News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[Bocabear]

The ZIP song doesn't really have anything to do with the plot or storyline of SOTS... and again. Disney has used that song for decades as a standalone song...it was the background track on the WDW resort TV for years...
So they absolutely could use that as a finale song...

 

[EagleScout610]

The ZIP song doesn't really have anything to do with the plot or storyline of SOTS... and again. Disney has used that song for decades as a standalone song...it was the background track on the WDW resort TV for years...
So they absolutely could use that as a finale song...

They could, but remember, Zip is from SoTS, and to Disney Song of the South is...

If this does go ahead, I'm willing to bet there'd be absolutely no trace of the SOTS version left upon reopen

 

[Brer Panther]

Also, somebody started a rumor that "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is based on a song from a minstrel show (just typing that phrase makes me cringe) that has "Zip" in the name, though the song apparently doesn't have any similarity to "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" aside from that.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

The ZIP song doesn't really have anything to do with the plot or storyline of SOTS... and again. Disney has used that song for decades as a standalone song...it was the background track on the WDW resort TV for years...
So they absolutely could use that as a finale song...

The plot and storyline of the ride aren't the issue so it doesn't matter. I don't want this to become political, but there is a general consensus that that content of the ride itself is harmless and inoffensive. The issue is the property that it's based on. It doesn't matter if it's the characters, story, or songs, it all has to go.

 

[ToTBellHop]

You know, for less money than redoing both splash mountains, they could just make a new song of the south, focusing on the singing animals. Like they’re doing for all of the other classics...

“How Do You Do?” isn’t offensive. Remove the offensive garbage. I don’t expect “What Makes the Red Man Red?” in the Peter Pan remake but that song doesn’t make Peter Pan offensive.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

You know, for less money than redoing both splash mountains, they could just make a new song of the south, focusing on the singing animals. Like they’re doing for all of the other classics...

“How Do You Do?” isn’t offensive. Remove the offensive garbage. I don’t expect “What Makes the Red Man Red?” in the Peter Pan remake but that song doesn’t make Peter Pan offensive.

Splash Mountain itself was already a kind of remake of Song of the South removing a number of the problematic aspects, adding and removing characters, etc.

But a remake would still reference the original movie and source material. Remember, the goal is to wipe out anything to do with Song of the South in any context (which is absurd, but that's what King Bob wants).

 

[ToTBellHop]

Splash Mountain itself was already a kind of remake of Song of the South removing a number of the problematic aspects, adding and removing characters, etc.

But a remake would still reference the original movie and source material. Remember, the goal is to wipe out anything to do with Song of the South in any context (which is absurd, but that's what King Bob wants).

I understand the goal, but the only reason they are doing that is because they never really included SotS in the Disney canon yet somehow allowed one of their most iconic attractions to be based upon it. I personally feel, rather than sweeping something under the rug, it is a more-powerful statement to admit something is no longer appropriate and fix it. In so many ways and on so many issues, 2020 has taught us that pretending something didn‘t happen or is not happening does not fix a problem.

The $200 million it would take to redo two mountains would be better spent producing an updated SotS with a primarily African American cast and crew. They’d keep the iconic rides (presumably updated with the new actors’ voices), showcase black talent, have a story that actually makes sense with four drops, and make money from the film.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

I really don't understand the motive to erase everything related to SotS. Peter Pan and Dumbo also have very uncomfortable and offensive sequences, yet the company has no issue cherry-picking the non-offensive parts and profiting off of them. The ride should be judged on its own merits.

 

[_caleb]

Remember, the goal is to wipe out anything to do with Song of the South in any context (which is absurd, but that's what King Bob wants)

I think you've said this a few times here (and others have said it, too). Any links in support of this actually being true, or is this just how it feels to you?

 

[Brer Panther]

I really don't understand the motive to erase everything related to SotS. Peter Pan and Dumbo also have very uncomfortable and offensive sequences, yet the company has no issue cherry-picking the non-offensive parts and profiting off of them. The ride should be judged on its own merits.

I think it mainly stems from the fact that Song of the South is an easy target, being the film that's thought to be so racist it needs to be banned. That, or Bob Iger just has some sort of personal vendetta against the film.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think you've said this a few times here (and others have said it, too). Any links in support of this actually being true, or is this just how it feels to you?

I don't think anyone at Disney has actually put it in those terms.

