Splash Mountain in Disney World and Disneyland to be rethemed to The Princess and the Frog
Disney has just shared that they are going to be retheming Splash Mountain in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland…
Read on for more!
Today we are thrilled to share a first glimpse of a project Imagineers have been working on since last year. Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined. The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog.” We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.
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.
Charita Carter, the senior creative producer leading the project at Walt Disney Imagineering shared, “Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures. I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”
For Imagineers, change is rooted in a tradition set by Walt Disney who encouraged new innovations, new ideas, new scenes and current storytelling. And the experiences they create can be enjoyed by guests who visit our parks from all over the world.
As part of the creative development process, conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.
Stay tuned for more!
Recently petitions were submitted to change the theme of Splash Mountain and also to keep it the way it is.
D23 sat down with Bob Weis, president of Walt Disney Imagineering, to discuss evolving the attraction, why The Princess and the Frog was a perfect fit, and what this means for other Imagineering projects on the horizon. You can read it here.
What do you think about the update to Splash Mountain? Let us know in the comment box below.
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Heartbroken. ?. It doesn’t need to be changed.
so what your saying is they are taking one (admittedly) racialy sterotypical ride and replacing it for what? another racially stereotypical movie about a poor black girl raised in the bayou who warked hard all her life and has a rich white overprivledged friend, and in the end her problems are solved by marring a man and inheriting his money? hmmmm seems a silly thing to me, but hey changing a moment in the past is going to fix the damage caused in the present right? hey we might as well burn some books written by racist people. hey you like shakespeare right? pretty sure he was a shovanist but hey lets stop teaching thearter now, cause oh no hamlet and romeo and juliet arent riddled with views from the past.
No. Song of the south is not racist. The ones complaining have never seen it! I am disabled and cant do coasters. If you are going to redo ut make a way to see and ses the music and characters but not go down any hills. Have a track to go on if you are disabled pregnant or a little kid where u see it all but no hills!
Dumb and unnecessary, why change something that people enjoy and that’s been there for 30+ years. Make a new ride.
I think it will be a wonderful ride. Good luck Disney. You will make us proud. Now if only we could get another fun water river ride with Pocahontas!
This is so upsetting!!! Nothing was wrong with the ride or theme. I really wish they wouldn’t change it!!!!!!!
Hmmm. Not opposed to Princess and the Frog themed ride however….placing it in Frontierland works against the principle of Disney’s park theming. The utilidors under MK were created with a specific purpose in mind. They easily allow employees and characters to travel from each land without disrupting Disney’s original vision. Very sad ?
There’s a heck of a lot of commenters who I bet are staunch capitalists in other arguments, butthurt that they’re not the target market anymore. I wonder if they were this upset when Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was closed? Or 20,000 Leagues? Face it, people, parks need to stay current! Just bc your voices aren’t the ones that matter anymore is no reason to act like the entitled brats you’ve been for so long. Take your own advice to minorities and get over it.
I think this is a wonderful idea! growing up, I never understood what the ride was based on, and I always felt a little left out, like I wasn’t “in on the joke” because the story behind it was before my time. I know a lot of adults don’t care about how much fun children have at Disneyland, but I’m excited for my little siblings, and for all the little kids who will be inspired and feel seen, and for all of the new memories to be made!
This is so disappointing beyond words. You cannot erase history. I grew up riding this amazing ride and now they’re changing it to cater the “trends” now. So disgusted honestly. As an annual pass holder I have to say how sad it is, first getting rid of the red-head on pirates of the Caribbean, now THIS. There is nothing wrong with the ride now, and I gotta say me & my family might not be renewing our passes. Shame for Disney.
Oh my god; the delicate individuals in these comments need to be taken care of. That ride is based on a FAMOUSLY racist movie, even one that Disney is ashamed to admit is their own creation. Equal rights doesn’t mean the end of yours as a white American. Get a grip, you idiots.
