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Disney (WDW & Disneyland) | Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Splash Mountain retheme | 2024

Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
In a very interesting turn of events, Disney has announced that it will be retheming the two American Splash Mountain rides to The Princess & The Frog:
https://www.facebook.com/190814374277866/posts/4709641955728396
I wonder how much of this was to do with Splash Mountain’s links to Song of the South, and the recent petition to retheme it that occurred due to this? Funnily enough, The Princess & The Frog was even a suggested theme by the petition creator!

An anticipated timeline hasn’t currently been announced.

As much as I did like Splash Mountain’s theming, I look forward to seeing what Disney comes up with!
EDIT: Here’s Disney’s official Twitter post:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1276187686672437249
 
Ok this really pisses me off. I thought Splash Mountain was a really nice water ride when I rode it in 2014, and once again like with ToT at Disneyland California, Disney have to come in and rip it out. It was one of my favourite rides at Magic Kingdom. How the **** is it gonna fit in with Frontier Land? I really fear for the future of other rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
 
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Interesting. While i dislike the change (I didn't personally enjoy the Princess and the Frog (but I agree it DID need a theme change) I get it. If it was that they really cared about why they're retheming though they'd retheme all the versions not just the 2 in america. it feels like cooperate appeasement and not actual change that needs to occur.
 
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If this was just for Disneyland and not Magic Kingdom it wouldn't be so bad. Princess and the Frog would fit in fine in both Critter Country and New Orleans Square. but in Magic Kingdom it will stick out like a sore thumb in Frontierland. I don't see how it could work, especially given the concept art they released. The only upside I could see is if they created an impressive Friends on the Other Side scene on the lifthill with all the voodoo masks.
 
I'm really excited about this. I love Splash Mountain, but I'm looking forward to this. Princess and the Frog has some awesome music and a great aesthetic. Hopefully we'll get some Seven Dwarves Mine Train quality animatronics with it rather than new skins for the old ones (the DL ones are already recycled from another attraction).

Can't wait! If you love the old one too much you can always head over to Tokyo for it, nothing in here about that one changing?
 
Matt N said:
In a very interesting turn of events, Disney has announced that it will be retheming the two American Splash Mountain rides to The Princess & The Frog:
https://www.facebook.com/190814374277866/posts/4709641955728396
I wonder how much of this was to do with Splash Mountain’s links to Song of the South, and the recent petition to retheme it that occurred due to this? Funnily enough, The Princess & The Frog was even a suggested theme by the petition creator!

An anticipated timeline hasn’t currently been announced.

As much as I did like Splash Mountain’s theming, I look forward to seeing what Disney comes up with!
EDIT: Here’s Disney’s official Twitter post:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1276187686672437249
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Nooo, I LOVED the theme of splash mountain, it was sooo amazing see all of the animatronics sing with each other, in my opinion, I am really mad about this and will always miss the true splash mountain
 
Not sure what to say. On one hand, I really liked the hummable tune and the characters of this ride. Splash Mountain tells a fun little story in a great way, with a musical score you're sure to be singing for the rest of the day or so. The characters are nice too, although I know them much better from the Disney comics than the movie (reading Disney comics is ... kind of a thing in Scandinavia, much like how speaking English is "kind of a thing" in the UK and US).

On the other hand, there's no denying it all ties back to a somewhat problematic movie. I haven't seen the movie myself, but from what I've heard it's not overly offensive in what it shows, but it kinda romanticizes "those good ol' days when we had good times on the plantations and the slaves had funny stories to tell". Not so much bad for what is shown, as it is bad for glorifying a setting and time period that was anything but glorious for those on the receiving end. And while Splash Mountain isn't overt in its references to its source material, the connection is well known. I can understand if Disney has been a little wary of keeping it around.

So, yeah, Splash Mountain was very fine in some ways, but it has some dark connotations that can't be addressed in a good way. Denying them doesn't work, the knowledge is out there. Acknowledging them only begs the question "then why are you still keeping it like that?" I think retiring it and re-thinking it is the best course of action. I have no doubt Disney could make an equally good ride experience even with a different theme.

Now for the big question: Do you think they will change its name? I don't think the name "Splash Mountain" ties into neither the movie nor its story in any way, so it should be fairly safe to keep it.
 
Jamesss said:
Pathetic.

People who complained about the original theme are the biggest ****ing losers.

Hope Japan remains sane and keeps theirs as is.
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Yeah, racism must be so hard for you.

I think this is fab news! Sorry, I don't care what anyone thinks, but there's a reason Song of the South isn't promoted or sold. I'm aware people have fond memories of the ride but times change and we are (hopefully) moving towards a more progressive society. All the white republican parents went ape when they announced the change in Pirates and now everyone is over it. The parks were built to change and evolve, Walt said it himself.

This is a fab chance to see some amazing new theming, animatronics and storytelling. And to top it off, the lead on this project is a woman of colour, as it should be!
 
Ethan said:
Yeah, racism must be so hard for you.

I think this is fab news! Sorry, I don't care what anyone thinks, but there's a reason Song of the South isn't promoted or sold. I'm aware people have fond memories of the ride but times change and we are (hopefully) moving towards a more progressive society. All the white republican parents went ape when they announced the change in Pirates and now everyone is over it. The parks were built to change and evolve, Walt said it himself.

