Splash Mountain Re-Theme

[quinnmac000]

What made me think about it is, not too long ago the James Bond movies were getting a lot of flack for their misogynistic treatment of women and the outrage spilled over into their portrayal of non-white races. The Voodoo Witch Doctor in Live and Let Die was often mentioned. Considering the first thing that came to mind while watching PatF and Dr. Facilier hit the screen was the Witch Doctor from Live and Let Die, I can easily see how Dr. Facilier could also come under SJW fire.

I'm going to say the voodoo witch doctor should not be a problem as it is heavily rooted in Afro Creole and Afro Islander culture and history. Even to this day, voodoo doctors operate in New Orleans.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

If you listen to BIPOC in the community the general consensus feeling is even without the Uncle Remus and live-action stuff in the ride Splash Mountain is still a little icky. Not enough so to warrant removal or re-theme, instead it's more like a few layers under the presentation to get to the problem: the original books took slave stories and resold them without compensation. It's not that all of a sudden this is bad, it's that with the artifices of systemic racism falling we're seeing things for what they are.

If we want to be introspective and reassess things we really need to look at two other attractions: Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan. Those are easy, low-level fruit to clean up that actually address real, horrible sterotypes.

I don't like the idea of doing a Princess and the Frog overlay, it makes no sense for the story. Give PatF a proper, cool dark ride designed for the film.

 

[marip123]

I mean I could see the retheme happening later on in the future as it would be an extremely cheap redo. The story could be told in mama Odies perspective as she tells the story of Tiana and Naveen being chased by dr. facilier. The ending would stay the same, except with Tiana and Naveen maybe dancing on the riverboat, but essentially a lot of the same animatronics and atmospheres could be used throughout the attraction and it would be little money to spend. Heck the theme would fit perfectly as it blends the country and New Orleans aspects together perfectly. But idk Also saying Dumbo ride is racist is not the same as there's no refrence to the crows and peter pan does show the stereotypical natives, but honestly they could just take the statues out and leave the tipi's. The scene would stay exactly same way, pleasing everyone

 

[Cheezbat]

After seeing this, I demand Mickey be removed as the mascot of Disney. Remove Philharmagic and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Blackface Mickey? Really?
Close Peter Pan...offensive time native Americans.
Close Small World...some offensive stereotypes in that ride.
Close Hall of Presidents...racist men and slave owners all throughout that presentation.
Close Dumbo...another offensive movie.
Close Jungle Cruise...offensive things on that ride.
Close Pirates...guns knives and alcohol are inappropriate for small children to be introduced to in a family park.
Close Haunted Mansion...it promotes death and murder...and suicide!

My point is, there are SO many areas and attractions that COULD trigger different groups of people throughout the resort. Yes, Splash’s characters were based off of stories from an offensive movie...but if we look deep enough, there could be something offensive in everything.

Princess and the Frog deserve their own ORIGINAL attraction elsewhere in the park...preferably in an expansion plot.

 

[HandsomePete]

Until someone takes puts together a coherent opinion of how a $100M+ pro forma would work for this, it belongs firmly in the category of online community nonsense.

And don’t say “the same way Guardians Tower was approved” ... because that ain’t cutting it.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

If you listen to BIPOC in the community the general consensus feeling is even without the Uncle Remus and live-action stuff in the ride Splash Mountain is still a little icky. Not enough so to warrant removal or re-theme, instead it's more like a few layers under the presentation to get to the problem: the original books took slave stories and resold them without compensation. It's not that all of a sudden this is bad, it's that with the artifices of systemic racism falling we're seeing things for what they are.

If we want to be introspective and reassess things we really need to look at two other attractions: Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan. Those are easy, low-level fruit to clean up that actually address real, horrible stereotypes.

I don't like the idea of doing a Princess and the Frog overlay, it makes no sense for the story. Give PatF a proper, cool dark ride designed for the film.

Out of curiosity is there any space for a Princess and the Frog ride in either Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom? I suppose there's some room behind New Orleans Square but you'd have to cut under the railway and it seems like there's some sort of electrical system behind the New Orleans train station. As for Magic Kingdom, maybe PatF could take over the Hall of Presidents, but that's just a stage show abutting the westward Fantasyland buildings.

 

[Andysol]

Out of curiosity is there any space for a Princess and the Frog ride in either Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom? I suppose there's some room behind New Orleans Square but you'd have to cut under the railway and it seems like there's some sort of electrical system behind the New Orleans train station. As for Magic Kingdom, maybe PatF could take over the Hall of Presidents, but that's just a stage show abutting the westward Fantasyland buildings.

If Hall of Presidents took over PhilharMagic it would have ample space, but that would leave a gap over in Fantasyland.

I think dropping tom sawyers and rivers of America is the most realistic option. Expanding with a bridge over to Tom Sawyer where the new attraction would be would work great. And prior to going- you’d cross a parked Liberty Belle that becomes the facade for a Tiana’s Place restaurant.

 

[belloq87]

I'd hate to see the Liberty Belle go away as an actual ride experience, though. That, along with the railroad, feels like an extremely Walt Disney thing, and I think the park needs as much of that as it can hold onto.

 

[TheGentTrent]

I can understand why people would feel the way they do about this topic, but man oh man, witnessing Splash Mountain close permanently would be an absolute gut-punch for me. It's my favorite ride in the world. Hope I never live to see that.

Also, a PatF re-theme doesn't really work for Frontierland in Magic Kingdom. There's nothing "Western" about that movie (even though SM is also a bit of a fail in that regard).

