Splash Mountain re-theme announced

[Sue_Vongello]

I didn't realize that anyone ever had any problems with this attraction, call me naive.

I guess I am most excited about all those people that have never been able to experience the ride or have been boycotting it for all these years to be able to experience it finally ... I mean that's a thing right? I mean ... I am assuming that everyone that is so excited about this change or celebrating it as "a long time coming" or calling anyone a racist for disagreeing with the change ... I assume all those people have been avoiding it all this time or boycotting it or protesting it ... right? Is that a safe assumption?

 

[getdislove]

Hello,

Black Disney Parks fan here. I have been reading/lurking these forums since I was 12 years old (now i’m 23) so maybe I can put things into perspective here.

I have stanned Disney Parks for my ENTIRE life and I have visited every year but I have always felt overlooked as a black person in the disney community. I’ve always loved the ride design, seeing walt’s visions come to life, etc but never in my life have I thought that Disney would make a decision that felt near and dear to my heart as a Black person. All I am saying is that representation matters.

Splash mountain was absolutely one of my favorite rides, but I am open to this change. I’ve never watched PatF, partly because it was offensive imo that they made the first Black princess an animal for half of the movie, but I think this change had to be made. It was always in the back of my mind that Splash came from a movie with racist undertones but it never sat right with me, but I took the ride for what it was and dealt with it because for me, it felt like Disney had never seen or heard their Black park visitors, so I pretty much settled and took Disney for what it was.

Hearing about this news yesterday actually made me cry tears of joy because I never expected a change like that to happen at Disney, but seeing the comments in here from Twitter made me upset, especially seeing some of my favorite fonts show their true colors. I felt visible to Disney Parks FINALLY as a Black woman. I didn’t even know that there were black imagineers....I didn’t know it was possible. I have been in predominantly white spaces my entire life, so I had no idea a change like this at Disney would be possible. It took me growing up to realize that representation is super important, especially in theme parks. It’s great to see that representation starting from a young age.


Imagine loving a theme park so much, but when you visit, you never see people who look like you being represented in the attractions. It’s actually insulting.

 

[RoysCabin]

The only way I'm willing to accept a "Princess and the Frog" attraction is if we get a new land. If they make New Orleans Square on the left side of the park I'd be cool with it's inclusion. If they are simply retheming Splash then it doesn't work at all, because it doesn't feel right in Frontierland.

There would have to be more New Orleans related buildings integrated into the area. Or else it will feel strange like the King Kong ride in Islands of Adventure. Plus picture all the the food options with a new New Orleans Square (bread bowls, monte cristos, beignets, mint juleps).

Honestly, as said before, the theming of Frontierland was already kind of screwed up by putting Splash where they did, as it breaks up the architectural "timeline" of America that Liberty Square/Frontierland originally represented by dropping 1860s-1870s southeast America in the area that's meant to be late 19th century Arizona/California.

It's possible that the aesthetic changes to the ride could make things stick out even more, but again, that damage was already done when Splash was built.

 

[hokielutz]

They knew there were problematic elements in the ride from the day it was built. Disney tolerated and profited it for almost 30 years knowing full well the history.

I would love too see how "they knew" there were problematic elements when it opened. Please do share.

 

[lebeau]

And the big problem is that Brer Rabbit stories were black folktales. Probably the only thing you could find in Disney that had a real connection to black American history. Song of the Sough might not have been a film people enjoyed or liked, but the stories it included Brer Rabbit, didn't need to be flushed down the toilet because people heard the movie was racist... and I use the word heard because the over whelming majority of people that complain about the movie never actually saw it. It is a lot like people complaining about the Last Temptation of Christ when they had never seen the movie, they simply heard from someone else that it was bad.

Name the author of the stories Song of the South is based on? Who cashed Walt Disney's check?

This guy.

 

[celluloid]

I was responding to the claim that Disney did this so they could "trumpet their wokeness".

The announcement is all about the addition of the PATF IP and does not make any reference to the Song of the South's troubled history. You are pointing to a few quotes at the bottom of the announcement in which a few people associated with the project talk about how proud they are to be associated with it. Hardly trumpeting wokeness in my book. A touch self-congratulatory? Sure. That's typical Disney. A left-wing political manifesto? A declaration of wokeness (whatever that is)? Far from it.

The announcement was from Disney's new Diversity and Inclusion division of the theme parks.(nothing wrong with that That is "trumpeting wokeness." aka. Please don't riot or boycott our parks. Their choice, but it is what it is.

