Splash Mountain Will Be Rethemed to Princess & Frog
Disney has officially announced that Splash Mountain will be re-themed to Princess and the Frog at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. (Tokyo Disneyland will retain its Brer characters from Song of the South, at least for now.) In this post, we’ll cover the news, share concept art, and offer some commentary.
Per Disney Parks Blog, the attraction’s theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, The Princess and the Frog. The new-look ride will 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.
While the timing may seem suspect, Disney indicates that this isn’t an impulsive reaction to recent headlines and petitions that have gained traction. Walt Disney Imagineering states that it has actively been working on a Splash Mountain retheme for some time, with a specific focus on The Princess and the Frog for the past year.
Here’s a look at the concept art:
Here’s more on the Splash Mountain overhaul from the Disney Parks Blog, including quotes from Imagineers and the voices of characters from The Princess and the Frog…
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!”
Per Disney Parks Blog, the approach to retheming or “plussing” attractions 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.
Senior Creative Producer Charita Carter at Walt Disney Imagineering will helm the project, having previously been one of the leads on development of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Carter 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.”
Disney Legend and former Imagineer Tony Baxter, who designed the original Splash Mountain, will also be brought out of retirement to serve as a creative designer on the new Princess and the Frog attraction. “Following conversations with Imagineering’s leaders about the new attraction’s scope and resources, I had a great sense of reassurance — the attraction will be one to be proud of, bringing to life places, characters and music from the animated classic The Princess and the Frog…I look forward to being a part of a new adventure in Disney magic and fun!” said Baxter about the overhaul.
Imagineer Scott Trowbridge, lead on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, also tweeted out that he’s “been stealth working on this for quite a while and happy to finally share!” The involvement of this trio of Imagineers definitely reassures us about the overhaul.
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. (At present, the current incarnation of Splash Mountain is scheduled to reopen when Walt Disney World and Disneyland reopen.)
Our Commentary
As far as commentary goes, this is an understandably delicate topic. We mostly take Disney at its word here that the plans to retheme Splash Mountain were set in motion over a year ago, but we’d imagine those were nonetheless accelerated in light of recent events. (Especially given that Disney is pumping the brakes on other projects while moving forward with this.)
Nevertheless, given what Disney has done with Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride, and other attractions based on non-Disney or “outdated” intellectual property, it’s not a huge leap that Disney would want to retheme Splash Mountain to a modern film for the sake of synergy. It probably was an inevitability that Splash Mountain would change at some point, so perhaps the timing here is totally coincidental.
Nevertheless, this change is undoubtedly going to be controversial and spawn a ton of debate, most of it wholly unproductive. It’s also a topic that, frankly, I’m not sure I’m the best person to address.
In our Pirates of the Caribbean Redhead Auction Scene Debate post from a few years ago, I did opt to put “my entire head into the hornet’s nest” wading into what I felt was an interesting topic that pertains to the intersection of art, history, evolving cultural norms, and more.
It’s a different topic, but the same story here. Much of what was written there can be applied to today’s Splash Mountain news. While theme parks are art, they cannot be re-contextualized the same way other entertainment can. There are some practical realities that must be considered and concessions that must be made given their functional purpose.
There’s more fluidity to theme parks than other art; things must be updated because the primary purpose is simply entertainment and not education or enlightenment. (Refer to that prior post for more commentary along those lines.)
Where Splash Mountain deviates from Pirates of the Caribbean is in what’s directly being depicted in each. The argument in the case of Pirates of the Caribbean was that it glamorized human trafficking and sex slavery, while showcasing the subjugation of women.
Splash Mountain is different in the sense that when it was built, the attraction was consciously removed from its controversial source material (even back in the late-1980s when the ride was in development, Disney realized Song of the South was problematic). What’s depicted in Splash Mountain is subtle, subliminal, and indirect.
That’s where my comfort level in addressing this particular topic ends.
As someone who has never experienced the ill effects of systemic racism and oppression, I feel like it’s not really my place to offer a value judgment on how Splash Mountain does or does not impact other guests. I don’t know what it’s like to experience the world as a person of color.
Moreover, while I value my own nostalgia and iconic aspects of classic and iconic Disney attractions, the right course of action is to err on the side of not reinforcing racism, and instead fostering a more inclusive Disney experience.
From my perspective, this is simply a matter of conceding my personal blind spots and being willing to admit “I don’t really know” how Splash Mountain might negatively effect other guests.
Sadly, that side of the debate is going to overshadow the reality (or at least my subjective but strong opinion) that The Princess and the Frog is one of the Walt Disney Animation Studio’s most underrated films, and it has been criminally underrepresented at Walt Disney World and Disneyland for years. (See our Tiana’s Place Restaurant Review for a look at how excellent a Princess and the Frog experience can be.)