Disney why did u have to cave in you could of make new space for that ride and not redo the splash mountain theme ?♀️
I don’t understand why people have to make a change to a ride that has been there for a long time now. It is sad to say that Disney will not be the same without this ride. I can’t believe this is all over some guy because People can’t get over their self and just enjoy splash mountain as a ride with a bear and a fox. The theme where splash mountain is, is based on the wide west and if people don’t like it then they shouldn’t go to Disney. I have smaller children who enjoy the theme as it is and they don’t think it’s about a movie that was film in the 1900s. They see it as a cartoon with a bear, fox, and a rabbit having an agreement like in the cartons that are on tv. I will not being riding this ride if it is rethemed. It does not fit that part of Disney because you have that section with the country bears and all the wide west places. It is not right because someone has a problem and thinks to much about a theme of a ride. If that is the case then Disney should change Cinderella because she was a slave in her own house or Rapunzel for being kidnapped like come on people it is ridiculous. There are more Disney characters that have came from a bad background but look at what the outcome has become. Therefore, people need to grow up and let Disney be a kid place without judgement people thinking way into a theme of a ride
R.I.P. AMERICAN HISTORY NOW IT SEEMS LIKE IF YOUR WHITE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY HISTORY DOESNT MATTER THAT JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE IRISH HAD 10000000000 MORE OPPRESSION THAN THE AFRICANS. DONT FORGET THE JEWS WERE THE FIRST SLAVES…. IN EGYPT THEN THE IRISH WERE SECOND HERE IN AMERICA. BUT NO IT ONLY MATTERS IF YOUR DARK OF SKIN WHO IS RACIEST NOW!!!
Ha Ha Ha Ha, Ho Ho Ho!
Boy are we in luck!
We’re visiting our Laughing Place
Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk!
Oh Ho Ho,
Everybody’s got a Laughing Place
A Laughing Place to go-ho-ho.
Take your frown, turn it upside-down
And you’ll find yours we know-ho-ho!
Honey and rainbows on our way.
We laugh because our work is play.
Boy are we in luck!
We’re visiting our Laughing Place
Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk!
Ho Ho Ho,
Everybody’s got a Laughing Place
A Laughing Place to go-ho-ho.
Take a smile there, for a while and
You’ll find yours we know-ho-ho!
Honey and rainbows on your way.
Take that frown, turn it upside-down
And soon you’ll find you’re here to stay.
Everybody’s got a Laughing Place
A Laughing Place to go-ho-ho.
Come on in, give us all a grin,
And you’ll find yours I know-ho-ho!
Laughing is how we spend our day.
Plenty o’ fun is what we make.
Boy are we in luck.
We’re visiting our Laughing Place.
Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk Yuk!
Oh ho ho,
Everybody’s got a Laughing Place
A Laughing Place to go-ho-ho.
We’ve found one and it’s filled with fun
And you’ll find yours we know-ho-ho.
Everybody’s got a laughing place (high ho!).
A laughing place to go-ho-ho! (high ho!).
Take that frown, turn it upside down
And you’ll find yours we say-hey-hey.
And soon you’ll find you’re here to stay!
this is horrible! this ride was a piece of history… But apparently we as white Americans are no longer allowed to have any history. This is ridiculous.
Has Disney not raped the world for enough money to build a new ride instead of ridding us from one of the best rides they have?
Males me sick! I don’t know if I have any desire to revisit Disneyland after this. I am so sick of the caving into the minority voice and yelling and whining while removing iconic culture and favored art. This is just too much. Shame on you Disney. If you want ed toimagine the ride you could have been creative and done something that actually fit the theme like of a mountain like transform into a pyramid and do Emperor’s New Groove. This is just pandering and makes me want to throw up.
This is an awful decision. The ride is NOT racist, and one could even argue that the movies itself isn’t racist. Uncle Rhemus isn’t even in the ride!!! The only characters in the ride are also involved in separate TV shows, also without uncle Rhemus. Disgusting decision, they should be ashamed of themselves. Build the princess and the frog it’s own ride.
That is so disappointing! As a child I remember watching the movie and enjoyed the characters. It is sad that this has now been totally wiped out. I hope this is open when we go as my son will be so upset if he can’t go on what he has been watching for months on YouTube before COVID19 hit.
So sad our entire history of the USA is being erased! This was an innocent theme!
Brer Rabbit wasn’t racist! We all know this is why they are doing it. It’s a lovely innocent ride. The laughing place will be gone forever, so sad 🙁
I’m so sad!! This was a classic favorite from the laughing place to Brer Rabbit and the hanging possums, just so many memories that won’t be the same when going over the waterfall into the briers! ?
I love this and can’t wait to witness it!! Praying for it’s completion to be by February! ??? Whoever voiced this idea is a genius. What a perfectly appropriate change! ??✨