Do kids get what Splash Mountain is about?

[ChicagoMom]

I'd forgotten that Splash Mountain was themed with Uncle Remus until I saw a Youtube video of the ride. I'm old enough to have seen Song of the South before Disney put it into the vault (anyone here remember the SNL skit about the kids discovering the secret Disney movie in the vault and realizing it was horribly racist?) so I'm familiar with the stories. My DD has listened to Uncle Remus on Audible so she knows them. But I've been told that most kids do not read those books anymore (understandable actually) and of course none of them have seen the movie.

It made me wonder what the average young person/kid thinks of that ride.

 

[momto3boysillbe]

We have all watched the movie as a family so my kids have seen it and know where the characters came from.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Average kid? A fun water ride.

 

[BJSforVols]

We watched the movie as a family as well. My youngest loves it and watches it over and over.

 

[wareagle57]

Did you watch American Dad last night or something?

 

[Ametista]

My daughter has no clue. I actually had to google "Brer Rabbit" because I couldn't remember what he was from. I don't think I have even seen the movie.

 

[x5x5x5x5x5]

I'd forgotten that Splash Mountain was themed with Uncle Remus until I saw a Youtube video of the ride. I'm old enough to have seen Song of the South before Disney put it into the vault (anyone here remember the SNL skit about the kids discovering the secret Disney movie in the vault and realizing it was horribly racist?) so I'm familiar with the stories. My DD has listened to Uncle Remus on Audible so she knows them. But I've been told that most kids do not read those books anymore (understandable actually) and of course none of them have seen the movie.

It made me wonder what the average young person/kid thinks of that ride.

My DD has never seen the movie and she is not really familiar with the story. Her education about the story comes from Splash Mountain. Basically agree with another poster - it's a fun water ride to her, that's about all.

 

[kamik86]

I'm 28 years old and I have no idea what the story is about other then a Bear and a Fox that are trying to catch a rabbit...

Its a fun ride though!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I don't I've ever seen the movie either. I know some of the Brer Rabbit stories from elementary school though. My kids have ridden it enough times that they understand that Brer Bear and Brer Fox keep trying to catch Brer Rabbit and that Brer rabbit tricks them into setting him free. Even if you haven't seen the movie, I think it's the best (and most complete) ride at MK, if not all of WDW.

 

[JanaDee]

Nope, no idea. To them, it is their favorite Disney ride. That is all they need to know.

 

[bwang123]

I'd forgotten that Splash Mountain was themed with Uncle Remus until I saw a Youtube video of the ride. I'm old enough to have seen Song of the South before Disney put it into the vault (anyone here remember the SNL skit about the kids discovering the secret Disney movie in the vault and realizing it was horribly racist?) so I'm familiar with the stories. My DD has listened to Uncle Remus on Audible so she knows them. But I've been told that most kids do not read those books anymore (understandable actually) and of course none of them have seen the movie.

It made me wonder what the average young person/kid thinks of that ride.

There is a 2006 cartoon called "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit" on Netflix. I haven't watched it but my kids have so I can't say how it compares to the original movie or the 1977 "BRER RABBIT & THE TAR BABY" book (and record) which I had when i was younger.

 

[olwyngdh]

Ok, DD12 is a bit weird. We went to a presentation in Williamsburg, VA about the differences in African, European, and Native American storytelling traditions when she was in kindergarden. The following fall, after her Dad got back from Iraq, we took our first trip to Disney. When she got off of Splash Mountain we were instructed by her on what a wonderful example of African storytelling tradition the ride was, and how she knew that it was from that tradition. She then asked for a book with the B'rer Rabit story. After much searching my Mother in law managed to find her one for a Christmas gift. It is still her goto book if she can't fall asleep.

 

[RustManFan]

We own the movie and have watched it multiple times so everyone understands what it is about.

Most people that discuss it seem to forget that it is centered on a period in history when things were different..... and NOT of our making. Of course there certainly are many Americans that aren't the least bit interested in history anyway. My favorite subject!

 

[L&Lfan]

It took me awhile to realize Disney has substituted honey to get Brer Rabbit all sticky instead of tar.

