Splash Mountain is an extension of the typical Disney Ride. Take one of Disney's animated films (in this case, "Brer Rabbit"), mix in a cute theme song that is played over and over (in this case, "Zippity doo-daa") and then set up a series of scenes that tell the story. Splash Mountain is one of Disney's better executions of the above recipe. The vignettes are well done, with lots of detail and good animatronics.
What makes this ride different is, of course, the 50 foot drop at the end. It sounds impressive, I know, but 50 feet isn't all that much in the world of roller coasters. What's more, the sudden plummet seems out of place after the nice, relaxing float through the briar patch. On top of that, you'll probably walk away from this ride with a wet butt.
As a roller coaster, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a disappointment. It's got some bends and curves, but ultimately it's pretty tame. What makes this ride special is, once again, the attention to detail of Disney's designers. The sculpted rock, creaking timbers and rusted supports all provide great atmosphere that make the wait in line interesting. Unfortunately, all of the above are hard to appreciate when you're actually on the ride. Disney really eased up on the actual mechanics of the ride and the end result is a roller coaster that I'd stick firmly in the "lite" category.
Given Disney's impressive track record with animatronics, I expected a lot more from the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade. A "nominal fee" (50 cents) gets a dozen or so shots at various targets, and good aim is rewarded with some action. The action, though, is pretty limited. Cans bounce, lights flash, doors open. Disney's engineers could have done a lot better.
The Country Bear Jamboree is a bunch of animatronic bears that sing and dance. Kind of like Chuck E. Cheese, only better.
Rafts depart regularly from Frontierland to Tom Sawyer Island, but I doubt that Mark Twain's estate gets any royalties.