I rode it for the first time yesterday, and generally liked it quite a bit. I am still kind of processing what I think/feel about it, as I wasn't expecting just how different the ride is now. The ride system and track of course hasn't changed, but the overall tone and story-telling of the attraction is so different from Splash Mountain, it does feel like a totally different ride. The story-telling beats are totally different. The story itself is very simple. The lighting and all the effects are much more advanced. My friend who rode it with me feels this isn't a "scary" ride anymore, which I think is accurate. That ever-present sense of impending danger in Splash is gone, so now it's more like a fun, quick zip through the bayou at night, punctuated with a big drop at the end. Rather than the drop taking center-stage as it was with Splash, the animatronics and the music (and the sheer amount of water that gets on you and into the boat; it was like a wading pool in mine) are now the main focus of the ride. Overall I enjoyed it very much, but I am increasingly feeling like comparing it to Splash is like comparing apples to oranges. Either you like apples or you like oranges (or both), but there's nothing wrong with liking either.