DisneyFanatic.com The Latest News, Advice, and Perspective from Disney Fans for Disney Fans!
There are many modern controversies and conversations going on in the Disney community. But one of the most hotly debated is the retheme of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Credit: Disney
Splash Mountain
As one of the most popular theme park rides in the world, Splash Mountain was located at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park. Originally themed to Song of the South (1946), a movie Disney has tried to pretend didn’t exist; it is no stranger to controversy.
Related: Disney Imagineer Defends ‘Song of the South’ and Splash Mountain
However, not many people objected to the ride Splash Mountain, even if they had issues with the movie it was themed around.
Credit: Disney
In fact, during its construction, the ride was explicitly made to avoid controversy. According to Disney Legend, Tony Baxter, who was the former senior vice president of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney worked with the NAACP to help ensure the Splash Mountain ride was not offensive.
Related: Disney Takes Another Step to Erase ‘Song of the South’ Splash Mountain
Credit: Cory Disbrow, Flickr
On the contrary, many praised the inclusion of the ride at a Disney Park since it was based on the stories of Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox, a part of African-American culture and history.
Credit: Disney
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Nevertheless, the Splash Mountain ride was considered too controversial for Disney to defend, and plans were unveiled to retheme the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort versions to The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Credit: Disney
The new ride, titled Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will use the same track system and water flume-style ride and repurpose a few of the animatronics as well as the queue and loading stations.
Related: Disney Hints at New Direction for Tiana After Splash Mountain Conversion
Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Many people, from fans and critics of the decision, eagerly await to see what Disney Imagineering will produce. The new ride will feature original audio animatronics based on characters from the film, such as Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Mama Odie, and the jazz-loving alligator Louis.
Credit: Disney
It will also contain music inspired by the animated movie and take guests through an original story.
However, as exterior work has continued, many people online have ended up mocking it as looking like a rainforest. To be more specific, the Rainforest Cafe.
Now it’s all starting to come together!! 👀👀
WE CANNOT WAIT DUDES!! 🙌🙌#thedisneydudespodcast #rainforestcafe #tianasbayouadventure #frontierland #waltdisneyworld #magickingdom #princessandthefrog #epcot #hollywoodstudios #animalkingdom #disney #disney100 #disneyland… pic.twitter.com/63Vmzj0kyk
— The Disney Dudes Podcast (@DisneyDudes4You) December 19, 2023
Many people have poked fun at Disney’s choice to cover up the majority of the mountain with fake leafy plants that make it appear more like a rainforest and less like a Louisiana bayou.
More like the Rainforest Cafe. It looks terrible. #SaveSplashMountain @Disneyland @WaltDisneyCo @WaltDisneyWorld @DisneyParks @RobertIger @BridgetAZiegler @Disney @elonmusk https://t.co/98uhapXfg6
— Michael (@MTARDI32) December 12, 2023
It also makes the Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom Park stick out like a sore thumb, placing a large swath of greenery in the middle of Frontierland between Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Related: A Case Against Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and For Something Else…
On X (formerly Twitter), people have joked, calling it “Rainforest Cafe the ride.”
However, some have defended the critics saying comments such as “Don’t like it? Don’t go!”
Granted, judging a ride (and the Disney Imagineers) based on its unfinished exterior is unfair. But we won’t have to wait much longer to see the finished product. Both versions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening in 2024!
I hope it FAILS before opening. Just an opinion. Bring back SPLASH MOUNTAIN and it’s lovable critters.
To start, I LOVE the movie Princess and the Frog. But, aside from being bored by what I’ve read about the story line I can’t help but wonder how that story is really any less controversial than the Splash Mountain RIDE was. (Yeah, I get it with the movie, but the ride was NOT the movie) Now we’re getting voodoo and African Americans working for white folks who basically run the town.
I want to like this as I do the movie because there is no sense beating the dead horse that is Splash (my heart still hurts though) But aside from the kindergarten art work I’ve seen photos of, the boring story line and what I see as an equally problematic movie source, and the fear of losing the magical animatronics to even more lame (and cheap) projections, Disney isn’t making it easy to fall in love with it. Hoping they prove me wrong.