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!
1) Tiana does not belong in Frontierland. Weird. Talk about trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. 2) I will miss the song of Splash Mountain!!! I’m sure the Tiana ride will be fine. I just wish they’d make a separate ride for her, rather than replacing such a delightful one. 🙁
100% agree
When I first heard of the call to retheme Splash Mountain, Ill admit I was not thrilled. News and politics have left me fatigued. However, as much as the nostalgia of Splash Mountain appeals to me, I am actually kind of excited to see what they do with this. I truly hope Disney takes it to another level.
I, personally, don’t really think of Song of the South while riding Splash and love the ride as is (having never seen the movie), but do agree that the source material is definitely problematic! I also know that Walt always said he didn’t want to parks to be museums and they should be constantly updated. I wholeheartedly agree that Princess and the Frog is entirely underrated and can 100% see this working as a retheme and am curious to see how it pans out!
While I am not surprised, I am sad. Nostalgia is only present when sights and sounds remain unchanged. I will always cherish this ride as it was. I hope my kids do too! Disney is slowly wiping out anything original which I think is very unfortunate. Hopefully they realize at some point that replacing concepts and tearing apart icons diminishes the value of the park itself.
I had this thought too, but upon looking at the concept art I wonder if part of the ride will involve ‘shrinking to frog size’ thereby making the mountain more of a small hill!
Really happy to see this change too! I love Splash Mountain but the parts I love will still be retained, I.e. the big drop! The weaker parts, like the animatronic scenes, will hopefully have a beautiful ambience which will really plus this ride.
This is a win win for so many reasons, and I’m proud of Disney for doing so. As far as im concerned the only ‘mob’ will be those protesting against the change!
Tiana is a treasured Disney princess. I can’t believe people on this site are saying they haven’t heard of it. I consider it a classic – she is a strong, hard-working role model. I love the friendship between Ariana and Lottie as well. I’m excited for there to be a princess themed “thrill ride!”
Ripping out classic attractions like Pirates, Haunted Mansion or “it’s a small world” would be hard to swallow but nothing compared to the devastating blow when I heard this news. I’m a fanboy of Splash. I’ve been one for 18 years. I love everything about it. Disneyland’s….Magic Kingdoms….Tokyo Disneyland’s….they each have something to love. It’s the perfect ride from start to finish. It is what I think of when I think of a Disney Vacation. Song of the South is the perfect example of people twisting anything and saying it’s racist when it’s not. Yes, Song of the South takes place during an extremely racist period in American History that I’m not proud of, but the movie itself is presented in a way that is not derogatory towards Black People. Yes they don’t ever talk about slavery, but that is not the story they were trying to tell. This story is about friendship: the unbreakable bond that Uncle Remus has with the children when their parents aren’t there for them. Despite the fact it takes place during a bad time, it really is a beautiful movie especially that ending scene with Uncle Remus and the kids walking off into the sunset. This is a Disney fantasy after all… I think it’s great that Disney is making more movies with minority representation. That’s a positive. But let’s face it, the Princess and the Frog is just not that good of a movie. Sure it has its fans but overall it was not a hit critically or commercially. Some people say it killed hand-drawn animation. This is a mistake and years from now there will be regret.
Anyone saying this is “appeasing a mob” is gross. No exceptions.
Song of the South is a racist film. It is SO racist that, unlike Fantasia, they can’t recut and re-release to movie in any form. It is based on slave fables–stories that wouldn’t have a need to exist if we hadn’t spent nearly 250 years enslaving Black people. There is a significant difference between “slave fables” and “African American folklore.” The latter is rooted in spiritual and cultural beliefs. The former is a form of escapism derived specifically to endure the horrors of slavery. Context for these stories matters. Both should be remembered and taught, but only one should be celebrated.
Racist roots aside, Splash Mountain was an attraction cobbled together from old Animatronics and it shows. It gets closed for at least a month nearly every year for refurbishment. In the last 10 years, I have never once ridden the ride when all the components were actually working properly. The attraction is old and broken, period.
This is a win-win. We get an updated, beautiful ride based on arguably one of the best Disney 2D animated films, have more diverse representation in park entertainment, AND move away from celebrating the racist source material. The only people who lose are 1. racists who think a black character doesn’t deserve a whole Disney ride 2. People who dislike change in general.
