The History of Disney's Most Controversial Attraction - Splash Mountain 

The whole Splash Mountain + Tiana’s Bayou Adventure debacle really rattled me. I used to be those people that kept saying that Splash and Song of The South was racist af even though I have never watched the film. Now, I have watched clips of it and I could understand why people see it as racist, but I feel like saying its racist is a far stretch, I would say its more vague in where and when the story is taking place. Also the Brer animals are so silly and I love them.

I think it’s important to mention that although Disney did claim that they’re retheming the ride due to controversy, and I do think that played a part in the decision, if you look at the facts it’s pretty clear it was just because the ride was old. IIRC the splash mountain animatronics were the oldest in the park (at least in Disneyland) and needed to be replaced. The ride needed a massive overhaul, controversy or no, and Disney just took the opportunity to score some points with their younger more socially conscious audience and promote a more recent and popular movie rather than a 70 year old controversial film they don’t want people to know even exists.

Hate to see the original splash mountain go. Great video on the history though.

Anyway Splash Mountain formerly at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and currently at Tokyo Disneyland is based on Disney’s 1946 live action/animated film Song of the South

This is a personal opinion of mine, but I think Tony Baxter was thinking of Tales of the Okefenokee from Six Flags over Georgia when he was brainstorming about the Bear Country ride.

Tis a shame i never got to ride it as ive only ever been with my grandparents so the rides had to remain "tame"

Great video! Rode it many times but never knew the history of the ride.

Hopefully after WDI gets rid of the employees that are sabotaging the company’s growth, they can remake Song of the South and retheme the god-awful Tiana’s Bayou Adventure back into Splash Mountain.

Fun fact me and Sam the eagle get drinks every 4th of July

I loved splash mountain so sad

Splash Mountain was never meant to be controversial! Niether was the film, Song of the South!

Question 🙋‍♀️, why is Splash Mountain Disney’s most controversial attraction?

(This comment is so random and doesn't necessarily talk about the video. It's more on the characters. Sorry 🥲) Tbh I do kinda understand why it had to go but I've actually grown kinda obsessed with the Br'ers 😭 there are some other cartoons of them (not the Disney versions ofc) and some of them actually do some of the other stories from the books. There is another cartoon special about Christmas where Brer Fox is basically Ebenezer Scrooge LOL. I also find it funny how Disney has influenced them to always put Brer Fox and Brer bear together when Brer wolf shows up with brer Fox way more in the books. Disney really wanted a popular Bear character. (Probably because of the big bad wolf already was popular back then) in that Christmas cartoon Brer Wolf is mentioned to be dead so- (there is also apparently a cartoon about the 4th of july but I think it's lost) Universal Studios also took a crack at the brer characters in a 2006 movie called 'The adventures of Brer Rabbit' and Brer Wolf was finally Brer Fox's partner just like in the books. I'm so sorry for my weird comment. I should probably stop typing now before I write a whole essay.(i also saw that you said that you really liked the brer characters in the replies so I got super happy that someone else said that they like them and not just the ride itself) I so wish they weren't tied to such a controversial Movie. I really enjoy liking things publicly but I know some people will probably get mad and say I'm racist or I'm a bad person for liking it (I'm half African American 💀) I honestly feel like Disney should just own up to the movie already.