Disney World will permanently close this beloved but controversial ride in 2023
Just over two years after activists demanded that Disney remove Splash Mountain from Walt Disney World due to the ride's roots in a 1946 film with racist stereotypes, the company announced Friday that it would replace the merry-go-round by another focused on the company's first. black princess, Tiana.
Courtesy business.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure.Disney has announced that it will be retiring the ride from Disneyland California at a date to be announced.
Splash Mountain, which opened at the park in 1989, will close in 2023 and be replaced by a new ride called "Tiana's Bayou Adventure." The ride will feature new and old characters from The Princess and the Frog, a 2009 film that follows Tiana's magical adventures around New Orleans.
The new ride will open in 2024 at both parks, the company added.
Tiana's ride is "emblematic of what we always strive for with our attractions: to bring people of different backgrounds together through timeless Disney stories," wrote Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development, in a blog post.
Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, activists started a Change.org petition calling on Disney to redo Splash Mountain and focus a new attraction on Tiana.
Splash Mountain is the origin of the classic Disney "ride" photo. It's been a popular ride for decades, for its sometimes soaking ride and high drops.
The ride features characters from a 1946 Disney film Song of the South, which was criticized for racist stereotyping and framing, including when a black man, in a southern fictionalized after the Civil War to a point, recalls that things were better "a long time ago", according to The Guardian.
Following the petition, the company announced in June 2020 that year that it would replace Splash Mountain with a ride focused on Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog, which made its debut in 2009.
“The new concept is inclusive: one with which all of our customers can connect and be inspired, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year,” the company wrote in an article by blog. at the time.
The announcement comes as the company faces an onslaught of criticism over rising ticket and park prices, CEO changes and a stock loss of about 40% this year.
Related: Disney Fans Slam CEO Bob Chapek After More Park Price Hikes
In Tiana's film, she's a hardworking waitress in New Orleans who wants to open her own restaurant, ends up throwing a ball, then kisses a prince in frog form, who then turns her into a frog.
The company said the ride picks up at the end of the film and allows passengers to join Tiana on a journey to “prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration for the people of New Orleans.”
p>Like the film, the ride will focus on New Orleans, Louisiana culture and Mardi Gras, an annual carnival-like celebration just before Lent that includes colorful masks, parades and balls.< /p>
The ride will also involve Zydeco music, which was created by people of Afro-Caribbean descent and mixed with French Louisiana culture.
"We wanted that spirit to be reflected in this scene (and throughout the...
Just over two years after activists demanded that Disney remove Splash Mountain from Walt Disney World due to the ride's roots in a 1946 film with racist stereotypes, the company announced Friday that it would replace the merry-go-round by another focused on the company's first. black princess, Tiana.
Courtesy business.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure.Disney has announced that it will be retiring the ride from Disneyland California at a date to be announced.
Splash Mountain, which opened at the park in 1989, will close in 2023 and be replaced by a new ride called "Tiana's Bayou Adventure." The ride will feature new and old characters from The Princess and the Frog, a 2009 film that follows Tiana's magical adventures around New Orleans.
The new ride will open in 2024 at both parks, the company added.
Tiana's ride is "emblematic of what we always strive for with our attractions: to bring people of different backgrounds together through timeless Disney stories," wrote Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development, in a blog post.
Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, activists started a Change.org petition calling on Disney to redo Splash Mountain and focus a new attraction on Tiana.
Splash Mountain is the origin of the classic Disney "ride" photo. It's been a popular ride for decades, for its sometimes soaking ride and high drops.
The ride features characters from a 1946 Disney film Song of the South, which was criticized for racist stereotyping and framing, including when a black man, in a southern fictionalized after the Civil War to a point, recalls that things were better "a long time ago", according to The Guardian.
Following the petition, the company announced in June 2020 that year that it would replace Splash Mountain with a ride focused on Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog, which made its debut in 2009.
“The new concept is inclusive: one with which all of our customers can connect and be inspired, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year,” the company wrote in an article by blog. at the time.
The announcement comes as the company faces an onslaught of criticism over rising ticket and park prices, CEO changes and a stock loss of about 40% this year.
Related: Disney Fans Slam CEO Bob Chapek After More Park Price Hikes
In Tiana's film, she's a hardworking waitress in New Orleans who wants to open her own restaurant, ends up throwing a ball, then kisses a prince in frog form, who then turns her into a frog.
The company said the ride picks up at the end of the film and allows passengers to join Tiana on a journey to “prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration for the people of New Orleans.”
p>Like the film, the ride will focus on New Orleans, Louisiana culture and Mardi Gras, an annual carnival-like celebration just before Lent that includes colorful masks, parades and balls.< /p>
The ride will also involve Zydeco music, which was created by people of Afro-Caribbean descent and mixed with French Louisiana culture.
"We wanted that spirit to be reflected in this scene (and throughout the...
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