Conference koolit::disney

    re.65
    
    I have not seen the actual show, but I have seen it on TV...looks
    like an exciting ride!
    
    Lynne

    Actually, the TV show was what I really wondered about.  It's about
    all my courage will take!
    
    Did you see it on the Disney channel?  Do you remember the approximate
    date?
    
    Thanks!   

    Just got my tickets to Disneyland's Blast to the Past V.I.P. party.
    I'll be going May 12th!  Yippeeeeee!!!  Anyway, on the tickets it
    says,  "We regret Splash Mountain will not be available for your
    event.  The opening has been delayed to summer '89."
    
    Oh well!  Maybe on our trip in September.
    
    Linda

rep to <<< Note 65.3 by BREAKR::GOHN "With the Wind" >>>

>    says,  "We regret Splash Mountain will not be available for your
>    event.  The opening has been delayed to summer '89."

    Huh?  it's  been  open  for quite a while now, since January I believe,
    are you sure they don't mean it'll be down for planned maintenance?
    
    Claude

    Decided to go straight to the source.  Called Disneyland.  The guy told
    me Splash Mountain has not been open and will not be open until this
    summer.  Didn't have a date.
    
    Your guess is as good as mine.
    
    Disappointed,
    Linda

    RE: .last few
    
    So I take it that all the shots of people riding Splash Mountain
    in the commercials for Disneyland, and that big New Year's Day special
    I saw with Scott Valentine (from "Family Ties") riding it was all
    just so much hype?
    
        
    Major <sigh!> even though *I* would not be caught dead on the thing,
    David.

    And not only that Micheal Eisner (Disney CEO) was shown twice riding the
    thing the  last  few  months on the Sunday Disney show on NBC, the last
    time was just a couple of weeks ago.
        
    Are you sure it's not down for routine maintenance, they do that during
    the slow times of the year.
    
    Claude

    According to the people at Disneyland, Splash Mountain has never been
    open to the general public.  They have filmed people riding it, but
    only on one section (the big drop).  The reason being the ride is not
    100% complete. 
    
    Linda
    

    
    Well here is what I heard last week when I was there. Splash Mountain
    has never opened. This is contrary to what I thought also, because
    I was told it was open. What a disappointment when I arrived last
    week. I talked to someone, who had talked to one of the Imagineers
    for Splash Mountain. This particular Imagineer was involved in the
    final testing before it was opened, and there was a problem with
    the big drop. The way he explained it was that when the car/log
    reached the bottom, it would crash/jolt quite excessively. The
    Imagineer deemed the attraction unsafe for the public and the
    opening has been postponed until the Summer. They are going to possibly
    redesign part of the attraction.
    
      George

    
    An article in the "Magic Key" Spring quarterly edition (copied from
    Personnel) and printed without permission:
    
    " SPLASH MOUNTAIN UPDATE 
    
    Construction on 'splash mountain' is progressing well, with the
    mountain itself and its colorful 'Audio-Anematronics' inhabitants
    almost finished. The grand opening, hoewver has been postponed until
    "late summer".
    
    The thrilling whitewater adventure is shaping up as another great
    Disneyland attraction, but the problem at the moment is that "Splash
    Mountain" is a little too exciting. The splash itself is wetter
    than the Wlat Disney Imagineers had planned adn, to maintain Disney
    standards of quality and spare Splash Mountain riders the inconvenience
    of a soaking, the Imagineers are taking extra time to modify the
    attractions log vehicles.
    
    The fine-tuning should be finished by this summer and then Disneyland
    visitors can watch their lives splash before their eyes as they
    travel the waterways of the worlds biggest and fastest flume adventure.
    "
    
    Mark  (109 days + counting to WDW)
    
    

    I believe Splash Mountain opened yesterday. I saw a two minute report
    on it last night in the news. The clip was great because the film crew
    had taken some shots of various points in the ride. The footage showed
    some of the audioanimatronics in the ride and the big splash. They had
    taken two shots from the front seat of the log and they also had two
    shots taken from the front looking backwards at the riders. Some of the 
    expressions on the kids' faces were priceless. One little girl closed
    her eyes, screamed, held her breath, and at the bottom said, "Oh my
    god!"
    
    The other shot had some teenagers going down and the girl up front also
    said the same thing.
    
    But you know what I noticed most of all? At the bottom of the splash
    when the log had cleared the splash area and everything had quieted
    down a bit I could hear the famous Disneyland/WDW background music that
    you hear all the time.
    
    Boy did that make me wish I was there.
    
    Mike

    I was visiting Disneyland this past April and was told that Splash
    Mountain was closed for construction, but I was under the impression
    that at one point it had been open.  I guess they were incorrect. 
    Anyways, being the avid Disney fan that I am, I went back to Disneyland
    a few weeks ago, and after waiting in an hour long line (at 11:30 pm at
    night, after the lines had been reduced from three hours during the
    day) I finally got one ride on Splash Mountain.  And boy, it was worth
    it!  The animation that they have accomplished in this ride is
    absolutely beyond belief!  For those of you who "would not be caught
    dead" on the ride, think again.  Its a traditional non-thrill ride that
    Disney is famous for.  Sure, the big drop is somewhat thrilling, but by
    no means anything to stay away from the ride for.  Believe me folks, if
    you visit Disney, you MUST go on this ride, just to see for yourself
    what it's like!
    
    Andrew

    Has anyone else been on Splash Mountain?  Boston radio station WVBF
    just returned from broadcasting there last week, and Ginny, the DJ,
    said it was great!!!    Is there a Splash Mountain being planned for
    WDW?
    
    Joan

    I was on Splash Mountain on Tuesday. We had to wait a awhile because
    it went down for over 45 minutes but it was worth the wait. The
    ride tells sort of a story. Right before the drop the music changes
    because of one of the characters is in trouble. It ends on a high
    note with Zip-be-do-da. 
    
    When we got out of the park we heard about the earthquake. Thinking
    back the ride went down at about 5:00. I wonder if it was related??
    
