ORLANDO, Fla. – A boat on Disney World’s popular Splash Mountain ride took on water Sunday, forcing passengers to get off early and soaking them from the waist down.
A Disney spokesperson confirmed that one of the log-shaped boats took on water and five people got off safely. According to Disney, the incident happened toward the end of the day Sunday and the ride reopened on Monday with no issues.
Skyelar Ingrsoll said she and four friends were on the ride Sunday when it started taking on water as it approached the station where riders get off.
The ride stopped a few times after the last drop of the ride and water stared coming on board, she said, it stopped for a final time and even more water started coming on board the back of the boat where Ingrsoll’s friends were sitting.
“Try and lean forward, it’s coming in,” her friends said.
Announcements came over the intercom telling the riders to stay seated until they could be helped out but at that point Ingrsoll said her friends were in knee-deep water. They all slid out of the boat onto a walkway next to the water.
Ingrsoll said a Disney cast member “kind of yelled at us a little bit” saying that next time they needed to “stay seated, it’s a safety hazard.”
“As soon as we got it out it pretty much completely submerged under water,” Ingrsoll said. “We’re not going to sit in that.”
A video shared by Ingrsoll taken after the riders jumped ship shows the log filled with water and the cast member can be heard saying, “I understand that but this is a safety hazard.”
Ingrsoll said had they all stayed seated until help arrived, some of them would have been in water up to their shoulders.
Disney gave the five guests fast passes and tickets to Animal Kingdom.
Ingrsoll said her friends were soaked from the waist down and they were also all given $150 gift cards.
Ingrsoll, who works at another theme park, said she would still ride Splash Mountain again after the incident.
A Disney spokesperson did not say what caused the ride to take on water.
In June, Disney announced Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be re-themed to Disney’s 2009 film “Princess and the Frog.” Due to the coronavirus pandemic a construction date has not been announced.