Not only is Princess and the Frog a great film with memorable characters, catchy music, and a compelling story–it’s visually gorgeous. I can’t think of a more beautiful animated film that Disney has made in the last two decades.
This is an odd comparison, but it reminds me somewhat of Avatar in terms of the film’s visuals (except Princess and the Frog is actually good). Pandora ended up being a stunning theme park setting, and we’d except the same to hold true here–except the Princess and the Frog attraction will also have the excellent aforementioned music, characters, etc. and not just pretty visuals.
When I’m envisioning this new Princess and the Frog attraction in my head, it’s a longer version of Na’vi River Journey with a drop at the end, better music, and more varied settings. The same subdued vibe and impressionistic scenery, but hopefully with more dimensional set design, Audio Animatronics, and just more well-rounded overall.
Our main concern at this point is Disney allocating the proper time and budget to let Imagineering deliver a thoughtful, deliberate, and quality re-theming of the attraction. Our fear is that the attraction will be a ham-fisted overlay that doesn’t do its source material justice.
However, we’re willing to wait and see, withholding judgment for now. The concept art looks promising, and if the end result is a lavish and inventive Princess and the Frog attraction, that’s something we can most definitely get behind. Here’s hoping that Imagineering delivers and totally reinvents the iconic attraction!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of Splash Mountain being rethemed to Princess and the Frog? Excited for Tiana and friends to finally have their own attraction at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, or will you be sad to see the Brer Critters vacate the Briar Patch? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Personally fine with the re-theme and largely agree with your commentary about it (both in the ways it’s different from the Pirates retheme but also the reasons it makes sense here). I actually think the attraction doesn’t look great anymore (audioanimatronics are dated) and I bet the retheme will be gorgeous. For those that don’t have any nostalgia for it (that’s me) I think a retheme will be an improvement. I get there are those who aren’t going to feel that way but I think that’s mostly die-hards…
My one wish: I hope they retain zip a dee doo dah. *That* is an iconic song, one of *the* most iconic soundtracks to the park IMO, hasn’t got anything offensive in it (as far as I know?). It would be great if it stayed in the attraction (if this takes place *after* Princess and Frog then they could be singing it, right?) and I can’t imagine Disneyland without it.
This stings a little, because splash was my favourite ride for the songs and story and everything about it. I’m sure the new ride will be great too but it’s sad to see it go.
One thing I don’t understand in the context of cancelling this ride because of racism is why is peter pan’s flight (Peter Pan is most racist movie I’ve personally ever watched) ok, but splash mountain isn’t.
Yep that ride needs some changes too for sure.
Having a hard time understanding how peter pan is racist. I have literally watched it 20 times over the past month (3 year old who is obsessed with it). Last I saw it was about a boy that did not want to grow up taking three kids to a fairy tale place called never land and battling captain hook?
Truth be told I would never connect Splash mountain as racist either. Never have seen song of the south and only “theme” I ever took away from Splash Mountain was a rabbit outsmarting a bear and fox.
How is peter pan racist? It literally has a song called what made the red man red, and you need to ask that?
I’m part Native American and I could give less than two pennies if Peter Pan has that song in it. They can keep it and I’ll sing right along cause it’s catchy and I am more than a skin color. Imagine that? I am more than a color or what a DNA report tells me. I don’t base my self worth on money, color, gender or whatever other label someone wants to put on me. Go figure!
@ Dixon Yes it has one song labeled red man red. And??? My husband is native american and thinks its hilarious. Its a light hearted song in a 2 minute segment of a movie that again is about a boy that does not want to grow up and fights captain hook. Plain and simple. Winnie the Pooh is about a fat bear that eats to much and focuses the whole movie on getting more food. So should we be going after that ride to because of fat shaming?
Easy answer. It’s NOT racist at all. Neither attraction is.
Agree that although I love Peter Pan it needs serous updating also.
I’m very upset over this! Splash has been my favorite ride for years and I have plenty of great memories on that ride. I’m not saying I don’t understand the reason behind the change but Splash has become a classic Disney ride and I can’t imagine a WDW without. I’m just very glad at this moment that I’ll back to the parks in September to soak up all the time and merchandise I can before it dissappears.
Wow. This is something I would not have expected a year ago. And I definitely have mixed feelings given Splash Mountain is/was my favorite ride at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland. At the end of the day, though, perhaps it shouldn’t be, despite my great memories of the attraction. There’s a podcast (I’ve only listened to the first episode or two so far) called “You must remember this” that tackles song of the south and I think eventually addresses Splash Mountain. That might be worth listening to and I definitely need to finish it.
