Skip to Content

See the Moment Guests Evacuated off Splash Mountain on Thanksgiving

See the Moment Guests Evacuated off Splash Mountain on Thanksgiving


For a stress-free Disney or Universal Studios vacation, let the FREE expert planners at Royal Carriage Vacations take care of every detail including dining reservations, applying discounts, and onboard cruise credit.


Splash Mountain has seen better days. It is in rough shape as of late, and Cast Members forced Guests off the ride on one of the busiest days of the year.

Splash Mountain

Credit: KtP

Back in June of 2020, Disney announced the major reimagining of Splash Mountain. This attraction, based on the controversial 1946 film Song Of the South, has been a fan favorite since it debuted in 1989. 

The attraction will begin where the film leaves off; with the final kiss.  We’ll join Princess Tiana and her trumpet playing alligator friend Louis “on a musical adventure.”

Credit: KtP

Disney has not begun work on the retheme, and it seems that ride upkeep has halted. Just last week, Cast members reported that a main water pump broke overnight. This caused the ride to remain closed most of the day.

This is just one instance of many over the last two years where Splash Mountain has closed often. Lighting and animatronic upkeep seems to be nonexistent as well – at least from a Guest perspective.

Guests Evacuated on Thanksgiving

Credit: Joe

The week of Thanksgiving is one of the busiest of the year. We reported on wait times, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane pricing this week. You certainly need a lot of patience and a good touring strategy.

KtP Writer Joe is braving the heavy holiday crowds this week and happened to be in Frontierland as Cast Members evacuated Guests off Splash Mountain last night (Thanksgiving).

He reports Cast Members shared the attraction malfunctioned on and off all day yesterday. While we are unsure if this was the only evacuation of the day, the one we caught occurred at 10:00 pm. With the park closing at 11:00 pm last night, it appeared unlikely the ride would reopen.

What to do instead

Credit: Joe

If you are hoping to ride Splash Mountain and the ride is closed, there is plenty more to do in Frontierland. You can head right next door and ride Big Thunder Mountain. Grab a bite to eat at Pecos Bill or try your hand at the shooting arcade. Liberty Square is a short walk away with attractions like Haunted Mansion and Hall of Presidents.

You can also use the shortcut into Adventureland and ride Jingle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean.

Have you ever been evacuated off Splash Mountain? Share your experience with us in the comments below and on Facebook.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.