When the Walt Disney Company announced that it would be closing Splash Mountain in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Resort, fan backlash was immediate and harsh. Fans took to social media to criticize Disney for removing the beloved theme park attraction.
Related: Disney is trying to erase the last vestiges of Splash Mountain at every theme park
Relentless Splash Mountain Fans launched petitions that garnered thousands of signatures, demanding that Disney bring back the beloved ride to the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland theme park. Some fans even solemnly vowed to never ride Tiana's Bayou ATiana'se in protest.
Despite fan backlash, Disney continued to move on to Tiana's Bayou Adventure. A few weeks before the attraction opened, Disney fans noticed a worrying trend.
Earlier this week, we reported that some of the new work being done on Tiana's Bayou Adventure had been vandalized. A few days after their climb, the guests had torn the leaves off the Critter Co-Op sign.
I can't wait for them to reveal their plan to sabotage the opening with their Zip a Dee Doo Dah crowds in both parks only to be arrested, escorted out of DL and MK with lifetime bans.
–Steven Miranda (@Figment1988) April 30, 2024
Related: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah: Splash Mountain returns to Disney World
Disney fans were appalled by the Magic Kingdom vandalism, but several of those who commented on the post had a theory about who was behind the attacks.
Many commenters believed the vandalism was the work of what they call “Save Splashers.” These people will do anything to ensure the return of Splash Mountain and the failure of Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
Despite this temporary setback, Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open next month, and this vandalism is nothing more than a minor inconvenience that Walt Disney Imagineering will have to resolve.
For guests eager to experience the new attraction and see the animatronics of Prince Naveen and Mama Odie, these setbacks will have a limited effect on the ride itself.
Probably one of those people who “save Splash Mountain” is still angry 😂🤦🏻♂️
– Colt (@officially_colt) April 30, 2024
However, for guests desperate for the return of Splash Mountain, the ride is still available at Tokyo Disneyland, but we're not sure how long that will last.
The original Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort was based on the Disney film Song of the South (1946). It is widely considered Disney's most racist film for its portrayal of African Americans in the post-Civil War South.
The film has been deleted from all Disney collections. It is not available on Disney+ and was not released as part of Disney's 100th Anniversary Collection. Today, it has almost completely disappeared from Disney theme parks.
What do you think about the vandalism that occurred at Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