    
    

    Hello to all the DISNEYHOLICS, just a quickie about splash mountain,
    could someone let me know which park it is at, because I'm coming
    over from the U.K.in December and I can't wait to find out when
    I get there. This is my second trip this year and I just can't get
    enough. 
    
    Thanks in advance for your help, 
    
    				Paul Hegarty@ESO U.K.
    
    p.s. this has got to be one of the best notes conferences I've found
    so far.

    I hope you are planning a trip to California, since Splash Mountain is
    located in Disneyland, in Anaheim.  

    If you are going to be visiting Walt Disney World in Florida, you won't
    find Splash Mountain, but I doubt you'll be disappointed.

    Thanks Len for the speedy reply, I'm going to WDW so I won't find
    and you're right I know I won't be dissappointed.
    
    	p.s. what time is it where you are? I know it's late on a Friday
    evening where I am.
                                       
    	p.p.s. where abouts are you, I've find with notes that I write
    to people but I never know WHERE IN THE WORLD they are.
    
    				Bye Paul.
    

    As noted in the decade of Disney note, a Splash Mountain is going to be
    built in the magic kingdom at WDW close to thunder mountain. 

    Currently the 'rivers of america' is closed, but is expected to open
    again early March 1990. According to a castmember the "river" was
    drained  to allow, in addition to other attraction maintenance,
    construction of a bridge over part the "river". He said the bridge is
    needed so the railroad station could be moved to make room for Splash
    Mountain. (43 sq miles of land, and they have to move the RR station?)

    mike

    
    RE : -.1
    
    	Yep, it's official. Early next month, earth moving equipment will
    rumble through Frontierland as the construction of WDW's version of
    " Splash Mountain " gets underway. As I understand, the Walt Disney
    World railroad will shut down for a month or two -- while the station
    gets moved over about 100 feet to the left. The previously mentioned
    bridge is already in place and will be used to funnel guest around the
    construction area and into Big Thunder Mountain Railroad without too much
    fuss.
    	According to preliminary drawings, WDW's Splash Mountain will
    straddle the WDW railroad, with the train actually going through the 
    mountain. Folks riding the train will then get a sneak preview of the
    ride's finale, which is pretty much what Disneyland's guests see when
    they ride the train through the Anaheim version of " Splash Mountain."
    	When will this new thrill ride open ? Well, Disney would like to 
    have the attraction open by June 1991, just in time for all the summer
    vacationers who invade Orlando. ( As well, Disney would love to have a
    new thrill ride openning on their property just as Universal Studios
    Florida unveils its snazzy new " Back to the Future " simulator
    attraction. ) However, given all the trouble Disney had opening the
    original Splash Mountian, it's probably more likely that the attraction
    won't be open to the public 'til the fall of 1991. 
    	But -- then again -- that's not such a bad idea. After all, what 
    better way to commemorate Disney World's official 20th birthday --
    October 1, 1991 -- than to open Splash Mountain ? I'll post more
    details as they develop.
    	IN OTHER WDW NEWS -- " Mickey's Magical TV Review, " currently
    showing in Mickey's Starland in the Magic Kingdom, will shut down in
    November. This show will be replaced in December with a Christmas 
    themed show starring Mickey and the gang. Then, in January, an all-new
    show will debut.
    	And -- if you're feeling blue because you couldn't get out to
    Anaheim this summer to see Disneyland's snazzy " Party Gras " parade,
    -- don't despair. Rumor has it that the parade -- giant inflatable 
    floats and all -- will begin rolling through WDW's Magic Kingdom in
    January, as part of the resort's 20th anniversary celebration.
    	On the other hand, if you have seen " Illuminations " yet, you'd
    best get down to Orlando soon. High reliable sources say that Disney
    will be ditching this laser light pageant early next year for an all 
    new extravaganza. 
    	
    	More Disney dirt later. ( And -- yes -- I'll finally get around 
    to posting my trip report )
    
    				Robespierre
    

    Hmmm. My kids wanted to go back when Splash Mountain opens and I wanted
    to go back in 1992. Looks like '92 it is if I can convince my wife.
    
    Mike

    
    LAtest update on Splash mountain.... IT is scheduled for Oct 1992;
    but will be ready much sooner.... From talking to the conductor
    at the RR station next to Splash MOuntain; it is really close.
    One night waiting for the Spector MAgic parade they were sending
    logs down the ride and later the logs had real people in them
    (employees); no water in the drop; just in the water ways. Later
    on in the week there was water also in the drop. I wonder if they
    were testing to see if there would be any problems for people
    if the water stopped flowing over the drop.... The logs had
    varying number of people in them. Take a ride on the train from
    Main street over to Splash mountain. YOu pass through it but can't
    see anything. At the Splash mountain stop; take a look at the
    LONG curving queue lines behind splash mountain and the train
    station... OUTSIDE with very little cover from the sun...
    
    BTW; when I was out at DECUS fall of '89; rode Splash Mountain
    several times during decus night. Went back to Disneyland with
    several friends on the Saturday; the line for Splash Mountain
    was over 3 hours long. The conductor said they were expecting lines
    to be in the 3-4 hr range in MK. Quite a bit of its not visible from
    the outside! So if you plan on riding it; better get those racing shoes
    on and head for it as soon as the park is open..... (of course
    thats once the ride is open)... HMMM... maybe you could call and
    see if they are looking for early volunteers to ride it...
    Guess I wouldn't want to spend 1/3 of a day in line waiting for
    one ride!
    
    		- Annie
    

    Looks like some adjustments may have to be made when planning to do
    TMK.
    
    I wonder if SM will be as busy at night as it will be during the day.
    
    Best bet may be to do it first thing....or wait until SMP or wait until
    close to closing time.
    
    I know that the best time to do "Pirates..." in the Summer is first
    thing in the morning or after 11 P.M.
    
    Mike

re: .22

Pirates of the Carribean is a relatively fast loading ride.  Save the
morning/evenings for the crowded rides (Space Mountain, Big Thunder
Mountain, 20,000 Leagues, Jungle Cruise), and don't be afraid to tackle
Pirates during the busy part of the day.

