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    Photograph by Matt Walker
  Splash Mountain ka
 

The Splash Mountain ride is based on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South and follows the adventures of Br’er Rabbit as he leaves home in search of adventure and is chased by Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear. In this thrill ride, a water-filled flume propels guests seated in simulated hollowed-out logs through scenes of a Southern river landscape. They wind their way through dark water caves and tumble over gentle waterfalls until the final splashdown, a five-story drop from the top of the mountain into a pond surrounded by a briar patch.

Splash Mountain presented an interesting mix of fundamental engineering and creative design. The vehicles are log-shaped boats that run on rails but are propelled by the flow of water. A water ride is normally relatively quiet however in the lifts the vehicles are pulled up a ramp by a chain-like hoist mechanism. The rollback preventers were large spring loaded lever mechanisms that banged into the vehicles, making it difficult to understand the music and dialog. MLA worked with Disney engineers to develop a quiet rollback preventer that reduced the noise and met safety standards.

Most of the ride takes place in enclosed cave-like rooms. MLA developed sound-absorbent rockwork that could withstand the wet environment and be painted and sculpted into realistically scenic shapes without losing its acoustical properties.