This is a fab chance to see some amazing new theming, animatronics and storytelling. And to top it off, the lead on this project is a woman of colour, as it should be!
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I completely disagree with you. I NEVER saw this ride as racist and always loved being in the log and seeing all of the animatronics. You probably had never ridden it and it was by far one of the most magical rides at Disney, either this or Knott's log flume is my favorite and this is a terrible choice as now I will look at the ride and be sad how they changed it.
 
I have ridden all 3 and from the face value, no overtones of racism is apparent.

The back history and links to where it comes from is something Disney has wanted to forget or at least move on from 'those times' for a long time. Most importantly it turns out to upset those who it affects. I didn't know but do now, and once you know, you know.

Japan is unlikely to change theirs as they probably don't know. If they do so what, it changes a, on the face of it, nonsense theme for an IP which is usually done well.

Anyone upset that rides are adjusted to improve humanity are welcome to keep there mouths shut or inadvertently highlight the reason/need for change.

I ask politely suggest that anyone getting pissy stands down.
 
Pokemaniac said:
On the other hand, there's no denying it all ties back to a somewhat problematic movie. I haven't seen the movie myself, but from what I've heard it's not overly offensive in what it shows, but it kinda romanticizes "those good ol' days when we had good times on the plantations and the slaves had funny stories to tell". Not so much bad for what is shown, as it is bad for glorifying a setting and time period that was anything but glorious for those on the receiving end. And while Splash Mountain isn't overt in its references to its source material, the connection is well known. I can understand if Disney has been a little wary of keeping it around.

So, yeah, Splash Mountain was very fine in some ways, but it has some dark connotations that can't be addressed in a good way. Denying them doesn't work, the knowledge is out there. Acknowledging them only begs the question "then why are you still keeping it like that?" I think retiring it and re-thinking it is the best course of action. I have no doubt Disney could make an equally good ride experience even with a different theme.
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Exactly this.

The ride itself has no racial overtones whatsoever, and the vast majority of people who ride it won't have seen Song of the South, so won't make those connections.

But that's not the point.

Disney have acknowledged for years that the film is something they want to distance themselves from - they won't even show it with disclaimers about the time and context - so to have this ride still out there draws attention back to a film which many people may not even be aware of and Disney would rather forget.

It's irrelevant that I don't find the ride racist (because it isn't) when it's still based on a film which is seen as such by many (because it is), including the company that made it.

Even the main song is a problem. Taken on its own merits, it's a great song. It's catchy and memorable with positive, optimistic lyrics. It's a perfect Disney song until you realise that in the film it's sung by a black guy on a Southern plantation just happily living his best life. Nope!

Regardless of any of that, it's just another retheme of a ride. It's really nothing to get worked up about. It's just that in this case it's very good business sense for Disney to get rid of any reminder of that film as well as being able to offer a "new" attraction, especially since it will now be based on a film which way more guests will have seen.






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I imagine the Black Lives Matter movement has something to do with this. I am by no means racist and don't support any kind of discrimination whatsoever, but this movement is getting beyond a joke, as ALL lives matter, no matter your culture.

I wouldn't have minded if just one of the Splash Mountains (preferably the California version as it would suit the park better) was converted, rather than both. Or even if they converted the Chinese version, and keep the Magic Kingdom one as is, which is what I think they should do. Don't feel like going all the was to China tor ride the original once more.
 
CrashCoaster said:
I imagine the Black Lives Matter movement has something to do with this. I am by no means racist and don't support any kind of discrimination whatsoever, but this movement is getting beyond a joke, as ALL lives matter, no matter your culture.
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We really need a new Godwin's Law type thing for the phrase, "all lives matter". All of this reminds me of how much people kicked and screamed about the Robinson's Golliwogs being dropped. They always seemed massively gross to me as a kid and I was amazed that they stuck around so long.

I imagine, as others have already stated, that Disney are just taking this as an excuse to properly distance themselves from another grubby part of its history. There doesn't need to be an evil plot featuring a nebulous boogeyman, and even if there was, there's nothing wrong with a corporation listening to feedback and acting on it. You have lost nothing today.



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CrashCoaster said:
I wouldn't have minded if just one of the Splash Mountains (preferably the California version as it would suit the park better) was converted, rather than both. Or even if they converted the Chinese version, and keep the Magic Kingdom one as is, which is what I think they should do. Don't feel like going all the was to China tor ride the original once more.
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...the Tokyo one is in Japan. Near Tokyo. Shanghai Disney doesn't have one, neither does Hong Kong
 
Genuine question - how are they going to handle the Voodoo theme contained in the PATF film? hasn't theming surrounding that come under fire in the past due to Voodoo being a very serious religion for some? i remember voodoo mansion at Oakwood falling fowl of that controversy?

Also it would be great if they themed the WDW and the DL one differently!.. Pocahontas for WDW!!
 
CrashCoaster said:
I imagine the Black Lives Matter movement has something to do with this. I am by no means racist and don't support any kind of discrimination whatsoever, but this movement is getting beyond a joke, as ALL lives matter, no matter your culture.
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Cry about it.

All lives cannot and will not matter until black lives matter. Of course every person's life is important, but black people are being killed and targeted at an unfair rate to white people and saying all lives matter does nothing but invalidate this and try to shift the issue. If your neighbor's house was on fire and people were trying to put it out would you say that they should try to help your house too even if it isn't on fire because all houses matter?

The ride was in need of a refurb anyways so I'm glad they're finally trying to address the issue. I hope it's pulled off well and fingers crossed for some scenes with Dr. Facilier!
 
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