What caused them to do a ride (Splash Mountain) based on a movie they weren't releasing?

Walt Disney1955

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Okay look, Splash Mountain is one of my favourites. No doubt. Right up there in the top 5 in all the parks. I love it. Personally I am glad they did it and for the record I am one of those people that thinks "Song of the South" was a fine movie. For what it is worth, I think it is a shame that it doesn't get released anymore.

That being said, and knowing what we know now, it just makes me wonder what made Disney think of adding that sort of ride in the first place. Splash Mountain was built in 1989 in Disneyland (1992 in Disney World). So we can imagine that in 1987 or so there would have been plans to build it. At that time I believe the movie was not being released either and sort of shoved in the archives. It just makes me wonder why that movie? Why they picked a movie that some people in the public found controversial. I can understand why they left Uncle Remus out of the ride but to be honest until I had ridden it as a teenager I had never heard of Brer Rabbit or anyone. I wouldn't have cared if they added Uncle Remus but I would presume a few would have kicked up a fuss.

But what made them pick this movie to base a ride from?
 
xdan0920

xdan0920

Think for yourselfer
Big Phil said:
Okay look, Splash Mountain is one of my favourites. No doubt. Right up there in the top 5 in all the parks. I love it. Personally I am glad they did it and for the record I am one of those people that thinks "Song of the South" was a fine movie. For what it is worth, I think it is a shame that it doesn't get released anymore.

That being said, and knowing what we know now, it just makes me wonder what made Disney think of adding that sort of ride in the first place. Splash Mountain was built in 1989 in Disneyland (1992 in Disney World). So we can imagine that in 1987 or so there would have been plans to build it. At that time I believe the movie was not being released either and sort of shoved in the archives. It just makes me wonder why that movie? Why they picked a movie that some people in the public found controversial. I can understand why they left Uncle Remus out of the ride but to be honest until I had ridden it as a teenager I had never heard of Brer Rabbit or anyone. I wouldn't have cared if they added Uncle Remus but I would presume a few would have kicked up a fuss.

But what made them pick this movie to base a ride from?
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Are you freakin kidding me with this?

You post the anti BatB thread, then come in here saying Song of the South is fine. But people will kick up a fuss.

Are you mad man? Or just a bigot?
 
Walt Disney1955

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
xdan0920 said:
Are you freakin kidding me with this?

You post the anti BatB thread, then come in here saying Song of the South is fine. But people will kick up a fuss.

Are you mad man? Or just a bigot?
Click to expand...

Because Song of the South never delves into a controversial issue. The controversy surrounding Song of the South is that it did NOT delve into more of the background of that era. But Disney movies never have been that deep and were never expected to be.

by the way, careful with the name calling, you don't know who I am from a hole in the ground, I know the internet makes us brave and all, but there is no need for it. If everyone is a bigot who likes Song of the South then you are surrounded by a LOT of bigots apparently.

By the way, you don't answer any of the questions I asked.
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
Big Phil said:
Because Song of the South never delves into a controversial issue. The controversy surrounding Song of the South is that it did NOT delve into more of the background of that era. But Disney movies never have been that deep and were never expected to be.

by the way, careful with the name calling, you don't know who I am from a hole in the ground, I know the internet makes us brave and all, but there is no need for it. If everyone is a bigot who likes Song of the South then you are surrounded by a LOT of bigots apparently.

By the way, you don't answer any of the questions I asked.
Click to expand...
Song of the South was based on the writings of an author that sought to revise the history of the Antebellum South, so the movie was inherently controversial, and why it was never released again.
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Big Phil said:
Because Song of the South never delves into a controversial issue. The controversy surrounding Song of the South is that it did NOT delve into more of the background of that era. But Disney movies never have been that deep and were never expected to be.

by the way, careful with the name calling, you don't know who I am from a hole in the ground, I know the internet makes us brave and all, but there is no need for it. If everyone is a bigot who likes Song of the South then you are surrounded by a LOT of bigots apparently.

By the way, you don't answer any of the questions I asked.
Click to expand...

The controversy surrounding Song of the South stems from the false, fairytale image it draws regarding Black Americans in 19th-century America.