There’s nothing saying you can’t feel sad or nostalgic for part of your childhood experience changing. But I don’t understand the level of anger and vitriol I’ve seen in regards to this news. Your cherished childhood memories are not more important than stepping up to the plate and celebrating positive black role models in a park which basically celebrates diveristy on “its a small world” and nowhere else.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Of course you don’t understand. Read my other comments and perhaps you will.
Nicely said : )
Very well put. Especially the distinction between slave fables and AA folklore. Thanks.
+a million. Perfectly said!
This is great context. Thanks for taking the time!
I’ve thought about this reimagining before! I am also not a person of color, but I support the change for several reasons. Disney needed to update this ride just as far as components and animation but to reinvest in a theme that might seem controversial now and offensive to the public in a few years would just be a bad investment. I think the timing was a little on the nose and so was switching to a character of color. However I still think it was the right choice.
They should switch a few more rides to feature people of color! Where are the Black people in the Haunted Mansion? 999 ghosts in New Orleans, and they’re all white? I don’t buy it.
@Alex, are you seriously concerned about the color of a ghost???????? What are you drinking besides the kool-aid?
Just hope they put a beignet cart outside the ride!
That would definitely soften the blow!
Yes yes yes!! That would be perfect
Judging by how nostalgia driven fans are for other rides that were re themed, I really worry about the kind of abuse cast members are going to hear for this one. People were upset that the boring Norway ride became the Frozen ride, I can’t imagine the things they will say about this one. Children are going to hear guests say this stuff out loud in line. That is going to be ugly.
If they want to do a Tiana ride, they need to do it right and start from the ground up in Fantasyland, like what Belle has. Something new and fresh. She doesn’t deserve any less.
I have a nostalgic love for Splash Mountain but completely understand why a new theme is warranted. Problematic history belongs in a museum with context, not celebrated in a theme park. The Princess and the Frog is an underrated gem and has a beautiful setting and soundtrack to work with. Kind of bummed they’re not using The Emperor’s New Groove (wrong lever, Kronk!) but then I can hold out hope for a dedicated coaster for that one 🙂
My kids are currently on an ENG bender, and would LOVE this!
Won’t ever go on frog ride. Terrible wimpy decision by Disney.
They gave into the mob!
LOL, OMG. Seriously? Hahahahahahaha!
Yay! Shorter lines full of people who are anti-racist!
@Alex, to not want to change a ride that is not racist, does not make one a racist. Read my other comments and learn something please.
Yeah you will. Case in point: how many millions of people said they would stop flying United after they dragged that dude off the plane? Tens of millions!! Is United still flying? Absolutely!! People care for about five seconds, then it’s back to whatever self-serving interest appeals to them at the moment.
Another case in point: Washington, DC is perhaps the most woke major city in the US Explain how we ended up with 4+ Chick-fil-a’s and four Walmart’s? We ain’t all that woke.
See you on the frog ride!!
Have you by any chance listened to the “You Must Remember This” episode on Splash Mountain (or the whole season she did on Song of the South)? She does a really great job at unpacking the troubling aspects of the ride even as it was divorced from its more overt racism (basically, Disney knowing the racism of the original product is bad, but being unable to resist making money off of it and giving a bit of a wink to people still nostalgic for the film and all its problematic elements). Strongly recommend.
I loved Splash for years and it will have a place in my heart as the first “intense” ride I ever rode, but yeah, the older I got, more I read, and more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it was.
My honest guess is Disney had originally considered this back when Princess and the Frog was in the making (I always bring up that the Hunters in the film have the same build as Brer Fox and Brer Bear), but it wasn’t enough of a hit. So TECHNICALLY even if they did just pull this off of the shelves, it had been planned for well over a year….albeit archived for about 10.
I also wonder if they’ll be getting rid of Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah at things like Rope Drop and such. In one of the earlier episodes of the season, Longworth details how there’s a clear line from that to minstrel shows. In other words, it’s not so innocent of a song…
Thank you for recommending this information source. There are apparently 6 episodes of this, and I am glad to educate myself further. This has been one of my very favorite rides at Disney, and while I love PATF, I’m not a big Mardi Gras fan, so I’m pretty disappointed. Maybe this podcast will put it into perspective for me.
This makes me so sad. What does Princess and the Frog have to do with the “Frontier”. I never in all the years that I road Splash Mountain even remotely had a thought about any negative connotation to it.
