Rumors point to Disney giving Splash Mountain overhaul the second-class treatment [View all]

When scaffolding began rising around Splash Mountain in recent weeks, it renewed interest in the upcoming reimagining of the classic attraction. Last year’s announcement by Disney that the problematic Song of the South theme would be removed, replaced by the Princess and the Frog, came as a welcome surprise after pushes to see the change had existed for years.

The move was widely lauded as an indication of the type of decisions necessary to ensure theme parks become more welcoming places.

Within weeks of the announcement, there were already indications that things at Disney may not be as set in stone as they had let on. The first clue that this project was unlike previous ones was the lack of concept art released with the announcement. With few details on what to expect on the ten-minute-long log flume attraction nor when it was scheduled to debut, speculation began that maybe the attraction had been greenlit before all aspects of it had been decided. Also missing from the announcement were any details of what would happen to the Tokyo version.

In a wide-reaching post on the WDW Forums, The Visionary Soul, a noted insider known for their accurate reporting on previous projects, laid out details on various Disney Parks projects, including Splash Mountain. In the post, Visionary Soul notes the Princess and the Frog redo had been rejected by the Oriental Land Company, the owners of Tokyo Disneyland. This meant the ability to duplicate set pieces for both Tokyo and Orlando was no longer an option unless Disney themselves were to pay for the Tokyo update.

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