So Long Splash Mountain

Today, Disney announced that the iconic attraction Splash Mountain would be re-themed at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and in its place, will be a new ride based upon the animated film "The Princess and the Frog."  According to Disney Parks Blog, the ride will pickup where the movie left off as Louis and Tiana prepare for their first Mardi Gras performance.  

OK let's get a few things out of the way.  There is rampant speculation on the inter webs that this is being done after a petition was started a couple of weeks back to re-theme Splash Mountain to a Princess and the Frog attraction and that Disney "caved" to pressure to make the attraction more politically correct.  Disney Imagineering announced that this project has been in the works for the past year.  

Beyond the desire to distance themselves from the legacy of Song of the South, Disney is notorious for always looking to reimagine and innovate.  Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was a beloved attraction at Walt Disney World, but even that ride wasn't irreplaceable.  Disney Parks have also seen an infusion of Disney IP into the parks (can you say Frozen Ever After?)  Princess and the Frog is arguably the most popular Disney princess films without its own attraction (and yes, we can talk about Rapunzel getting a bathroom as well).  The new attraction can utilize the exact same ride system with new and enhanced animatronics and effects to create an incredible experience.  

The one question is how this ride will fit into the theming at Walt Disney World.  At Disneyland, Splash Mountain sits adjacent to New Orleans Square in Critter Country.  A Mardi Gras/New Orleans styled attraction will fit perfectly.  But over at Walt Disney World, Splash Mountain sits squarely in the middle of Frontierland right next to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  It will be interesting to see how Imagineers blend this together.  

Let us know what you think about New Adventures with Princess Tiana coming to Disney Parks in the future.