Disney’s Splash Mountain ride is getting a major makeover at its Disneyland and Walt Disney World locations.
On Thursday, Disney announced its plans to reimagine the beloved log flume ride, which has been a park staple since its Disneyland opening date in 1989 and the Magic Kingdom unveiling in 1992 and is based on the controversial 1946 film Song of the South.
Instead, Splash Mountain will be re-themed to star characters from The Princess and the Frog, transporting guests into the world of the 2009 animated film set in 1920s New Orleans and features Disney’s first Black princess, Princess Tiana.
Disney’s decision comes after over 20,000 fans signed a petition urging the park to re-theme the ride. In the petition, fans called for change because the ride is “steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes” from Song of the South, which features portrayals of the antebellum South. Petitioners also noted that The Princess and the Frog “has very little representation in the parks” and pushed Disney to “remove the offensive stereotypical” theme and add “a much needed diversity to the parks.”
