SailorMercury
Well-Known Member
It reflects diversity in the different ways they can make money
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News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Was watching an Instagram Live of Splash today. From what I could see it looked better but still not great
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Basil of Baker Street
Well-Known Member
Honestly. I wish there were separate terms for diversity in the sense of a betterment for all humankind and diversity as in corporation's hey look at me, I'm diverse.
owlsandcoffee
Well-Known Member
(it's easier for corporations and universities if there aren't separate terms...funny, that)
Looking alot better
•1st Frog missing
•1st Goose on right barely moving
•Mr. Bluebird not moving
•Br'er Raccoon moving slowly
•Br'er Fox jaw stuck
•No jumping Br'er Rabbit
•No animation at top of dip drop
•No dialog from Laughing Br'er Rabbit
•Some jumping water broken
•Both turtles broken
•Br'er Fox jaw stuck open
•Right vulture frozen
•Guitar Gator frozen
•No dialog at gator attack
Roger_the_pianist
Well-Known Member
I'm a new poster, but have followed these forums for quite some time.
This will veer the topic, but I have been constantly thinking in the Splash Mtn discussion that it's relevant to consider Tales of the Okefenokee, which was a Six Flags Over Georgia ripoff of Song of the South built in 1967. Tony Baxter admitted he was very familiar with the ride. Some of the scenes from Okefenokee seem almost exactly recreated in Disney quality:
looking back at the attraction feels like a Nara FeverDreamland version of Splash.
Six Flags discontinued the ride in 1980 (it was literally catching on fire by that point) and replaced it with Monster Plantation, which was revamped in 2009 and "Plantation" was traded out for Monster "Mansion".
So my point is, if Six Flags in the heart of Georgia made these changes decades ago, maybe it's time to accept that Splash Mtn should evolve without much argument.
I think it's hard for some people not from the south to understand how these dialects are problematic (projecting a racial stereotype onto a critter) I'm from Tennessee, and my grandparents had the Disney storybook of the Remus tales, but we weren't allowed to get that book off the shelf because of the dialect. So even though Splash is based on the animation, the voices of Br'er Rabbit, Fox, and Bear are rooted in minstrel depictions. Even the term Br'er is a dialect of Brother and by now teters towards a slur, while "Uncle" as in Remus or Tom became a slur for older black men after the civil war through the civil rights movement.
It's a strong statement to replace Song of the South with Tiana. I can't wait to see what they come up with, it can't happen soon enough. Hopefully things don't fall into such disarray as Okefenokee before that happens. If you don't know about the Six Flags ride, look it up...it's a trip!
This will veer the topic, but I have been constantly thinking in the Splash Mtn discussion that it's relevant to consider Tales of the Okefenokee, which was a Six Flags Over Georgia ripoff of Song of the South built in 1967. Tony Baxter admitted he was very familiar with the ride. Some of the scenes from Okefenokee seem almost exactly recreated in Disney quality:
looking back at the attraction feels like a Nara FeverDreamland version of Splash.
Six Flags discontinued the ride in 1980 (it was literally catching on fire by that point) and replaced it with Monster Plantation, which was revamped in 2009 and "Plantation" was traded out for Monster "Mansion".
So my point is, if Six Flags in the heart of Georgia made these changes decades ago, maybe it's time to accept that Splash Mtn should evolve without much argument.
I think it's hard for some people not from the south to understand how these dialects are problematic (projecting a racial stereotype onto a critter) I'm from Tennessee, and my grandparents had the Disney storybook of the Remus tales, but we weren't allowed to get that book off the shelf because of the dialect. So even though Splash is based on the animation, the voices of Br'er Rabbit, Fox, and Bear are rooted in minstrel depictions. Even the term Br'er is a dialect of Brother and by now teters towards a slur, while "Uncle" as in Remus or Tom became a slur for older black men after the civil war through the civil rights movement.
It's a strong statement to replace Song of the South with Tiana. I can't wait to see what they come up with, it can't happen soon enough. Hopefully things don't fall into such disarray as Okefenokee before that happens. If you don't know about the Six Flags ride, look it up...it's a trip!
The Okeefenokee was removed because it was costing more to update than to keep. Plus the fact it was heavily damaged. Not exactly the same situation as Splash
Roger_the_pianist
Well-Known Member
But did they fix up the ride and maintain the Br'er Rabbit storyline? No. Then quietly dropping "Plantation" in 2009 avoids a confrontation later.
