Disney's theme park rides have always been popular with both kids and kids-at-heart all around the world. Not only are they fun and at times even thrilling to ride, the themes each ride has undoubtedly contributes to the entertainment of guests.
However, not all rides have a very positive theme or history. One infamous example is Splash Mountain.
The Creation of Splash Mountain
Splash Mountain was born out of the need to have more thrilling rides in the park, according to an article by CinemaBlend. Back in the 80s, Disney was dealing with the problem of making its theme parks more appealing to older teenagers as they did not find Disneyland pretty cool at that time.
The idea of a log flume ride was pitched to then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner in 1984. Per CinemaBlend, Eisner even brought his teen son to the meeting because he was so concerned about appealing to that age range. It was only when his son said that the log flume attaction looked cool did Eisner approve it.
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Splash Mountain and 'Song of the South'
While thrill seekers looking for a wet and wild ride will surely be satisfied by Splash Mountain, its theme has actually been considered very controversial for a long time.
The idea of log flume ride did not seem too exciting back then so the people at Disney wanted to take it up to next level by giving it a theme. It was eventually decided to base the ride on a 1946 film released by Disney called "Song of the South." The film itself is based on the collection of "Uncle Remus" stories adapted by Joel "Chandler Harris."
So what makes this controversial? According to an article by Rolling Stone, the movie "depicts what critics say is an overly idealized view of the Reconstruction-era South, featuring anthropomorphized characters that have stereotypically black characteristics and a romanticized relationship between a freed black slave and a young white boy."
The film became so controversial that it was criticized by various groups. Disney has never released "Song of the South" on home video and it is not available on Disney+ as well. Per Rolling Stone, Disney CEO Bob Iger even said that the movie is "not appropriate in today's world."
Given its theme, CinemaBlend actually says in its article that the ride was originally supposed to be called Zip-a-Dee River Run. "Song of the South" has a song called "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," which was performed by the film's lead, James Baskett.
Then-Disney CEO Eisner vetoed the name and opted for Splash Mountain instead.
CinemaBlend's article also notes that most of the animals you see during the ride are not even present in the movie. This is because these animatronics were taken from an old attraction called America Sings. These animatronics were designed by the same person who designed the animals in "Song of the South," Marc Davis.
The 'Princess and the Frog' Makeover
Unsurprisingly, the ride has been subject to petitions calling for its re-theming. In fact, Rolling Stone reports that there has even been a Change.org petition called "Retheme Splash Mountain to Princess and the Frog," which has more than 20,000 signatures.
It seems that Disney has heard the clamor for Splash Mountain to be re-themed as it was announced in 2020 that the ride's themed will be changed from "Song of the South" to "Princess and the Frog," according to a report by USA Today. The change in theme will affect the Splash Mountain attractions in California and Florida.
Learn more about Disney's plans by watching the YouTube video below:
