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Walt Disney World Resort just closed one of its most iconic and arguably popular E-Ticket rides. After all, it was one of the Magic Kingdom’s Mountain Trio: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain. But now that the third mountain had been taken down, we started to wonder what that meant for the rest of the Park in terms of wait times and crowd levels.
Credit: Disney
Related: Crowd Goes Nuts As Cast Members Ride Splash Mountain For the Last Time
After all, Splash Mountain was designed with the knowledge that it would be a high-demand ride. The indoor/outdoor queue took up a significant amount of space right next to the Walt Disney World Railroad’s Frontierland Station. The more Guests Disney could fit inside there, the better the crowds will be elsewhere. So with that major crowd distraction gone, what is to become of the rest of the Park?
Let’s take a look.
Credit: WDWStats
According to WDWStats, Splash Mountain was actually losing popularity throughout 2022. Despite the fact many fans and Guests knew it was going to end, the wait time actually decreased significantly throughout the year, averaging less and less time each month after a peak in July–which makes sense on account of its ability to cool Guests off in the hot Florida summer.
But looking at today’s numbers, as of the afternoon of January 23, 2023, nothing seems that different. Peter Pan’s Flight leads with the highest wait time as usual, and the other E-Ticket Rides, like Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, all appear to have their normal 60+ minute wait time.
Credit: WDWStats
Related: Here’s Where Disney Fans Can Still Experience Splash Mountain
It could also really be too soon to tell at this point, as the latest activity around Splash Mountain–or what is going to be known as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure–draws attention from Parkgoers looking to have a sneak over the wall. Only time will tell if its closure is that much of a detriment. If it becomes so, it will most likely be offset by the opening of TRON: Lightcycle/Run, which is set to open on April 4.
Either way, we at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on Disney Parks news and stories as more developments come to light.