   Gary

    
    I spoke with a (very brown) young lady in our office yesterday, who
    returned from Florida a week ago.  She rode Splash Mountain and
    pronounced it very enjoyable and very wet!
    
    She was under the impression that it was open, but agreed that she may
    just have been lucky to go past on one of the occasions when it was
    being tested with live `victims'.  She's going to ask the others she
    went with to see if they remember if it was really open or just
    testing.
    
    I think she said it was late afternoon, and she also said there was
    very little waiting time (about 10 minutes).
    
    I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's up and running by June 6th
    `cos that's when my Florida holiday starts!
    
    
    	Andy.

>                        -< It was working a week ago. >-

    Don't get your hopes up too much.  

    We were in MK on at least five different days between 20-May-1992 and
    29-May-1992 and Splash Mountain wasn't operating.  Part of the outside
    of the ride is clearly visable (that drop underwater looks awesome!)
    The water was running (but the log flumes were stationary) on some
    occasions and you can get a peek inside if you take the railroad to
    frontierland.

    I spoke with an employee stationed immediately in front of it who said
    that they hadn't even tested it with employees yet.  The official
    opening date is Fall '92 and he said it certainly wounldn't be open for
    at least 2 months.

--Steve

    
    Seems that employee has been blind and deaf for several months...
    There were employees riding it (testing it out) at the end of March.
    There was definitely water and moving logs at several times back then.
    So I am not sure where the "it hasn't been tested with employees yet"
    comes from.... 
    
    Anyhow; I got my fix; rode the one in DL twice on Sunday 5/31! :^)
    
    		- Annie

    Any more news on Splash Mtn ?????
    
    We're leaving for the airport in 119 hours. 
    
    Can anyone that's been down to WDW recently comment. 
    
    Thanks
    Pasco
    

    
    	Well, it's not officially open yet -- But ...
    	WDW employees have told me that on weekdays during the first three
    hours the Magic Kingdom is open and/or the last three hours before the
    park closes for the night, they have been letting lucky " guests " who
    are in the area at the time ride " Splash. " Why only weekdays and just
    before the park closes and/or opens ? 'Cause -- after hours -- they've
    letting WDW employees try her on for size. And -- from what everybody
    tells me -- this version of " Splash " is far superior to the
    Disneyland original.
    	So there's your answer : Get there as early as you can, linger in
    the area as long as possible toward the end of the night and keep
    badgering those Frontierland employees ! Eventually, you'll make in on
    board.
    	As for the rest of us ... In spite of the attraction being
    physically ready, WDI still has a little tinkering to do ( IE : The
    jumping Brer Rabbit figure either doesn't jump or you can see his 
    support wires when he does ), so they're holding up the official
    opening 'til these final fixes are done. Sooooo -- if we're lucky
    -- WDW's Splash rolls in late July / Early August. If Brer Rabbit
    continues to be uncooperative ... Well, they may have been right in
    the first place : Fall '92.
    
    	Any other questions ?
    			`			jrh

    re: -1
    
    Thank you very much. I plan on being there at least 2 nights after
    10:00 P.M.  If I get on I'll be sure to mention it upon my return.
    
    
    Pasco
    

        Splash Mountain is now officially open!  My family and I rode
        it 6 times yesterday!

        Prior to yesterday, the official word was "open in the fall". 
        I had been a little disappointed because we were hoping for an
        early opening but it did not look promising. Yesterday was the
        last full day of our 2 week vacation.  We were in the MK
        riding the riverboat and noticed people riding splash
        mountain.  After the looongest riverboat ride I ever took, we
        rushed over to splash mountain to find out that it is now
        officially open and that the plans are to have it remain open. 
        One cast member told us that this was the 3rd anniversary
        of the opening of the Disneyland Splash Mountain.

        We made two quick rides before the queues got too long.  After
        the first ride, I made a quick phone call to Mike Batty (the
        last day of his 3 week vacation) so that he would not miss it.

        In the early evening, we went on again with the Scopa clan. 
        Then we rode it again with the Scopa kids.  Later that night,
        we went back to ride it at night.  It was nice to watch the
        SpectroMagic parade while plummeting down the mountain!

        Near the end of the night, we decided to go back for one more
        ride, and we bumped into Mike Batty and family getting off.  
        We all did it one more time!  This time we watched the 11PM
        SpectroMagic from up top.

        This ride is very well done, and is probably our favorite ride
        in the MK.  The opening of this ride really made our last day
        worthwhile.
    

    Yeah!! It's open and it's great!! We got back from the CBR pool at 
    lunchtime Friday to find the little red light on the phone 
    flashing. Accessed the Voicemail (I'm still staggered that US 
    hotel phones have facilities that I can't get on my UK office 
    phone, but thank goodness they do!) to find a breathless message 
    from Jim, who was kind enough to ring me in between rides and let 
    me have the "News Splash!". Still had some last minute shopping to 
    do in the Village, but made it to the MK early evening for our 
    first ride. Lines were at a reasonable 45 mins, but the airflow 
    inside the Mountain was non-existant, we were wilting with the 
    heat by the time we got on the log, and praying that we would get 
    very wet just to cool off. We did!!! Went round again, but the 
    line had grown to 1hr, and we couldn't face the airlessness of the 
    tunnels again, so we did some other old favourites, watched the 
    fireworks and went back again for another ride at 10.15pm. Lines 
    at about 20 mins, a little cooler inside, but I wouldn't fancy the 
    wait during the daytime. This time my wife, who was sitting in the 
    front seat got saturated early on - the first part of the ride 
    takes a loop round the bottom of the big drop, and we got hit by 
    an enormous bow wave from one of the dropping logs - perfectly 
    timed for maximum wetness!! Came off and bumped into the Pappas 
    family who were about to do Ride No 6, so Elizabeth my daughter 
    elected to ride again with her pen-pal and best friend Kim Pappas. 
    I couldn't let her do more rides than me, so of course I was 
    forced to ride again! 
    
    I enjoyed it all, but I think the targetting is a little wrong -  
    with the characters and the scenic part pitched at younger kids, 
    who are excluded because of height restrictions. Still, it's a 
    great ride, and I'm glad we made it before we left.
    
