Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain was a television special that aired on August 19, 1989. This half hour program followed Ernest P. Worrell, played by Jim Varney, as he underwent a series of training exercises to become the very first person to ride Disneyland’s newest attraction, Splash Mountain. | Disney History Channel

Suspended Animation Splash Mountain! Splash Mountain had just come up from an all-day closure and our first boat had no animation working as the animatronics were still in the process of being reset! And yes, we still had fun riding!!! :) (the animation came back on right after our boat!) | Theme Park Review