With Tokyo Disneyland, I wonder how the Oriental Land Company will address their Critter Country, which is essentially an entire (small) land based on Splash Mountain. Will they wait a while to convert it? Will Disney somehow force them to change it? Even though it’s in a different cultural context, that doesn’t take away from the source material and how it can make black people feel. If/when it does change, though, I’d be really excited to explore an entire land based on the Princess and the Frog!
David
#fivestripes #atl #atlantaunited
That’s a good question. In Asia things are different than here, while still being the same, we just all look a little different. I don’t think they are as of pansies as people here have become, trying to gloss over unpleasant parts of history is mostly a North American hypocrisy flaw.
The episodes of “You Must” that deal with Song of the South are excellent. It’s an interesting story, presented in a thoughtful way. definitely worth listening to, IMHO.
Also, I’m reconsidering my diction…Instead of “how it can make black people feel,” I should have said “how it might perpetuate a culture of racism.” Sorry folks. I honestly still don’t understand exactly how Splash Mountain’s current incarnation can hurt, but if anyone has a quick synopsis of how, I’d love to hear it. Regardless, i hope to learn in the podcast about Song of the South. On spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YkAeqwrzHOpGHaet3BKS8
Things I hope for with this update:
-That it favors animatronics over projections
-That it still has fun music and cute critters (I think a bayou/rural south setting will work fine for Frontierland- current Splash is set in the rural south anyway)
-That they don’t try to tone down the drops/thrill aspects (keep that Laughing Place drop in the dark, please)
If you keep those things, I think the fun of the original ride will be intact, but with a nicely updated cast of characters.
Agreed. I think they won’t change the actual track (that would cost way too much), just cosmetic changes.
I agree that the actual track is unlikely to change, I’ve just seen a few people wondering if it’s possible to make it a bit tamer and THAT is where I have to put my foot down hahaha.
I’m a complete wuss when it comes to thrill rides, but I really like Splash. I would even be happy if they managed to keep a little bit of that menace from the scene before the big drop.
I grew up with Splash Mountain. I loved it as a kid. I’m also super happy with a Princess and the Frog retheme. Look, there’s basically no nostalgia value for me with the Song of the South. The Princess on the frog however, does have thematic value so I’m super excited for it! It totally makes sense.
This makes me sad. My grandfather who passed away always sang Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah. My daughter sang it at his funeral. For is the ride was about the music which is iconic.
Leave Splash Mountain alone. Give Tiana her own themed attraction. The Disney immagineeres could create an awesome ride and area.
Yup but sadly won’t happen, Cancel Culture (mob) rules…
Yeah, right now the mob rules…but not the majority. There’s nothing at all racist about SM. If there were, Disney wouldn’t have built it. Suddenly, everything is racist and if everything is racist, then nothing is. It’s never enough, and it will never end. We’re decades late, but George Orville and Ayn Rand were prescient.
This is a great update. Even if it was accelerated due to the present climate, this seems like a big win. Princess and the Frog is definitely not represented enough and it is bizarre because so many of its themes easily integrates well into the parks. Mardi Gras, a trip through the bayou, music, food and adventure. Just makes me wonder what current events need to stir things up to make other quick changes to the park 🙂
As a NOLA native, I can tell you that there is not 1 mountain in the entire state of LA, much less a very tall hill. The tallest hill in the city is 53 ft, in a small urban forest located in City Park (Couterie Forest). I highly doubt the imagineers will incorporate such a little known location into the redesign, and I can’t figure out how they will explain the drop, or the name, Splash Mountain. Is a name change coming as well? Their work is cut out for them, if not, since the swampy land here is flat. Good luck!
Yes you are right. Give her a totally new attraction. Her own. Not a make over of an old favorite.
I dunno, I personally done my best to contribute to a veritable mountain of beer bottles over the years of visiting your beautiful city. The Quarter got a little too gentrified after the storm, but on my last trip in Nov 2018 it looked like it was going back a bit to the way it used to be.
How are the Zoo and botanic gardens now? I haven’t been to either since before the storm.
Also sad to see the WTC abandoned. I loved going up to Top of the Mart and having a few cold ones while checking out the city
But are there talking frogs? If I can suspend my disbelief for talking animals, I think I can handle a hill without it taking me out of the story.
I wonder how many of the people who are protesting the Song of the South have ever watched it. Uncle Remus was a wonderful character who helped the little boy. And the children in the movie, it didn’t matter that they were rich, poor, black, or white. They were friends. I suppose it’s how you look at things. I remember a black woman who came to my school and read the stories about brer rabbit. I think Disney should give Tiana her own attraction. They are doing it for Moana!
