Splash Mountain Re-Theme

Overview

The Splash Mountain Re-Theme refers to an update to the Disney theme park ride "Splash Mountain," which replaces references to the controversial 1946 Disney film Song of the South with characters and designs from the 2009 Disney film The Princess and the Frog. Critics have denounced Song of the South's depiction of Black Americans, slavery and the Reconstruction since its release. The ride features songs and characters from the film, which many took offense to. The change comes amid the 2020 George Floyd against police brutality and racism. However, some argued that the ride should not be changed.

Background

On June 9th, 2020, Change.org ^[1] launched a petition to "Re-theme Splash mountain to Princess and the Frog." Within one month, the petition reached its goal of 20,000 signatures. They write:

Disney parks should be a home for all to enjoy regardless of race, age, whatever your background may be. The classic log flume ride Splash Mountain is featured in Disneyland, Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. While the ride is considered a beloved classic it's history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes from the 1946 film Song of the South.

On June 25th, the verified Disney Parks tweeted, ^[2] "We're thrilled to share Splash Mountain at @Disneyland & @WaltDisneyWorld will be completely reimagined with a new story inspired by an all-time favorite @DisneyAnimation film, "The Princess and the Frog." The tweet received more than 78,000 likes and 38,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below).

Developments

Online Reaction

Some reacted negatively to the news. For example, Twitter^[3] user @TruceRaysball responded to the announcement, "No!!! What the hell?! The theme does not fit in Frontierland. Why are you giving in to a loud small group?" The post received more than 1,100 likes and 100 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, left).

Others mocked this opinion. Twitter^[4] user @GrossmanMax wrote, "To all the Disney-obsessed adults getting angry about Splash Mountain changing it's name, might I suggest not being an adult obsessed with Disney World." The tweet received more than 35,000 likes and 4,400 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, right).

Some applauded the change. Twitter^[5] user @francisdominiic tweeted, "A BLACK WOMAN IS LEADING THE REIMAGINING OF SPLASH MOUNTAIN TO PRINCESS AND THE FROG! IT EVEN GOT MORE EXCELLENT! COME THROUGH CHARITA CARTER! THANK YOU FOR RIGHTFULLY LEADING THIS PROJECT!" The tweet received more than 14,000 likes and 5,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below).

Search Interest

External References