I think it's pretty obvious in context, though. They already didn't allow any release of the movie and did not put it on Disney+, even with a disclaimer like other films. It's not something they advertise or really use in any other place outside of Splash Mountain itself, so by eliminating Splash Mountain, you've basically eliminated any trace of Song of the South.

 

[celluloid]

I really don't understand the motive to erase everything related to SotS. Peter Pan and Dumbo also have very uncomfortable and offensive sequences, yet the company has no issue cherry-picking the non-offensive parts and profiting off of them. The ride should be judged on its own merits.

Your points are accurate and it is because it is really about getting an IP investment in to an already successful infastructure ride and if you disagree with it you can immediately be presumed to be racist.
The Ghostbusters remake method. You could not say you did not like the movie, if you did, it had to be because you were against women.

The redo was a pathetic attempt that was pushed ahead before things financially got a lot worse.

 

[doctornick]

I understand the goal, but the only reason they are doing that is because they never really included SotS in the Disney canon yet somehow allowed one of their most iconic attractions to be based upon it. I personally feel, rather than sweeping something under the rug, it is a more-powerful statement to admit something is no longer appropriate and fix it. In so many ways and on so many issues, 2020 has taught us that pretending something didn‘t happen or is not happening does not fix a problem.

The $200 million it would take to redo two mountains would be better spent producing an updated SotS with a primarily African American cast and crew. They’d keep the iconic rides (presumably updated with the new actors’ voices), showcase black talent, have a story that actually makes sense with four drops, and make money from the film.

This makes entirely too much sense. So of course it would never happen.

Addressing this issue in this manner would also provide an avenue for the company to promote the point that the Br'er Rabbit stories have their root in African and African American folklore. Which is a great way to promote diversity by broadening the scope of fairy tales that the company has to beyond almost exclusively European ones (plus Aladdin and Mulan).

Do what you suggest and actually build a proper PatF attraction and you actually have some plans befitting of the "Inclusion" that the company is championing.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This makes entirely too much sense. So of course it would never happen.

Addressing this issue in this manner would also provide an avenue for the company to promote the point that the Br'er Rabbit stories have their root in African and African American folklore. Which is a great way to promote diversity by broadening the scope of fairy tales that the company has to beyond almost exclusively European ones (plus Aladdin and Mulan).

Do what you suggest and actually build a proper PatF attraction and you actually have some plans befitting of the "Inclusion" that the company is championing.

Yes! Build a PatF water ride in DHS where it belongs and which could use a water ride. Does reskinning an old ride really show your support of black people? “Here! We put together this sloppy story on an old ride! You’ll notice we went from 100 Audio-Animatronics figures to 5 designed by our predominantly white Imagineers! Enjoy how woke we are!”

Oh, well. Back to reality.

 

[EagleScout610]

Yes! Build a PatF water ride in DHS where it belongs and which could use a water ride. Does reskinning an old ride really show your support of black people? “Here! We put together this sloppy story on an old ride! You’ll notice we went from 100 Audio-Animatronics figures to 5 designed by our predominantly white Imagineers! Enjoy how woke we are!”

Oh, well. Back to reality.

Reskin Mermaid's theater to a swampy bayou, switch puppets and new songs and viola! PaTF show!

 

[aladdin2007]

Reskin Mermaid's theater to a swampy bayou, switch puppets and new songs and viola! PaTF show!

but that would be too creative! Disney isn't about creativity anymore, its about whatever junk chapek can sell and his precious disneyplus.
love that idea though for the theater.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Reskin Mermaid's theater to a swampy bayou, switch puppets and new songs and viola! PaTF show!

I said this before, but the blacklight theater set up is ideal for musical numbers like "Friends on the Other Side".

 

[CJR]

Just saying, why oh why did they not do this like ten years ago. That would have been fantastic then. I mean, it still is now, but what a huge missed opportunity during a time where TLM was coming to MK.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

It's depressing to see that WDW Magic board members make more sense than anyone higher up at Disney.

 

[kingdead]

I really doubt the redo is going to happen--Disney doesn't have the cash on hand to finish rides that are halfway done, so they're not going to redo Splash in a way that (because they'll have to do it on the cheap) might end up being more of a PR problem than just keeping Splash as is. There's nothing particularly offensive in the ride itself, so while it might not be as much of a draw as something with a known IP behind it, keeping it going for a while longer isn't going to raise any kids into the Klan.

If the cash was still coming in, then it'd be a different story, but if it's a choice between finishing Tron and Guardians and keeping Splash open and having all three closed... It's a pretty obvious choice.