A big announcement from Disney last week confirmed that the classic Splash Mountain attraction in Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World is to be reimagined with a Princess and the Frog theme.
The announcement comes after the ride was questioned during the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement as the theming of the ride comes from the controversial Disney film ‘Song of the South.’ It is possible this has been in Disney’s plan for longer as they often update themes to fit with more recent or popular releases.
I love Splash Mountain it’s one of my favourite rides, it’s so nostalgic as a theme park attraction and the song ‘Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah‘ is a classic Disney song I have always loved. While I love the ride it’s also really positive to see Disney moving forward by adapting the ride with the film featuring their only black princess, Tiana.
It also holds a special place for me as I have been lucky enough to go behind the scenes of Splash Mountain when I did the Keys to the Kingdom tour at Walt Disney World last year. It was so interesting to hear interesting facts about the attraction, it’s operations and some hidden gems.
I have actually seen ‘Song of the South’ as part of writing a 3,000 word essay towards my degree on whether it is considered extreme media. So I could write so much on this topic here as I already have but I’ll try and summarise the main points.
The film has not been released available for audiences for decades as it has always been criticised for its portrayal of black characters. As a passive viewer it could be seen as a classic old Disney film however this is part of the problem. The film was released after the abolition of slavery in the USA however still depicts a white family living on a plantation with black workers.
It portrays the workers as happy and free to leave, still enforcing the power of society being with the white family. Uncle Remus is a character who appears to enjoy his life and has a ‘friendship’ with the young son, Jonny in the family. However this is also controlled by the family as he is only allowed in the house when Jonny is ill and requests to see him. This is the first time you see a black character in the house who is not working.
Disney has acknowledged the criticism over the years and in terms of the ride, it is based only on the animation characters and story of the film. So while the ride itself doesn’t portray the same issues it is based on a story that in the film Uncle Remus has made up., suggesting he had time/energy to sing and relax. The animation is bright and upbeat reflecting the reality he creates in order to mentally escape from the life he lives.
There is no date for when the reimagine will happen but soon Splash Mountain will live in Disney history, which can show and teach the learning that has took place in an another step to defeat racial injustices that are placed in society today. It’s also great to see Princess Tiana getting recognition and a stand alone ride to her film, again contributing to being more inclusive.
Disney as a company has been making improvements and changes learning from this in more recent years. Examples including casting Auliʻi Cravalho in Moana as an accurate representation for a Hawaiian actress to play a Hawaiian character. Another example showing all aspects of issues in society being addressed is clothe changing of ‘the red head’ scene in The Pirates of the Caribbean ride from the woman being auctioned to being the ones in charge.
I think this is a great step and while I love Splash Mountain as an attraction and it’ll always be a favourite it’s origins and not the way the world should be. I also love Princess and The Frog, hence why on our last trip we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside Resort at WDW which has that theme. It’s really exciting to see the concept art and I’m sure the new ride will also be a favourite!
It’s also so important as Disney is one of the most influential companies worldwide so it has an impact. It is also a part of childhoods in every society making it so important in teaching and showing ways to ensure the world is equal for everyone regardless of skin colour.
This can only be a positive, leading to more changes in the right direction in society globally as a whole!
Very exciting times!
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