By Jenna Brodkin
Staff Writer
Disney World in Orlando Florida made the decision to officially shut down the popular attraction “Splash Mountain” in December 2022 due to racist comments being shared online. Splash Mountain will change the theme to the popular Disney movie Princess and the Frog and will be opening in late 2024. The original theme, based on Disney’s “Song of the South” movie released in 1946, gives the incorrect impression of slave life because it glorifies the idea of a master-slave relationship and dangerously misinterprets the life of a slave according to frommers.com. Disney’s decision to re-theme the ride is practical because the theme is outdated and discriminating, embracing change in culture is key and it is important to make sure everyone feels inspired and welcomed at Disney World according to recent Disney Blogs.
Disney World first announced their closing of Splash Mountain on June 25th, 2020 but was never officially acted on until on January 23rd, 2023, when the ride was officially shut down for re-theme. According to travelandleisure.com, the new ride will feature and be inspired by the movie and culture of New Orleans as seen in “Princess and the Frog,” which includes famous events that are featured in the city. It will take riders on a “musical adventure” as the main characters Tiana the princess and Louis the alligator prepare for a Marti-Gras performance. Mardi-Gras is a famous event that occurs every year in New Orleans on February 21st. According to history.com, it is a huge part of culture in New Orleans which is why it is being included in the revamped ride.
The attraction that was at Disney World for 33 years was based on the movie “Song of the South” which is about a young boy who moves to his grandmother’s plantation. According to cbsnews.com, the ride’s theme illustrated a picture perfect portrayal of what plantation life really was, which offended some Disney World attendees. Also per cbsnews.com, CEO of Disney Bob Iger believes that “Song of the South” is no longer appropriate in the current park because of its out-of-date theme. In agreement with the comment, according to screencrush.com, after “Song of the South’s” 40th anniversary, Disney has not made the movie available, and to this date, has never been released on any home video format because of the racist imagery. This proves that the movie is outdated and a new theme would be refreshing to the Disney World fans.
According to forbes.com and Disney Parks Blog, the new idea of the ride is to focus on being inclusive to all races, backgrounds and cultures. Also per forbes.com, Disney’s main focus is to ensure that park attendees feel included. The company wants to create rides and themes that every single person can connect to in some way. Most importantly, they want everyone to feel inspired by the new theme featuring an African American princess. Disney believes that the new theme speaks to all the millions of people that visit their park every year according to forbes.com. The closing announcement of Splash Mountain was first made around the time of the killing of George Floyd which also sparked more controversy on the ride because more people wanted to see change in the way African Americans and their culture were being viewed. As more publicity rose about the Black Lives Matter movement, more details were released about how the Disney attraction is viewed as racist.
According to some Disney World attendees, changing the theme of the ride is not necessary because it has been a famous ride at Disney World since 1989. Although this is true, the theme is well outdated and changing it to a more famously known concept will make it even more popular. Also, the actual ride itself is not changing, so the thrill and excitement park attendees feel will not alter.
Splash Mountain’s re-theme should be viewed positively and not receive backlash because the old theme is connected to a racist time, Disney needs to embrace new culture and change, and Disney World wants to make sure everyone feels included and inspired when they visit their park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjE1XBxWgP0
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