Splash Mountain: An Opportunity to Get Excited

Since last year I’ve had a fixation on Disney Parks. I love all things behind the scenes, travel content, history or current tea. Because of that I’ve surrounded my online self with a lot of opinionated content creators and fans. In turn, I too have become opinionated on things I didn’t even know about a year ago.

One of the current, divisive issues happening in the online realm of grown-ups who talk about Disney is about Splash Mountain; one of the most nostalgic attractions on Disney property. Disney announced last year that the ride, based on controversial film “Song of the South,” would be receiving an overhaul. The new theme? The Princess and the Frog.

People are in several camps about this and are unhappy for several reasons. Some folks think this is the result of cancel culture, others feel like, no matter the reason, the company is taking away something precious and nostalgic. Personally, I have some thoughts about why this is a great example of improvement, that we should celebrate.

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” — Walt Disney

Every time a major change is announced for any Disney park, I’ve noticed people come out of the woodwork to say, “What would Walt say about this?” or “Walt is turning in his grave.” I get that nostalgia is keeping a lot of attractions in the park (and I have my own faves) but, this is a flawed comment. The last attractions Walt had his hands in were Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. When it comes to Disney World, that means he had little to no involvement in any park besides Magic Kingdom. We have no way of knowing what he’d think of this change. He never knew Splash Mountain existed. The business he left behind has been shaped by his ideals though, and among the magic of childhood and nostalgia, there is also the value of futurism, progress, and improvement. Its the job of Walt Disney Imagineering to grow the magic.

Critiquing changes based on the “WWWDD” (What would Walt Disney do?) argument is also flawed because Walt was flawed. He had the biases and prejudices of his time. He had both more controversial opinions than fans would think and arguably less than haters put on him, which is the subject of another post. (because I got thoughts don’t you worry.) But, Song of the South was based on a collection of stories written by a white man who romanticized the experiences of enslaved Africans in the United States. This video explains that the author of the Uncle Remus stories, Joel Chandler Harris created the character as a mash up of people he met and stereotypes because he felt like he suffered similarly due to his red hair. Yup. To Harris, his red hair was equivalent to centuries of enslavement, abuse and dying to be free. On top of that, the stories were altered versions of cultural stories, that he then published and made money on, instead of the true storytellers.

These stories are something Walt read as a kid, and that lead to the production of “Song of the South” because he felt nostalgia for them. Yes, for real! Nostalgia is a huge factor in all of this, apparently. Walt did not have the perspective we have now. He didn’t recognize these stories were plagarized and full of stereotypes because it was just how things were and these stories were one of a few “connection” points white people had to black culture at the time they were written. Walt even was friends with and advocated for James Baskett, calling him one of the best actors ever discovered. (all this is definitely not to say that Disney wasn’t prejudiced at all, or perfect, or not responsible for objectible things) His intent wasn’t to be hurtful, but the impact remains. As people with a fuller perspective, we can’t just pretend these issues don’t exist.

The techniques employed in the creation of the movie were revolutionary, which helped cover the immediate controversy that ensued. That’s right, there was immediate controversy. It was unclear if the human characters in the movie were slaves or free, and that ambiguity made their joyfulness and willingness to help seem like the film was glorifying slavery. Plus, the lingering stereotypes and vernacular remained. But the animal characters were cute, and the mixture of animation and live acting had never been executed so well, and it was one of the first films to star a black actor (James Baskett as Uncle Remus, who couldn’t even attend the premiere due to racial segregation) that prominently. So for the time, it was given props for what it seemed to do well.

However, by 1989 when Splash Mountain opened, (see hilariously strange commercial about it here) there had been protests of the film. The marketing had been changed to emphasize the short, fully animated portions instead of the live action storyline, and it was already well on its way to being pushed into obscurity. Eventually, it was banned from screening. Even the ride itself tries to wash away the live portions of the movie and focus on the animal characters.

