Splash Mountain re-theme announced

[Bleed0range]

I still don’t get why people don’t understand the hypocrisy in cancelling something because it’s source material is offensive. Once again. Mickey did blackface. Mario is an Italian stereotype, most prominently in the beloved Super Mario 64. The Pokémon Jynx was a blackface stereotype. PatF has stereotypes with voodoo man. Peter Pan and several other Disney movies have stereotypes.

We say that it’s bad because the Brer characters were only in SotS. But, all of those movies (Peter Pan, Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp, etc.) were all just singular pieces of media. And if this is the case, why not create new interpretations of these stories on film?

Splash was based on the animated segments of SotS, which have been rereleased on their own through numerous Disneyland television specials. The main problematic element of these segments is the “Tar Baby”. The Tar Baby originated from the original stories without mal intent, so you can argue against whether or not it can be criticized by the same merit as other stereotypes in Disney films. But even if you put it on equal playing field to something like the Native Americans in Peter Pan, it’s got equal or less percentage of screen time in its respective film.

I don’t like the hypocrisy. I don’t get the double standard. And there is a double standard. You can argue whether or not being based on an insensitive piece of media calls for change. But you can’t defend another piece of media when it does the same thing.

Didn’t you already post this once?

At some point change has to occur. It hasn’t been enough to make small changes to deal with our past. America has a pretty rocky history and things like SOTS are obviously of their time (even inappropriate for their time really), but that doesn’t mean we have to give them glorification through something like this ride.

SOTS belongs in the past and as much as you may like the animated segments they are forever tainted by the movie as a whole.

Mickey has changed over the years as has Mario so their stereotypes don’t reflect who they are now. SOTS is frozen in time. It hasn’t changed while the world around it has. There’s no progress that has been made with the media or it’s characters.

I would suspect everyone in America will have to get used to more and more change occurring as we try to move past the racist history we created for ourselves. Segregation was not even a full lifetime ago. 60 years ago in fact, in Walt’s lifetime.

People may not like it, but that’s the history America made for itself. We fought each other in the civil war over this and we’re fighting each other now. I know it’s silly to think of it this way but all those white people screaming at black kids during segregation are not that far off from the people screaming over these smaller issue now. Change comes hard. Don’t be on the wrong side.

Face facts that we don’t need to have a ride about SOTS. We don’t need confederate statues. Etc., etc.

 

[21stamps]

Pretty much what the MK takes in before 3pm.View attachment 479562

That line at the bottom is interesting, were the parks really “not for all to enjoy”?

 

[_caleb]

That's the problem, I DO understand it, that's WHY I'm upset.

Why is Disney spending so much money to change the theme of a beloved ride solely in response to a twenty thousand signature petition?

 

[21stamps]

This is true, if it could be done, I just think its a very big "if". We will certainly see.

Personally, I think a new Tiana ride would better serve the park, but that is the most expensive option.

In Fantasyland.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Why is Disney spending so much money to change the theme of a beloved ride solely in response to a twenty thousand signature petition?

Especially since I assume the majority of their park goers leans more to the conservative side.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Didn’t you already post this once?

At some point change has to occur. It hasn’t been enough to make small changes to deal with our past. America has a pretty rocky history and things like SOTS are obviously of their time (even inappropriate for their time really), but that doesn’t mean we have to give them glorification through something like this ride.

SOTS belongs in the past and as much as you may like the animated segments they are forever tainted by the movie as a whole.

Mickey has changed over the years as has Mario so their stereotypes don’t reflect who they are now. SOTS is frozen in time. It hasn’t changed while the world around it has. There’s no progress that has been made with the media or it’s characters.

I would suspect everyone in America will have to get used to more and more change occurring as we try to move past the racist history we created for ourselves. Segregation was not even a full lifetime ago. 60 years ago in fact, in Walt’s lifetime.

People may not like it, but that’s the history America made for itself. We fought each other in the civil war over this and we’re fighting each other now. I know it’s silly to think of it this way but all those white people screaming at black kids during segregation are not that far off from the people screaming over these smaller issue now. Change comes hard. Don’t be on the wrong side.

Face facts that we don’t need to have a ride about SOTS. We don’t need confederate statues. Etc., etc.

Mario has certainly not changed. I still play Mario games to this day. The voice is there. The pasta jokes still come up.

 

[The_Jobu]

give them glorification through something like this ride.

But that's exactly what needs to be debated. Is it glorifying the film by standing completely on its own? Do the princesses glorify the violence, sexism and racism in their source material? How many people who love the ride have even seen the film?

Why is Disney spending so much money to change the theme of a beloved ride solely in response to a twenty thousand signature petition?

Public displays of virtue are very lucrative in this climate.

 

[Phil12]

It’s also nowhere to be found in Splash Mountain. If the “Magical Negro” trope were featured in the attraction, I’d be the first to demand the ride be changed.

