He watches: Splash Mountain changes amid controversy
Disney fans said goodbye this week to the popular Splash Mountain attraction, which officially closed on Wednesday, May 31, the company confirmed to ABC News.
company He said In April that the last day of operation of the flight will be May 30, 2023.
Disney announced in 2020 that the Splash Mountain ride at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort would be rethemed into The Adventures of Tiana Bayou, to reflect the story of the 2009 film “The Princess and the Frog”.
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“In many ways, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a love letter to New Orleans,” Charita Carter, executive producer of related activities for Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a December 2022 statement. The act is about a community working in harmony to achieve something extraordinary. She reminds us of an abiding truth we can all relate to: “If you do your best every day, good things are sure to come your way.” And this is a tune we can all sing along to! ”
Disney announced in December that Anika Noni Rose, who voiced Princess Tiana, would reprise her role in Gravity, along with Jennifer Lewis (Mama Odie), Michael Lyon and Woolley (Lewis).
The ride will officially reopen in late 2024 at Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort, and at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.
Splash Mountain, which was first introduced at Disneyland in 1989, featured characters from the controversial 1946 animated film “Song of the South,” which was set during Reconstruction and has long been criticized for its racist and demeaning portrayal of blacks, as well as for creating A false narrative surrounding nineteenth-century culture in the South.
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“We are constantly evaluating opportunities to enhance and elevate experiences for all of our guests,” said Carmen Smith, executive officer of creative development and overall strategies at The Walt Disney Imagineering, in a statement released in 2020, after announcing the new ride. “It is important that our guests can see themselves in the experiences we create. Because we consider ourselves lifelong learners, we do everything we can to research and engage cultural advisors and other experts to help guide us along the way. Proud to see this work continue to move forward with great support from leadership across Disney”.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News.
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