Wait, you can ignore all that because it is subtext, but you feel we need to change a log flume because of it is not historically accurate or it is incensative through the lense of a movie near 70 years old that is based on a book series more than 100 years old?

 

[MisterPenguin]

grain of salt but a old co-worker that's still in the parks posted on FB that he's known about this project since April of last year and he was finally relieved he can now say something about it.

Considering kids (and many adults!) don't know who Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit, etc. are these days, a re-theming is justified. Unlike most Disney classics, Song of the South has been buried for a generation -- and for good reason. The Princess and the Frog is far more relevant and has become even more popular post-release.

I'm assuming the ride is getting extensive an internal and external overhaul, including the facade. Imagineers are creative people. Who says the attraction will even be called "Splash MOUNTAIN"? Or even retain elements that indicate such? Yes, it'll be a flume ride, but Disney magic will be at work.

Maybe it's time to re-theme the entire Frontierland area?

Well, a few years ago there were rumors of a Frontierland make-over for the 50th, but that seemed to have lost its budget in favor of Tomorrowland.

That means there must have been plans. Such plans that probably got so distorted that a certain Clickbait Site of Mystery was saying that CBJ and Tiki were in imminent danger of a retheme. Disney Blogs publicly denied that rumor (though, a Tiki update had been rumored by a lot of insiders for a long time).

So, it seems there were swirling plans for various parts of Frontierland. And Frontierland was always problematic what with one person's Manifest Destiny is another person's genocide. And Splash Mountain being based on Song of the South was also problematic.

So, I could definitely see Disney wanting to do something about the Frontierland problem. They've been looking for ways to promote Tiana for a number of reasons, and doing so over another very problematic IP becomes a no-brainer for them.

Disney the business does not have the nostalgic feels for long time rides. Especially for ones they probably get long angry letters over accusing them of racism.

I would be saying that I guess a Frontierland make-over is imminent now that current events have prodded Disney into action if it weren't for the pandemic sucking up budgets for such things.

 

[MickeyMouse10]

Honestly, as said before, the theming of Frontierland was already kind of screwed up by putting Splash where they did, as it breaks up the architectural "timeline" of America that Liberty Square/Frontierland originally represented by dropping 1860s-1870s southeast America in the area that's meant to be late 19th century Arizona/California.

It's possible that the aesthetic changes to the ride could make things stick out even more, but again, that damage was already done when Splash was built.

That's true, but the exterior has always blended in nicely with Big Thunder and the rest of Frontierland. The new mountain however looks like a swamp in the middle of a desert.

 

[MrMcDuck]

Country Bears Jamboree might as well be next, since it is bunch of hillbilly bears, I'm sure there must be hostile undertones there. And, hey, Chef Art Smith, time to change your successful menu to some type of fusion to reflect diversity, etc. We've all gone mad.

They are just getting started (in all areas of life). Some good people will stand up and resist. Time will tell how that battle shakes out in the short term, but we know how their ideology works long term. (It doesn't.) And there will be new growth after the destructive forces are gone. It's just a dark period right now.

 

[RCID]

Probably the best president of my lifetime has talked about this briefly...this type of culture isn’t bringing about real change. Cancelling shows, and theme park rides...that’s not addressing the real issues in this country. Sure it might feel good, but it doesn’t have an impact.

 

[tirian]

Hello,

Black Disney Parks fan here. I have been reading/lurking these forums since I was 12 years old (now i’m 23) so maybe I can put things into perspective here.

I have stanned Disney Parks for my ENTIRE life and I have visited every year but I have always felt overlooked as a black person in the disney community. I’ve always loved the ride design, seeing walt’s visions come to life, etc but never in my life have I thought that Disney would make a decision that felt near and dear to my heart as a Black person. All I am saying is that representation matters.

Splash mountain was absolutely one of my favorite rides, but I am open to this change. I’ve never watched PatF, partly because it was offensive imo that they made the first Black princess an animal for half of the movie, but I think this change had to be made. It was always in the back of my mind that Splash came from a movie with racist undertones but it never sat right with me, but I took the ride for what it was and dealt with it because for me, it felt like Disney had never seen or heard their Black park visitors, so I pretty much settled and took Disney for what it was.