Uncle Remus is in Splash Mountain. His famous lines from the stories appear on the walls of the queue and the exit area. Also Br'er Frog replaces Uncle Remus as the story teller at the start of the ride as he begins to tell the tale of Br'er Rabbit:

But TWDC knows it made mistakes here and they're in the process of a re-theme to remove the offensive material. So, it's all good!

 

[The_Jobu]

Mario has certainly not changed. I still play Mario games to this day. The voice is there. The pasta jokes still come up.

Pfft. Mario? Have you ever seen Stromboli from Pinocchio? Now that's some good offensive material!

 

[21stamps]

I couldn't care less either. I'm sure someone has said this already but the ride's theme and characters are so old as to be completely irrelevant to current guests. I never did understand what's so lovable about the ride. People go on Splash Mountain for the flume ride - not the theme. That's why wait times are so long. Disney isn't going to cater to a bunch of old people resistant to change even if they just wanted to update the ride for the heck of it. Add a reason like the one given and it's no contest.

I have a flume ride less than 10 minutes from my house, at Kings Island. While we do enjoy it, I don’t spend the money to go to Disney because of their rides, I have better ‘rides’ here.. we go to Disney for the theming in the rides.

 

[Bleed0range]

Mario has certainly not changed. I still play Mario games to this day. The voice is there. The pasta jokes still come up.

Okay, I would say Mario is a bad example that you’ve given either way. Because I haven’t actually seen too many people get offended by that. It’s a bad example because black people and slavery has a deep root in America which has affected the culture. And there’s a fight to move away from it. This really has to do with racism in America not so much every other issue that people could be offended by.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Pfft. Mario? Have you ever seen Stromboli from Pinocchio? Now that's some good offensive material!

Great, now I REALLY miss going into Manhattan. Not the greatest but with history to spare.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Uncle Remus is in Splash Mountain. His famous lines from the stories appear on the walls of the queue and the exit area. Also Br'er Frog replaces Uncle Remus as the story teller at the start of the ride as he begins to tell the tale of Br'er Rabbit:

View attachment 479572

But TWDC knows it made mistakes here and they're in the process of a re-theme to remove the offensive material. So, it's all good!

If Frogs are offensive, why are we replacing it with The Princess and the FROG???
Seems like that was a bit of an oversight

 

[_caleb]

That line at the bottom is interesting, were the parks really “not for all to enjoy”?

I thought they were, but some are saying they aren't. I want the parks to be for all to enjoy, so I support any effort towards that end- even if it means changes to something that I enjoy.

 

[erasure fan1]

This project has to blow people out of the water to get so many to love it or be happy with the replacement.... This cannot be done on the cheap it has to set a new level of design and project for people to forget one of the best rides of all time...

100% agree. As much as I stick up for Maelstrom and think it should have stayed. The fact that the frozen overlay is meh at best isn't really that big of a deal because I understand Maelstrom wasn't a premium attraction overall. Now Splash on the otherhand. It is widely considered one of the best attractions in the world. It's by no means some 2nd rate attraction that has a cult following. The expectations will be through the roof. I LOVE PatF but I have serious doubts that this can surpass mediocre.

 

[Chi84]

I have a flume ride less than 10 minutes from my house, at Kings Island. While we do enjoy it, I don’t spend the money to go to Disney because of their rides, I have better ‘rides’ here.. we go to Disney for the theming in the rides.

True, but specific theming? Do you think it's going to matter to most people whether the theme is the current one or a new one?

 

[Bleed0range]

But that's exactly what needs to be debated. Is it glorifying the film by standing completely on its own? Do the princesses glorify the violence, sexism and racism in their source material? How many people who love the ride have even seen the film?



Public displays of virtue are very lucrative in this climate.

As I stated before, people need to get away from making this about every issue or stereotype that exists because it really has to do with American culture and how racism and slavery have affected it. Even as recently as when both my grandparents and parents were alive. It has not really been generationally long enough to say we’ve moved past it. I believe they won’t change the ride in other countries because it doesn’t have the same impact culturally as it has in America.

 

[brb1006]

You can still do this via Youtube. Also, the ride will still be there in a slightly different format.

You can explain it to the next generations

Watching videos on Youtube of past attractions won't recapture the feeling of seeing them in person.

 

[Chi84]

To say everyone goes on the ride for the flume and not the theme is crazy generalization though. You have no way of knowing that only a small number of people on this website are the only people that cherish the theme. It's just as dismissive to say the ride doesn't bother anyone except a small number of people on twitter.

Well if most people are going for the current theme, then there will be significantly less demand when the ride re-opens as Princess and the Frog. That's a good thing - one less FastPass to worry about.

 

[_caleb]

Especially since I assume the majority of their park goers leans more to the conservative side.

I was assuming the opposite! I'm not sure why I would assume that, though. I could be wrong.