Over two years after its permanent closure, Walt Disney World Resort has removed the final traces of Splash Mountain from Magic Kingdom Park.
Splash Mountain closed at Magic Kingdom Park in January 2023 to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Princess and the Frog (2009) retheme officially opened in Frontierland in June 2024, and the Disneyland Park version followed in November. The log flume track remained unchanged, but the controversial Song of the South (1946) storyline disappeared. Instead of encountering Br’er Rabbit and friends, guests help Princess Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) and Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) gather musicians for a New Orleans-style celebration.
The Splash Mountain retheme is one the most controversial Disney Parks changes in recent years. Many Disney Parks fans were happy to see a more inclusive attraction replace one based on a widely banned, racist film. Others felt a beloved decades-old ride shouldn’t be scrubbed from the theme parks. Despite the complaints, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort went ahead with the transformation. Only one version of the original Splash Mountain attraction remains at Tokyo Disney Resort.
In the months since Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened at Magic Kingdom Park, some attraction merchandise featured a hidden tribute to Splash Mountain. Log flume toys and a 3D picture frame sold at the Critter Co-Op store featured the old version of the Splash Mountain log, including a wooden Br’er Rabbit head at the front of the vehicle.
Initial merchandise and concept art for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure sparked rumors that Disney wouldn’t remove Br’er Rabbit from the attraction vehicles. However, the decorations disappeared when the Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park attractions opened. Now, Disney is removing the tribute from the attraction merchandise.
According to WDWNT, Walt Disney World Resort has begun to phase out the Br’er Rabbit head from the toy logs and the 3D picture frame. While some versions of the merchandise with Br’er Rabbit remain for sale, these appear to be leftover from old shipments. Fans hoping to snag the old versions should hurry to Critter Co-Op before they disappear altogether.
The last remaining Splash Mountain tribute at Walt Disney World Resort is in the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue. Fox, frog, rabbit, and bear figurines sit on a shelf in a prop kitchen area, subtly referencing Br’er Fox, Br’er Frog, Br’er Rabbit, and Br’er Bear. A nearby riverboat figurine also resembles the one in Splash Mountain’s finale scene.
Have you ridden Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom Park or Disneyland Park? In the comments, share your thoughts on the retheme with Inside the Magic!
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