There's still another option. It is little-known (at least until now) that plans were drawn up years ago for new logs that would be the same length and width of the exiting logs. They would be shaped a little differently and would feature bench seating wide enough for two people or one large person. The seat would have been akin to a more narrow version of Small World seats, not like the bucket-style seating found in the Walt Disney World Resort version).

Maybe it was decided it wouldn't be worth the investment. I suspect it was decided that the extra weight and the redistribution of the weight would have made even that design unworkable, as there was never a prototype built and tested.

You see, it took lots of trial and error, lots of testing to arrive at the logs Splash Mountain has now. That was the primary reason the opening was delayed. When Splash Mountain was first built, the plan was to have logs with a similar seating arrangement to the current logs, except that instead of seating set up for a 2-2-3 configuration for seven adults, the logs had a configuration of 2-2-2-2, for eight adults, and a front that was largely flat faced (as if the log had been chopped down smoothly, straight through).

A whole set of those logs were manufactured and brought to Disneyland Park for testing. In 1988, they were tested and tested and tested. They were tested with sandbags. They were tested with cast members. The heavy logs would plunge down the final drop, built two degrees steeper than planned, and reach speeds that were much faster than planned. The ride was too rough, too fast. There was too much splash.

As the year changed into 1989, there was a hiatus on testing as the logs were fitted with devices on the front meant to alleviate the problems. Then there was more testing. (Side note: these logs were used in early promotion shots and commercials, complete with very big splash.) Entirely new prototypes were brought in for testing. One design was picked, and an entirely new set of logs was manufactured based on the best prototype.

There was much more testing, and then testing and training, and the attraction finally opened with the logs it has used for thirteen years, experiencing lots of downtime as the bugs were worked out.

So, changing the design of the logs would be a huge, expensive headache. The problem with the logs were a significant reason in the attraction's cost rising from the original estimate of $40 million to somewhere around $75 to $85 million. Disney doesn't release actual figures.

That still leaves the option for seatbelts, but not only would they be pointless, but there would also be the problem of how to check them. Will cast members get down on their knees?

Finally, even if logs could be changed, it would detract from the feel of the ride. Let the other parks have their wider logs. Quality should be shared by the parks, not every little detail. I know some people don't like how they have to sit in a Disneyland Splash Mountain log, but I like it:

• There is nobody to your right or left blocking your view.

• There is only one head in front of you if you aren't riding in the front..

• You can cuddle up with someone special. One of my relationships started in part due to this.

• You can pack the log with more than eight people, especially if you're not fully-grown. I think there was one time we packed eleven of us into a log - we liked the extra speed and splash.

• It's the way the ride has been since it opened, and, darn it, there's something to be said for tradition.

Okay, so maybe none of this last reason means anything. But the second reason sure does.

So, expect the gates preventing you from jumping into a log before it is ready for you to be there when the ride reopens. Expect fresh paint and a different look here and there. Expect parts of Splash Mountain and Critter Country to be reworked for better accessibility for the disabled. Just don't expect new logs.

That kind of money would be better spent upgrading the show elements of the attraction. Now, wouldh't THAT be nice? After all, much of what you see and listen to was left over from an attraction that opened in 1974. Which gets me into…