The petition, titled “Redesign Splash Mountain to Black Panther in honor of Chadwick Boseman,” is calling for Disney to now — instead of using the The Princess and the Frog theme — honor the late Chadwick Boseman by retheming it to Black Panther.
Credit: Marvel Studios
The official description of the petition reads:
This is to petition to change Splash Mountain to Black Panther. Disney has announced to change Splash Mountain to Princess and the Frog, but in recent news encourage them to redesign splash mountain to Black Panther theme in honor of Chadwick Boseman.
There is currently a Splash Mountain attraction located in both Disneyland park at Disneyland Resort and in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and Disney already confirmed both would be rethemed to The Princess and the Frog. However, this new petition got us thinking.
As many of you already know, Disney is bringing Avengers Campus to its theme park, Disney California Adventure, so bringing a Black Panther theme to Splash Mountain in Disneyland wouldn’t be that far fetched. And ever since we learned of Boseman’s passing, fans are now wondering if the E-ticket attraction will be more themed toward Black Panther than originally planned.
On the flip side, over on the other side of the United States, Disney park fans are skeptical if Marvel will ever make its way into Walt Disney World in Florida due to the current contract with Universal. We know the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster is coming to EPCOT, but could Black Panther also have a presence at the FL Disney Parks?
Today we are thrilled to share a first glimpse of a project Imagineers have been working on since last year. Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined. The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog.” We pick up this story after the final kiss, and 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.
Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new “land” added to Disneyland park, so it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of “The Princess and the Frog” to our parks.
The voice of Princess Tiana and Tony Award-winning actress, Anika Noni Rose, shared, “It is really exciting to know that Princess Tiana’s presence in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized! As passionate as I am about what we created, I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us ‘The Princess and the Frog’ Mardi Gras celebration we’ve been waiting for, and I’m here for it!”
Credit: Disney
The approach to retheming or “plussing” attractions (as Walt Disney referred to it) begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about. And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. 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.
Charita Carter, the senior creative producer leading the project at Walt Disney Imagineering shared, “Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures. I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”
For Imagineers, change is rooted in a tradition set by Walt Disney who encouraged new innovations, new ideas, new scenes and current storytelling. And the experiences they create can be enjoyed by guests who visit our parks from all over the world.
As part of the creative development process, conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.
Stay tuned for more!
Do you want to see Disney retheme Splash Mountain to Black Panther? Or should Disney stay with the plans for The Princess and the Frog? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you want to visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland on your next family vacation, but aren’t sure where to begin planning, then don’t hesitate to reach out to our friends over at the Authorized Disney Vacation Planners at Academy Travel for a free quote.
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