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Credit: Disney Parks BlogWe noticed that Disney disabled comments on one of its newest videos talking about Splash Mountain’s upcoming retheme.
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Few things are more talked about in the Disney community than the upcoming retheming of Splash Mountain. Announced back in the Summer of 2020, this retheme would turn the quite “problematic” Song of the South (1946) theme into a story based on Disney’s The Princess and the Frog from 2009. This decision is quite controversial, however, with many fans not approving of the retheme.
This is reinforced with a new video posted to the official Disney Parks YouTube channel, which shared some information regarding the upcoming retheme for Splash Mountain, sharing the inspiration for the project. However, this video either ruffled some feathers or was going to, as the comments are disabled.
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When looking through the catalog of other videos on the Disney parks channel, almost one of the other video’s comment sections are disabled, indicating Disney knows how a certain section of Disney fans feels about the retheme.
The description of the video reads as follows, “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in late 2024 at Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland park in California. News was announced during an intimate reception at the historic Preservation Hall in New Orleans in honor of ESSENCE Fest. Guests learned more about how Walt Disney Imagineering drew inspiration from the New Orleans region to enrich the attraction with authentic, local flavor — and all before the final course was served: a scintillating performance by the voice of Mama Odie herself, the legendary Jenifer Lewis!”
This would not be so interesting if the retheme wasn’t so controversial to begin with. Ever since Disney announced that Splash Mountain would be undergoing this change, a big portion of the Disney Parks community has been vocal about how they felt about the project.
Many fans and Guests alike have not been too happy about the retheme, citing that Splash Mountain is an iconic and legendary attraction within the Disney Parks, and removing it is the wrong choice.
Splash Mountain is a very iconic and beloved attraction and has become one of the most recognizable rides in the world, so losing it is understandably a little sad. However, we couldn’t be more excited for the new ride which was recently revealed to be called “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” which will be opening in 2024.
Splash Mountain can be found at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland. More on the upcoming retheme below:
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!”
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.
Are you excited about the upcoming retheme?