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Credit: DisneyWith just weeks left before it opens, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom has hit a few milestones in the past few weeks. Fans at Disney World could see the ride vehicles running through rehearsals, and for the first time, music could be heard coming from the ride.
So, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s ride animatronics ready to go, Disney World will be the first to welcome the new attractions. However, some Disney fans still cling to Splash Mountain and will refuse to ride the new attraction.
Related: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah: Splash Mountain Back at Disney World
While the diehards still cling to some hope that Splash Mountain can be revived, the Walt Disney Company has systematically removed any reference to Splash Mountain throughout its parks. Despite some music from the old ride playing on Disney World buses, there is very little left of the former ride.
But for those desperate for one last ride on Splash Mountain, there is one Disney Park where you can still ride the famed attraction, Tokyo Disneyland. But for how much longer?
Splash Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland
When Tokyo Disneyland was built, it was a partnership between the Walt Disney Company and the Oriental Land Company (OLC). Through this partnership, Tokyo Disney wanted as much from the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland as possible, which would later include Splash Mountain.
So, when Disney decided to tear down Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World and Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland kept its Splash Mountain.
Fans were outraged and perplexed over Disney’s decision to tear down the ride at its two American theme parks but leave at the Tokyo Disney Park.
However, Disney was not the sole decision maker regarding the removal of the attraction. The Oriental Land Company wanted to keep the famed ride.
Splash Mountain is a massive hit at the Tokyo Disney theme park, and beyond just the ride, it is a gigantic moneymaker with souvenirs from Splash Mountain.
To complicate matters even further, The Princess and the Frog (2009) was a massive failure in Japan, so retheming the ride would not make sense for that particular audience.
However, according to reports, the Walt Disney Company is now pressuring the OLC to remove Splash Mountain from the Tokyo Disney Park. To try to get the OLC to agree, Disney has restricted the music from the attraction being played anywhere else throughout the park. Disney has told the OLC that it will limit the sale of characters from Splash Mountain in the near future.
According to the deal between Disney and the OLC, Disney would have to pay for updates to Splash Mountain. Disney is most likely waiting until Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens at the Magic Kingdom and judge fan reaction before deciding on how to retheme the last remaining Splash Mountain.
Disney is trying to erase the embarrassment of having only one Splash Mountain left at its theme parks and getting fans to forget about Song of the South (1946).
So, if you are a fan of Splash Mountain, you better make the trip to Tokyo Disneyland before the famed attraction is gone forever.
What do you think about Disney trying to eliminate the last Splash Mountain?