Splash Mountain re-theme announced

[gmajew]

So its okay to keep things loosely based in historical racism just because its no well known?

I know black people to this day who won't stay at Port Orleans Riverside because the plantation theme still bothers them today despite disney cleaning up the backstory.

And that is their choice but you have a segment that will feel this is also racist as it portrays them bad. They are poor struggling etc. You wont ever win....

 

[Capsin4]

As an African American, I want to thank all of those who complained without understanding that SPlash was the last big remnant of my ancestors stories in the world. This SERIOUSLY does wonders to the black community....This is an absolute joke. I am beyond disappointed..My all time favorite attraction, the one that made me feel close to My heritage, My stories.

Thanks, Disney.

Disney would have done worlds better to present it in that context instead of replacing it. The movie may have been a misguided approach but preserving that oral history would have been the right thing to do.

I can’t help but think the opportunity to push another princess is a big part of it. Merchandise alone.

 

[Sundown]

Oof. I was upset about the re-theme, but reading your delusional comments makes me happy it brings you so much pain. Long live Princess Tiana's Splash Mountain!

Quite the opposite. In fact, everything I said is factual. Care to debate it, where I prove your ignorance...in a civil way.. where I don't call you names like delusional, nor take pride in your suffering?

 

[RSoxNo1]

So will Princess Tiana kiss B'rer Frog to turn him back into a human or is that too on the nose?

 

[Magic Crush Drop]

I honestly believe it was time to redo Splash Mtn. Disney really doesn't want to talk about Song of the South, but yet will use Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah in parades. It's very contradictory.

 

[disneygeek90]

Disgusting.

Our culture of tolerance is under attack by race-pushing Marxists. The ride had NOTHING in it that was offense to anyone. The movie itself is one of a white boy & black southern boy becoming friends & learning from one another.

And how race-insulting this must be to black people too..."Hey, we know you're all followers of this marxist race-baiting scam and not able to think on your own, nor use reason and see the ride has no racist themes at all. But here...we'll take our one sub-standarnd movie with a black princes and....viola!...everything is racially harmonious again! Yay!"

Just an affront on reason, civility and the unifying American belief that not one race is better than the other.

I get being upset about this. I'm going through lots of mixed emotions. But this take? This ain't it.

 

[sfbntpc]

As a boy mom, I wish it was a more neutral theme. There is a lot of princesses in the parks and at dining locations. I’m not complaining, but maybe something that would appeal to both boys and girls. I understand why Disney is doing this, but they could have chosen another classic that is lacking attention in the parks. Maybe Pinocchio? Bambi? Oh well, hopefully my son will still want to ride it.

 

[Communicora]

My thoughts on this are:
Yes the movie is questionable and Disney was right to hold it back from further releases... but there are so many other movies made in the past, some critically acclaimed masterpieces that are not racially PC or historically accurate on the subject.

Splash Mountain at its creation took the fun characters from the movie and built a different story for the ride that was not racially abhorrent or motivated. You can agree or disagree. I am old enough to have seen Song of the South and understand the differences between the movie and the ride's content. Unless you can show the intent of the Imagineers was to build a monument to the South, promote segregation, and racial atrocities with the ride's characters and back story... then this outrage is manufactured with stretched logic.

That being said, Splash has not been consistently 100% operational for a while... elements have either broken or turned off over time or are operating intermittently. But the ride is almost 30 years old so its not unheard of to perform an update to an aging ride beyond mechanical, paint and water filtering. “Walt Disney famously said that 'Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." Some of us have angst over this and want our favorite rides to remain untouched. (RIP Toad, etc)

I feel this is a knee-jerk reaction by the company. Rather than providing clear context of the ride and defending the design, they instead are seeking to avoid any negative press by trying to appear to be proactive in this move. (by saying they have been considering this since last year) With no date marked for closure or new date to open the re-themed attraction.. it appears they are scrambling as the focus of outrage shifts from one place to another.

I do not believe racism is completely a thing of the past and more needs be done to reduce/eliminate it in our society. But this is not the way.