Terrible decision by disney. Frog legs for dinner.
Same, its one of our favorites and I like having a few classics around. I am extremely upset as it was one of my favorite rides, riding it 3-4 times in a day when possible. The ride itself never gave me any indication of racism. I though it was fun and at the same time peaceful. As much as I love Princess in the Frog, I think it is dark and in the end Disney was moving away from spooky rides. The shadow Man, Ray dying, Tiana working her ass off to in the end be married and saved…I dont see it tying itself with the theme in frontierland either. I also think Disney should be more focused on upkeep, regular maintenance and finishing all the started projects before investing in a retheme of a ride that is already well loved…. Im honestly very upset that all the classics are slowly being take away.
Also, Tiana deserves more love and definitely a whole Bayou maybe by Tom Sawyer? A nice sit down boat restaurant down the Bayou ?
At Walt Disney World, Splash Mountain is physically located between Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. If we consider the geographic locations those attractions are themed to, a ride that takes place in Louisiana would be perfectly located in between them. Your argument sounds as though you are trying to manufacture a criticism that has no merit.
I absolutely loved Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee at Disneyland. It was a hand in glove fit and enhanced the peacemaking of New Orleans Square. Extending NOS to include the attraction that is Splash also feels very natural. Princess and the Frog has an incredibly strong musical score that should transcend generations. I’m on board!!
Magic Kingdom is another story. That area of the park is like any regional “theme” park, where there are some good attractions at the end of a path. PAF *really* will stick out like a sore thumb. I mean, how do you re-skin Thunder to make a coherent place?
But who cares? It’s Walt Disney World. Shine an image of Buzz Lightyear on the ground in front of the mountains and call it “magic.” Oh, how the people will rejoice!!
That’s right, WDW fans…West side just called out East side.
Peacemaking should have been placemaking. Stupid auto correct.
I’m pretty disappointed in just about everything Disney is doing right now. Still have reservations for later in the year but we’re feeling like we may just cancel.
I absolutely love Disney World for 1 reason…. nostalgia. There are so many newer parks with much more exhilarating rides. Disney is memories, and sights and smells that transport us to some of the most wonderful memories of our past. “Welcome home” doesn’t mean much if you don’t recognize or have any special memories of that home. I’m all for new experiences but Disney needs to add-not change. This is one of my favorite rides, as were Maelstrom and the Great Movie Ride. I really really hope they reconsider
Agree. The constant updating and elimination of iconic rides eliminates the nostalgic quality that keep families coming back!
THIS!!! Thats exactly what it is. Most of the loyal WDW crowd goes for the memories and nostalgia, we are not wanting them to change things we already love.
I just keep feeling like they keep taking away my memories and I cant pass them over to my kids. Sure I know some rides dont fill up but they are also great to wind down like Carousel of Progress. My kids love that and I do too but its never full. I dont want them to take it away but I have a feeling its coming. They are not taking care of the old rides at all. Last year I saw a few of the older/original rides just deteriorated, no dolls, missing parts, dirty and it wasn’t even high season…very disappointed in the direction its going.
Nothing should change? Ever?? Like… anywhere??? Or just here? Addition is change. You sound like every NIMBY who buys a house in the suburbs on land that used to be a farm… then gets all agitated when the next farm gets plowed under for other people to buy houses.
I would respect the purists here more if they said, “I wish the Magic Kingdom was the same as it was on opening day… because, you know, nostalgia.” Equally dumb, but at least pure.
You know what brings up a ton of nostalgia for millions of people? The confederate flag. If NASCAR can catch up to the present, so can DIsney.
I’m really excited about this! The concept art makes it seem like it will be so beautiful when finished. I will miss the nostalgia of the original ride, but I definitely think Disney is making the right choice to retheme and update. The Princess and the Frog is one of my boys’ favorite Disney princess movies and I appreciate the WDW is trying to be more representational (at least that is what I assume they are doing). Also, the bayou/New Orleans theme seems to be an obvious choice to replace the current theme.
I can’t wait to see this. One of my favorite things about Splash Mountain is that it is long enough to cool down while riding. Having said that, it seems like it would take forever to completely retheme, so I hope they allocate the time and budget to make the ride truly special.
Am I the only one who’d never heard of “The Princess and the Frog?”
How about Moana instead? Already has the idea of gigantic wave!
I believe a Moana attraction is currently being added to Epcot.