Should Splash Mountain have been rethemed?

[Earthwürm]

I'd go as far as to say that the source material wasn't deliberately racist in that it wasn't born out of a place of hatred or fear, and it's intentions weren't to alienate or belittle anyone. It is, however, extremely dated and carries all of the hurtful ignorance that comes with that.
Splash Mountain on face value was a charming, fun ride, but it was as guilty as the movie it is based on for deliberately omitting any negative aspects of the history it is built upon and that is wrong. We can't even pretend it is "of it's time", the first incarnation only opened in '89!
I loved the ride, and rode it many times with blissful ignorance, but it never should have been given that theme in the first place and it is time for it to go.
As for Princess and the Frog, however, great movie and it deserves an attraction, but I feel they could do so much better than shoehorning it in here.

 

[Rick]

We can't even pretend it is "of it's time", the first incarnation only opened in '89!

The world and its attitudes / sensitivities have changed a lot in those 34 years !

 

[Earthwürm]

The world and its attitudes / sensitivities have changed a lot in those 34 years !

Maybe so, but I don't think it was any more acceptable to be racist in 1989 than it is now, ignorance was more widespread, yes.
It's easier now to reach other people, share information and use that to hold people/companies to account.

Regardless, the issues with Song of the South have been known and highlighted since before it was released.
Disney knew it hurt people, but that didn't matter while there was still money to be made from it.

 

[jon81uk]

Maybe so, but I don't think it was any more acceptable to be racist in 1989 than it is now, ignorance was more widespread, yes.
It's easier now to reach other people, share information and use that to hold people/companies to account.

Regardless, the issues with Song of the South have been known and highlighted since before it was released.
Disney knew it hurt people, but that didn't matter while there was still money to be made from it.

I think whats changed is that even in 1989 they knew Song of the South was problematic but Splash Mountain was seen to be separate, it used the characters of Br'er Rabbit etc but didn't link to the film in a sense. Whereas now the link is seen as more direct.
Also its hard to say "there was money to be made" when discussing theme park attractions where they don't directly generate revenue, particularly one that was conceived because it could easily recycle animatronics from an old attraction.

 

[Shaggy_Dog_]

It’s just a ride and rides in parks get rethemed all the time. The wider culture, society, and attitudes in which Disneyland finds itself a part of in 2023 are very different to that of 1989 and the park is well within its rights to make changes to reflect this. Just as some sports teams have made changes to their names and logos in recent years, Disney wish to make a break with a theme that has a connection to a movie and indeed an era that is problematic. It’s their park and their right to make changes to fit in with the identity they now want to portray of themselves as a more inclusive park.

Splash Mountain had a good run of just over thirty years. I think it’s just a bit of a pity that it’s getting rethemed to an existing movie (The Princess And The Frog) rather than getting a new original non movie related theme.

 

[jon81uk]

Splash Mountain had a good run of just over thirty years. I think it’s just a bit of a pity that it’s getting rethemed to an existing movie (The Princess And The Frog) rather than getting a new original non movie related theme.

Disney (outside of the Japan parks) have no plan to come up with original concepts anymore.

 

[Zeock]

Disney (outside of the Japan parks) have no plan to come up with original concepts anymore.

Roaring Rapids at Shanghai Disneyland is non-IP though, and is fairly recent, opening in 2016.
Hong Kong Disneyland opened Big Grizzly Mountain and Mystic Manor in 2012 and 2013 respectively, which is recent in Disney history.
When was the last non-IP attraction at either of the Japan parks? Soaring Fantastic Flight, which opened in 2019? However, what other non-IP attractions have either Japan park had recently? If anything, they are removing original concepts as much as the others, replacing Storm Rider with Sea Rider, which has a Finding Nemo theme.

 

[WickerwomanH]

I think the retheme is less so due to the "woke brigade" wanting it to be changed as many people seem to be interpreting it, and more so due to 1) the original theme generally being old and not resonating with younger guests and 2) Disney wanting no association to the original source material, which was racist.
The Princess and the Frog will be a much better theme in my opinion, and as others have said, Disney park fans are some of the worst enthusiasts in terms of dealing with change

 

[Zeock]

I think the retheme is less so due to the "woke brigade" wanting it to be changed as many people seem to be interpreting it, and more so due to 1) the original theme generally being old and not resonating with younger guests and 2) Disney wanting no association to the original source material, which was racist.

I agree. There is definitely no 'wokeness' involved in the retheme.

 

[jon81uk]

I hate the term "woke" but I think the timing of the retheme is definitely related to the events following George Floyd's death and the Black Lives Matter movement. The retheme is definitly due to the increased interest in Black Lives Matter as a cause in recent years. Same as Mars changing the brand to Ben's Original rice and Quaker Oats retiring the Aunt Jemima brand.

 

[ThemeParkAddict]

Not for me to say if it should have been rethemed or not, but I personally wish they'd either rethemed to an original concept or gone with Moana.

Partly because I didn't care that much for Princess and the Frog, partly because I think a Tamatoa animatronic singing Shiny in the first dark ride section would've been awesome.

 

[Llama]

I hate the term "woke" but I think the timing of the retheme is definitely related to the events following George Floyd's death and the Black Lives Matter movement. The retheme is definitly due to the increased interest in Black Lives Matter as a cause in recent years. Same as Mars changing the brand to Ben's Original rice and Quaker Oats retiring the Aunt Jemima brand.

This is 100% correct. The retheme was announced in June 2020, with the George Floyd protests happening in May 2020. Many, many corporations were making "Black Lives Matter"-related changes around this time: your example of Aunt Jemima is a good one, the name change announcement there was within a week of the announcement of Splash Mountain's retheme. Whether or not a corporation can be "woke" is more of a philosophical question, but it's certain that Disney at least announced this retheme as a response to the social climate in 2020 and the ongoing protests.

Now, to answer the main question: should it have been rethemed? I'm not sure. Though Song of the South is certainly a bit racist in its depictions (and "banned" by Disney in the USA because of it), I think it would be hard to argue that Splash Mountain really perpetuates any of that same racism. If you aren't familiar with Song of the South, which I would assume is the majority of parkgoers, it's just a story about a rabbit running away from a fox and a bear.

Disney as a company is about as unwilling to push the boundaries as is possible. The general idea of "Disneyfication" is to make something sterile, to remove any sharp edges and make it palatable to as wide an audience as possible. So in that sense, the retheme was inevitable.

 

[venny]

Putting aside the origins of the film which the ride is associated with, Splash Mountain is an absolutely fantastic attraction. It has everything from great music, to detailed landscaping, thrills, surprises, a great queue, engaging characters and a brilliant flow. For me it’s one of the most complete and well-delivered themed attractions in the world. Just from this perspective, its loss is a real shame.