America Sings Presents: The Swamp Boys

Ahhh, the “Disney Details.” These are what separates Disney theme parks from the competition, and are a big reason why Sarah and I love returning to the parks. They’re the little things that are overlooked by 99% of guests, but that add such a rich layer to the theme park experience. Sometimes, they exist to enhance re-rideability. Other times, they exist to create an immersive experience comparable to a real world counterpart. On occasion, and these are my favorite types of Disney Details because I love Disney theme park history, they’re self-referential, paying respect to the parks’ past.

Such is the case with this poster featuring the musical group, The Swamp Boys. This poster is in the Splash Mountain extended queue, which is rarely used (at least when we visit). Even when the queue is used, this poster is probably rushed past by most guests who want to hurry up and wait later in the line. At first blush, it appears to simply be a reference to the three alligators who are to the left of the Showboat finale scene. This, in itself, would be pretty cool and add a layer of story to these gators, who are not identified by name in Splash Mountain. The reference actually goes a bit deeper than that. It’s actually an homage to an old Disneyland E-Ticket (later D) attraction in The Carousel Theater (now home to the atrocious Innoventions), called America Sings. I never personally experienced America Sings, but from what I have seen, it looks like the kind of Audio Animatronics-rich attraction that would be right up my alley. America Sings long ago entered Yesterland (as evidenced by this wonderful article on it by online Yesterland), but its spirit and its Audio Animatronics live on throughout Splash Mountain.

Technical details: single exposure; handheld Nikon D7000 and Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens. See our Disney Photography Guide for more photography equipment recommendations.

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