Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion

[Californian Elitist]

Imagine the optics if they don’t go through with the overlay. There’s no way Disney risks that, regardless of their financial situation.

Exactly. After all that talk about diversity and getting token black people to speak on the matter (really it was just one black woman, but yeah), I highly doubt they won’t find a way to make this project happen. Not to mention more people know about Song of the South now, as I stated yesterday.

The cat’s out of the bag.

 

[mickEblu]

Exactly. After all that talk about diversity and getting token black people to speak on the matter (really it was just one black woman, but yeah), I highly doubt they won’t find a way to make this project happen. Not to mention more people know about Song of the South now, as I stated yesterday.

The cat’s out of the bag.

Oh I know you re not talking about the legend Miss Georgia! All Disney has to do is hire Miss Georgia to sit inside the queue in talk to people as they pass by. No way they move forward with the retheme.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The reality is almost no one is talking about it except people in Disney forums and Twitter. Same goes for the skeleton in HM, which the LA Times tried to manufacture as a big source of controversy because they're no longer a legitimate news source. Much of this is manufactured controversy and some people refuse to accept that.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Oh I know you re not talking about the legend Miss Georgia! All Disney has to do is hire Miss Georgia to sit inside the queue in talk to people as they pass by. No way they move forward with the retheme.

No, definitely not her. I don’t believe the interview with Miss Georgia was Disney-affiliated.

Miss Georgia could become the spokesperson for Splash and it’d still be on the chopping black. Her take on the matter, though valuable, would drown in a sea of the majority.

 

[mickEblu]

No, definitely not her. I don’t believe the interview with Miss Georgia was Disney-affiliated.

Miss Georgia could become the spokesperson for Splash and it’d still be on the chopping black. Her take on the matter, though valuable, would drown in a sea of the majority.

Where are these people though? Do they even exist outside of social media?

But yeah I can’t see Disney going back now unfortunately. I’m not sure if they panicked last June or were trying to “seize an opportunity” but I really believe had they not announced anything that this change wouldn’t be happening for many years if at all. Even if they actually had been kicking the idea around. And the whole world would go on thinking Splash Mountain is fine. Kind of like what’s happening today as people of all races continue to enjoy it with their families.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Where are these people though? Do they even exist outside of social media?

But yeah I can’t see Disney going back now unfortunately. I’m not sure if they panicked last June or were trying to “seize an opportunity” but I really believe had they not announced anything that this change wouldn’t be happening for many years if at all. Even if they actually had been kicking the idea around. And the whole world would go on thinking Splash Mountain is fine. Kind of like what’s happening today as people of all races continue to enjoy it with their families.

People have been critical of the Uncle Remus Tales and Song of the South for decades. It has never stopped. Both continue to face criticism outside of social media, yes, particularly amongst film and literary scholars. I stated this before, but I had to read some of the Uncle Remus stories for one of my graduate American literature courses just two years ago. We spent at least two classes talking about how racist it was. We also discussed SotS a bit and the problems with the movie.

Splash itself isn't the problem. The problem is the story/movie it's derived from. If Splash was based on a different film, like Winnie the Pooh or something, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The ride has arguably been on borrowed time since 1989.

 

[mickEblu]

People have been critical of the Uncle Remus Tales and Song of the South for decades. It has never stopped. Both continue to face criticism outside of social media, yes, particularly amongst film and literary scholars. I stated this before, but I had to read some of the Uncle Remus stories for one of my graduate American literature courses just two years ago. We spent at least two classes talking about how racist it was. We also discussed SotS a bit and the problems with the movie.

Splash itself isn't the problem. The problem is the story/movie it's derived from. If Splash was based on a different film, like Winnie the Pooh or something, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The ride has arguably been on borrowed time since 1989.

Right I understand what the issues with SOTS are. They removed all of the problematic stuff from the ride though which is why it was built, became a huge success and lasted the test of time. I disagree that Splash has been on borrowed time since 1989. Society has changed a lot and the whole country is walking on eggshells now. That wasn’t the case then.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

We spent at least two classes talking about how racist it was.

Sounds like graduate school!

 

[Californian Elitist]

Right I understand what the issues with SOTS are. They removed all of the problematic stuff from the ride though which is why it was built, became a huge success and lasted the test of time. I disagree that Splash has been on borrowed time since 1989. Society has changed a lot and the whole country is walking on eggshells now. That wasn’t the case then.

It doesn't matter if the stuff was removed. SotS is still the ride's inspiration. SotS is still an issue.

Let me rephrase that. Splash has been on borrowed time ever since the creators decided to use SotS, the black sheep of the lot that has been accused of racism since its release in 1940, as inspiration for their log flume ride. This country has always been on eggshells. It's nothing new. I will say that social media has allowed voices to be louder and heard, more so than the situation in 1989. That can't be denied.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Sounds like graduate school!

For real! We spent an even greater amount of time dissecting Tarzan of the Apes, which is arguably even more racist. "Whiteness, "blackness," and "racism" were popular terms in that class. To be fair, the class was focused on African American literature and representation of blackness in literature from the 1800s to the early 1900s, so racism was a given.

 

[mickEblu]

It doesn't matter if the stuff was removed. SotS is still the ride's inspiration. SotS is still an issue.

Ok we’ll just have to disagree on this. I can’t understand how it doesn’t matter when the proof is in the pudding. The ride was built, became a classic and was here for 30+ years and counting. “Borrowed time” implies a limited amount of time or that the thought of the ride being shut down for being problematic was actually a legitimate possibility way back in 1989 which just isn’t the case. The world changed a lot.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Ok we’ll just have to disagree on this. I can’t understand how it doesn’t matter when the proof is in the pudding. The ride was built, became a classic and was here for 30+ years and counting. “Borrowed time” implies a limited amount of time or that the thought of the ride being shut down for being problematic was actually a legitimate possibility way back in 1989 which just isn’t the case. The world changed a lot.

