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View Full Version : Do away with Splash Mountain



JTEMM66
03-28-2002, 10:59 AM
I am curious if people feel the same way I do? Here is my thinking. I have 4 children...three are old enough to understand things in general. I get plagued with the question...What movie does Splash Mountain come from? Most the rides tie into a movie or character of some sort....Would it make more sense to replace the Splash Mountain theme with say (Winnie the Pooh) instead? At least you have something to tie into the theme...What do you folks think?

mad4mky
03-28-2002, 11:10 AM
Well, this "folk" thinks this is going to be a long, heated thread...
;)

disneynut
03-28-2002, 11:29 AM
I like the Song of the South movie. I like seeing the characters from it and references to the movie in the ride. I guess I wouldn't overly mind them changing the theme of the ride but just not to Pooh. He is everywhere and I am so tired of him. Yes, I do wear Pooh clothes. Yes, my kids wear Pooh clothes (although my 4 y/o just informed me that Pooh is for babies and he's too old for him. :( Where do they come up with this stuff? :rolleyes: ). My kids nursery was done in Pooh. I guess that's just my point. Pooh is overmarketed and I love seeing characters you rarely see anymore. Just my .02.

marron-cream
03-28-2002, 11:55 AM
The problem of not knowing the storyline could be easily solved by releasing Song of the South on video! I know... "ooh, the scandal!" But if Europeans can handle it, Americans should be able to take it too.

innerSpaceman
03-28-2002, 11:56 AM
I was incredibly relieved when, in 1989, they opened Splash Mountain as an attraction actually based on a Disney movie as opposed to a Lucas movie. Song of the South may not be well known, as the company feels it's too politically incorrect to release on home vid in this country, but it is nonetheless a bona fide Disney classic.

As I don't think we need two Pooh rides within yards of one another, I say keep the Splash theme as Song of the South. If they are going to make some improvements in the storyline (as per rumour in Al's column this date), I'm hestitanly for that (improvement according to whom?) But as for changing the theme, no way.

Matterhorn Fan
03-28-2002, 12:14 PM
Did someone ask what movie Splash Mountain comes from?

As for improving the story line: apparently WDW's Splash Mountain (I don't think I went on it when I was there last time, so I don't know from experience, but I'm sure some WDW people will pop in and give us their $.02) has a storyline that you can actually follow. Disneyland's does not. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that they recycled most of the animatronics from the old America Sings attraction; I don't really know.

I'd like to see the storyline improved (as well as the side-by-side seating); I'd be more likely to ride it that way, even though it will never be my favorite mountain. :D

Releasing the movie in the US might help (I've only seen clips here and there--part of it is on the Disneyland DVD). On the other hand, there's nothing stopping us from reading the Uncle Remus stories that the movie was based on.

mad4mky
03-28-2002, 12:22 PM
Originally posted by Matterhorn Fan
Did someone ask what movie Splash Mountain comes from?

As for improving the story line: apparently WDW's Splash Mountain (I don't think I went on it when I was there last time, so I don't know from experience, but I'm sure some WDW people will pop in and give us their $.02) has a storyline that you can actually follow. Disneyland's does not. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that they recycled most of the animatronics from the old America Sings attraction; I don't really know.



Well, I wouldn't consider myself a WDW "people"...(I am more a Disneyland "people"...but I have been to WDW twice)...and my family all agrees....Splash Mountain at WDW is a much better attraction than DL's. My kids like the drop at Disneyland better...but the attraction itself, as a whole, WDW's is more detailed, with more action going on...and it seems longer.
I'm not knocking DL's mind you, we enjoy the ride. It always makes me happy, and I come out singing "zip-a-dee-do-dah" for the rest of the day.
I'm just stating that we did enjoy WDW's more.

hbquikcomjamesl
03-28-2002, 12:36 PM
Well, MY "doo-dah" is most definitely "zip-a-ed" :D At least, unless I have a defective "zip-a" that splits open (for which my suit pants are at the tailor even as I write this). ;)

But more to the point, it's my understanding that the Brer Rabbit stories existed in African-American folklore long before Joel Chandler Harris created the "Uncle Remus" character to bring them to white folks.

(Incidentally, if anybody feels a need to refer to me by my ethnicity, I do not consider myself "white"; rather, I prefer to be called a "Honkie" or a "Blue-Eyed Devil.")

Brown Monkey
03-28-2002, 01:01 PM
If they ever did change the theme of Splash Mountain to something else, then that would mean the song "Zip-a-dee-do-dah" would have to go too. I would be very upset if this happened! This song is known to be a Disney classic, regardless of whether or not you knew it came from an actual movie. I think that song alone is reason enough to not change anything, theme-wise. Keep Splash Mountain's theme just the way it is!

innerSpaceman
03-28-2002, 01:46 PM
Originally posted by Brown Monkey
If they ever did change the theme of Splash Mountain to something else, then that would mean the song "Zip-a-dee-do-dah" would have to go too.
Good point, and the rest of the great songs as well. Though everybody on the planet knows Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, how many were familiar with How Do Ya Do or Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place before Splash Mountain brought them back to the public consciousness?

As for the WDW version vs. the Anaheim version, well Viva La Difference!! Sure, the Florida Splash seems to have more "storyline" and sticks closer to the animated segments of the movie, but that does not necessarily make it any better. Florida's ride takes place in a blue-sky environment reminiscent of the Zip-a-dee-doo-dah number in the film. But I kinda like the dimmer, more mysterious and sometimes sinister settings in the California Splash. Let's not make ours a clone of Florida's and let's not make ours a Winnie the Pooh Two. It's bad enough that this classic log ride will no longer be ridden in classic log style. I say keep everything else as it is. Lately, Disney's idea of "improvements" tend to scare me.

JTEMM66
03-28-2002, 03:06 PM
Why is it only in America we have this big problem with Political Correctness. If you took a poll from most the population....they can probably handle the movie. It may not be politically correct but hey.....half the garbage i get forced to listen to would not be politically correct either....but you survive it.....I wouldn't want to rip down Splash Mountain either....I get sick of Pooh as well at times. I just think it is funny that a company that pushes political correctness in alot of its lame decisions it makes.....blatantly exploits being politically incorrect for any of us over probably age 30 to understand that have seen the movie....I just find it funny is all.