Between its unnerving cartoon animatronics, quirky theme song, and the very steep and wet drops that earned the attraction its name, Splash Mountain was one of the Disney theme park rides that had a unique character and attraction that could not be missed.
I shamefully admit that despite making a handful of trips to Disney theme parks throughout my life, I can only remember riding the famous log flume one time.
But last year, Disney closed down Splash Mountain at both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida with the intent of remodeling it into a ride centering on characters from Disney's 2009 film The Princess and the Frog.
The remodel was announced in June 2020, a date that was no accident. Splash Mountain had long been the last public vestige of Disney's 1946 film Song of the South, which has been almost entirely memory-holed by the company due to its depictions of black Southern living after the Civil War. But even this wildly popular log flume ride, which only featured the film's animated animal characters, could not survive the summer of George Floyd.
The remodeled Splash Mountain, now named "Tiana’s Bayou Adventure" is set to open this summer. In anticipation of the planned opening, Disney released a video showcasing the ride's new thematics and still very wet finale.
But rather than take advantage of the chosen intellectual property's outstanding musical and thematic elements, Tiana's Bayou Adventure chose the blandest aspects of the story to replace the famed "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" tune that accompanied the animatronics of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear in the watery tunnels between wet drops on Splash Mountain.
One of the things that made Splash Mountain such a memorable ride was the eerie behavior of the animatronic woodland creatures that preceded the abrupt drop into a wet pool — and finally concluding in the triumphant "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." Nowhere in the ride was there any racial element or undertone.
Even still, The Princess and the Frog had plenty of material that could have replaced that in an exciting and fun manner. For example, in the film, the nefarious Voodoo practitioner Dr. Facilier offered some of the darkest and most memorable scenes that showcased some of the less savory aspects of historic New Orleans. He does not appear anywhere in the ride, nor does his memorable song "Friends on the Other Side."
The remodel that no one asked for has turned into the remodel that no one likes.
But while the specifics of the Splash Mountain remodel may wrangle fans due to its blandness compared to what came before, the hostile reception the remodel is receiving speaks to a company that has lost its creative touch while desperately catering to the prevailing whims of political correctness.
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The Walt Disney Company is producing more films, shows, merchandise, and theme park attractions than it ever has. But interest in the company's products is declining because the quality of those products is declining. Last month, Disney CEO Bob Iger even acknowledged that the company is making a lot of bad movies and needs to focus on quality.
Ending the practice of remodeling beloved rides in mediocre fashion would be a good start.
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