So this change is not some new attempt to “cancel” a fan favorite movie/attraction. It has always had a spotty past. The ride is beloved by many because of nostalgia. Because the people who grew up riding it remember enjoying it, or because the songs were familiar enough to them that it was a draw to the parks. And that’s not inherently bad. Nostalgia is powerful and important. It sees the best in things. And I do believe sometimes, its okay to separate the work from its author and love things that aren’t perfect. I regularly rewatch Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer even though I wouldn’t go near Joss Whedon with a 39 1/2 foot pole. Loving something, even out of a pure place doesn’t mean that its not also something that could be improved. Sometimes, its best to recall the good with good feelings, but recognize things need to change.

Also, we seem to forget this ride is not sacred. There’s no particular lore or history that puts it among the untouchable. (What is untouchable though really?) Its not an opening day attraction, Walt didn’t touch it, its not even themed after one of the most popular movies. You can actually tell by just its name. “Splash Mountain” sounds like it was named because you get splashed when you ride it. Right? Sure, but that’s not the story behind the name. Michael Eisner, a Disney CEO, hero, and villain wanted the ride to be themed around the movie “Splash.” Have you even heard of it? If you’re my age, probably not. It was a mermaid rom-com starring Tom Hanks. Imagine that in Frontierland! But it was new and popular at the time, and Eisner thought it’d be a draw. It was only after Imagineering shut down that idea that the current theme emerged. The name stuck though.

As much as I agree with all of the reasoning above, in truth, I think the choice to go with Princess and the Frog as the theme was more of a commercial decision than anything else. Magic Kingdom is full of the most beloved Disney films and this isn’t the first time they’ve replaced something outdated for something more popular. Toad’s Wild Ride, an oddly frightening Wind in the Willows themed ride, was replaced with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Why? Well one, the old ride literally took you on a trip to HELL, but mostly because Winnie the Pooh is more relevant. Disney World even replaced Snow White’s Scary Adventures with a Princess Meet and Greet. If Snow White can be replaced to make room for something kids will like more, I think the same applies to Splash Mountain. Yes, the ride is outdated and controversial, but more importantly; Princess is the Frog is more recent and relevant.

Moreover, the movie is better than Song of the South, and deserves the recognition. Its semi-hand drawn classic Disney animation style, the beautiful story of hard work and magic, and timeless, jazz inspired soundtrack is some of Disney animation’s best work. Kids love Tiana, Naveen, Louie, Charlotte, Ray and starry Evangeline. Its new enough that young ones are still being introduced to it, but has been around long enough that some of us grew up with it. For some, Tiana and Naveen are the characters they see themselves in most, and that is something really special and an important part of the magic of Disney. And, after 12 years since it was released, it had earned to be placed among its peers in the parks. A perfect fit for Critter Country/New Orleans Square in Disneyland, more so than Splash Mountain. Truly, a huge draw to the parks waiting to happen. (Not to mention the obvious restaurant tie-in waiting to happen)

If Disney fans want to see under represented films and properties appear in the parks, we have to be willing to accept that changes will happen because of that. I think the most important thing for me in all of this is, why choose to be skeptical and protective over an amusement park ride with all this baggage, when it’s going to be replaced with a brand new experience? Why not choose to be curious and excited? I’ve heard the phrase, “No one hates Star Wars as much as Star Wars fans.” In reference to overly zealous, protective purists who refuse to see any good in new additions to the universe. I wish better for Disney fans.

Just because something is different, doesn’t mean its worse. I want to take this as a chance to celebrate the fun we’ve had, and the fun that will come from Splash Mountain. To think critically about why this change is being made. Shouldn’t we be thrilled our favorite place, run by our favorite creative people, is getting an update featuring a beautiful movie? Where’s the fun and magic in getting angry about it?

I definitely understand that its hard to see things go. And I’m glad that the original Splash will be available for last rides through the Disney World 50th anniversary celebration. Bu if we held onto everything, the parks wouldn’t be the amazing places they are today. What are your favorite updates to the parks? Or some that you’re looking forward to? I’m really excited about Space 220 and the Play area of Epcot on the way! How about an old classic you swear by? For me “its a small world”, is fun, relaxing and a must do even if you’re listening to the same song over and over.

Other Sources: Song of the South and its History: Disney Dave, The History of Splash Mountain: Theme Park History, Details Revealed About Upcoming Attraction Inspired By ‘The Princess and the Frog’ | Disney Parks

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