    I was talking with a family from GA while loading for the flight 
    from Orlando to Atlanta. They were in the MK on Saturday morning, 
    doing some last minute rides before their flight home Saturday 
    evening. They checked with a cast member at the entry, were told 
    that it was still due for a Fall opening, so didn't go anywhere 
    near that end of the park. Boy, were they mad when we told them 
    we'd ridden it!
    
    Anyway, I'm back, still running on EST, which means I'm not due to 
    wake up for another couple of hours - 100 new mails, including 
    some interesting ones about KO and some European Directors 
    leaving - Salary Plan needs to be submitted by tonight - my boss 
    has moved and then been made redundant! I don't think I'll get my 
    Trip Report done this week!
    
    Mike B.

    
    RE : Last few
    
    	I was out in Anaheim this week when I heard about the somwhat
    sudden opening of WDW's " Splash Mountain. " Given all the earlier
    talk about how the attraction was ready but -- due to marketing
    consideration and/or fine tuning -- " Splash " wasn't going to open
    'til the fall, I was naturally surprised to hear about this. So I
    called over to Glendale and asked a few friends at WDI what brought
    about the early unveiling.
    	IN A NUTSHELL : In spite of all the " 1 ! 2 ! 3,4 ! 5,6,7,8,9,10,
    11,12 ! " commercials about WDW's 20th anniversary, attendance is not
    where Eisner and company would like. And -- given the bashing they're
    taking in the press for the less-than-expected attendance for Euro -
    Disneyland -- Uncle Mike wants to avoid another slew of stories about
    how attendance is soft at the Disney parks. So he ordered WDW's " Splash "
    opened nearly 10 weeks aheard of schedule !
    	Soooo ... For now, WDW's " Splash " will only be promoted in the
    Florida papers. The idea being -- lure the locals in to try out the
    latest ride. Then -- come the fall ( When WDW attendance always goes a
    little slack ) -- look for the national WDW advertising campaigns to
    start mentioning " Splash Mountain. "
    	THE MORAL OF THE STORY : No matter what the well meaning cast
    members tell you, when it comes to the Walt Disney Company -- What
    Uncle Mike says is what * REALLY * matters !

    What about the engineering re-work necessary for the logs?  You posted
    something earlier mentioning a thrust to <ahem> guest weight ratio
    problem resulting in derailings (deflumings?)?  Surly Disney is not
    operating a potentially dangerous attraction?

    David.

    
    RE : Last one
    
    	Yeah, you wondered about that one too, eh ? When I asked my
    Imagineer pal about that, he said that the company's * OFFICIAL * reply
    would be : " What flaw ? " However -- over the past month -- discreet
    friction points have been installed along the exterior flume drop ( AKA
    Ckickapen Hill ), which now shaves a wee bit of the speed off a log
    headed down that drop. In numerous tests done since this design change,
    none of the logs have " de-flumed " -- even when packed with the
    portliest of passengers. So -- with that done -- WDW's " Splash " could
    open ahead of schedule, * WITHOUT * having to have a new set of logs 
    made for the attraction.
    	Of course, the down side of this change is that WDW's " Splash " 
    -- initially designed to have a faster, steeper drop off of Chickapen
    Hill than Disneyland's " Splash Mountain " -- now runs second to the
    Anaheim park in terms of speed. So Disneyland fans take note : Your
    " Splash " may be older, but it still runs faster than Orlando's
    version.
    	Speaking of different versions of " Splash, " my pal dropped a
    fascinating tip about the soon-to-be-opened Tokyo Disneyland version
    of " Splash Mountain. " It seems that -- seeing as it's not uncommon
    for visitors to TDL to be wearing formal business suits and/or kiminos
    -- the Oriental Land Company Ltd. ( The actual owners of Tokyo Disney-
    land. Disney just leases the rights to their characters and attractions
    to this firm, for which they recieved 10 % of the profits. And -- yes
    -- this deal was cut by the previous management team. Eisner wouldn't
    * DREAM * of accepting 10 cents on the dollar for any Disney product.
    Anyway ... ) wanted their version of " Splash Mountain " to be like
    everybody else ... Except that it couldn't really get their guests wet.
    	Sooooooo ... For that park's version of the attraction, while there
    is the standard use of mists, etc., Tokyo Disneyland's " Splash
    Mountain " offers very little real water damage potential for its
    guests. Even the drop off Chickapen Hill has been redesigned so that
    the guests get all the thrills of zooming down a flume, but rarely get
    wet. And -- to safe-guard against the guests getting their clothes wet
    due water left in the log following the previous trip through the
    mountain -- Tokyo Disneyland had a special drying room built between
    " Splash " off-loading and entrance area. As the logs move through
    this area, TDL wipe down the interior of each individual log with
    towels so that it's dry as a bone when the next set of guests climb
    in. Weird, huh ?
    	Anyway ... Getting back to WDW's " Splash " : Disney now claims 
    that it was * ALWAYS * its plan to open WDW's " Splash " on July 17th
    -- Disneyland's 37th birthday as well as the 3rd anniversary of the
    opening of that park's version of " Splash. " Given that -- right up
    until the day it opened -- cast members were still insisting that
    WDW's " Splash " wouldn't open 'til the fall, this seems unlikely at
    best. But -- in the end -- what does it matter ? The attraction's
    finally open and relatively safe ( Provided -- of course -- you're
    not with a group from Overeaters Anonymous ), so go ahead ! Have a
    good time !
    	And remember -- WDW fans -- get those " Mission to Mars " and 
    " Carousel of Progress " rides in NOW !!! Disney World's Tomorrowland
    makeover definitely begins this fall, as these two attractions close
    forever. ( " Carousel " may -- and the accent is on " may " --
    re-appear for a brief encore at Disneyland's " Carousel of Progress. "
    Eisner is toying with the idea of having the attraction brought back
    to California for a couple of years ... But the price of readying /
    rehabbing the carousel theater building -- early estimates clock in
    at nearly $ 20 million -- will probably sink this proposal. Which is
    too bad, ' cause I know a lot of Disneyland fanatics would dearly love
    one last turn around the theater-go-round ). Also -- come the fall --
    look for WDW's " Spectro Magic " parade as well as Disneyland's new
    " Fantasmic " water show to stop being performed every evening. 
    Current plans call for performance schedules for BOTH of these shows
    to be cut 'WAY back, 'til they're only performed when or or around 
    holidays and/or whenever the parks are open for extended hours.
    	Any other questions / comments ?
    						jrh 

