SPLASH
a Minnesota man who died after being pinned to the ground by a police officer. Protests about racial inequality have grown since that and other incidents.
At Disney World, the attraction includes animatronics representing Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Bear, cavern scenes, singing bullfrogs, vultures and a dramatic drop that splashes observers on dry land. That’s followed by a finale with more characters, a riverboat and the film’s Oscarwinning song “Zip-A-DeeDoo-Dah.”
“The Princess and the Frog,” a Disney animated film released in 2009, is set in 1920s New Orleans and revolves around Tiana, a frog-kissing waitress with a dream. She is considered Disney’s first African-American princess.
Elantrice Hughley, a Disney World annual passholder, said she had seen the petitions calling for the change and initially wasn’t happy with the idea of taking over the Splash Mountain space.
“Splash Mountain has a certain history where it’s coming from. … Give Tiana something new,” said Hughley, who runs an Instagram account called Diz Thru Brown Eyes, which spotlights merchandising.
“The exciting part of it is she’s getting the recognition that she deserves,” she said.
Charita Carter, an AfricanAmerican Imagineer, is the senior creative producer leading the project.
“I think Miss Carter will do it beyond justice,” Hughley said. Carter was creative producer for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a ride that debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in March.
“I imagine it is going to be beautiful,” Hughley said. “I am going to ride — probably several times.”
Anika Noni Rose, the actress who gave voice to Tiana in the film, said in a post on the official Disney Parks Blog that she looked forward to the new theme.
“I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us the Princess and the Frog Mardi Gras celebration we’ve been waiting for, and I’m here for it.”
The storyline of the revamped ride will take place after the events of the film, Disney says.
“We pick-up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis [a trumpetplaying alligator] on a musical adventure — featuring some of the powerful music from the film — as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance,” the blog post says.
The Tiana and Prince Naveen characters have been seen in Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy parade and in “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire,” a stage show at the base of Cinderella Castle. The couple has done meet-and-greets with park visitors. “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee,” a musical production, had a short-term run in Frontierland in 2009.
John Saccheri, who runs a theme parks fan site called Big Fat Panda, said he didn’t like the “oppressive undertones” of the current ride.
“I am not that attached to those characters that I want to continue to have people be hurt,” he said.
“It wasn’t a laughing place for everyone,” Saccheri said. “And if Disney can create it so that it would be a magical place for everyone, I think that’s great.”
No date has been announced for the Splash Mountain makeover, and the ride will operate in its current state when Magic Kingdom reopens to the public on July 11, a Disney World spokeswoman said.
“I’m at the point where I’m, like, can we get the merchandise now?” Hughley said of the coming Tiana attraction. “I can wait on riding.”