By The FirstWalt Disney World confirmed this week that one of the Magic Kingdom’s most popular attractions will be closed in January 2023 because of “racial stereotypes.”
‘Splash Mountain’ will be re-themed and re-opened sometime in 2024.
“I’ve felt, as long as I’ve been CEO, that ‘Song of the South’ was — even with a disclaimer — just not appropriate in today’s world,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a March 2020 shareholders meeting.
“With this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the re-theming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today,” Disney had said in a previous statement. “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.”
A petition to save the attraction received nearly 100,000 signatures.
“Splash Mountain is an iconic ride at Magic Kingdom, loved by millions of fans all over the world for over 30 years.” the petition read. “Re-theming such an iconic ride would erode the nostalgia that lives in Disney World and take away a little bit of the magic.”
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