    I don't know about speed cuts on Chickapen Hill - seemed fast 
    enough for me! The one thing I did notice was that the logs are 
    free running (floating?) for most of the ride. There are few 
    steering tracks, and the logs go round corners by bumping quite 
    severely into the bank. After the big drop, they go into a 
    stacking/holding area, and are picked off one by one for the final 
    scenic bit. All the logs bump into each other quite violently, and 
    I can imagine that a heavily loaded log running into that area 
    could force the one ahead onto the bank, or jam it across the 
    channel. Could be interesting!!
    
    As you can imagine, it frustrated the hell out of me, seeing the 
    ride running with cast members or empty logs, so I spent a great 
    deal of time badgering the cast members around the ride whenever I 
    was in the area. To their credit, not one would admit or confirm 
    any problems with the ride. All said that it was routine testing, 
    and no problems were being encountered. 
    
    Towards the end of my second week, as I approached the ride, my 
    heart leaped! The ride was running, the logs were full of ordinary 
    people! I legged it through to the entrance, only to run into a 
    rope and a bunch of cast members. All the people in the logs were 
    actors for publicity films and pictures. The ride was ready, but 
    would not be opened until the publicity filming was over. "No, 
    Sir, no idea when they might finish, could be days, could be 
    weeks!" Later I saw characters (Brer Fox and Brer Bear) in the 
    logs and even though it was a hot sunny day, the film crew still 
    had banks of lights and reflectors. Still, it was a reassurance 
    that the ride was safe. Disney wouldn't risk the bad publicity 
    resulting from killing or maiming a character.
    
    Glad it worked out OK in the end, great finish to the vacation!
    
    Mike B.

    On July 17th (opening day), after riding Splash mountian, we went into
    the splash mountian store (whatever it is called).  The clerk said that
    she was as surprized as us about splash mountain opening.  The first
    that she had heard about the opening was when she arrived at work that
    morning.

    Hi Jim!
    
    I believe the shop is called The Briar Patch. I called in too, to 
    see if there was any commemorative merchandise like badges or T's 
    proclaiming "I got soaked on Splash Mountain!" or the like, and 
    the clerk told me that they had been taken by surprise by the 
    sudden opening, but merchandise would be appearing soon.
    
    Mike

    I also had the EXTREME pleasure of riding Splash on the 18 th , 19 th,
    and 21'st....Must have been in line with some of you guys. I was
    the one whose wife was yelling "don't have an Orgasism ! It's only
    a ride !!! "....
    
    We walked by on the 16'th after a Thunder Mountain run and was 
    so depressed that it wasn't running. Did it 2 nights later....
    
    We've been back from Florida a little over 24 hours. My wife 
    thought I would be entering this note yesterday, but I had
    enough restraint to Mow the 2 weeks of grass in the yard first.
    Well I'm not the first to Ride it But I bet I had the best time !!!
    
    Pasco
    
    ps... wait was 10 minutes TOPS !!!!!  all 3 times... 
    	NAH NAH NAH !!!!!
    
    

    Hey Mark!
    
    	    Don't be bashful, tell us whether you enjoyed it or not!
    
    	    If you're going to ride it often, maybe we need the Tokyo 
    DL idea of a drying area... Sorry, forgot that this is a family 
    show!
    
    	    If your wait was 10 mins, then you weren't in the line 
    with us. Our shortest wait was at least 15 mins, at about 10:30 pm 
    on Friday night. 
    
    Good ride ain't it!!
    
    Mike B.

    Why the short waits for us ???
    
    ride 1... During Fireworks.... Ride was operating but just shut down
    		because of a problem. Got off Thunder and tried again,
    		and ITS WORKING.
    
    Ride 2... Followed tail end of Parade from Liberty square at 11:30.
    
    Ride 3... Tuesday early opening. Was already at Castle with other
    		resort guests when ropes were dropped at 9:00.
    
    In case you misunderstand my earlier message. THIS is the best ride in
    WDW.....
    
    
    Pasco
    

    	The T-Shirts they were selling in the Briar Patch said it well.
    
    	What do you get when you combine:
    	A 50 foot drop
    	A 45 degree angle
    	A 40 miles per hour
    	And 8 passengers who are just realizing that there's no escape?
    
    	(On Front)
    	SPLASH MOUNTAIN (with a picture of the two buzzards from the ride).
    
    	It was awesome!!!  My brother and I went on 3 times, by the time
    we got there (7/20) word must have been out because the lines were
    LONG!  That crash down Chick-a-pen (?Spelling) Hill is WILD!
    
    Tom

    Tom,
    
    	    Any clue about how well they were selling? I've got some 
    friends going over in a few weeks, so I'll probably get them to 
    buy me one (if Mike Scopa doesn't send me one in return for the 
    nice RED one I got him 8-)8-)8-))
    
    	    Do they indicate that this is WDW Splash Mountain, or is 
    the same design sold in DL?
    
    	    I think I'll get mine overprinted with something 
    appropriate like 'First Day Rider'!!
    
    Mike B.

    	I saw quite a few people wearing the shirts, I think they had
    t-shirts as well as muscle shirts.  I don't remember that the shirt
    said WDW as opposed to DL it just said Splash Mountain as I remember
    but I could be wrong.  You may want to call the nearest Disney Store,
    they may be planning on carrying these or if not they can certainly
    order them for you, I believe that they can order anything sold in
    the parks.  By the way, how does one go about setting up a header
    when you enter notes?  I know how it's done in Mail...I've got a good
    one that I want to put in just for this notes file and see if anyone
    can tell me where it's from.
    
