Women Who Bared Breasts On Disney Ride Posted On Net

ANAHEIM, Calif. - While critics have worked themselves into a lather denouncing Disneyland's cleanup of lusty swashbucklers on its Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, it appears that a park insider has pulled off the ultimate in politically incorrect pranks.

More than a dozen photographs of women baring their breasts on the park's Splash Mountain log ride have appeared on sites across the Internet in recent months - leading some cheeky cyber-fans to christen the attraction "Flash Mountain."

The photos were captured by a special video camera mounted inside the ride that snaps souvenir photos of each log and its crew of up to eight riders as they plunge down Splash Mountain's watery, five-story drop.

Through the years, uninhibited adventurers of both sexes have flashed more than a smile to the camera in the hopes of walking away with an R-rated memento from the G-rated Magic Kingdom.

Such spicy images usually are intercepted and destroyed by Disneyland employees, who edit the digital pictures before they can be turned into $9.95 souvenir 8-by-10s.

But park officials say the topless photos now circulating in the Internet were likely swiped by an employee who proceeded to launch them into cyberspace. An internal investigation last year failed to turn up the culprit, Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato said. He said park management since has tightened security procedures and added more oversight to the editing process.

Opened in 1989, Splash Mountain is a log flume themed on Disney's movie classic "Song of the South." Critters such as Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear cavort and sing "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" while riders hang on for a white-knuckle adventure through the faux swamps and rapids.

But the real thrill for some riders is the chance to perform for the video camera. Park veterans know precisely where it's located and can time their gestures and expressions accordingly.

The hi-jinks aren't unique to Splash Mountain or Disneyland. Parks nationwide have equipped their thrill rides with cameras, and most screen their souvenir photos for off-color activity.

"People view it as an opportunity to do something outrageous," said Cincinnati-based theme park consultant Dennis Speigel. "It's the ultimate form of show and tell."

One popular Web site, whose creator has dubbed himself "Weird Ferd," now promotes the "Flash Girls" in serial form - posting a new photo every so often to keep voyeuristic Net surfers coming back for more.

Although the topless riders might be stunned to learn they've become a nationwide attraction, winning a case against Disneyland for violating their privacy would be a tremendous undertaking, particularly since the riders appear to have willingly exposed themselves in public, said Maureen Dorney, a Palo Alto, Calif., attorney specializing in Internet law.