Although Disney recently announced the date for the closure of Magic Kingdom’s Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World on January 23, 2023, fans of the iconic attraction continue to show their displeasure with the decision.

Related: Splash Mountain Destroyed Before Its Permanent Closure
Perhaps one of the most controversial topics discussed among the loyal Disney Parks fan base community is the subject of the upcoming retheming of Splash Mountain. Initially first announced in the Summer of 2020, this will drop the original and somewhat “problematic” Song of the South (1946) theme and replace it with a brand new story based on Disney Animation’s The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Despite the announcement of the impending closure of Splash Mountain, over 94,000 people have now signed a petition to get The Walt Disney Company to stop the change.
According to supporters of the movement on Twitter, the petition signature count has recently picked up steam. One supporter went on to tweet:
KEEP SIGNING! RE-TWEET! #SaveSplashMountain petition has been on 🔥 🔥 🔥 since 2 days ago. The signatures are doubling!! Wake up @Disney & @RobertIger . Leave Splash alone. @WDWGuestService
@Disneyland @WaltDisneyCo @WaltDisneyWorld @DisneyParks
KEEP SIGNING! RE-TWEET!#SaveSplashMountain petition has been on 🔥 🔥 🔥 since 2 days ago. The signatures are doubling!! Wake up @Disney & @RobertIger. Leave Splash alone.@WDWGuestService @Disneyland @WaltDisneyCo @WaltDisneyWorld @DisneyParks https://t.co/4lVvbivlIW
— Michael Tardi (@MTARDI32) December 6, 2022
A petition calling to save the iconic ride has seen rising success after Walt Disney World announced that it would be reimagined from Splash Mountain into a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction. According to the pages description:
“Splash Mountain is an iconic ride at Magic Kingdom, loved by millions of fans all over the world for over 30 years. Re-theming such an iconic ride would erode the nostalgia that lives in Disney World and take away a little bit of the magic.”

Supporters of the movement claim that The Walt Disney Company has become too “woke” and their “woke-ism” is destroying Disney. Another supporter of the movement recently tweeted:
Dear #Disney @Disney you’re insistence on re’theming #Savesplashmountain is most disappointing. Even if a retheme were proper, you didn’t even get the right character, pocahontas would have actually fit the land. @RobertIger woke is evil.
Dear #Disney @Disney you're insistence on re'theming #Savesplashmountain is most disappointing. Even if a retheme were proper, you didn't even get the right character, pocahontas would have actually fit the land.@RobertIger woke is evil
— Brian Mallard (@BrianMallard11) December 2, 2022
With just over 21,000 signatures, Re-theme Splash Mountain had first deemed a victory upon Disney’s announcement, though Disney states that plans for this exact change were underway long before fans requested it.
Fans of the change cite a need for more diversity and representation in the parks.
“Disney parks should be a home for all to enjoy regardless of race, age, whatever your background may be, organizer Alex O. said. “Tiana could be one of the first princesses with a thrill ride, as well as giving her a much deserved place in the parks.”
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is expected to open in late 2024, which implies that the reimagining will take up to two years.
What do you think of Splash Mountain’s permanent closure? Are you happy to see a change, or would you like it to stay? Let us know in the comments!