    Tom

    Here's some interesting info on DL's sister mountains in WDW and TDL:
    
     - Due to the Japanese culture, double logs with seating side by side
       were designed for Tokyo Disneyland- two people in a row, four rows.
    
     - Japan's stringent safety codes required the logs to have an internal
       steel frame and lap bars....no lap bars in Orlando folks.
    
     - The double logs in WDW and TDL allow the attraction to handle 2400
       guests per hour. DL can handle 1800 guest per hour using their
       single row logs.
    
     - The splash at the end was honed down for the TDL edition of SM
       because it gets cold in the Winter over there. Also, guests in TDL
       tend to dress up when they come to the park.
     
     - In WDW the splash is much bigger.
    
     - SM in TDL is the only attraction which does not use a combination of
       Japanese and English dialogue...it's all in Japanese to allow the
       guests to understand the storyline of the attraction.
    
     - There are brighter colors used in Tokyo due to offset the cloudy
       weather that area tends to see.
    
     Mike
    
     - 

    
    RE : - 1
    
    	Hmmnn. It would appear that Mike got his Fall '92 copy of " Disney
    News " a day or so before the rest of us ...
    
    	Anywho, all you lucky noters who have already ridden WDW's " Splash
    Mountain " might be amused to hear that -- at least according to Walt
    Disney's press and publicity department -- this highly popular
    attraction * ISN'T * really open yet.
    
    	That sounds weird, I know, but listen to the official party line
    coming from Mouse Central : " When we opened up ' Splash Mountain ' for
    our on-site guests this past summer ( Friday, July 17th -- to be exact ),
    we didn't really consider this the ride's official unveiling. This is
    what we call our ' Florida Preview Period. ' " 
    
    	Alright, so -- if the ride's not * OFFICIALLY * open yet -- when
    is " Splash " due to debut ? Again, according to the press flack I
    spoke with, the attraction's really-for-real official opening takes 
    place on Friday, October 2, 1992. That day, Michael Eisner and a host
    of celebrities will be on hand to cut the ribbon and * OFFICIALLY *
    open the attraction. There'll also be some sort of special opening 
    show, music, day-time fireworks, etc. So -- if you're in the area at
    the time -- you might want to hang out at the Magic Kingdom that day
    and see if you can catch the show.
    
    	What really makes this amusing is that -- since " Splash " opened
    its doors in July -- Disney has been inviting radio stations from many
    of the major media markets east of the Mississippi down to WDW to cover
    the opening of the attraction. Each week, another gaggle of DJs arrives
    on property, sets up their microphones in front of " Pecos Bill's " and
    tells the listeners at home that they're there covering " the official
    opening of ' Splash Mountain. ' " To keep things sounding legit, Disney
    trots out one or two Imagineers who actually worked on the thing to
    tell the DJs how exciting the attraction is, how long it took to build 
    it, etc. They've done this for five weeks now and will keep doing it 
    'til Eisner officially cuts the ribbon.
    
    	This is what they call a " media event, " folks. Disney winds up
    its publicity machine and keep beating its drums 'til folks in every
    one of WDW's marketing areas know that " Splash " is open -- which 
    means it's time they took another trip to Disney World again. 
    
    	A somewhat sophisticated variation on the old " Carrot at the end
    of the stick " ploy, wouldn't you say ? Just thought you folks might
    like to know about the weasely working of WDW's latest PR campaign.
    
    	Any questions ?
    					jrh

    Rep to <<< Note 65.45 by ISLNDS::HILL >>>

>    	Hmmnn. It would appear that Mike got his Fall '92 copy of " Disney
>    News " a day or so before the rest of us ...

    Jim,
    
    I actually  got  mine  on  Monday,  but  due  to  scheduling conflicts,
    anticipation of Mike's  upcoming  book and all did get to read it until
    Tuesday night. ;^)
    
    Claude
    

    Beginning last weekend, ads began appearing in the media in Florida
    promoting the "Sneak Preview" of Splash Mountain.  The ads included a
    $24 one-day, one-park ticket for Florida residents.

    On Sunday morning, a sign appeared at the Magic Kingdom entrance
    declaring "Florida Splash Mountain Media Preview" with an arrow
    pointing off to the left.  I assume that was related to the ads, but it
    wasn't clear.

    I also got an Annual Passholders' mailing urging me to be among the
    first passholders to ride Splash Mountain, but we all know that Jim P.
    & Mike B. already were.

    At any rate, for a ride that isn't open, it sure was crowded.

    On Friday, Aug. 28, we were at Splash Mountain and they were in the
    process of making, what I assume, a promo for the ride.  At the
    "bottom" of the mountain, there was a microphone hanging out there and
    some guy asking "Well, how was the ride?" and there was another person
    holding cue cards!  I think it took people by surprise.  
    
    Jean 
    
    P.S. For someone who "hates" any type of rides where there is a "dip",
    this was pretty tame...I even was brave enough to go on it a second
    time!

    Well, Splash Mountain is still having some problems getting up to full
    speed.  My husband and I rode three times during our trip over the
    Labor Day holiday.  The first two times, the now infamous jumping Brer
    Rabbit figure did not appear at all, and some of the timing of the
    various scenes seemed to be slightly off.  This did not, of course,
    diminish our enjoyment of the ride.  BTW....ride it at night.  The drop
    down Chick-a-Pin Hill is wild enough during the day, but at night, you
    can't see anything at all....
    
    Anyway, we were at the park at opening time this past Monday, and were
    among the first to ride.  This was our best ride of the three, as the
    Brer Rabbit figure finally showed up, and the entire ride showed signs
    of some fine tuning.  As it turned out, it was a good thing we got up
    early.  We decided to ride again immediately, and the ride broke down
    during the wait in line.  We took in Big Thunder during the down time,
    and then got in line again afterwards.  The ride broke down again
    during this wait.  We gave up at this point.  We did try again later in
    the afternoon, but we discovered a line that was about 2.5 to 3 hours
    long, assuming that Mike Scopa's info on how long a line the waiting
    area can handle is accurate.  Needless to say, we did not wait in this
    line.
    
