▁America ▁S ings ▁and ▁use ▁the ▁characters ▁from ▁that ▁att raction . ▁ ▁B ax ter ▁and ▁his ▁team ▁developed ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁Z ip - a - De e ▁River ▁Run , ▁which ▁would ▁incorpor ate ▁scenes ▁from ▁Song ▁of ▁the ▁South . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁later ▁changed ▁to ▁S pl ash ▁Mountain ▁after ▁then - CE O ▁Michael ▁E is ner ' s ▁mostly - ign ored ▁suggestion ▁that ▁the ▁att raction ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁help ▁market ▁the ▁film ▁S pl ash . ▁The ▁characters ▁from ▁America ▁S ings ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁many ▁scenes , ▁though ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁characters ▁were ▁specifically ▁designed ▁for ▁S pl ash ▁Mountain . ▁ ▁Dave ▁Fe iten ▁was ▁then ▁brought ▁in ▁to ▁animate ▁and ▁fix ▁story ▁and ▁st aging ▁problems . ▁Fe iten ▁moved ▁nearly ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁anim at ron ics ▁to ▁new ▁locations , ▁removing ▁ 1 0 ▁anim at ron ic ▁figures ▁from ▁the ▁ride ▁completely , ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁The ▁planned ▁Grand ▁Open ing ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁didn ' t ▁go ▁quite ▁as ▁hoped ▁for . ▁Early ▁rid ers ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁company ▁execut ives ▁were ▁getting ▁quite ▁so aked ▁rather ▁than ▁light ly ▁sp rayed , ▁and ▁so ▁the ▁ride ▁opening ▁date ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁delayed ▁for ▁months ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁boats ▁could ▁be ▁re - des igned ▁to ▁hold ▁fewer ▁passengers , ▁to ▁build ▁them ▁l ighter ▁and ▁to ▁re - design ▁the ▁bottom ▁and ▁bow