Splash Mountain to become Princess and the Frog ride

[SierraT]

And this will be a ride with fake frogs, fake alligators, and a princess. It will be just as fun.

Of course it will still be fun, but the nostalgia (for some of the older generation and those who have been going for years) is dissipating. While it will not be the end of Disney, it will certainly not be the Disney some of us grew up with.

As said, not everything in life needs an agenda attached to it.

 

[sara_s]

But don't a lot of kids also love Br'er Rabbit solely because of the ride. It's been mentioned on this thread. Any way you slice it, someone's favorite is getting the short end of the stick.

I don't know any kids who would truly know the story of Br'er Rabbit today. Anyone my age and older, sure.

Look, the reality is the attraction is based on a film with real problematic material that has since been taken out of circulation. It doesn't surprise me that the attraction would someday change.

I also wouldn't be surprised if they try to pay some homage to Br'er Rabbit in the upgrade. We'll just have to wait and see. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

 

[BrianL]

Did you post this when they changed Pirates?

For the record, I support the change in POTC only because I like Pirate Redd as a character. I think she should headline the new POTC movies. I am not sure I like the use of "We want's the rum!" I had no problem with the premise, even if I think the reason they changed it was a bit silly.

 

[Ariel484]

Why does everything in life have to be a statement?

In this case, IMO, the statement is that this is a step that Disney is taking to actively become an anti-racist company. This is a good statement.

EDIT: And I am not saying that anyone who loves this ride is a racist

 

[MrsBooch]

For everyone saying it wasn't a racist movie....

It's a film about Uncle Remus, set in post slavery reconstruction Georgia in the 1800's where all of the people of color in the film are SUPER happy about everything - which is problematic - given the fact that it's taking place on a plantation in, as I said - Georgia. When you depict this caricature in film, without proper framing, it's racist.
The ride is themed after the movie.

So if the ride isn't overtly racist and no one knows or connects it why change it! It's my favorite!! WAHHH PC CULTURE STRIKES AGAIN CANCEL CULTURE BUZZ WORDS EVERYTHING IS RUINEDDD WHATS NEXT, THE CAROUSEL?

No - that's not how this works.

Just because you love it doesn't mean you're racist - I love the ride SO MUCH. No one in my family will ride it so I literally rope drop alone and ride back to back until the wait time goes up because I'm not allowed to burn a fast pass on it according to them. But it isn't great representation. Just because kids don't understand the connection to the movie, and to Uncle Remus, doesn't mean it's ok and can just go on forever.
And just because something is changing doesn't mean EVERYTHING is changing. So relax.

But - it definitely is a racist movie and Zip A Dee Doo Dah smacks of minstrel imagery which is really not great any time but especially now.

 

[mickey0624]

Hate to break this to ya, buddy, but the Aunt Jemima character meal ain't coming back either.

https://duchessofdisneyland.com/park-history/aunt-jemima-pancake-house/

so you're comparing that now to splash mountain???? my lord

 

[SierraT]

Stretching room final scene has the ghost host committing suicide.

It’s disturbing isn’t it? My son wouldn’t ride it for years because of that.

 

[SaintsManiac]

But don't a lot of kids also love Br'er Rabbit solely because of the ride. It's been mentioned on this thread. Any way you slice it, someone's favorite is getting the short end of the stick.

Yes this is my kid. I just broke the news.

We regularly play the "where would you go in WDW right now if you could teleport" and I usually say the loading platform on Splash. It's a family favorite. My heart is a little broken, but I am also a sunshine pumping Pollyanna when it comes to Disney parks. I am ready to embrace change, especially in this way.

 

[sara_s]

Did you post this when they changed Pirates?

Thank you! The incredible outrage over this particular attraction has not gone unnoticed.

 

[Lisa R]

Zip A Dee Doo Dah has a really not great history...

It won the Academy Award for best original song in 1947, had 4 different top 20 renditions of it on the Billboard charts and was part of the opening music for the Wonderful World of Disney tv show for years...

