The following article is based on rumor and back-channel discussions. No public announcement has been made by The Walt Disney Company in regards to Splash Mountain and its timeline for changes. Planned activities and actions often change before completion. Please treat the following information as rumor and regard it appropriately:
It must be an interesting time at Walt Disney Imagineering and especially with the denizens of the Story Matters group. What I’m hearing from various sources is that it’s not a fun time, that’s for sure. Why? Well, let’s just pretend for a moment that you’re Scott Trowbridge. He’s the Imagineer for Disney who has worked very closely with Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm to develop both Galaxy’s Edge and the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Specifically, Trowbridge was heavily involved in the development of Smuggler’s Run, a ride which many would declare a failure. Even those who would give the glorified easy-mode video game a passing grade would be hard-pressed to say much positive about his work on Galactic Starcruiser. So if you’re Scott Trowbridge and your bosses are realizing that the hotel you just helped create is an “unmitigated disaster” (source’s statement, not mine… I called it “abominable”), do you think they might be hesitant about your Splash Mountain plans?
If you said “yes”, you win the prize!
Let’s get right to the headline. I’m hearing from various sources that Disney executives are deeply concerned about the response to Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. They’re concerned about the cancellations. They’re concerned about the internal tests for the hotel which were allegedly “not good”. And so, the people who have been heading up these decisions, who had also been placed in charge of the Splash Mountain transformation into Princess and the Frog, are under far more scrutiny than they would have been otherwise. I’m told that doesn’t include Charita Carter, who worked on MIckey’s Runaway Railroad and is held in high regard.
Scott Trowbridge, the Imagineer who helmed the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge expansions on both coasts, is also involved in the Princess and the Frog project according to his Twitter. — Rotoscopers.com
Various sources over the past 48 hours have told me that “higher ups” have decided to hold off on Splash Mountain changes. The ride which is based on African American slave folklore, connected with Disney’s controversial Song of the South film, was to be transformed into a Tiana overlay. But with Splash Mountain being one of the most popular rides on either coast, and especially popular at Florida’s Magic Kingdom, the fear that poorly performed Imagineers might inadvertently tank the popularity of an attraction may have Disney rethinking much of the prior plan. Is that to say that they won’t go through with the changes at all? No. But it is to say that I’m now hearing that Splash Mountain will not see major changes until a 2024-25 window. That will allow for an alleged “internal review” of the plans which had been under development. So no, Splash Mountain is not being changed this year at either park.
The effort to change Splash Mountain is a major project pushed by Carmen Smith, the person behind much of the “cultural sensitivity” and inclusion alterations at Disney Parks. The effort itself is controversial. The film from which the ride draws inspiration is also the first film to result in an African American man winning an Oscar (James Baskett). The ride is based on authentic African slave folklore. Switching the ride to Princess and the Frog is essentially a Disney-derived, modern twist that features an African American princess. While it’s clearly obvious that people of all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds should be represented and appreciated, it’s not been obvious that the Splash Mountain changes achieve this. A petition to save Splash Mountain dwarfed petitions to change it.
As I talked about yesterday, things are changing at Disney. New executives and leaders in the company are eager for investment results, not necessarily for divisive decision-making. The company is keenly aware that it is losing customers in important ways, whether that is with the Star Wars franchise, Disney+, or in other important areas. While I expect that Splash Mountain changes will occur eventually, it does seem that Disney is ready to pause and walk on egg shells a bit with this one.
The good news for all of you: Splash Mountain is likely to still be available for you to ride at least one more time on your next visit. And the fact that this is “good news” tells you everything you need to know about how popular this change is likely to be. In my humble opinion, Disney would be far betters served by building an entirely new (and fantastic) Princess and the Frog ride, while providing historical information about the origins of the myths and folk stories that found their way into Song of the South and Splash Mountain. It may seem strange, but Bre’r Rabbit is the most authentic African folklore anywhere in the Disney Parks.
Let us know what you think the comments below. Do you want Splash Mountain changed? If so, why? And please keep checking out the articles here at That Park Place… we absolutely appreciate you taking the time!
