Credit: DisneyWalt Disney World Resort added a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure page to its website on Tuesday, one year after Splash Mountain closed at the Central Florida Disney park. As some Disney Parks fans excitedly dived into new details about the Princess and the Frog (2009) retheme, others remembered their experiences on Magic Kingdom Park’s Splash Mountain.
The Song of the South (1946)-themed ride received intense public criticism in the years before its closure. Its characters from the widely-banned film represented the racist depiction of post-Civil War life for Black Americans and spoke in stereotypical dialect considered offensive.
According to author Ken Emerson, the ride’s iconic song, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” is likely based on a Civil War song called “Zip Coon,” named after a racist slur directed at African-Americans in the Jim Crow era. Lack of maintenance on the log flume ride led many fans to believe Walt Disney Imagineers planned to retheme it, a rumor that was confirmed in June 2020.
One year after Magic Kingdom Park’s “last splash,” fan sentiment about the attraction remains unchanged.
“I am so excited for the change and investment to make the ride better, and for the newer generations to have a chance to become [nostalgic] over a ride that is not set in problematic roots,” Reddit user u/BethyW wrote.
“After my kids were born, I did not take them on the ride even once,” u/romancenovelhero said. “Disney did the right thing by pulling this down. The fact that so many people don’t have a problem with this ride and story shows the subconscious racism that still exists. It’s in your DNA. You just lack empathy.”
“Good riddance,” u/Guy_Buttersnaps echoed. “My last time riding Splash Mountain is definitely my worst Disney memory. We got stuck on it multiple times, and the whole ordeal lasted a long time.”
Still, a few fans mourned the controversial attraction.
“I’m so sad I’ll never share this ride experience with my daughter,” u/jeddzus wrote. “It’s seriously my favorite ever, I have such vivid memories of riding it with the whole family, and I’ll miss it forever!”
“This ride will always be my favorite,” u/Reddragon0585 agreed. “I loved the theming and it always made me feel happy when riding it. I hope the new version has some call backs to the original.”
The Now-Defunct Splash Mountain
Splash Mountain lasted slightly longer at Disneyland Resort, closing on May 31, 2023. Walt Disney Imagineers are hard at work transforming the Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park rides into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The rethemed attraction opens later this year.
The original log flume ride featured Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear on a journey through the Briar Patch. Tokyo Disneyland is the only Disney Park in the world that still features a Splash Mountain.
“Hop inside a hollow log and float through a colorful bayou as you follow happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit to his ‘laughing place.’ But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare,” Disney once wrote of the ride. “Glide past over 100 talking, singing, storytelling Audio-Animatronics critters who inhabit Splash Mountain and offer up their own slice of down-home culture. Sing along to classic Disney ditties, including ‘Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.’ Then, brace yourself for the big finale—this musical cruise ends in a thrilling 5-story splashdown!”
Do you miss Splash Mountain, or have you been ready for change? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.