Iconic Disneyland ride Splash Mountain has closed for good

Disney has confirmed that the iconic ride Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland has now shut down permanently.

But fans of the log flume ride needn't worry too much, as parks will be retaining a log flume, but it will be reworked to a new theme.

The ride already closed in Disney World back in January to allow for renovations to be carried out, with some visitors going as far as trying to bottle water from the ride that they could then sell.

Pixabay

Splash Mountain was themed on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South, a movie set in the reconstruction era immediately after the US Civil War.

It was widely criticised both upon its release and since for its romanticisation of southern plantations and racist characterisations of Black characters.

Disney CEO Bob Igor confirmed in a 2020 shareholders' meeting that the film would not be available to stream on Disney+, even with a disclaimer at the front, which feature on many early Disney works, saying the flick was 'not appropriate in today's world'.

A number of petitions had also been submitted online to change the theme of the ride to a different part of the Disney canon. One petition read: "While the ride is considered a beloved classic, its history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes from the 1946 film Song of the South. There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this could help fill that need."

Melvyn Longhurst/Alamy

Work is now underway on the various iterations of Splash Mountain to rework it and replaced it with 'Tiana’s Bayou Adventure', themed around the 2009 Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.

The refurbishment has been in the works since 2020, and the new ride is scheduled to open in 2024.

A statement from Disney said the new ride will be 'one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by'.

It added that Tiana's Bayou Adventure 'speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year'.

The new ride will see the return of several beloved characters, including Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis the Alligator, and Mama Odie. Many voice actors from the movie will also reprise their roles for the ride.

A preview of the ride reveals that visitors will travel through the bayou while they prepare a celebration for Mardi Gras.