    Anyway, it's still the best ride in the Magic Kingdom, and other than
    Star Tours, the best ride in all of WDW, IMHO.  Just be prepared for
    quite a wait when you finally get down to ride it.
    
    Ellen
    

Actually I went on it about a half dozen times this past week and the wait was
not all that bad...the best part was the air conditioning that they "pump" into
the waiting line.

Anyways although I did notice that a little bit of the timing was off occasionally
all the figures seemed to be working during the week.

-Jay

Article 9103 of rec.arts.disney:
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!news.crl.dec.com!deccrl!decwrl!uunet!dtix!darwin.sura.net!tulane!agwbbs!Rich_Koster
From: [email protected] (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Splash Mountain TV Report
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 4 Oct 92 22:47:38 GMT
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.
Lines: 106

The Disney Press & Publicity department edited together a report
(called a "package" in the TV biz) for TV stations that wanted to
use it but hadn't sent their own staff to cover the opening of
Splash Mountain on Friday.  It included a suggested intro for the
anchor(s) to read and came in two flavors -- one version complete
with a Disney reporter off-camera providing the reporter commentary
and another with the natural sound and sound bites but without the
commentary (so a TV station could have one of their reporters read
the script provided as if they had been there to cover it).
 
SUGGESTED INTRO:
 
"If you've been thinking about a vacation getaway to the mountains,
how about Walt Disney World in Florida?  Bobby Holcombe gives us a
peek at an exciting new mountain peak that, in a word, is
"splashtacular"!
 
 
SCRIPT (with descriptions in brackets provided by me):
 
"The name of the newest attraction in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
World is Splash Mountain.  So...what's in a name?"  (Nat Sound)
 
[Natural sound and video of a view from inside the log boat as you
come out of the darkness of a cave into the sunshine 5 stories above
WDW, with a breath-taking view of Cinderella's Castle and Space
Mountain on the horizon.  Everyone on board screams loudly as the
log boat crests the hill and falls down the waterfall into the briar
patch far below.  The camera cuts to a side shot that shows everyone
riding with their hands held high in the air as they plummet down at
a 45-degree angle.  You are then seeing the view from the log boat
again as you go under the water.  Then the people get drenched as
you watch from above the briar patch as their log boat falls into it,
and then you see them as they come out drenched from below the briar
patch.]
 
"The skyline of the Magic Kingdom has been dramatically transformed
to include one of the world's great mountains -- in Florida!  And
inside that mountain, the beloved characters from the Disney classic
film "Song of the South" all come to live again through the magic of
Disney's amazing audio animatronics.
 
[You see beautiful shots of the Splash Mountain exterior with its
vivid green plants and its red Georgia clay soil.  Then you see inside
with the rocking riverboat and the hand-painted "Welcome Home Brer
Rabbit" banner and all the critters singing "...wonderful feeling,
wonderful day!  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-day, my..." -- This is
the scene you see from the WDW Railroad just before you enter the
Frontierland train station.  There is a close-up of three singing
alligators dressed in denim jackets, cowboy hats, and bandannas
around their necks. They are playing a banjo, a squeeze-box accordian
and an acoustic guitar.]
 
"The rollicking antics of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear include
the sheer thrills of a 5 story plunge into the briar patch, the
world's longest water flume drop.  Splash Mountain is truly the peak
of excitement!"  (Nat Sound)
 
[There's another look at people coming down the big drop and
screaming.  The scene shifts to closer to the start of the ride where
Brer Fox and Brer Bear spy on Brer Rabbit from behind a tree, as the
song goes: "He's headin' for, a little more adventure." And Brer
Rabbit joins in: "I'm headin' for, a little bit of fun now!"]
 
[Brer Rabbit has boarded up his house and nailed a "Gone For Good"
sign on it as he stands outside the door with his travel belongings
wrapped in a polka-dot handerchief tied to a pole resting on his
shoulder.  Brer Fox holds a rope as he peers through the branches
while he is atop Brer Bear's shoulders.  Brer Bear is itchin' to
use his big club on Brer Rabbit.]
 
[Eric Jacobson - Executive Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering:]
"We have Space Mountain, we have Cinderella's Castle -- now we have
Splash Mountain which is a whole new (obviously) mountain.  I mean,
the name says it all!  It adds a whole new language to the Magic
Kingdom that wasn't there before.  Pirates of the Caribbean is a
water-themed ride, but this is really about thrill."
 
[Reactions of riders, first from 3 teenagers:]
"Yeah, it's really scary!"
"Yeah!!"
"Especially the drop!  That's what made me scream!!"
 
[Little girl:]
"I certainly got splashed a lot!"
 
[Little boy:]
"It's really wet and scary."
 
[Teenage boy:]
"It was kinda scary. [Rubbing his chest] I had my stomach way up here!"
 
[Mother with husband and young daughter and young son:]
"Th- the ending with the -- the big hill, was the ultimate!"
 
[More screams are heard as we see another log boat plummet into the
water.]
 
"This is Bobby Holcombe reporting."
 
End of report

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Internet: [email protected]
    UUCP: rex!agwbbs!rich_koster

Article 9104 of rec.arts.disney:
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From: [email protected] (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Splash Mountain Press Release
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 4 Oct 92 22:48:11 GMT
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.
Lines: 46

From the Disney Press & Publicity Department's "Splash Mountain News"
press release (excluding other news about "Ed McMahon's Star Search '93"
coming to the Disney-MGM Studios, IllumiNations, "Goof Troop" stars now
in "Mickey's Starland Show", the "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little
Mermaid" stage shows at WDW, the "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks show, and
SpectroMagic):
 
"New log-flume adventure makes a splash this fall at Walt Disney World
Magic Kingdom"
 
"Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Talk about a fall!  Along with the autumn
leaves, Walt Disney World guests come tumbling down -- five stories --
this fall as the Magic Kingdom premieres Splash Mountain."
 
"Based on animated sequences in Walt Disney's 1946 film, "Song of the
South," Splash Mountain is a log-flume attraction boasting the world's
longest flume drop, promising guests a 40-mph descent -- faster than
any other attraction at Walt Disney World Resort."
 
