Disney has confirmed it will change the theme of the ride Splash Mountain after a petition called it “racist” and "problematic" given that it's based on the 1946 film Song of the South.
Song of the South has long-been viewed as one of Disney’s most controversial films due to its stereotypical representations of black people and that way it romanticises the pre-civil war South.
The film, which was never released on home video in the US, is not available to stream on Disney+ due to its “outdated cultural depictions,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in March.
The Splash Mountain attraction, which is located at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, first opened in 1989 and features the film’s animated characters Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear, as well as the movie’s best-known song Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.
As people in the US and around the world continue to protest racism, more than 21,000 people signed a petition requesting Disney to change the theme of the ride.
Now, the company has announced that it will overhaul the ride so that is no longer based on Song of the South.
In a statement shared on Thursday, Disney revealed that it had been working on changing the theme of Splash Mountain since last year and that the new version of the ride will be inspired by the 2009 film, The Princess and the Frog, which featured Disney’s first black princess, Tiana.
“Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined,” the statement reads.
“The theme is inspired by an all-time favourite animated Disney film, The Princess and the Frog. We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.
“Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou.”
The statement added that in 1966, Walt Disney himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new “land” added to Disneyland park.
“So it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of The Princess and the Frog to our parks,” it said.
Charita Carter, the senior creative producer leading the project to re-theme the ride commented: “Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures. I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”
