There has been a lot of drama in the Disney community this week, and it’s all because of one theme park ride closing. Splash Mountain is not going away forever, but instead getting rethemed from featuring characters from Song of the South to Princess and the Frog. Splash Mountain was my favorite ride at Disneyland when I was a kid. It was the log flume at its peak form, with incredible animatronics and an epic 5-story drop. Even though I have a lot of nostalgia for it, I support the retheme. In hindsight, it is bizarre that Disney decided to do an attraction involving Song of the South in the late 80s. The Imagineers tried so hard to de-emphasize the casual Reconstruction-era southern racism that is prominent during the live-action scenes of the movie. Most people who rode Splash Mountain had no idea about the racist source material because Disney had ensured it would never get a DVD release. They were aware that Song of the South was dated, but they went along with the theme park tie-in anyways. 

Whether you’re happy or sad about the retheme, at least you’ll be able to ride Splash Mountain by this time next year. If you need something to do in the meantime, these Disney memes are here for you!