I know I'm gonna get backlash for this: but Disneyland's Splash Mtn literally sits right beside...a Plantation. Haunted Mansion was referred to as as a plantation house early on, and it's clearly that in the context of New Orleans Square. I'm not saying it's intentional to have a Song of the South ride beside a plantation house, but such can be observed.
I know I'm gonna get backlash for this: but Disneyland's Splash Mtn literally sits right beside...a Plantation. Haunted Mansion was referred to as as a plantation house early on, and it's clearly that in the context of New Orleans Square. I'm not saying it's intentional to have a Song of the South ride beside a plantation house, but such can be observed.
owlsandcoffee
Well-Known Member
You're not wrong. To my mind the solution they've come up with is just dandy. Now if they touch the Mansion I'll have some problems.
owlsandcoffee
Well-Known Member
Tokyo just maintains everything better, it's common knowledge.
"Please?"
"No"
"Please?"
"No"
"Pleaase?"
"No"
"Pretty please?"
"No"
"Here's a Lifetime pass"
"No"
"Five dollars?"
"NO"
I had a dream that I was at D23 and Chapek was on stage and he announced Splash would close in Late 2021 at Disneyland. That's when people started booing and throwing Br'er Rabbit plushes at him. The dream ended with him in the fetal position buried in plushes crying "Save me Moana"
Cadbury
Well-Known Member
dsinclair
Active Member
Yes.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
There is no way Disney would back out of a retheme of Splash Mountain in California or Orlando. If it was ever discovered that Disney was considering backing out of the retheme in the United States, the media would tear the Disney company apart. I understand people who love the ride as is may be in the denial phase in the stages of grief, but the retheme will happen.
I wouldn't be surprised if takes many years for the retheme to occur in Orlando, but the change is inevitable.
I think the real reason there has been no update on the retheme is that Disney lied when they said [in June of 2020] that they had been planning the Splash Mountain retheme for at least a year. While Disney may have had some conversations about one-day retheming Splash Mountain to move away from Song of the South, I don't think the retheme was anything more than a vague, early concept. And then in the summer of 2020 — at the height of the Geroge Floyd protests — Disney quickly panicked and feared getting canceled, so announced way too soon that they plan to retheme Splash Mountian from Song of the South to Princess and the Frog to avoid being labeled racist.
Anyway, while I do love Splash Mountain as is, I think the retheme is a good call. It makes little sense to have an attraction advertising a movie that has been essentially self-banned by Disney. And Princess and the Frog needs more representation in the parks.
I think to make the retheme work, Disney is going to have to tweak large portions of Frontierland. Maybe the street leading up to Splash Mountain (with the Country Bear Jamboree and Pecos Bill restaurant) can be changed into a New Orleans-themed street? I've heard rumors about the Country Bear Jamboree possibly being permanently shut down sometime in the near future, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the route Disney took.
I wouldn't be surprised if takes many years for the retheme to occur in Orlando, but the change is inevitable.
I think the real reason there has been no update on the retheme is that Disney lied when they said [in June of 2020] that they had been planning the Splash Mountain retheme for at least a year. While Disney may have had some conversations about one-day retheming Splash Mountain to move away from Song of the South, I don't think the retheme was anything more than a vague, early concept. And then in the summer of 2020 — at the height of the Geroge Floyd protests — Disney quickly panicked and feared getting canceled, so announced way too soon that they plan to retheme Splash Mountian from Song of the South to Princess and the Frog to avoid being labeled racist.
Anyway, while I do love Splash Mountain as is, I think the retheme is a good call. It makes little sense to have an attraction advertising a movie that has been essentially self-banned by Disney. And Princess and the Frog needs more representation in the parks.
I think to make the retheme work, Disney is going to have to tweak large portions of Frontierland. Maybe the street leading up to Splash Mountain (with the Country Bear Jamboree and Pecos Bill restaurant) can be changed into a New Orleans-themed street? I've heard rumors about the Country Bear Jamboree possibly being permanently shut down sometime in the near future, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the route Disney took.
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Cadbury
Well-Known Member
I hope. Having something themed to New Orleans will then give WDW a reason to do something for Mardi Gras every year. I know Port Orleans does their own thing for Mardi Gras but you don't really see it in any of the parks.
Exactly.