Splash Mountain re-theme announced

[RoysCabin]

So bad. Horrible how overly sensitive everyone is. Song of the South is a movie set during the times of slavery. IT HAPPENED. The movie shows how storytelling and imagination can take you someplace else and teach you life lessons. Uncle Remus was the story teller, who taught Johnny, a little white boy, about life....I think thats pretty great.... Again, since the movie took place in slavery times, everything in the movie showed how things were back then. In the end, everything was alright and you left remembering Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and every other character in Uncle Remus' stories....what in the world is wrong with that?
I remember seeing this as a kid and I loved the movie! Oh, and by the way, my father is Spanish and my mother is black! I never saw a problem with the movie. It's a movie set in a period of HISTORY. Whether we like it or not, it's part of the HISTORY of this country. Aaaaaaand frankly I never actually thought about slavery when on Splash Mountain anyway

Now, the great Splash Mountain has to be changed? SMH. I love the Princess and the Frog. I have nothing against it. It's the reason Splash was changed that makes me upset. Buuuutt, Princess and the Frog has had its critiques about racial themes as well...will it be any better? Maybe now nothing will be brought out, but eventually someone will probably have a complaint about that too. 1920's era, poor black family, Tianas friend is a rich white Southern Belle who's family are rich, etc., etc.....

For me, not a problem...this was life back in that time. Just because you put it in a movie doesn't mean you promote the way things were or have an opinion about it.
SIGH....I guess we'll have to say goodbye to Splash and put it in the vault with now. SMH. Congrats Tiana! I know I will like your ride but I will always miss your predecessor.

Song of the South is set during Reconstruction.

Saying "it happened" doesn't really work when the film goes out of its way to avoid the realities of the era and depict it much more positively, though.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

If you all think it's just Splash Mountain and CBJ, you're wrong. I gave the list of attractions, and that thread was moved to politics where it was not seen nearly as much. There's a committee looking at attractions and experiences, they were set up weeks ago, this Splash Mountain change was a rapid decision based on blue sky documents from over a year ago that were never expected to see the light of day.

If you're on the side of these changes, it's a great day for you. If you're against these changes, you'd better make your voice heard because this is just the beginning. People are severely underestimating what is coming... and where these funds are coming from.

I can’t imagine Disney getting rid of IASW, COP, or CBJ, just some of the attractions on your list that are “untouchables”

 

[the.dreamfinder]

WDW has been raising prices to cull the crowds at MK which has been operating regularly at over its capacity. They're not desperate for business (outside of a pandemic).

They raise prices to increase Per Guest Revenue Spending, not to cull crowds.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What can I say? What can any of us say? A classic, fun-loving amazing staple of the Disney parks and Disney culture will be no more.

Many, too many, people out there, many who are clueless about Disney to begin with, just have to look for the worst in eveything. Complain about even the most innocent fun-loving things that have brought joy and happiness to generations. Some critters, a Rabbit, Fox and Bear were just too much for some and I think this is devastating.

This 'new' attraction, or should I say replaced because they're again taking away instead of adding, could be amazing BUT that does nothing for Splash. Many never even had a chance to say goodbye.

Zip-a-dee-do-dah no more wonderful days. And it's heartbreaking.

Well put

Next they'll be taking down the Partners statue.

Oh who cares...Honeslty?

That was 90’s propaganda more than anything

 

[MisterPenguin]

You're right. I was talking with someone on my team (who lives in New Orleans) after I posted this, and he made the same point: Tom Sawyer Island is the Mississippi River, and that empties into New Orleans. So geographically, PATF fits in Frontierland - I was wrong.

The chronology needs to be addressed. PATF is 1926. There's nothing in Frontierland that's later than 1899, as far as I can tell, and probably nothing later than 1880. I think the actual American frontier was gone by 1890.

Well, going from the Haunted Mansion to Colonial America to various periods of the South and the Western Frontier... that's all a mess if you want to tell a story either geographically or chronologically. I'm sure most people don't even think about it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I can’t imagine Disney getting rid of IASW, COP, or CBJ, just some of the attractions on your list that are “untouchables”

2 of the 3 you mentioned could be chopped at almost any moment.

 

[Kate F]

I’m starting to hyperventilate

 

[RoysCabin]

Thanks. I'll tell them that their lives were a lie. That's truly fascinating. They even vacationed in Virginia in that era, IIRC circa 1965.

Is it safe to assume that you're another white person telling me about my own experience? It's really all too rich.