You're right, the proof is absolutely in the pudding; Splash is going bye-bye. If the removal of the racist elements mattered, the ride wouldn't be going anywhere. If Splash wasn't on borrowed time, it wouldn't be getting demolished for reasons linked to the issues of SotS, the same reasons that should have prevented the ride from being based on SotS in the first place.

I agree that society has changed since 1989. However, I think to believe that Splash was always going to be okay with society, despite its origins, is a bit naive. Society has changed in various ways, but one thing that has been consistent since even before 1989 in this country is discussion surrounding racism. It was only a matter of time before Splash would be thrown into arguments and discussions surrounding racism because its "predecessor," SotS, never shook said arguments and discussions.

Even as a kid, I had a strong feeling that Splash would eventually be removed from the park. It took 30+ years, but here we are. I once again agree with you that society has changed since 1989 and the 21st century is noticeably different, but the difference between now and 1989 that has gotten Splash put on the chopping block is a combination of different generational mindsets, the rise of social media/technology, and Disney's refusal over the past couple of decades to release SotS. Millennials and Gen Z-ers are much more outspoken about social issues. Combine that with social media and the speed which people can now gain access to facts and knowledge, as well as Disney's pretending that SotS doesn't exist and we've got a recipe for the removal of things like Splash Mountain. And even despite different mindsets today, I can bet there were folks even back in the 80s that were questioning why Disney had chosen to base their new ride off of SotS.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Ok we’ll just have to disagree on this. I can’t understand how it doesn’t matter when the proof is in the pudding. The ride was built, became a classic and was here for 30+ years and counting. “Borrowed time” implies a limited amount of time or that the thought of the ride being shut down for being problematic was actually a legitimate possibility way back in 1989 which just isn’t the case. The world changed a lot.

I guess I just feel like if people were actually bothered by Splash Mountain it wouldn't have been as popular as it was for the last 30 years.

Even now, when the ride is in the limelight, it still enjoys popularity in Florida and Anaheim.

If someone doesn't like Splash they're welcome to not ride it. If they believe it's ties to Song of the South condemn the entire experience, there's like 50 other attractions to experience at the resort.

For the rest of us, we can enjoy the music and singing geese.

 

[Brer Panther]

Just thought I'd point out that removing Splash Mountain won't change the fact that Song of the South exists. I'm predicting YouTubers making videos about "the Disney ride based on a film so racist they had to retheme it".

 

[el_super]

Just thought I'd point out that removing Splash Mountain won't change the fact that Song of the South exists. I'm predicting YouTubers making videos about "the Disney ride based on a film so racist they had to retheme it".

Yeah the film will still exist, and the ride will still have happened (can't change history) but that's not really the point. The point is that Disney is going to actively stop supporting / commercializing it.

 

[el_super]

If someone doesn't like Splash Princess and the Frog, they're welcome to not ride it. If they believe it's ties to Song of the South The Woke® Agenda, condemn the entire experience, there's like 50 other attractions to experience at the resort.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Just thought I'd point out that removing Splash Mountain won't change the fact that Song of the South exists.

Absolutely, and this is what Disney doesn’t understand. They have yet to learn that burying the product won’t solve anything. But they’ll never support that film, at least not anytime soon.

 

[EagleScout610]

Splash itself isn't the problem. The problem is the story/movie it's derived from. If Splash was based on a different film, like Winnie the Pooh or something, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The ride has arguably been on borrowed time since 1989.

This. 100% I think if more people accepted Splash, as long as the Song of the South elements remain, always has been a ticking time bomb until it was rethemed, 90% of the drama over the retheme wouldn't have happened

 

[EagleScout610]

Imagine the optics if they don’t go through with the overlay. There’s no way Disney risks that, regardless of their financial situation.

To quote the Boothill Boys: "Time to be turnin around...if only you could!" There's no way they back out of this. They made a big deal about it, and with Jungle Cruise currently under the knife, they can't use the "Well we WANT to" excuse.

 

[celluloid]

People have been critical of the Uncle Remus Tales and Song of the South for decades. It has never stopped. Both continue to face criticism outside of social media, yes, particularly amongst film and literary scholars. I stated this before, but I had to read some of the Uncle Remus stories for one of my graduate American literature courses just two years ago. We spent at least two classes talking about how racist it was. We also discussed SotS a bit and the problems with the movie.

Splash itself isn't the problem. The problem is the story/movie it's derived from. If Splash was based on a different film, like Winnie the Pooh or something, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The ride has arguably been on borrowed time since 1989.

I teach literature and Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit has showed up a few times on my exams for Certification tests just this year in sections to use for stories that teach moral lessons with a "trickster" character. So they are still seen as valuable examples. They still teach Shakespeare even though the time period and the design of his plays are classist and Mysogynistic right down to their cast listings based on order of Social Class.
As your class probably covered, it is important to notice the challenges we can reflect on and learn from, but intelligence is also being able to appreciate the good and values that come from the work.

Let's be honest. Any theme park attraction that has lasted for more than thirty years(and is going to last longer) has not been on borrowed time nor a ticking time bomb. That is appeal to emotion language. More than three decades. That is on the older end of an attraction lifespan even by Disney Standards. Still getting hour plus waits daily even with limited capacity and one of the most popular rides in the most popular theme park in the world.