It was brand new CEO Michael Eisner that realized the parks needed fresh attractions to appeal to the growing teen market- and fast. They had to offer new rides that provided thrills found at other competing amusement parks.
One for each park!
Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team created the idea for a log flume attraction themed to Song of the South, an old Disney film filled with charm and controversy, but they avoided the link to the past and focused on a new storyline. The faded popularity of the old Tomorrowland show, America Sings, provided the perfect reason to reuse Imagineer Marc Davis' characters and place them in a brand new setting. What a smart move it turned out to be for Eisner to green light the project!
With its charming story, extremely catchy music, repurposed (and therefore cheap) animated characters, this thrilling flume drop, Splash Mountain was a major hit with fans since its first day of operation. The poster above celebrated its grand opening on July 17, 1989. To this day, the attraction continues to draw some of the longest lines at Disneyland for good reason.
Here's the 25th anniversary poster of Splash Mountain!
The Magic Kingdom in Florida and the Disneyland original will be swapped out for a Princess and the Frog makeover. It's not a bad idea- but I ask you- why can't people realize supposed "racist" overtones in the attraction are just not there? Even the origin stories come from African folklore. It's a charming and classic Disney attraction. I'm sure Tiana's adventure will be great too. But sometimes, too much is just too much.
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