Hearing about this news yesterday actually made me cry tears of joy because I never expected a change like that to happen at Disney, but seeing the comments in here from Twitter made me upset, especially seeing some of my favorite fonts show their true colors. I felt visible to Disney Parks FINALLY as a Black woman. I didn’t even know that there were black imagineers....I didn’t know it was possible. I have been in predominantly white spaces my entire life, so I had no idea a change like this at Disney would be possible. It took me growing up to realize that representation is super important, especially in theme parks. It’s great to see that representation starting from a young age.


Imagine loving a theme park so much, but when you visit, you never see people who look like you being represented in the attractions. It’s actually insulting.

I wish it were a new attraction built on an expansion pad. This replaces a ride full of animals, not people of any color. And if she’s a frog for most of the ride...

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

They knew there were problematic elements in the ride from the day it was built. Disney tolerated and profited it for almost 30 years knowing full well the history.

Yes, and now they’ve changed their minds. Again, disagree with the decision. Be disappointed it took so long...

But that doesn’t change the decision or why it had to be made.

 

[LapsedWDWFan]

They don't care. The actual goal is to reset history to their ideological utopia, which always, always fails. You're arguing facts with postmodern marxists. They don't believe in facts.

Splash Mountain is the latest casualty to be thrown into the memory hole in the name of "progress". I have no doubt there will be more to come.

Things are getting more Orwellian by the day. In these times, one can't even disagree with an idea or policy considered to be progressive without being branded some kind of -ist or -phobe by the Thought Police. Brush up on your Newspeak everyone!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

The politicization of everything continues. Who in their right mind goes on this ride and thinks it is a terrible scourge on humanity.

No one. Literally no one.

And yet, they realize there are problematic elements and are changing the ride. Please take the decision for what it is. Disagree with it, but the false statements don’t help your “argument.”

 

[Figurehead]

QUOTE="Figurehead, post: 9293614, member: 137663"]
The politicization of everything continues. Who in their right mind goes on this ride and thinks it is a terrible scourge on humanity, rather than just enjoying it for what it is? Country Bears Jamboree might as well be next, since it is bunch of hillbilly bears, I'm sure there must be hostile undertones there. And, hey, Chef Art Smith, time to change your successful menu to some type of fusion to reflect diversity, etc. We've all gone mad.

The answer to your question at the start from the responses here would point to no one. But if you ask them, we are choosing not to see it or not woke, therefore the default is racism on feelings. Your point is good with CBJ. It has a song that reminds us of the way legends and Disney romantacized Davy Crockett.
[/QUOTE]
I just think all the crusaders contribute to the hostility rather than help it. Go to the park and enjoy it, and marvel at all the families, no matter what they look like, having a great time, instead of being bent on pointing out everyone's differences.

 

[celluloid]

Name the author of the stories Song of the South is based on? Who cashed Walt Disney's check?

This guy.

Must have been weird cashing checks when dead. Estate I guess.

By the way, Joel Chandler Harris was an advocate for Black Rights, when the country was in much rougher shape directly relating to race. A human with flaws, but an awesome dude. An original ally before that was a common tossed around phrase without any risk because our country is not majority racist.

 

[lebeau]

I would love too see how "they knew" there were problematic elements when it opened. Please do share.

Well the movie was condemned by the NAACP when it opened in 1946. It has never been released on home video because Disney was aware of its issues and was last released in theaters in 1986. The ride opened in 1989 years after Michael Eisner announced it had been permanently banished to the Disney vault.

 

[wdwgreek]

I'm super concerned with only Tiana and Lious being mentioned in the press release. Does that mean only two audio animatronics? Or Aas with the scary projection faces. I'm also concerned it takes place after the movie which means no shadow man or ray! Wondering what the plot will be?!

 

[Ellen Ripley]

Here is a 6 part podcast series about the problems with the story. It is extremely well researched.

Disney’s Most Controversial Film (Six Degrees of Song of the South, Episode 1) — You Must Remember This

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts . Disney Plus is launching with the stated intention of streaming the entire Disney library...except for Song of the South , the 1946 animation/live-action hybrid film set on a post-Civil War plantation, which was theatrically re-released as recently as 19

www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com

 

[lebeau]

Splash Mountain is the latest casualty to be thrown into the memory hole in the name of "progress". I have no doubt there will be more to come.

Things are getting more Orwellian by the day. In these times, one can't even disagree with an idea or policy considered to be progressive without being branded some kind of -ist or -phobe by the Thought Police. Brush up on your Newspeak everyone!

You might want to re-read 1984 if you think this is Orwellian.