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

celluloid

Well-Known Member
I don't get why some people believe it will never happen. Disney has backed themselves into a corner and there's no way out. Could you the imagine the outrage that would ensue if they suddenly announce not doing it in Florida? It seems like our only real hope is that Tokyo keeps their version. I wonder how that will work out if they never do Princess and the Frog, which still would mean Tokyo would have a different version of the ride. The exclusivity of Splash or another retheme I think is bad news. If splash was such an outrage, I think they should have just closed both until they redid them. I feel like continuing to keep them open almost destroys their own point.

People keep saying that plans changing will bring outrage, but just like there are still millions riding the attraction every month, there would be no outrage if plans changed. Some people want to think there would be, but there would not be.
 
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Phil12

Well-Known Member
For those who think that Splash will not be re-themed, may I remind you that today the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians. And the Washington Football Team has not yet announced their new name but they are no longer using the old racial slur in their former name. So yes, Splash Mountain is going into the history books for very good reasons.
 

WEDfan9798

Active 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 don't think they should close down the Country Bears nor should they change Frontierland into New Orleans. That would look very stupid and it would ruin that area of the park...
 

WEDfan9798

Active Member
I don't get why some people believe it will never happen. Disney has backed themselves into a corner and there's no way out. Could you the imagine the outrage that would ensue if they suddenly announce not doing it in Florida? It seems like our only real hope is that Tokyo keeps their version. I wonder how that will work out if they never do Princess and the Frog, which still would mean Tokyo would have a different version of the ride. The exclusivity of Splash or another retheme I think is bad news. If splash was such an outrage, I think they should have just closed both until they redid them. I feel like continuing to keep them open almost destroys their own point.
They should just add cowboy hats and call it the Western River Expedition
 

Ghost93

Well-Known Member
I don't think they should close down the Country Bears nor should they change Frontierland into New Orleans. That would look very stupid and it would ruin that area of the park...
I like Frontierland, but I believe Disney will eventually do away with the entire western theme of that section of the park. With the retheme of Splash Mountain, adjustments made to Jungle Cruise and potentially adjustments being made to other old Disney rides (such as Peter Pan's flight), I wouldn't be surprised if Disney (or online activists) eventually associate the frontier theme with colonialism, mistreatment of Native Americans and the Trail of Tears.

The Disney company is really trying to prove that they are anti-racist so the executives will probably heavily scrutinize and overanalyze the implications of the parks to a far greater degree than ever before.
 

Sharon&Susan

Well-Known Member
I like Frontierland, but I believe Disney will eventually do away with the entire western theme of that section of the park. With the retheme of Splash Mountain, adjustments made to Jungle Cruise and potentially adjustments being made to other old Disney rides (such as Peter Pan's flight), I wouldn't be surprised if Disney (or online activists) eventually associate the frontier theme with colonialism, mistreatment of Native Americans and the Trail of Tears.

The Disney company is really trying to prove that they are anti-racist so the executives will probably heavily scrutinize and overanalyze the implications of the parks to a far greater degree than ever before.
They wouldn't be adding references to SEA in the Jungle Cruise if they were very worried about implications of colonialism.
 

Sharon&Susan

Well-Known Member
I'll admit, I have no idea what SEA is. What is it and what does it stand for?
Society of Explorers and Adventurers. They're a group of mostly rich white men from the Victorian era who seek to be "discoverers" and also connect every possible non movie IP Disney ride in a shared universe . One of the members is known to have stolen valuable artifacts from indigenous people and only got punished by one of those many artifacts instead of the organization seemingly doing anything about it.

Disney has referenced SEA multiple times while promoting new JC and some props in the queue are now stamped with the SEA logo.
 

WEDfan9798

Active Member
I like Frontierland, but I believe Disney will eventually do away with the entire western theme of that section of the park. With the retheme of Splash Mountain, adjustments made to Jungle Cruise and potentially adjustments being made to other old Disney rides (such as Peter Pan's flight), I wouldn't be surprised if Disney (or online activists) eventually associate the frontier theme with colonialism, mistreatment of Native Americans and the Trail of Tears.

The Disney company is really trying to prove that they are anti-racist so the executives will probably heavily scrutinize and overanalyze the implications of the parks to a far greater degree than ever before.
I hope they don't go that far. It would be a tragedy. I just hope they stick to updating Splash Mountain with the new theme.
 

Ghost93

Well-Known Member
Society of Explorers and Adventurers. They're a group of mostly rich white men from the Victorian era who seek to be "discoverers" and also connect every possible non movie IP Disney ride in a shared universe . One of the members is known to have stolen valuable artifacts from indigenous people and only got punished by one of those many artifacts instead of the organization seemingly doing anything about it.

Disney has referenced SEA multiple times while promoting new JC and some props in the queue are now stamped with the SEA logo.
Interesting. That sounds like potential for a good TV show. Reminds me a bit of the abandoned Atlantis: The Lost Empire TV spinoff that got canceled.
 

Sharon&Susan

Well-Known Member

Ghost93

Well-Known Member

EagleScout610

Always causin' some kind of commotion downstream
Premium Member
I have a reliable source saying Princess and the Frog Splash Mountain is indeed still happening in Orlando. And yes, many Imagineers are expected to relocate to Florida by the Fall (not indicating a timeline for Splash, just related to the recent Lake Nona news). From what I'm gathering, it wouldn't be shocking if the level of show changes to Splash was similar to Great Movie Ride changing to Runaway Railway.
I don't think people said it was truly off for Orlando at this point. More like delayed with the possibility of being off.

I hate everything about that last sentence. Please tell us you're joking.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
Could you the imagine the outrage that would ensue if they suddenly announce not doing it in Florida?

I think it’s going to happen but to address this, Disney wouldn’t “announce” it not happening; they just wouldn’t do it. Without any focal news report on a cancellation of the change it would be tough for the negative criticism to be coalesced until years down the road when we get “whatever happened to the PatF plans?” articles and by then few would really care. Most people who would care will have long moved onto the next topic of concern
 

EagleScout610

Always causin' some kind of commotion downstream
Premium Member
I think it’s going to happen but to address this, Disney wouldn’t “announce” it not happening; they just wouldn’t do it. Without any focal news report on a cancellation of the change it would be tough for the negative criticism to be coalesced until years down the road when we get “whatever happened to the PatF plans?” articles.
I mean we are now even though we've only been a year since the initial announcement.
 

celluloid

Well-Known Member
For those who think that Splash will not be re-themed, may I remind you that today the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians. And the Washington Football Team has not yet announced their new name but they are no longer using the old racial slur in their former name. So yes, Splash Mountain is going into the history books for very good reasons.

MONEY!
 

EagleScout610

Always causin' some kind of commotion downstream
Premium Member
D23.jpg

I wonder if they'll have any new info...
 

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