Splash Mountain to become Princess and the Frog ride

[csmith1004]

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.

I would have loved the change to POTC if only they had kept the “we wants the redhead” line. It would have been so easy too. When the auctioneer is trying to sell things he asks the crowd who they want to buy from. The answer, of course, “we wants the redhead”!

 

[MrsBooch]

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...

....it's inspired by a minstrel song.

 

[Tonyz]

Tiana deserves a ride and a restaurant in the MK. I wish she had gotten a brand new one, but I think this will be spectacular once it's complete. I said in the other thread (I think) that they need to kill Diamond Horseshoe and make it a French Quarter themed restaurant. And get rid of the dumb shooting game thing, too.

I hate the movie but I totally agree - give Tiana a restaurant somewhere. Show little black girls that they are represented in Walt Disney World.

There were so many other ways they could have done this to be inclusive while also respecting Disney history and the Disney fanbase.

 

[rteetz]

Gotta disagree here, my man.

Splash is an undisputed classic. Considered maybe the most beloved attraction on property.

Maelstrom (which I loved) was a fairly forgotten walk-on every time. People only start professing their undying love for it after the change was announced.

It was an example. People clamor for Horizons to this day but we have survived without it.

 

[mickey0624]

People totally agonized over Maelstrom and the Frozen takeover of Norway. Some of you have short memories lol.

Maelstrom and Splash are not in the same ballpark...

 

[PPFlight75]

This is a good move, if your ashamed to sell or show the movie then you probably shouldn't have a ride based on it. Sambuster

Yeah. I figured this would happen eventually. This isn't the first time the discussion of the movie and retheming of Splash has been debated.

 

[kleph]

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

When persons who are the subject of something that is racist inform me of the problem, I find it behooves me to listen to them rather than simply assuming my point of view is the correct one.

 

[Ariel484]

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

I didn't say that they were "pro-racist" in my original post

They are taking a ride that is based on a problematic movie, where the animals are portraying caricatures of POC, and re-theming it to their first black princess. They are actively showing that they are against racism.

 

[Jiminy76]

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.

The ride is based upon the folklore that appeared in the movie which happened to be around for quite some time before the movie. Not sure that makes the ride entirely themed after the movie Song of the South. Disney has a long history of taking existing folklore or existing stories that are in the public domain and spinning them into their own stories and movies.

"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" Not sure I understand your reasoning here. Would it have not been as problematic is they were unhappy in the movie?

 

[MegaraWink]

Yeah, Splash is a classic. For many of us, it's unironically our favorite ride! This isn't comparable to other reskins.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I’m absolutely fine with this change as it fits the theme perfectly and doesn’t feel forced. Something that hurts some, even if it’s nostalgic to others, needs to be changed. Take a final ride if you can and after that theres always YouTube.

 

[Tonyz]

I felt upset when I first saw the news but I understand. This is for the better and has the potential to be awesome. This project better not be half-assed.

I'd be shocked if it's NOT a rush-job.

Either that or they're gonna put it off until after the 50th, which I pray is the case.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Well, come on, rteetz, there's a bit of a difference in Maelstrom and Splash Mountain. One is a bona-fide classic, the other a footnote. At least Frozen makes sense where they put it.

I think that is debatable - World Showcase is all about celebrating real places and inviting people to discuss more about countries they don't know much about ... Frozen takes place in a fictional land and doesn't bring anything remotely educational to an area that is supposed to be about providing some education

While the time period is a bit off (PatF takes place in the 1920s, BTMRR, which is to be the far point both goraphically and timeline wise is the 1880's) I don't think geographically it fits any different than Splash did. The area goes from East to West from Liberty Sq to BTMRR so a ride that takes place in New Orleans being in the middle (with then BTMMR as the western most part) fits if anything better than something set where Splash was (which is supposed to be some place in Georgia)

 

[rteetz]

I don't know about this... I agree it was loved but I was always able to get a same-day fastpass and the lines were never as long as the other E-tickets. I never really saw lines over an hour even when the park was busy, even on hot days.

I sure did. I myself have waited in plenty of line over an hour for Splash.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'd be shocked if it's NOT a rush-job.

Either that or they're gonna put it off until after the 50th, which I pray is the case.

Well, they said it is going to open as is when the park reopens on the 11th. If it was going to be a rush job, why bother getting it all ready to go again just to close it in a few months or something?

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Maelstrom and Splash are not in the same ballpark...

My point is, Disney fans tend to not like change. We are a nostalgic bunch.

Does this particular one have more to it in terms of reason to change and also the resistance from some? Of course. There are absolutely people against this for the wrong reasons.

 

[Tonyz]

It was an example. People clamor for Horizons to this day but we have survived without it.

True BUT Future World has been a mess for a while because of changes like that.

You ever go on Horizons?

 

[BrianL]

I know that but at the same time you will never make everyone happy. I absolutely love Splash Mountain but I’m also not going on a tirade because it’s changing. I’ve been going to WDW since I’ve been 8 months old.

Well, I hope you don't think I am going on a tirade - I an just looking at with a very critical eye. They absolutely CAN make this work, but I have less faith that they actually will, and that to me creates a host of other problems. I absolutely WILL ride it after the change. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised as I was with FEA. We'll see.

 

[rteetz]

True BUT Future World has been a mess for a while because of changes like that.

You ever go on Horizons?

Gone before my time.

 

[JayhawkCruiser]

For the love of Donald’s missing pants - this will not be a rush job.