There's A Petition For Disney To Re-Theme Splash Mountain Ride

As Walt Disney World and Disneyland's re-opening dates inch closer, fans of the parks are calling for the Disney Company to make a major change to one of the most beloved rides—Splash Mountain.

For those less familiar with the particulars of the Disney parks, Splash Mountain's theme pays tribute to the 1946 Disney movie Song of the South. If you've never heard of this film, you're not alone. Song of the South has been widely criticized for its racist themes, which is why the House of Mouse did not include the movie in the Disney+ library when the streaming service launched. Disney chief officer even told fans not to expect to see the movie available anywhere "for at least a while—if ever."

Though the ride overhauled much of what made the movie offensive, many Disney fans are pointing out that Splash Mountain is still promoting a racist film and calling for the theme to be overhauled. A Change.org petition has been created for the movement, as well. Not only are these fans calling for the ride to be updated, they've even suggested a new theme—Princess and the Frog.

“There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this could help fill that need,” the petition reads. “The framing of the ride is such that it could be easily changed to tell the story of Tiana while not compromising too much of the ride/costing a fortune in remodeling for Disney.”

Another petition calling for Disney to change Splash Mountain calls for more diversity in the parks. “It is imperative that the Disney Parks work on diversifying the representation in their parks,” the petition says.

While Disney hasn't commented on the campaign to change Splash Mountain, they have updated rides in the past to remove problematic elements. Back in 2018, Disney updated the Pirates of the Caribbean ride to remove a scene that depicted women being married to pirates against their will. They've also updated ride themes to include new intellectual property. In Disney California Adventure, Disney changed the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror into the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed Mission Breakout.

Photo: Getty