Yes! We found link and watched the entire movie…Song of the South showed how all people–rich, poor, black, white all cared about each other, were friends and were part of a beautiful community. White and black people were kind to each other in this movie, like family. Because of the time period, they all talked very southern and it was charming. People just want to make a fuss about everything…why? I wish everyone could watch it and decide for themselves. Uncle Remus was such a good storyteller and it was a feel good classic movie for sure. Nothing is ever going to please everyone and people who want to be upset at things will be.
I think it will be adorable! It makes more sense to feature a movie and princess that people know instead of characters from an old film that many will never see. I actually thought it was odd when Splash Mountain opened that it was based on a movie so wrapped in controversy.
I disagree with Angie on TOT though. I never understood what value The Twilight Zone brought to Disney fans and adore the GOTG rebrand. Considering the addition of more and more Marvel characters to CA Adventure the redo makes perfect sense. It was fun to ride TOT at WDW, but I much prefer CA’s fun update. I like that each park has its own version now.
I’m sad because I really love the Brer characters and I’ll savor riding it until they switch it over. I haven’t yet watched Princess and the Frog so I guess I better do that. I’ll ride it when it is re-themed but In my head though I’ll probably still be saying “Please don’t throw me in that briar patch” as the log is at the top of the hill, and Zippity Doo Dah-ing thru the ride.
Fascinating! Song of the South is certainly flawed and controversial (that’s why Disney has never EVER released it on home video in the US), but a ride on Splash Mountain doesn’t expose you to any of the flawed/controversial aspects of the movie. You have to bring-your-own-baggage regarding the source material. I had assumed that Disney was going to hunker down and let the moment pass, but here we are.
Two thoughts:
1. Since this idea appears to have already been in the pipeline, it’s actually a VERY savvy move for Disney to announce it now. Now they get credit for being woke and responsive to cultural changes in a historic moment. If they had announced this 2 months ago, we all would have trashed it as yet another cheap attempt at plastering a franchise onto an existing attraction to appease the synergy gods (see the initial reactions to Guardians Mission Breakout, Stitch’s Escape, Frozen Ever After, etc).
2. It also wouldn’t be *entirely* surprising if this project never actually breaks ground, and is then quietly cancelled next year once the cultural moment has passed.
I don;t see it as flawed at all. It’s all in your view and how you were raised. If you (not you specifically, Andy) see it as a problem, then there’s probably something in your past you’re overcompensating for…
“It also wouldn’t be *entirely* surprising if this project never actually breaks ground, and is then quietly cancelled next year once the cultural moment has passed.”
Now THAT sounds like a great idea! Then let’s get a New Orleans Square area at WDW, and a NEW attraction for Tiana and friends.
Whether *you* or *I* see it as flawed is irrelevant. Disney locked the movie away from U.S. audiences 35 years ago, never again to be seen on this continent. They did that because they recognize it as depicting harmful stereotypes. If it was already apparent in the *1980s* that further distributing the film was a bad idea, maybe we should just accept the consensus opinion that it’s flawed (regardless of your view/upbringing/past).
It will be beautiful!
Ah this is so exciting! The music from Princess and the Frog was the best since Aladdin, the setting was beautiful, and it will fit right in with some of the bigger setpieces already there (ie the riverboat)
This is a great idea! They’ll do a beautiful job I’m sure. I’ve only now just seen that movie with my young daughter and we love it. I’m a loyalist to Disneyland and appreciate it always continuing to evolve.
Totally fine with this re-design, nobody knows Songs of the South. I just hope they keep Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah somewhere. I can’t imagine it would be the final scene, but that’s OK as long as they put it in there somewhere.
I love Tiana and her story.
However, my 8 year old’s favorite ride at MK is Splash and he is not going to be happy that they are changing it to a “princess” theme
I do have issues with the Princess and the Frog ride as part of Frontierland at WDW. I would love to see the addition of New Orleans Square at WDW. I fell in love with that area when I visited DL.
I don’t believe erasing the past will make everything better. There a good argument for keeping the past very present, In hopes of these horrors never happening again. Keep the past close so no one will forget. I don’t see where a Disney ride matters in the scheme of things. I loved this movie growing up and had no idea if it had other meanings.
…slow clap * Keeping the past in the mind does keep people from repeating it. I’ve seen interviews of college students who don’t know who won the civil war, who fought in the civil war or who was Germany’s leader in WW2? It amazes me that they would have to Google that.