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Out of curiosity is there any space for a Princess and the Frog ride in either Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom? I suppose there's some room behind New Orleans Square but you'd have to cut under the railway and it seems like there's some sort of electrical system behind the New Orleans train station. As for Magic Kingdom, maybe PatF could take over the Hall of Presidents, but that's just a stage show abutting the westward Fantasyland buildings.

I think it'd totally fit in Fantasyland with an extension, either in MK or DL.

 

[Freak]

I think it'd totally fit in Fantasyland with an extension, either in MK or DL.

Another option to consider is that it would make a decent replacement for Winnie the Pooh at DL.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

I suppose it could also fit in that area next to the Indian Village?

 

[belloq87]

My "way too expensive, so it'll never happen" pitch for a PATF ride placement: extend a path along the Rivers of America back around the corner from Haunted Mansion, and create a New Orleans Square mini-land (just a few nice facades, a restaurant, and the ride), with extra space annexed from rerouting the Rivers of America and taking off that back corner of the island. Like so (excuse my extremely crude attempt!):

Green = Re-rerouted Rivers of America
White = New ride path of the Liberty Belle
Blue = Mini New Orleans Square
Red = New path to the mini land

 

[Freak]

My "way too expensive, so it'll never happen" pitch for a PATF ride placement: extend a path along the Rivers of America back around the corner from Haunted Mansion, and create a New Orleans Square mini-land (just a few nice facades, a restaurant, and the ride), with extra space annexed from rerouting the Rivers of America and taking off that back corner of the island. Like so (excuse my extremely crude attempt!):
View attachment 12462
Green = Re-rerouted Rivers of America
White = New ride path of the Liberty Belle
Blue = Mini New Orleans Square
Red = New path to the mini land

I don’t think MK would go through all of that trouble just for a new ride. I could, however, see them build all of that for a PatF meet and greet, eatery, and a restroom. If they’re being generous, maybe even another spinner!

 

[belloq87]

Oh, it'll never happen!

But it's how I'd do it. Kind of a slightly larger in scope version of what they've done with Ratatouille in Epcot. It would also add a pretty nice extra "scene" to the riverboat at it passes that section of the new waterfront. New Orleans could naturally fit in with the story of that attraction, as well.

 

[Nick]

I don’t think MK would go through all of that trouble just for a new ride. I could, however, see them build all of that for a PatF meet and greet, eatery, and a restroom. If they’re being generous, maybe even another spinner!

Similar proposals have been rumored in the past. Once MK runs out of all other expansion space, they’ll probably eventually do something back there.

But that’s WAYYYY down the line.

 

[shiekra38]

View attachment 12458
After seeing this, I demand Mickey be removed as the mascot of Disney. Remove Philharmagic and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Blackface Mickey? Really?
Close Peter Pan...offensive time native Americans.
Close Small World...some offensive stereotypes in that ride.
Close Hall of Presidents...racist men and slave owners all throughout that presentation.
Close Dumbo...another offensive movie.
Close Jungle Cruise...offensive things on that ride.
Close Pirates...guns knives and alcohol are inappropriate for small children to be introduced to in a family park.
Close Haunted Mansion...it promotes death and murder...and suicide!

My point is, there are SO many areas and attractions that COULD trigger different groups of people throughout the resort. Yes, Splash’s characters were based off of stories from an offensive movie...but if we look deep enough, there could be something offensive in everything.

Princess and the Frog deserve their own ORIGINAL attraction elsewhere in the park...preferably in an expansion plot.

Tron Lightcycle offends me as I was trapped in a digital realm as a child.

Also, Mickey is totally going to get Twitter cancelled after this.

 

[Suchomimus]

View attachment 12458
After seeing this, I demand Mickey be removed as the mascot of Disney. Remove Philharmagic and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Blackface Mickey? Really?
Close Peter Pan...offensive time native Americans.
Close Small World...some offensive stereotypes in that ride.
Close Hall of Presidents...racist men and slave owners all throughout that presentation.
Close Dumbo...another offensive movie.
Close Jungle Cruise...offensive things on that ride.
Close Pirates...guns knives and alcohol are inappropriate for small children to be introduced to in a family park.
Close Haunted Mansion...it promotes death and murder...and suicide!

My point is, there are SO many areas and attractions that COULD trigger different groups of people throughout the resort. Yes, Splash’s characters were based off of stories from an offensive movie...but if we look deep enough, there could be something offensive in everything.

Princess and the Frog deserve their own ORIGINAL attraction elsewhere in the park...preferably in an expansion plot.

Not to complain but you left out Donald Duck. Some of his cartoons would be considered highly controversial by today's standards. He worked as a bomb assembler in (a dream version of) Nutzy Germany, fought against stereotypical Japanese snipers somewhere in Asia, and was nearly eaten by stereotypical cannibals.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Not to complain but you left out Donald Duck. Some of his cartoons would be considered highly controversial by today's standards. He worked as a bomb assembler in (a dream version of) Nutzy Germany, fought against stereotypical Japanese snipers somewhere in Asia, and was nearly eaten by stereotypical cannibals.

Nowhere near as bad as some of the cartoons Bugs Bunny has been in.

 

[SkiBum]

I wonder if they could eliminate "Enchanted Tales with Belle" and put in a PatF ride there. I'd prefer a boat ride as the ride system choice. The sightlines to Beast's castle atop "Be Our Guest are one of the casualties. They could make the ride two levels with a small drop, similar to PotC, and thus keep the footprint efficient. I haven't been able to fit the theme into that area, though. It would work perfectly in Disneyland near New Orleans Square but WDW's Magic Kingdom doesn't have a New Orleans area. Even Liberty Square is an odd fit. The other potential would be to theme the exterior to either a swamp or a mansion with a manicured garden.