When Disney first dropped the news that Splash Mountain was closing, fans went wild—and not in a good way. The company tried to spin it as a “much-needed update” for the sake of inclusivity, but let’s not forget how sudden and sweeping the decision was. No surveys. No guest feedback. Just a press release that pulled the plug on a 30-year staple of Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.
Now, flash forward to 2025, and Disney leadership is trying to play it cute with the language.
In a new statement, Josh D’Amaro—the face of Disney Parks—made a head-turning comment about the ride’s closure: “We knew that our guests wanted to see more of Tiana. We knew that Splash Mountain was a popular attraction, and we thought that the merger of those two things coming together would create an unbelievable experience.”
Merger? That’s the word we’re using now?
Fans online are already calling this out as nothing more than corporate spin. For years, Disney positioned the move as a replacement. They wiped Splash Mountain off the map, stripped its music from the parks, and distanced themselves from everything the original ride stood for. There was no talk of “blending” anything. The ride was completely rethemed—new story, new music, new look.
So to suddenly toss around the word “merger” is giving fans whiplash. Some are even calling it a “trash” attempt to rewrite what actually happened.
And honestly, it’s not hard to see why. D’Amaro’s comments seem like a desperate attempt to smooth things over after a bumpy launch for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The ride’s had downtime, mechanical problems, and a wave of mixed guest feedback. Meanwhile, nostalgia for Splash Mountain continues to trend on social media, with petitions and throwback videos still making the rounds.
It’s not just about the ride—it’s about trust. Fans feel like they were gaslit. Disney told them one thing, did another, and now wants to reframe it all as if we misunderstood from the beginning.
Nice try, but fans remember. They were there when the announcement dropped. They saw the reactions. They rode Splash Mountain one last time. And they know exactly how it all went down.
No matter how many PR-friendly phrases Disney rolls out now, the truth is written in the memories of millions—and that doesn’t get rethemed.
Disney should have created a separate Tiana ride elsewhere and retained the nostalgic original Splash Mountain with its memorable theme and music.