Walt Disney World’s Splash Mountain breaks a record ahead of closure date

Walt Disney World’s Splash Mountain broke a park record ahead of its closure date on Monday.

Thrill Data, a website that monitors wait times at theme parks, recorded that Splash Mountain hit a wait time of 220 minutes, which is over three hours long, on its last day of operation.

A previous record of 210 minutes was set in 2020, according to the website.

While Disney Parks rides, such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Animal Kingdom’s Avatar Flight of Passage, have exceeded 200-minute wait times during their opening day, it’s unusual for Splash Mountain to see similar line volume, theme park blog Inside The Magic reported

The famed water ride is set to undergo a complete makeover and will reopen as a “Princess and the Frog” attraction titled “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” in late 2024.

The characters featured on Splash Mountain are 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.

Disneyland’s version of the ride will also undergo re-theming, but the theme park hasn’t announced when its version will close.

Some theme park bloggers told KTLA that they believe Disneyland will announce the ride closure soon.

Megan Heneghan, “The Magical Millennial,” says she believes Disneyland will announce a closure date for Splash Mountain either on or near Jan. 23. 

“I have a feeling Splash Mountain will close in late January or early February for this extended ride transformation,” Heneghan said.

Since the water ride typically closes during the winter for annual refurbishments, Heneghan believes that announcing the closure date around the same time is the ideal option.

In addition to the new ride, Disneyland has announced plans to open “Tiana’s Palace,” the restaurant from “The Princess and the Frog” movie.

The French Market restaurant will be re-themed into the new restaurant, and it is slated to close on Feb. 17.

The new restaurant will offer a quick service menu inspired by New Orleans flavors, expand on current fan-favorite dishes and explore seasonal options, the theme park announced.