Former Walt Disney Imagineer Kathy Mangum is expressing regret over one of Disneyland’s most beloved attractions, calling Tony Baxter’s Splash Mountain a “horrible idea” more than three decades after helping create it.
Unfortunately for Mangum, decades of Disney theme park history tell a very different story.
According to an October 21 report from the Orange County Register, Mangum discussed her 42-year Imagineering career on former Imagineering President Bob Weis’ Dream Chasing podcast, singling out Splash Mountain as one of her greatest regrets.
I knew building Splash Mountain based on a movie we would not show was not a great idea,” Mangum declared. “It was a horrible idea.”
She also expressed embarrassment over participating in the project.
“I’m not proud of that,” Mangum admitted. “I wouldn’t do it today. Neither would Disney, but we did it.
What an extraordinary way to dismiss one of the most successful attractions in Disney history.
Tony Baxter Created a Disney Masterpiece
There’s a reason Tony Baxter is a Disney Legend, and his name is practically synonymous with the golden age of modern Imagineering.
Baxter’s accomplishments include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Journey into Imagination, Star Tours, Indiana Jones Adventure, and the transformation of Disneyland’s Fantasyland.
And then there’s Splash Mountain.
Splash Mountain via 4K WDW YouTube
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Originally conceived in 1983, Baxter’s attraction ingeniously solved multiple problems simultaneously. It brought a major thrill ride to an underutilized section of Disneyland while preserving dozens of Audio-Animatronics figures from the closing America Sings attraction.
The result was a spectacular combination of storytelling, music, technology, and thrills.
When Splash Mountain opened in 1989, it featured more than 100 animated characters, elaborate show scenes, memorable music, and a breathtaking final plunge.
It proved so successful that Disney constructed additional versions at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland.
That’s not a horrible idea. That’s exceptional Imagineering that entertained guests for decades.
Splash Mountain Was Not Song of the South
Mangum’s criticism hinges on the attraction’s connection to Disney’s controversial 1946 film Song of the South.
But this argument conveniently ignores an important distinction.
Splash Mountain wasn’t a recreation of the film’s live-action plantation storyline. It was a whimsical adventure featuring Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear.
Br’er Rabbit in Song of the South (1946), Walt Disney Productions
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Guests weren’t experiencing any of the so-called controversial elements of the movie. They were enjoying a timeless tale about a clever rabbit outsmarting his adversaries.
Baxter himself addressed this distinction during a 2023 interview.
“There was nothing in the ride that in any way was detrimental to anybody,” he explained, adding that the controversy concerned the film rather than the attraction itself.
Mangum apparently disagrees, even recalling discomfort during the recording of Br’er Fox’s dialogue. But personal discomfort doesn’t retroactively transform a beloved attraction into a creative failure.
Disney Should Celebrate Its Legends, Not Rewrite Their Achievements
Mangum also praised Disney’s decision to replace the American versions of Splash Mountain with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, calling it “the right thing.”
She’s entitled to that opinion.
But there’s something deeply disappointing about watching a former Imagineer publicly diminish an attraction that entertained generations of families.
Mangum contributed to several impressive Disney projects, including Cars Land and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Her career deserves recognition.
Legendary Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter – YouTube, Fandom Productions
Nevertheless, Tony Baxter’s legacy speaks for itself.
His attractions defined generations of Disney experiences, and Splash Mountain remains an extraordinary example of what Imagineering accomplished when storytelling and innovation took priority.
Thirty-four years after Disneyland opened Baxter’s masterpiece, Disney closed it. That decision cannot erase what he created.
Kathy Mangum may regret helping build Splash Mountain, but millions of Disney fans have every reason to remember it differently.
How do you feel about Splash Mountain? Sound off and let us know!
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