 

[rteetz]

Of course it will still be fun, but the nostalgia (for some of the older generation and those who have been going for years) is dissipating. While it will not be the end of Disney, it will certainly not be the Disney some of us grew up with.

As said, not everything in life needs an agenda attached to it.

So let’s say there was no petition and no nationwide movement right now and disney announced this. Would it still be an agenda? This change really isn’t that much different from Maelstrom becoming Frozen. Epcot purists didn’t like that one.

 

[BrianL]

I don't know any kids who would truly know the story of Br'er Rabbit today. Anyone my age and older, sure.

Look, the reality is the attraction is based on a film with real problematic material that has since been taken out of circulation. It doesn't surprise me that the attraction would someday change.

I also wouldn't be surprised if they try to pay some homage to Br'er Rabbit in the upgrade. We'll just have to wait and see. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

But they don't know the story of The Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise, or countless other rides - they learn them from the rides themselves. That's how the park originals can become favorites too. It doesn't have to come from a movie.

I do get the problems with the subject matter, though I feel it is not present in the ride. That said, if they need to change it, fine, but I have issues with how it will fit in MK especially and fear it will be cheap. Then agian, FEA turned out great, but that's like a 3 minute ride whereas Splash is like 17 minutes. They have a LOT of work to do.

 

[Mit88]

In this case, IMO, the statement is that this is a step that Disney is taking to actively become an anti-racist company. This is a good statement.

I’m not sure they were ever “pro-racist”, and there were I’m sure some people, and probably still are in the company that are that type of evil. But the company as a whole? I dont think it was ever in their ideology that they were running a “pro-racist” company

 

[Farro]

Thank you! The incredible outrage over this particular attraction has not gone unnoticed.

Oh. Then you missed it.

The outrage over Pirates change was spectacular!!! I permanently ignored people from that one! People were videoing themselves booing (among other things) during the new scene...

 

[PhDisney]

Ooh, fun thought: A line in "Almost There" is "I climbed a mountain, I crossed a river, I'm almost there!" That would be such a good line to use to tie into the mountain aspect!

 

[DGsAtBLT]

To be fair people were saying very similar things regarding the POTC change (everything is offensive, etc).

As for me, I bristle at nearly all Disney changes . I don’t like change. Obviously 2020 has been my year lol.

 

[mickey0624]

Did you post this when they changed Pirates?

They changed ONE scene in Pirates...they didn't redo the entire ride...and yes as a matter of fact i thought that was ridiculous too....so go ahead and call me some kind of derogatory name because I disagree with you...par for the course

 

[Mit88]

Ill always have the memories

 

[sara_s]

But they don't know the story of The Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise, or countless other rides - they learn them from the rides themselves. That's how the park originals can become favorites too. It doesn't have to come from a movie.

I do get the problems with the subject matter, though I feel it is not present in the ride. That said, if they need to change it, fine, but I have issues with how it will fit in MK especially and fear it will be cheap. Then agian, FEA turned out great, but that's like a 3 minute ride whereas Splash is like 17 minutes. They have a LOT of work to do.

The one thing in the ride I noticed last time was the voice/characterization of Br'er Fox - seemed a bit dodgy. Maybe it was just me.

But yeah - a 17 minute attraction is gonna take work. I have faith they'll do a thorough job.

 

[20yBWDW]

That's the thing - if you are against the change you are overreacting because it's not that important of a thing, but if you are for the change it is a seminal, watershed moment in history. This isn't a balanced way of looking at it. I am not saying everyone is acting that way, but the sentiment is present and it's weird.

I definitely have that sentiment and I own it. The point is that this ride is a favorite theme park ride to many and a symbol of our racist past to many. If your argument against changing it is Disney history, or a favorite ride, that is such an insignificant thing. But a symbol of racism is not. To use an analogy, if someone was drawing a Nazi symbol all over because they like the design, then it would be just a design to them, but a painful and threatening reminder to others. The two sides are not in equipoise. One is clearly more important.