Disney World closed Splash Mountain after allegations of racism. Not everyone's happy.

This version of Disney World Closed Splash Mountain Allegations Racism Not Everyones H Rcna67203 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.

On TikTok, tribute videos to Splash Mountain had thousands of likes, and more than 70 containers of water purportedly swiped from the ride were up for sale on eBay.
Splash Mountain in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida in 2020. Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel via Getty Images file

Walt Disney World has closed its famous Splash Mountain water ride, the Magic Kingdom attraction that for years had been criticized for having racist roots. But not everyone was happy to see the ride go.

It closed Sunday, and by Tuesday, the TikTok hashtag #goodbyesplashmountain had attracted 1.6 million views. Somber tribute videos to the ride set to the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" — some of which claimed to show visitors’ last times riding its log boats over its waterfall with a 45-degree drop — had thousands of likes.

“I will miss you forever. Goodbye, Splash Mountain,” read the caption of a video that had more than 1,300 likes Tuesday afternoon.

Another video claims to show a two-plus-hour wait to board on the final day.

Other Disney devotees — some of whom are known as “Disney adults” — looked to capitalize on the ride’s closing by listing more than 70 bottles, Mason jars and plastic bags filled with what they claimed to be "Splash Mountain water" on eBay. Some sellers said they swiped the liquid during the ride's last days of operation.

The containers fetched dozens of bids, with some buyers offering to pay more than $50.

The closing of the 30-year-old ride — which Princess Diana visited in 1993 — follows years of calls for change because it features several characters from Disney's 1946 film "Song of the South," which featured racist stereotypes.

Princess Diana riding Splash Mountain at Disney's Magic Kingdom in 1993.
Princess Diana rides Splash Mountain at Disney's Magic Kingdom in 1993.Martin Keene / PA Images via Getty Images file

The film, set on a plantation, features an elderly Black man known as Uncle Remus who tells traditional African American folk tales to white children cared for by Black servants.

Walter White, the former executive secretary of the NAACP, said the film "helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery."

In March 2020, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger confirmed the film would not appear on the streaming service Disney+ and said it is “not appropriate in today’s world,” Deadline reported.

That June, Disney announced Splash Mountain would be “reimagined” as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on Disney’s first Black princess, featured in the 2009 film “The Princess and the Frog."

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park, in Anaheim, California, in 2024. (It was not immediately clear when Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park closed.)

“The new concept is inclusive — one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year,” Disney said in 2020 when it announced the new feature.

The website for Tokyo Disneyland does not indicate whether or when its Splash Mountain ride will close. A representative for Walt Disney World did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday.

A Change.org petition created three years ago that decried Splash Mountain’s racist imagery and demanded it be replaced with a ride dedicated to “The Princess and the Frog” garnered more than 21,000 signatures.

"While the ride is considered a beloved classic it’s history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes from the 1946 film Song of the South," the petition says.

A counter-petition "To Save Splash Mountain" has attracted more than 99,000 signatures.

"Splash Mountain has never included depictions of slaves or any racist elements and is based solely on historical African folktales that families of all ethnicities have been enjoying for nearly a century," that petition says. "It is absurd to pander to a small group of ‘Disney haters’ that dont understand the story, and re-theme such a nostalgic ride."

Splash Mountain is no stranger to controversy: In 2018, it made headlines when Walt Disney World banned a man who rode it while holding up a "Trump 2020" sign.

Dion Cini holds a Trump 2020 banner at Walt Disney World. The image was blurred by the source.
Dion Cini holds a Trump 2020 banner at Walt Disney World. The image was blurred by the source.Courtesy Dion Cini
AdBlock Detected!
Please disable it to support our content.
×

Related Articles

Donald Trump Presidency Updates - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Joe Biden Campaign News - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Kamala Harris Vp Announcement - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Trump Indictment Latest - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Election Results Live - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Swing States Polling - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Debate Highlights - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Budget Approval 2025 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Abortion Ruling - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Us China Relations - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Inflation Rates 2025 Analysis - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Federal Reserve Interest Rates - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Stock Market Today - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Recession Prediction 2025 - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Jobs Report Unemployment - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Ai Stock Surge - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Housing Market Crash - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Oil Prices Update - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Amazon Prime Sales - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Bitcoin Etf Approval - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Latest Vaccine Developments - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Covid Variants Update - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Boosters New Guidelines - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Anxiety Depression Treatment - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Longevity Research - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Diet Trends 2025 - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Workout Routines - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Fda Approvals 2025 - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Ukraine Russia Conflict Updates - World News | NBC News Clone | Israel Palestine War News - World News | NBC News Clone | China Taiwan Tensions - World News | NBC News Clone | Middle East Peace Talks - World News | NBC News Clone | European Union Politics - World News | NBC News Clone | Development News - World News | NBC News Clone | North Korea Missile Test - World News | NBC News Clone | Brazil Election - World News | NBC News Clone | Openai Chatgpt News - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Google Bard Ai - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Ai Regulation Laws - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Tiktok Ban Update - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Data Breaches 2025 - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Iphone 16 Release - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Nasa Mars Mission - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Web3 Developments - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | 2024 Paris Games Highlights - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Super Bowl 2025 Preview - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Nba Playoffs 2025 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Champions League Finals - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | World Series 2025 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Masters Tournament 2025 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Extreme Weather Events - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Hurricane Season 2025 - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Global Warming Report - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Weekly Weather Update - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Earthquake Alerts - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Solar Storm Warning - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Hollywood Updates - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Oscar Nominations 2025 - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Grammy Awards 2025 - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Netflix New Releases - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Video Game Releases - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Bestseller List - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Government Transparency - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Political Corruption - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Big Tech Monopoly - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Data Privacy Scandal - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Community Stories - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone | Nyc Mayor News - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone | La Wildfires Update - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone | Hurricane Preparedness - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone