I've got some things to say. This was a pure gut punch to me. I love Splash Mountain. Never rode it in Florida but have countless times at Disneyland over the years. To me this right up there with Indiana Jones as not only one of the best rides in the park but as one of the few rides that earns the title of "PERFECT RIDE".
The story, the music, the AA's, the drops, everything combines to be possibly the greatest log ride of all time. It's lighting in a bottle. Even though there are duplicates, for the time the ride was concieved and made it was a perfect storm of things coming together to make an amazing attraction that would not be built these days.
I can recall in '89 seeing the Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain special on the Disney Channel before the ride opened and from that moment on I had to ride it. Recall my first ride, soo magical and fun. I used to be scared of the drop in my younger days in the early 90's. Even now as an adult, when I walk by it, I stop in awe of it. Seeing people go down the main drop is hypnotic. It's iconic. It's a world famous drop. People always stop and look to see who going down it. All eyes of Disneyland are on you as you go down it is how I feel when it's my turn to go down this iconic drop. "This ride is world famous and now it's my turn to go down it" is what I think as I go down it. I never feel like I am in a show building but in a actual mountain.
Is there a more perfect song than Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah?? It's iconic. There is no better song in Disney pop culture that symoblizes when something goes right in your life than that song. It's been used in modern pop culture as once something goes right for someone they play that song. After surviving the drop, we hear that song because we survived it! Brer Rabbit Survived!! It's time to celebrate!! No song in Princess and the frog can replace it.
This overlay is a HUGE MISTAKE and very disappointing. I don't think it's coincidence that all of a sudden there was petition and concept art a few weeks ago and now Disney has been suddenly planning this for a year. I think Disney started that petition to put it out there in advance to guage public response. I think this is lazy. If you want a Princess and the Frog ride, then build one. Don't put it in a building not meant for it. I think when people use "Well Walt said Disneyland would never be finished" as a excuse for bad imagineering they don't understand what Walt meant. Walt is about plusing the park, adding new rides or updating the existing rides as long as it does not take away from what made the ride beloved in the first place. Not adding technology for the sake of technology but because it is going to add something. If he replaced an attraction it was not a overlay it was to bring something wholly brand new and exciting.
To me, Splash has a timeless eel to it and surpassed the test of time for me. What I like is we don't see any AA's until after the first drop and we go into the mountain proper and we get the melody of 'HOW DO YOU DO?" playing outdoors. Guaranteed now, screens and AA's during the outdoor sections because modern imagineering is lazy. And Tony Baxter is only going to be there in spirit and have noooooo say whatsoever in any decisions on the ride. They gave him a check to praise the ride and use his name to calm down the rabid fan base. Whenever Disney is about to do something stupid they bring out Baxter to go "see?? Tony is ok with it!!"
This is the only start I fear. I FEAR many more rides are next. If they can touch Splash, then Mansion and Pirates are not safe. Not at all. Hell, Mansion already has a season overlay. There is and was and never will be ANYTHING RACISTS ABOUT SPLASH MOUNTAIN!!! It is a simple story of a Rabbit wanting adventure but after almost getting eaten by a fox and a bear, decides home is where the heart is.
