Splash Mountain adds lap bars

After a month long refurbishment, Splash Mountain recently reopened, with lap bars installed onto all the boats. Apparently, some guests felt they could get up and wander around during the ride, causing the entire ride to be shut down while cast members look for the guest. A few people always have to ruin it for everyone.


I'm not sure how much I like this new institution. I always thought it made the ride more exciting without them; the final drop down Chickapin Hill into the briar patch below felt so much more risky, as if you were going to fall out of the boat. Hopefully the new lap bar doesn't affect this feeling.

Another concern: load times. Now the cast members have to check every row before the boats leave. Shouldn't take too long each time, but added up over the course of the day? That could cause some longer lines. Disney says it won't affect the wait times, so I guess we'll just have to wait to see how it all works out. Fingers crossed for the best.