The Splash Mountain Appreciation Thread

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Big Thunder 25

New Member
Brer_Bear_Is_Number_One said:
One of the things I've seen the Splash critics bring up a lot is the Walt Disney quote: “Disneyland is something that will never be finished,” but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t take a consistent smash-hit, crowd-pleaser for the past three decades like Splash Mountain and say, “Hey, guys, I know this is a masterpiece and people absolutely love it, but what the hey, let’s gut it.”

Here are some other Walt Disney quotes which make me believe he would not be in favor of this change:

“You can’t live on things made for children – or for critics. I’ve never made films for either of them.”

“We are not trying to entertain the critics. I’ll take my chances with the public.”

“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”

“Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.”

“That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don’t remember what it’s like to be twelve years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors. I won’t do that. I’ll temper a story, yes. But I won’t play down, and I won’t patronize.”
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Oh Walt why can't the protesters be more like you.
 
B

Big Thunder 25

New Member
Brer_Bear_Is_Number_One said:
Just for fun, some dialogue out of Song of the South:

Johnny: I wish I had a Laughing Place.
Ginny: Me, too.
Uncle Remus: What makes you think you ain't? Course you got a Laughing Place.
Johnny: Really, Uncle Remus?
Ginny: Really?
Uncle Remus: Everybody's got one. The trouble is, most folks won't take time to go look for it.
Johnny, Ginny: Where's mine?
Uncle Remus: Well, now, that I can't exactly say. 'Cause where 'tis for one mightn't be where 'tis for another.
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That pretty much explains the current situation in a nutshell. Leave my laughing place alone Disney.
 
B

Big Thunder 25

New Member
Scuttle said:
I’m selling my shares. I was strongly thinking about it before this announcement due to a couple tough years ahead and them cutting their dividend. But this sealed the deal. I can’t stomach the direction the company is heading. Between ESPN, destroying Star Wars (thanks Kathleen Kennedy), The price gouging at the parks and resorts, the destruction of fan favorites to appease the 0.01%, I’m out.

Maybe I’ll buy back into the company when they have leadership that actually shows a spine.... but I doubt it.
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I'd say something worth while but how do you top that.
 
Kate F

Kate F

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
novum said:
well, i don't want to debate anything in this thread (as opposed to the threads covering this issue) but since you asked directly I will give a short answer.

  • I knew what the source material was (the film) and how it glorified and romanticized the antebellum period.
  • I knew the history of the film (its sanitized presentation of the south has been problematized since the 1940's (there's a lot more that can be discussed about this, but in a different thread perhaps--especially regarding the screenwriter's revanchist presentation of joel chandler harris' text)
  • I don't think Walt Disney purposely tried to make a racist film (he seemed honestly surprised and sad)
  • I don't think Baxter or the other Imagineers were racist (indeed they changed the infamous tar-baby scene to a bee-hive scene on the ride). I also know they were trying to recast America Sings which heavily influenced the design choice.
I love how long the flume is, how it mixes genres (flume and run-away train style coaster), and the alternating speeds of the ride. I also wish they hadn't turned down the splash zone for pedestrians watching the ride.
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Weather_Lady said:
I love Splash Mountain for what it's been to me -- a superb piece of storytelling with memorable songs, darling animatronic characters, a fantastic and suspense-building ride layout with incredible views and a level of immersion second to none. Riding it for the first time as a child, I was paralyzed with awe and wonder, and I still feel a little of that thrill every time I ride it.

That being said, I grew up seeing "Song of the South" in the theater and listening to my Disney records, which included both Uncle Remus, and Bre'r Rabbit and the Tar Baby. Although my child's eyes weren't keen enough to understand the racist stereotypes and misplaced Antebellum nostalgia that flowed inexorably through those narratives like Mississippi mud, I get it now. The choice for retheming to Princess and the Frog, should Disney do it right, has the potential to be magnificent, and as rich and awe-inspiring as Splash Mountain was to those of us who love it. I think Disney owes it to all fans -- and particularly to the thousands upon thousands of little girls who never saw themselves in any Disney princess until Tiana came along -- to make it so. I just hope they don't take forever! :)
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jasminethecat said:
Nothing about the attraction itself is in poor or questionable taste, but the movie which inspired the characters is definitely in poor and questionable taste. Having a ride themed after harmless characters from a racist movie is bad for an inclusive family company like Disney. If you only saw this ride and knew nothing about the movie, you'd think it was great. Actually we all did, and we were all ignorantly happy. But once that cat is out of the bag there is no turning back. You can only celebrate this ride's characters if you choose to overlook the racism from where it came. There is no "well this is so cute, i just don't care about where it came from" arguments to be made anymore. You (not anyone here, just saying "you" in general) don't need to be offended by Song of the South in order for the movie to be classified as racist.

People here also complained about the Maelstrom being re-themed for Frozen, but that came out great IMO. The old ride was great, and the new ride is also great. I do honestly believe that Imagineering can do a great job in making this an excellent Princess and the Frog attraction. This is NOT change for the sake of change, it's taking an attraction which was based off of a racist film and is gearing it towards Disney's only black princess. Little black girls will finally get to ride a ride which is geared towards them. They will see a beautiful black girl's story unfold around them on one of Disney's best ride design's ever. And even though I an neither black nor female, I look forward to seeing what they can do here.
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I stopped posting on here after the announcement, only coming on here to have Private Conversations with Splash fans, but decided to take a look and what do I know, negative posts about Splash Mountain in a thread I made that is supposed to be celebrating it. Yeah, I made the right choice.
 
91JLovesDisney

91JLovesDisney

Well-Known Member
Kate F said:
I stopped posting on here after the announcement, only coming on here to have Private Conversations with Splash fans, but decided to take a look and what do I know, negative posts about Splash Mountain in a thread I made that is supposed to be celebrating it. Yeah, I made the right choice.
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Yeah, I think some users forgot the title of this thread. This feels like we’re at someone’s funeral and people are getting up and saying “he was a great guy, but man I’m glad he’s dead.”
 
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Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
91JLovesDisney said:
Yeah, I think some users forgot the title of this thread. This feels like we’re at someone’s funeral and people are getting up and saying “he was a great guy, but man I’m glad he’s dead.”
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My stance on the matter is:

Disney's problem isn't that their rides aren't PC enough, its not there aren't enough rides at the parks. I applaud the existence of a Princess and the Frog log ride, but its unacceptable to touch Splash Mountain to do it. Keep Splash Mountain and keep up the maintenance on it, but maybe (God forbid) build a ground-up log ride with a new mountain for Princess and the Frog in Epcot or DHS. Wouldn't that be a better move for race relations and to upgrade the parks? Instead of taking something away that people love, keep what they love and add another awesome ride that will be a classic for years to come. A win-win.
 
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tk924

Well-Known Member
I'm glad we got to ride Splash Mountain one final time. I'm sure it will be no more the next time we go.
We'll always have the personal pics, the on-ride photos and all the ride merchandise we've obtained over the years and they can never take that away from us.
 
Riviera Rita

Riviera Rita

Well-Known Member
Silly, I know, but, he box that says 'Fussells' on it always makes me think of Sunday afternoon tea at my nan's house where she would bring out a can of Fussell's cream. I'm going to miss that.
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The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
There really was no reason to bump this old thread, but if posters can limit themselves to expressing what they liked about the ride - without getting into a discussion concerning its removal and replacement - then the thread will remain open.
 

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