It’s been well over a year now since Disney first announced the ever-so-popular Splash Mountain attraction in Magic Kingdom would be reimagined to The Princess and The Frog theme. When the news broke on June 25, 2020, the response from Disney fans seemed about a 50/50 split as many Disney fans wish the iconic attraction would remain the same, while others are all for the removal of the Song of the South elements. Fan petitions went out in favor of the attraction’s reimagining while another went against any changes. And after a year plus now, we have yet to see any changes in Splash Mountain.
Last fall, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products shared the company’s new approaches to operations and inclusion in the wake of 2020 via a keynote session of IAAPA Expo Virtual Education Conference. One key note included was that the reimagining of Splash Mountain has been expedited. With new information however from Disney’s Vice President of Magic Kingdom, it looks like the attraction reimagining may still be farther off than we suspected, noting that the revamping of Splash Mountain is going to take a little time.
As reported by OrlandoSentinel: “Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Magic Kingdom, talks with Orlando Sentinel tourism reporter Dewayne Bevil about upcoming changes at the Disney World park. Melissa dishes on the golden vibe guests can expect at the 50th-anniversary celebration, including “Disney Enchantment,” the new nighttime spectacular, and the 50 golden character statues spread across Disney World’s four theme parks. She also discusses Tron, Jungle Cruise and the revamping of Splash Mountain. Melissa asks for some patience as Splash Mountain transitions from “Song of the South” theme to “The Princess and the Frog,” “Our Guests are going to have to put a little bit of trust into us for a bit because we promise not to let you down. We’re going to deliver a wonderful attraction that is inspiring and beautiful and worthy of this princess, Princess Tiana.”
