Growing up, Splash Mountain was an odd ride. Whereas most of Disneyland I was able to recognize, the theme behind that one eluded me as a child. It wasn’t until years later that I realized the real reason why. The Song of the South is an infamous live-action/animated hybrid film that was released in 1946. In the decades since, it was been widely recognized as a racist piece of cinema, and as such, has virtually been out of print for many years. I’ve never seen the film in its entirety myself.

But given its tumultuous history, it’s odd that Splash Mountain was never retooled to another less controversial film. For many years, there wasn’t necessarily a movie that could take over for the long-running ride. And then The Princess and the Frog came out. The 2009 film, while not a financial hit, was a critically-praised movie, and seemed like the perfect candidate to take over Splash Mountain.

And yet, over a decade has passed with no action. Now, this morning, it was announced that Disneyland would FINALLY be retheming Splash Mountain. As expected, the world reflected would be that of The Princess and the Frog.

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“It is really exciting to know that Princess Tiana’s presence in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized!” the voice of Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose, said. “As passionate as I am about what we created, I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us ‘The Princess and the Frog’ Mardi Gras celebration we’ve been waiting for, and I’m here for it!”

“Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures,” Carita Carter, senior creative producer leading the project at Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”

And think, it only took the country nearly exploding for Disneyland to finally make the change. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad it happened. But it’s insane how much stuff needed to happen before it got done. 

Regardless, I think this is a great step in the right direction, and I’ll be interested to check out the ride for myself whenever the world eventually gets back to normal. 

How do you feel about Disneyland finally changing Splash Mountain? Sound off in the comments down below!

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SOURCE: Disney Parks Blog