It didn't PROPERLY delve into the era.
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Big Phil said:
But what made them pick this movie to base a ride from?
Click to expand...

I'd never heard of the movie before this ride was built. I guess they probably had the idea of adding a 'log flume ride' first and decided it would be themed in a 'mountain' as rock work is their specialty? From that idea they probably then worked backwards thinking can we link it to an existing film we have and then it kind of went from there?
 
xdan0920

xdan0920

Think for yourselfer
Big Phil said:
Because Song of the South never delves into a controversial issue. The controversy surrounding Song of the South is that it did NOT delve into more of the background of that era. But Disney movies never have been that deep and were never expected to be.

by the way, careful with the name calling, you don't know who I am from a hole in the ground, I know the internet makes us brave and all, but there is no need for it. If everyone is a bigot who likes Song of the South then you are surrounded by a LOT of bigots apparently.

By the way, you don't answer any of the questions I asked.
Click to expand...

Ok. I'll be careful.

Fwiw. Your reading comprehension, like your sense of irony, leave quite a bit to be desired.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Splash Mountain borrowed from the movie because of the music. What would it be with out Zip A Dee Doo Dah? The story line was from the Brer Rabbit Stories that had been published years and years before and were based on moral stories brought over from Africa. It wasn't based on the movie at all, but, since Disney made a movie with those stories and the great song, it was made into a ride. Not the movie, the stories.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Splash Mountain borrowed from the movie because of the music. What would it be with out Zip A Dee Doo Dah? The story line was from the Brer Rabbit Stories that had been published years and years before and were based on moral stories brought over from Africa. It wasn't based on the movie at all, but, since Disney made a movie with those stories and the great song, it was made into a ride. Not the movie, the stories.
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It's was very much based on the movie and got the final green light following the successful 1986 rerelease.
 
MrDee

MrDee

Active Member
Maybe the question should be, "What other movie would have worked around a log flume ride, and at the same time draw customers into the park, i.e. Be interesting?"

I can think of a few that might fit the ride, but would probably not create much of a buzz. I love the ride. I I love the music. It all works for me.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
It's was very much based on the movie and got the final green light following the successful 1986 rerelease.
Click to expand...
Again, there is nothing in the ride the is connected in any way to the movie plot. What has been used are the Brer Rabbit Stories, and characters. Those existed long before any thought was given to the movie, much less the ride. The success, if it was that great, of the movie release was what might have given them the thought of creating a ride, but, it certainly wasn't in anyway following any original movie script. There is a major difference and basically the reason why they could have created it without the ride being racially controversial.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Again, there is nothing in the ride the is connected in any way to the movie plot. What has been used are the Brer Rabbit Stories, and characters. Those existed long before any thought was given to the movie, much less the ride. The success, if it was that great, of the movie release was what might have given them the thought of creating a ride, but, it certainly wasn't in anyway following any original movie script. There is a major difference and basically the reason why they could have created it without the ride being racially controversial.
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The development of the attraction is not some secret. Tony Baxter doesn't deny the film.
 
Maerj

Maerj

Well-Known Member
The ride was made based on the film that WAS being re-released back in 1986. Eisner saw it and pulled the film from theaters after a couple of weeks. It was a fairly popular film from Disney, they used the 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' song quite a bit. Some here probably even remember the resort TV channel that used to play it.

Now I don't see anything wrong with releasing the film on video, in fact I really think that they should. It was released on Laserdisc back in the 90s in Hong Kong and has been on British television a couple of times. As others have said, they could release in the US with a disclaimer of some sort. No need to pretend like the past never happened.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
The development of the attraction is not some secret. Tony Baxter doesn't deny the film.
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That is not the point. The story line in Splash Mountain is connected only to the Brer Rabbit stories which were included in the movie Song of the South. Therefore by default, it has been connected to SotS (mostly so they could connect the songs) and even Tony Baxter would admit that. Anyone that ever saw the movie would know that it wasn't based on the movie, it was based on a segment of the movie that were stories long before the movie came into existence. If you want to continue to argue over semantics, feel free to do so, but, just because you keep saying it doesn't make it correct.
 

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