Our “Laughing Place” has always been near and dear to us. My wife visited Walt Disney World the year that the ride opened (1992), and remembers standing in lines that stretched for hours just to take the plunge. Every visit we ride Splash Mountain multiple times (assuming it wasn’t down for repairs or too cold). Since our kids have been born we have introduced them to the ride as well. Unfortunately our youngest has not ridden it yet (she was still too short on our last visit two years ago) and she will now never experience the original ride… and we are ok with that.
In recent months the melting pot that is the United States has boiled over. It has been close for decades with racial discrimination and inequality baked into our everyday lives whether we realized it or not. The tragic death of George Floyd in Minniapolis, MN started a global narrative that is forcing us to address the elephant in the room. Disney and other companies have not been without scrutiny – many companies, by their own volition or by being forced through social pressure, are addressing long standing racially driven norms and change them.
For those that do not know, the ride Splash Mountain is themed after the 1946 live-action/animated musical film called Song of the South released by Disney to fill a void in the movie industry as Europe was recovered from the World War 2. Disney’s focus during the war had been on making training films for the military which did not produce any profit and the European consumer market was non-existent as European countries were still rebuilding post-war. In the early years of Disney, just as today, content was driven by popular culture and socially acceptable norms.
At the time Disney’s Song of the South was created it used themes, stories, and charictures that fit with the still racially charged atmosphere of a post-World War 2 America. The movie was based on a collection of Uncle Remus stories – Uncle Remus was a worker on a white-owned plantation during the Reconstruction era of American history (1865-1877). The Reconstruction era is the period in the United States after the end of the American Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. By today’s standards the characters and content of this movie are clearly seen as racist. There has been a call for Disney to address Splash Mountain’s theming and to change it so as to not glorify/promote/perpetuate the racist themes found on the ride and in the story Song of the South.
For historical context, the story of Brer Rabbit, a central character in the Song of the South’s animated portion of the movie, actually originates in African folklore and was transmitted to the Americas by Africans forced into slavery. Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was seen to embody an idea that a small, weak, but ingenious individual could overcome an unintelligent, stronger oppenent/oppressor. In the folktales Brer Rabbit continually bests the antagonists Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and Brer Bear. The problem that is faced by Disney is not the use of the stories but rather how they were adapted for the screen and later the ride.
Rumors have been circulating for years that Disney already had plans to address the theming of Splash Mountain. Concepts including The Princess and the Frog, Moana, Pocahontas and Lilo and Stitch all are rumored to have been considered. The tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of Minniapolis Police accelerated their plans and earlier today (June 25, 2020) Disney announced the official re-theming of Splash Mountain.
When the ride reopens we will follow Tiana and her friends through an adventure themed after the Disney blockbuster The Princess and the Frog (2009). An appropriate choice, Tiana embodies the hardworking and ambitious attitude of a young black woman living in New Orleans between World War 1 and World War 2. The movie more accurately portrays life at the time the characters lived instead of using stereotypes and negative imagery. Although the normal pixie dust is applied to the story as Disney most notably does… it does not perpetuate racist themes in the story. It will be interesting to see how the redesign unfolds. Disney has had this prepared for some time – to think that this was completely due to petitions or the current climate would be ridiculous. Disney does not rush into anything. Just look how long it took them to create the new Star Wars land compared to how quickly Universal Studios created The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They had this filed away and actually had possibly planned on re-theming during the ride shutdown in 2019 for maintenance/refurbishment.
Most are happy to hear that the original designer of Splash Mountain, Tony Baxter, has returned for the redesign project. He will serve as a Creative Advisor to Imagineers on the redesign of the famous attraction that originally debuted at Disneyland in the summer of 1989. As of right now the redesigns will occur at the US based parks (Disneyland and Walt Disney World) but as of now there is no released plan to address the rides theming at the Tokyo, Japan theme park.
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger has publicly acknowledged that Song of the South is “not appropriate in today’s world.” Iger had previously announced that Song of the South would not be included on the Disney+ streaming platform. Disney has made a good choice here and we hope that management will continue to be open and receptive to the ever changing climate that drives our society (regardless if they had already planned to address the issues or not).
We love this ride. This ride will always have a place in our hearts. As children we did not see it for what it was – as adults we know better. To quote Maya Angelou, “I did then what I knew how to do. now that I know better, I do better.” We all have a responsibility to ourselves and those around us to take a step back and realize that what we say and what we do has an impact on someone. We have to listen to each other and try to understand the other side of the story. We have to realize that we are not always right. Be kind to each other.
“Whenever I go on a ride, I’m always thinking of what’s wrong with the thing and how it can be improved.” – Walt Disney
