-It has now been a month since we went on our trip, but it still seems like yesterday. Work is getting busy right now as we head into Holiday season, so updates may slow down a bit for a little while. I'll still try to use whatever free time I can to update my trip report.-

We left Pirates of the Caribbean feeling a little...well...underwhelmed. The both of us wanted to ride something that we knew we would enjoy, so we would decided that we would re-ride the three big rides that we rode on the previous night (Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion). Since the closest of those three was Splash, we decided to ride that first. Luckily, we were smart and stopped by Big Thunder Mountain first to get a Fast Pass. (Thanks to Disneyland, we pretty much already knew the in's and out's to the Fast Pass system)

Walking around the front of Splash Mountain, and seeing it in broad daylight for the first time, the difference of the mountain was instantly apparent. The walkway that takes guest around the front of the mountain is actually at eye level with the people on the ride as they round the bend. It's also very easy to get a look at them as they pass by. At Disneyland, there is a large wall obstructing onlookers, and you are only able to view the people going down the drop. On the other side of the wall is a bit of foliage, with the thorns further in the distance.



The curve following the drop was also pretty unique, and had a small island in the middle. Several white birds walked around, and it made for a fun moment - you're on a ride with dozens of animatronic figures, but these birds were real!



Another striking difference is that WDW's version allows guests to look down at the curve that follows the drop (so you can wave down to your loved ones if you want). Disneyland only offers a very brief glimpse down, and it's a bit difficult to find this spot if you're not familiar with the park.

The entrance is also very different, probably because this is Frontierland and not Critter Country.



The one REALLY cool thing about this version of the ride is that you can sit side-by-side (unlike Disneyland's version where you sit single file). This allowed the both of us to experience the ride together for the first time, and it was such a blast!









We left the ride extremely soaked, though it actually wasn't from the drop. Some sneaky Imagineers crafted a failsafe to ensure that you get wet. As your boat passes by the log falling down the big drop, it causes a huge splash to shoot up and drench the rear section of your boat (which is normally left dry after the drop). It was almost like it happened in slow motion, as we both watched the huge burst of water rise and fall right down onto us. We looked at each other with our jaws hanging incredulously, and we both began to laugh. I can guarantee that this version gets a lot more "splash".

So now what? Oh! We have Fast Passes! And it's already time to use them? We're heading to the wildest ride in the wilderness!

(for more on Splash Mountain, stay tuned for my DL vs. WDW post)