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Disney’s making waves after announcing its iconic Splash Mountain ride will be re-themed after the studio’s first Black princess in “The Princess and the Frog.”
The Mouse House announced Thursday its Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort parks will overhaul Splash Mountain — which opened in 1989 — and tell the story of the studio’s first Black princess from the 2009 animated film.
Disney said, “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.”
Disney says this has been in the plans since year and maybe even longer. So, why the change? It has everything to do with Splash Mountain’s connection to a racist 1946 film, “Song of the South,” which has been criticized for years for its depictions of Southern Black men and how it nostalgically views the antebellum South.
In fact, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger has said in the past the film “is not appropriate in today’s world.” The film has also never been made available on VHS, DVD nor on the streaming platform Disney+.
Disney has not given a timeline on when these changes will take place.