Even Disney theme parks aren’t immune from the onslaught of wokism.
In January, Disney is finally closing its iconic Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida (“The Magic Kingdom”), with the company’s bosses citing historical concerns in canning one of the parks’ most popular attractions.
The reason? Splash Mountain’s current theme draws inspiration from the 1946 Disney film “Song of the South,” which depicts life on a plantation after slavery’s abolition, according to Fox Business.
Disney’s returning CEO has previously singled out “Song of the South” as cause for concern.
“I’ve felt, as long as I’ve been CEO, that ‘Song of the South’ was – even with a disclaimer – was just not appropriate in today’s world,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in 2020, the year the company announced the change was coming, according to Fox Business.
That statement followed a 2019 petition on change.org demanding that “Splash Mountain” be changed. The petition drew just over 21,000 signatures. Considering that Florida’s Disneyworld alone draws about 58 million visitors a year, that’s a tiny number of complainers.
Iger returned as Disney’s CEO last month.
Admittedly, “Song of the South” hasn’t aged flawlessly.
The movie depicts the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War in a purely light-hearted manner, rather than as a period of American history with its own merits and negative developments.
Freed slaves who work as sharecroppers are depicted as having a jolly old time in the film, a portrayal at odds with the reality of life in the former Confederacy following emancipation.
However, the Splash Mountain ride has far greater appeal than the 1946 movie.
It’s probably safe to assume that most people who whisk through the watery, roller coaster-style float have neither the slightest care nor concern about a movie made nearly 80 years ago, nor a desire to discuss the nuances of Reconstruction in American history.
It might be a bit more reasonable to simply re-skin some of the references to “Song of the South” rather than redesign the entire attraction.
The ride is slated to be reopened as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on the 2009 Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog.” The movie features Disney’s first black princess, according to a CNN report from 2020.
The new ride will open sometime in 2024, according to Fox Business.
A petition to save Splash Mountain as it is received more than 94,000 signatures on change.org — more than four times as many signatures as the petition demanding the attraction be changed.
Yet Disney bent the knee to a few woke loudmouths.
“Splash Mountain is an iconic ride at Magic Kingdom, loved by millions of fans all over the world for over 30 years,” the petition states.
“Re-theming such an iconic ride would erode the nostalgia that lives in Disney World and take away a little bit of the magic.”
Disney is set to close Splash Mountain as it is on Jan. 23, according to Fox Business, leaving fans only weeks for a final chance to ride through the iconic attraction.
History isn’t always pretty — a phrase itself that could be applied to Disney’s 1946 film, as well as the move to cancel the far-more-popular ride itself.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
