Disney to reimagine Splash Mountain, its ride based on Song of the South
Disney is dropping Splash Mountain — at least, the current version of it.
Disney announced on Thursday it will revamp Splash Mountain, its log flume ride based on the movie Song of the South. Released in 1946 and set on a plantation in the Reconstruction era, Song of the South has been criticized for, as the NAACP said, helping to "perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery," and Disney hasn't released it on home video or streaming.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The new concept is inclusive — one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year," Disney said. The ride's story will "join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure — featuring some of the powerful music from the film — as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance," according to the announcement. The ride is getting redesigned at both Disneyland and Disney World.
Disney faced increased pressure to tweak Splash Mountain amid the recent national protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, although Disney said it's been working on this redesign since last year. One recent petition that racked up thousands of signatures specifically called for turning Splash Mountain into a Princess and the Frog ride in light of the "extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes" present in Song of the South.
"There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this could help fill that need," the petition said.
-
Hilarious comedians to see on tour this winterThe Week Recommends Get some laughs from Nate Bargatze, Josh Johnson and more
-
A January deadline could bring the pain all over againToday’s Big Question A January deadline could bring the pain all over again
-
Political cartoons for December 23Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include an eye on CBS, cracking the middle class, and Donald Trump's name on everything
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