Our bootleg Song of the South DVD is one of our favorites. I personally am a big fan of the score and the animation and I'm a big Hattie McDaniel fan. Always good to see her in a film and Sooner or Later is a classic!

 

[Hokie2000]

There is a 2006 cartoon called "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit" on Netflix. I haven't watched it but my kids have so I can't say how it compares to the original movie or the 1977 "BRER RABBIT & THE TAR BABY" book (and record) which I had when i was younger.

I had the book and record, too! Not sure if it's the same one you're talking about, but every day I would come home from school and listen to my Fisher-Price record player and read the storybooks. Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby and The Rescuers were my favorites.

 

[RustManFan]

Unfortunately some of the amazing performances by people in that movie will never be seen by most.

 

[Lady Marie]

I'm 25 and remember when my older cousin took me and some other kids to Disney the first time when I was like 9, I was the only one in the group to know what it was about.

But then again, I was from the South and my mom used to read me the stories. They were my favorite growing up. That was the only souvenir I bought that trip too-- a tiny stuffed Brer Rabbit.

Now, as an adult, I understand the controversy, but the stories are wonderfully funny!

DH has never seen the movie (I watched it on Youtube many years ago, but it has since been removed). Those of you who have it, would love a PM on info on getting a copy? I see some websites to get it, but they look a bit dodgy to me.....

I was also sadly disappointed to see they stopped selling stuffed Brer Rabbits in the gift shop after the ride. My inner child always wanted a bigger one that the tiny one I bought on my first trip, and now they only sell Thumper in there I am sure they were not big sellers.... and shame on me for waiting!

ETA: I realize I was asking about a bootleg item that may not be up for public discussion... Haha! I really just am honestly curious about how to get it and have NO idea where that may be!

 

[Josh Hendy]

I don't think that the Uncle Remus stories are racist at all.

One of the problems however is that "tar baby" is a racist term to some, but that use of the phrase has nothing to do with the story of the Tar Baby which is based on an old African tale. The point of the tar in the story is not blackness, but its stickiness.

The movie as a whole is not racist either, with one big exception. Whenever white adults in the film are addressing Uncle Remus, they are positioned physically higher than him so that they are literally talking down to him. For example the whites are standing on their porch and Uncle Remus is standing at the bottom of the steps. This crosses the line IMHO because the director is not simply portraying racist people as a fact of life in the South of that time, but he's actually manipulating the scene to impose a visual code of relationships on the characters.

That was my impression of the movie based on seeing it once ... if I'm mis-remembering then please correct me.

 

[olwyngdh]

I'm 25 and remember when my older cousin took me and some other kids to Disney the first time when I was like 9, I was the only one in the group to know what it was about.

But then again, I was from the South and my mom used to read me the stories. They were my favorite growing up. That was the only souvenir I bought that trip too-- a tiny stuffed Brer Rabbit.

Now, as an adult, I understand the controversy, but the stories are wonderfully funny!

DH has never seen the movie (I watched it on Youtube many years ago, but it has since been removed). Those of you who have it, can I ask where you got it? I see some websites to get it, but they look a bit dodgy to me.....

I was also sadly disappointed to see they stopped selling stuffed Brer Rabbits in the gift shop after the ride. My inner child always wanted a bigger one that the tiny one I bought on my first trip, and now they only sell Thumper in there I am sure they were not big sellers.... and shame on me for waiting!

We got our copy from a guy that sells videos at The Big E in MA. He travels to state fairs all over the country and has all sorts of things you never thought you would find. I had a really hard time passing up the entire High Chaperal series, but did break down and get the Danny Kay collection.

 

[DreamIsaWish]

We watched the movie right before our most recent trip to Disney. My son didn't see what the big deal of the movie was because he saw it in the historical perspective. And he enjoyed the ride more this time because he now understood the "You can't run away from trouble, ain't no place that far" theme. And since it had been ages since I had seen the film, I enjoyed the ride more as well. I really wish they'd re-release this. Maybe in a "collector edition" with commentary at the beginning to set the historic stage would help. But it really is a nice film that doesn't deserve to be locked away forever.