I never said vacation, did I? I said move. "Anti-miscegenation" (a ridiculous term to begin with) laws were on the books there until the Loving v. Virginia decision in 1967.

But I'll repeat: Ok, Boomer.

 

[_caleb]

View attachment 479175
Since I own a copy of Song of the South and 2 Uncle Remus books, I guess I’m now racist. I need to get rid of these and act as if they never existed ASAP!

Huh. I truly did not think Song of the South was ever released on DVD.

 

[WDW Pro]

Where are the funds coming from?

From funds previously allocated to developing Epcot.

 

[DisneyJayL]

Huh. I truly did not think Song of the South was ever released on DVD.

Yep, it was.

 

[DfromATX]

This whole thread is being made fun of on other sites, especially with some of the overreacting comments being highlighted

Wait, please tell me more about this. This is the 2nd post I've seen about people making fun of us on this site.

 

[Yert3]

Wow, I didn't know Communism was so respectful of other people's cultures that they would go out of their way to not cause any offense.

I'm gonna have to check out this Communism thing, sounds fantastic. Thanks for turning me onto it!

While I’m firmly on the side of keeping Splash, I always have to laugh when people call things like this communism. Communism is when the government controls the means of production and there’s no private property. Things like this have nothing to do with any of that.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

2 of the 3 you mentioned could be chopped at almost any moment.

I would assume you’re talking about CBJ and COP? IASW is arguably Disney’s most popular song and one of their most popular attractions.

 

[Oskar]

From funds previously allocated to developing Epcot.

So what's getting cut at Epcot?

 

[TJinSF]

Haven’t been able to read most of the thread yet but this is my hot take. No matter what anyone thinks about Song of the South as a movie - the actual tales that it is originally based on and what the ride revolves around are African in nature. The irony is that in the quest to be most offended, the haters have succeeded in getting rid of probably the most well known of African American culture based attractions in the world.

There is no one arguing against having a PatF ride. I think most everyone would agree that having better/more representation for people of color in the parks is a good thing. I think this is a terrible way to go about it, especially given how it drains from African oral traditions.

I think this is fantastically disingenuous. Splash Mountain is such a brilliant showcase of African-American culture that it totally leaves the African-American out of the narrative! I simply can't imagine arguing straight-facedly that people are getting out of their logs with new appreciation for the rich tapestry of that culture after saving a rabbit from a fox and listening to geese on a riverboat sing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah." I just don't think this represents reality.

I don't doubt that some people of color feel like the few posters who have expressed this kind of sentiment (although to be frank, not all of them ring true: I have never heard anyone begin a sentence with "as a black" who is, but maybe I'd be surprised). However, I can tell you firsthand that many will be very happy to be rid of this depiction. Probably more than share this perspective, out of the subset of people who care one way or another.

I like(d) Splash, very much. But I cannot believe this is an argument just doesn't scan. Maybe I'm underestimating the inquisitive nature of others, but I don't think so. By the way, several folks are arguing against having a PatF ride, because they think the movie wasn't any good or is no longer relevant, or because there are too many "princess" options in the park, or...

 

[Beacon Joe]

Well, going from the Haunted Mansion to Colonial America to various periods of the South and the Western Frontier... that's all a mess if you want to tell a story either geographically or chronologically. I'm sure most people don't even think about it.

Main Street USA is highly offensive as it depicts the very era in which the US Army burned down our villages, developed a pistol specifically designed to kill my ancestors, and interred my great uncle as a POW for fighting against a really shady imperialistic invasion..... is something I've never, ever pondered while enjoying Main Street USA, and never will.

 

[Jlasoon]

Let's just pretend that the garbage sold in the souvenir shops everyday isn't made in some 'sweat' shop using cheap 'yellow & brown' labor from the 3rd world with questionable worker rights to maximize profits. Disney really is dense as a company. It's just like Apple - pretend you care about some moronic virtuous cause & install suicide nets at your factories to stop workers from jumping because the work environment sucks. Virtue signal in America, build theme park in communist racist xenophobic ethnocentric country with millions in concentration camps.

Yea! You go Disney.

 

[lentesta]

Well, going from the Haunted Mansion to Colonial America to various periods of the South and the Western Frontier... that's all a mess if you want to tell a story either geographically or chronologically. I'm sure most people don't even think about it.

Are there story elements in HM that are later than, say, 1830? I hadn't thought about it, and now I feel like I need to.

 

[Tony Perkis]

I’m starting to hyperventilate

It’s a ride......