband and I are planning an April 2021 visit. It will great to see all of the parks changes especially Epcot.
Beer Fox and Beer Rabbit?? How about spell check next time before posting your article.
No need to be rude.
Spelt correctly, Brer Fox and Bear is due to the briar patch they come from!
@Sam Collings, No, it isn't. It's originally "Br'er Fox" and "Br'er Rabbit," the word "Br'er" being short for "Brother." This comes from Joel Chandler Harris's books of "Uncle Remus Stories"-- stories that he remembered being told by the enslaved people on the plantation he grew up on, and in his adult years (when he was a confedarate journalist!!!), wrote down and profited from. All of the various storytellers of his youth were given no credit for their stories and collapsed down into the singular narrating voice of Uncle Remus, the perspective from which all the stories were told. In chanelling "Uncle Remus," he spoke from what he thought Black dialect was. Hence, "Brother Rabit" and "Brother Fox" being spelled as "Br'er Rabbit" and "Br'er Fox." Disney eventually adapted these short stories into the one full-length movie that they keep locked in their vault: The Song of the South.
The Song of the South is deeply racist in many ways, hence why Disney keeps it in the vault, yet until 2020, they continued to profit off of the songs from the movie and from the characters that Harris had appropriated from enslaved people.
@Nathan, #RethemepiratesandtheCaribbean into the princess and the frog at Disneyland park !
We’re still saving splash mountain for all the future children to enjoy!
They need to ensure the mechanism for the whole ride works. This summer it was down multiple times a day. I got stuck twice on the same excursion, the second time on the last big assent of 45 degree angle and had to evacuate from the last row in the log. It was very anxiety ridden and ended up 55 minutes from start to end. Missed the Halloween fireworks too.
My daughter is pissed. Splash mountain was closed when we were in California last year and now it's closed when we are Comming to florida
Just hoping for no delays as we are going first week of March and we’re planning to ride it fir our first time.
What a pain, we are traveling from New Zealand to Disneyworld in Feb - 16 hours of flying - so not insignificant and it's one of the rides we love. Oh well, these things happen
It is my kids' first trip (4 & 6). Both were looking forward to Splash. Also found out Test Track is down all but one day of our trip so I've had to change things around to make sure we get it in. They will be so disappointed when they find out they can't ride Splash. I'll have to promise to bring them back again in a year or two when Splash is open. Oh a positive note, it makes it easier to figure out Fastpasses with Splash out of the picture.
That’s when I’d be going! I am super pissed as this was one of the top rides I was looking for.
It seems pretty late in the game to make this decision; if i had known Splash Mountain was going to be closed during our visit, I wouldn't have booked the trip. January is the only month we can go....as it is, we've never been able to make it to Typhoon Lagoon since it is closed at the same time each year. If this were to become regular with Splash Mountain, we would consider selling our DVC membership. It may not be everyone's favorite ride...but it is mine.
Splash Mountain is my daughter's favorite ride at Magic Kingdom. She cried crocodile tears being scared of the drop, but after the first ride six more trips. We love it! And I remember reading the book and seeing the movie when I was a kid. Matter fact I still have the book.
Very disappointed. We are taking our family on February vacation. Splash Mountain is a favorite ride if our granddaughters. So disappointed that it will be closed.
I keep hoping to see news that they are ahead of schedule or something. We'll be at MK for our family's first time on 2/24.
Hi Aaron, thanks for the comment. I hope for your sake they are ahead of schedule, but that's usually phrase that doesn't happen with Disney very often when it comes to refurbishments
We are going to Florida at the end of March, long way from Australia and a once in a lifetime trip , I’m trying to figure out fast passes, what is your feeling re ride closures? Do they normally stick to schedule or are they likely to overrun? Many thanks for advice.
I hope you do not cave in and rename Splash Mountain. It has been a well loved ride For so many years. No one goes to Disney and thinks racism. Right now this country is falling apart. We aren’t even completely over this pandemic. Somethings need to stay the same. Splash Mountain is loved by so many. You and the rest there at Disney change this ride which one will be next how much is too much. Please leave the ride and the name we all love the same. Thank you
I second this!
POC never complained about Splash Mountain before, but now it's racist??!
I'm offended that Splash Mountain is now being changed to Princess and the Frog because of George Floyd. What happened to him was wrong; however, he was a criminal. So now, when people are on the ride they will know it was changed for a criminal. How is that sending a good message? Disney is basically stating that thuggish behavior is acceptable and should be celebrated. That's what is appalling and offensive. There is nothing offensive about a bear and rabbit. Nevertheless, if the theme has to be changed, why can it not be changed to Mulan or a Disney Hispanic movie that isn't linked to a criminal?
@Natalie, How is princess and the frog linked to a criminal lol. SOng of the south is a racist movie that depicts inaccurate romanticized relations during the reconstruction period and is finally being replaced. It is being replaced with a movie that features black characters including a princess that literally just follows her dreams. this will hopefully reverse any racism that was projected with the stereotypes in splash mountain. You think she's linked to a criminal just because she's black? wow. sorry that this closure "inconveniences" you.
@laila,
Hi just to let you know Disney was going to rename it before Black Lives Matter because of the film. They didn’t have a ride so they were going to change it to make it more up to date. However living in a woke world I’m frightened of what they will change next!!
AAARRRGGGHHH! We thought we would be safe this year! With the planned remodel of Splash Mt. to the Princess & the Frog theme, we were thinking that Disney would skip the January refurbishment! Why not leave the ride open throughout the 50th anniversary until the remodel starts. Then everyone could enjoy this beloved attraction one more time before it changes. EXTREMELY DISSAPOINTED! While my husband & I can visit whenever, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for a niece & her mom. Very unfortunate!
I’m glad it’s being shut down while I was at Magic Kingdom in November I was stuck on it twice in one day. I can’t wait to see it actually working.
#RethemepiratesandtheCaribbean into the princess and the frog at Disneyland park Instead of splash mountain
Disney can’t shut down Splash Mountain for refurbishments at all. Jesus must someday wipe the racism off the face of the earth.
Splash Mountain is not getting a refurbishment unless Jesus wipes the racism off the face of the earth someday.
We don’t want Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to replace Splash Mountain at Disney World and Disneyland because we want Disney to figure it out somehow someday if the racism is wiped off the face of the earth