Permanent Closure Confirmed, Final Splash Mountain Potentially in Danger

One Disney park has just confirmed the closure of one of the final traces of Splash Mountain – potentially putting the last versions of the controversial ride in danger.

While Splash Mountain was a popular theme park ride for decades, it always had a controversial undertone due to its inspiration. Takings its cues from Song of the South (1946) – long criticized for its portrayal of racial stereotypes and romanticized depiction of the post-Civil War South – many had argued that the ride had no place in Disney’s parks for years before the company finally announced its closure in 2020.

In 2023, Disney closed its U.S. versions of the log flume ride at both Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park. While some Disney fans heavily protested the ride’s closure, even creating online petitions that garnered thousands of signatures and staging failed protests, work soon started on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a new ride inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009).

This adaptation seeks to replace the problematic backstory with narratives more in tune with the company’s values. However, its debut hasn’t exactly run smoothly. Walt Disney World Resort’s version has suffered recurrent breakdowns since opening in June, while the version in Anaheim – which started its first previews this week to Annual Passholders and cast members – seems to be experiencing similar issues.

The Final Splash Mountain

At present, there’s just one version of Splash Mountain left in the world. Tokyo Disney Resort is home to the attraction’s third and final iteration. A near carbon copy of Walt Disney World’s version of the attraction (except it has just four drops instead of five), this has no official closure date.

Owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company (OLC), Disney doesn’t dictate Tokyo Disney Resort’s closures, additions, or updates quite like the other parks under its name.

That’s why its version of Pirates of the Caribbean still retains its “we wants the redhead” scene (which has long been erased at Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom Park, and Disneyland Paris) and why there have been questions as to whether it will ever remove and replace Splash Mountain.

But recently, it’s seemed more likely that this may, in fact, happen one day.

Not only have there been rumors that Walt Disney Imagineering is in conversation with the OLC about the retheme (with the main debate reportedly being over who will foot the bill), but now the park has confirmed the permanent closure of its Splash Mountain gift shop, which doesn’t exactly suggest a positive outlook for the controversial attraction.

As per the Tokyo Disney Resort website, the Hoot & Holler Hideout will close at Tokyo Disneyland for good on November 30, 2024.

There’s no explanation as to why the gift shop will close, so a potential closure for Splash Mountain itself is just theoretical for now. However, it follows a general trend of scrubbing all traces of Splash Mountain from Disney’s theme parks, with everything from merchandise to characters slowly removed over the past few years. If the gift shop is on its way out, it’s no stretch to assume that the ride is next.

Do you think Tokyo Disneyland should close Splash Mountain?