Disney shuttered one of its most popular attractions at its American theme parks because it stemmed from a movie that has been out of circulation for a long time. Splash Mountain featured the animated characters from 1946’s wonderful Song of the South, which Disney has kept in the vault for 40 years.
Song of the South has long had a reputation as a “problematic” movie because of its depictions of the post-Civil War South. Yet Walt Disney was immensely proud of it because of the film’s pioneering blending of live-action and animation. It won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and star James Baskett received an honorary Academy Award for his portrayal of Uncle Remus.
Splash Mountain was a thrilling log-flume ride that told stories based on the animated characters from Song of the South. None of the black or white characters from the film made their way into the attraction. Somehow, Disney eventually decided that the popular attraction had too much baggage attached to it, and Imagineers replaced it with a ride with a similar format based on the 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog.
Fans haven’t been kind to the replacement ride. It’s almost as if Disney rushed the concept so quickly in its attempts to replace Splash Mountain that the Imagineers didn’t think it through.
“I rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the first time on a trip to Walt Disney World back in December. It was boring and uninspiring,” I wrote in January. “The plot of the ride was flimsy, the animatronics were disappointing, and there were long stretches with nothing to see, which was even less fun in the dark when we rode it.”
Flashback: Disney Legend Defends Splash Mountain and 'Song of the South'
Splash Mountain was in existence for three decades before the woke folk at Disney Parks decided that it was a problem. Suddenly, one retired Imagineer is trying to rewrite her role in the attraction’s history.
Kathy Mangum recently appeared on a podcast to talk about her four decades at Walt Disney Imagineering, and she tried to distance herself from the development of Splash Mountain. Rick Lye writes at Disney Tips.com:
Mangum’s discomfort stemmed directly from the ride’s underlying source material: Disney’s controversial 1946 film Song of the South. The movie has been locked in the Disney vault for decades due to its sanitized, romanticized depiction of the post-Civil War South and its problematic racial stereotypes.
To Mangum, anchoring a massive, permanent theme park headliner to a film the studio refused to distribute was fundamentally flawed from the start.
“I knew building Splash Mountain based on a movie we would not show was not a great idea,” Mangum admitted. “It was a horrible idea.”
To a certain extent, I can understand a small part of her concern. It may be a little weird to base a ride on a movie that your studio refuses to rerelease, but that didn’t diminish the popularity of Splash Mountain for over 30 years. But what’s particularly galling about Mangum’s comments is that the receipts that show her enthusiasm for Splash Mountain in years past are easy to find.
I got notified of this, and it stings to hear. Kathy Mangum often described Splash Mountain as one of the best rides and said it was the most popular attraction. It is gross to hear her say she was uncomfortable by JD Hall, an African American actor, doing the voice for Brer Fox. https://t.co/Oj8Akdm469
— Splash Mountain Historical Society (@SplashMHS) October 22, 2026
It’s hard to see how Mangum’s current retelling of history holds up. Fans are quick to remind others that the attraction distanced itself from the film without disrespecting it. Splash Mountain became an example of Imagineering at its finest with its clever layout, pacing, and storytelling, and the slapdash planning and execution of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure squandered what was such a good attraction space.
Splash Mountain remained popular until the end of its run. Its last few days in operation saw four-hour queues and mad dashes for merchandise. It’s still immensely popular at Tokyo Disneyland.
When you have Disney luminaries like the legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter passionately defending Splash Mountain (see the Flashback link above) and Floyd Norman, Disney’s first black animator, standing up for Song of the South, it’s hard to buy Mangum’s attempts to rewrite history. It was a vocal minority who had problems with Splash Mountain; unfortunately, some of that minority was at the top of the Disney food chain. Sadly, guests paid the price.
Disney may think it can rewrite history, but here at PJ Media, we're committed to telling the stories the establishment would rather you forget. Whether we're exposing woke corporate nonsense, challenging the prevailing narratives, or holding the powerful accountable, we aren't afraid to make a splash.
Become a PJ Media VIP member today and save 60% with the promo code FIGHT. You'll get access to exclusive content while supporting independent conservative journalism that refuses to go along with the crowd.
Disney can send Splash Mountain down the memory hole, but we're not about to let the truth go down the drain. Join PJ Media VIP today!
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.