They said they've been working on it for a year. I don't think it's a knee-jerk decision.

 

[Overlordkitty]

Are you joking?

We went from "tear down confederate statues" to "tear down George Washington and Abraham Lincoln statues" in about a week. Sometimes it absolutely IS a slippery slope.

Calls for removing Confederate statues is not only a week old.

 

[coasterphil]

I think you all are significantly underestimating how many guests are aware of Song of the South being the basis of these characters. That connection is more untenable every day, and for good reason.

It is probably my favorite attraction at Disney, but I'm not going to pretend that just because it's a fantastic piece of theme park design that it should get a pass. Having an attraction, no matter how wonderful on it's own, tied to a film that the company has tried to bury and ignore was always a weird fit.

Hopefully they handle the re-theme well and there is a great new attraction for everyone to enjoy. I'm nervous that might not happen, but the PatF is certainly strong enough to support a great musical adventure on the water.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

Like I said, Hall of Presidents has to be on the chopping block. Washington and Lincoln have to go, Jefferson, etc.

I can't believe they are even allowing Hamilton on Disney+!

 

[SoupBone]

COP is not good. Older disney fans have emotional attachments to it but even many people here admit they only go there to sleep or rest.

Ahhh I'm sorry then, yeah I get that. It definitely needs an update, no argument from me there.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Who is buying the tickets? That's who a sane person would attempt to appeal to. Was this change being demanded by a majority of people that buy tickets? Or a screaming minority, most of whom would never pay for a ticket?

Have you been to the parks lately... packed as ever and lots of younger millennial who are leading the charge with change. So that "screaming minority" has spending & marketing power to TWDC

 

[HauntedPirate]

neither is glorifying or giving them a front and center platform. You can learn from history without those things.

What will you learn from once you've wiped out everything that anyone considers offensive?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I was too young to care enough at the time, but how do people think this compares to losing Toad for Pooh?

I will elaborate on why I think this is worse.

Toad was a shame because WDW had a very unique version of Mr. Toad. However, another version exists over in DL, and IMO the part where he dies and goes to hell is a little weird. Also, Winnie the Pooh is a classic.

They are not leaving either version of Splash alone, Splash is a classic attraction with songs not found elsewhere, and they're overlaying it with scenes from a movie that is, frankly, probably their worst from the past decade. And they're probably going to take out their older anamatronics and replace them with a bunch of screens.

Hence why this is so much worse.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Disney would have done worlds better to present it in that context instead of replacing it. The movie may have been a misguided approach but preserving that oral history would have been the right thing to do.

I can’t help but think the opportunity to push another princess is a big part of it. Merchandise alone.

Whoopi Goldberg has wanted Song of the South re-released for decades and has volunteered to record an intro for context. Disney has said no.

 

[Andrew C]

This thread is moving very quickly.

The comments section of the blog post is not...wonder why...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Who is buying the tickets? That's who a sane person would attempt to appeal to. Was this change being demanded by a majority of people that buy tickets? Or a screaming minority, most of whom would never pay for a ticket?

I thought they learned their lesson with ESPN when they fired John Skipper for pushing left-wing politics and driving sports fans away. Jimmy Pitaro came in with a clear mandate "no more politics on the air." Parks apparently didn't get the memo.

 

[Brad sourgummi]

What about the timing of this? Do we think Splash Mountain will open with the rest of the MK on July 11? Or will it never open again in its current form and go down for refurb upon park opening? If SM opens on July 11, I feel this change could get postponed for a while as all the budgets get sorted out.

 

[phillip9698]

Who ever knows... Did we ever think Nazi germany would happen? But no I dont think that... But they are a part of our history right or wrong American has a history worth seeing both the evil and good sides. Those monuments tell the story remind people of where we came from how we continue to grow and become better to each other.

People don't need to realize that it is so so important to remember the tough journey we have made and the tough path we still have to go.

You need a history lesson, those monuments do not do that. There is a very specific reason the majority of those monuments were erected between 1905-1915 and then again in the 50s and 60s. It wasnt to show growth, in fact they had the exact opposite intention.