"The splash-tacular adventure, located a peak away from Big Thunder
Mountain Railroad in Frontierland, highlights a season of Disney theme
park fun..."
 
"Guests plunge into the Splash Mountain adventure (dedicated Oct. 2)
aboard eight-passenger hollowed out logs.  During a half-mile journey
downstream, they encounter favorite "Brers" -- Rabbit, Bear and Fox --
plus a host of other zany characters in colorful, three-dimensional
animated form."
 
"Climax of the show is all downhill -- a 47-degree plunge of more than
                                         ^^
50 feet into the Briar Patch."
 
End of press release.
 
Note that this material refers to it as a 47-degree angle when a lot
of the other material says 45-degree angle.  I tend to believe 47-degrees
is probably more accurate, even though in a quiz at the Contemporary
Resort's "Insiders" program they awarded a prize to someone who said 45-
degrees after I said 47-degrees. (I got my pin prize anyway by answering
another question right!)

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Internet: [email protected]
    UUCP: rex!agwbbs!rich_koster

Just back from the MK, whilst we were there SM was officially opened, 
more of thta in my trip report. I seem to remember someone saying 
there was a lack of SM related clothing etc. Well according to the 
cast member I was talking to I was one of the first to buy the 
official T shirt


Front:

Cartoon of all the main characters shooting the drop in a log SM logo 
on bottom right.

Back:

		H2O plus 45(degrees) Angle
		plus Gravity
		plus 40MPH
		plus a 5-Story plunge
		plus some unsuspecting
		helpless, "too late to
		get out now"
		passengers
		EQUALS...........

More will follow in trip report

Chris	

    Chris,
    
    They were selling those shirts back during the weekend of July 17th.
    
    Mike_who_has_one.

re:last few

Actually I got a few of those at the Character Warehouse for I think it was
$4.99 or $6.99 in Sept.

-Jay

'Just returned from my first ever trip to WDW.  I must say, I am 

		MEGA-impressed!

We went on Splash Mountain twice on the official opening day and were 
interviewed by a TV crew.  We waited just 5 minutes for the 10 minute 
ride and all the figures were working correctly.  (It took the second
ride before I realised the the actual ride itself attempts to take you 
through the story of Brer Rabbit as well as the queue-material!)  I thought 
it was excellent - the best flume ride I've ever been on.

Those sacred everlasting passes are now carefully hidden in the safe 
at home - I just hope they don't gather too much dust....

Happy to be IN with the IN-CROWD at last.

Wendy
  x

    Re .56
    
     Wendy,
    
          I just got back from WDW for the first time myself....and I too
    went on splash mountain twice without a wait and yes it took me two
    times to realize there was a story ( were you in my boat?) and how
    bummed were you that Space Mountain was closed? After going on splash
    mountain I wasn't disappointed anymore!
    
         The five story drop gets your heart going but nobody mentioned
    the small drop in dark that's pretty fun too.
    
           All the pictures I took in splash mountain came out so well, 
    
    
          I know this is the wrong note but did you make it to Pleasure
    Island....(i'll hop over to the trip reports

    Re .57
    
Hi Mr/Ms GOSSELIN,

Yes, everyone mentions the big drop but that small drop in the dark was good
fun too!  In fact, there were four drops in all, I think.  I didn't have the
nerve to take any pictures - I thought it was not allowed, (and also I was 
still reeling from the shock of my camcorder being totally written off by 
Shamu on day one of the holiday and didn't want to write off my stills camera 
as well).  

I wonder, has anyone ever been evicted from any of the parks for taking 
pictures/video/flash or other when instructed not to??? 

Yes, enough hints, I will do a trip report ....I didn't think anyone would be
interested but, getting into this conference now, I can see you might be! 

I did get to Pleasure Island - twice - and liked the Neon Armadillo and New
Years Eve of course!

We went to Tomorrowland later on in the day and Space Mountain was open
for two exciting goes....BOTH at the very FRONT.
	Y
	 E
	  E
	   E
	    A
	     A
	      A
	       H
	        H
	         H
	          !
	           !
	            !
	             !

    A cast member waved at me to turn off my videocamera just as Cranium
    Command started. I didn't question it or push it but abided by his
    wishes.
    
    In many cases these rules are in place to prevent people from being
    inconsiderate of others. FLash photography can really ruin the mood of
    an attraction and in some cases be potentially dangerous to performers
    (VOTLM).
    
    I'm sure that having someone in front of you with a full sized
    videocamera is no picnic either.
    
    BTW, while standing in front of Splash Mountain one day I noticed one
    visitor take a picture halfway down the drop and yet another guy
    actually use his videocamera (handheld) on the way down.
    
    I think that confiscating cameras is one of the last things Disney cast
    members want to do and I have yet to see something like this happen.
    After all...videos are commercials for more business.
    
    Mike

    I have a question about Splash Mt.  We are going to Disney next month
    with my 6 year old neice and nephew.  Is there any age limit for this
    ride.  Would they be too young for S.M.  Also, do you think it would be
    to scary for them?  It sounds like so much fun, I hope they are able to
    go on it.  I know I will be on it!
    
    Thanks,
    
    kc

re:              <<< Note 65.60 by KRSTEN::KCUNNINGHAM >>>
    There is height restriction for Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Big
    Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, and Body Wars (I'm assuming that you are
    going to WDW).  Maybe someone out there knows the height (it might even
    be listed in Birbaum's).

    In January I visited Disneyland along with my cousin's family.  His son
    was able to go on all the rides.  Jarrad will be entering kindergarten
    this fall and is tall for his age.  Both boys really liked Splash Mountain.
    I didn't think it was scary but if the child is afraid of heights he or
    she might not like it.

    Birnbaum's lists the height restriction on Space Mountain as 44 inches.
    Should be the same for Splash.
    
    -- Bill

    Fear of heights is the big factor. My guess would be that if a child
    enjoys flume rides and roller coasters then he'll love Splash Mountain.
    
    But keep in mind....no matter how hard someone works in trying to
    describe that final drop...........words do not do it justice.
    
    Mike