Disneyland's Getting A Brand New 'The Princess & The Frog' Ride
The happiest place on earth is getting a significant update. Disneyland's The Princess and the Frog ride will transport you to the whimsical bayou of Princess Tiana. It will replace the theme park's controversial Splash Mountain ride.
On Thursday, June 25, Disneyland Parks Blog shared the good news, writing "Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined."
The post goes on to say that the musical adventure will feature music from the film as Tiana and Louis "prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance."
Recently, a petition was in the works to re-theme Splash Mountain at both Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida due to its "stereotypical racist tropes from the 1946 film Song of the South."
It went on to say, "Princess and the Frog is a beloved princess movie but has very little representation in the parks" and that there's a need for inclusivity and diversity.
The petition eventually garnered over 20,000 supporters.
Disney was thrilled to share the news of the ride update describing Tiana as "a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what's really important."
Splash Mountain's update has been in the works since last year and Imagineers approached the retheme by "asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story?"
"The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year."
Disneyland also announced Thursday that they will be delaying their July 17, 2020, reopening date as they are awaiting approval from government officials.
There's no date as to when construction and redesign will begin; however, conceptual designs are underway.