Maybe it’s taken one too many trips into the Briar Patch, but Splash Mountain will be closed from August 28, 2017 through November 17, 2017.
The Walt Disney World version of the perennial favorite generally gets refurbished during the winter months when it’s too cold for most guests to even consider a water ride. This refurbishment is longer than usual, however, and there’s no word as to what is being repaired and/or added.
An Interactive Queue?
It’s possible that such a lenthy refurbishment could mean that Splash Mountain may be getting an interactive queue. Several other classic Magic Kingdom rides have gotten the “queue makeover” in recent years, including The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Peter Pan’s Flight. Given the classic stature of the ride and its generally long wait times, an interactive queue might make sense.
A Retheming?
Despite being based on The Disney Film That Shall Not Be Named (Song of the South), a re-theming is unlikely. There have been rumors of the ride being converted into something featuring Stitch in the past, and with Stitch’s Great Escape supposedly getting the axe soon, I suppose relocating the little guy elsewhere would make sense. But not this time. 2-3 months wouldn’t be enough time to completely gut the attraction.
It’s most likely that Splash Mountain is just getting some much needed TLC. The ride breaks often, and we’ve been trapped waiting inside on several occasions. It might be time to replace the track, the boats… something… to make sure the attraction doesn’t break down every other day.
So if you’re planning on visiting Walt Disney World this fall, you might miss out on a plunge into the Briar Patch.
But hey, at least there’s Pandora.
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