Disney Executives Halt Splash Mountain ‘Relaunch,’ Imagineering Reveals Shocking Decision
Walt Disney Imagineering revealed that Splash Mountain would make a unique return to the Disney Parks in Orlando, but the House of Mouse executives had other plans.
The Disney World Country Bear Jamboree/Splash Mountain Connection No One Knew About
The Country Bear Jamboree, known as the Country Bear Theater at Tokyo Disneyland, is a beloved attraction that was once featured at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. This attraction showcases approximately 20 audio-animatronic bears performing country and western songs. It is notable as one of the final attractions that Walt Disney developed.
Initially intended for a Disney ski resort in Mineral King that was never built, the attraction debuted at Walt Disney World in 1971 and was replicated at Disneyland a year later. Tokyo Disneyland introduced its version in 1983. On August 22, 2012, the Country Bear Jamboree at Walt Disney World Resort closed for nearly two months for refurbishment.
The show was shortened during this period, similar to the changes made to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in 2011. The songs “Pretty Little Devilish Mary” and “Fractured Folk Song,” along with some dialogue, were removed, and other songs were shortened. The updated version of the show reopened on October 17, 2012.
On September 9, 2023, at Destination D23, it was announced that the Florida version of the show would be renamed and feature a new act that reinterprets famous Disney songs in various country music genres. The show softened with all-new songs and refurbishments across the theater, with the official reopening of the attraction coming this week, Wednesday, July 17.
The bears are back this summer with new songs for the Country Bear Jamboree attraction at Walt Disney World Resort. The new tunes are crafted by Mac McAnally, who brings “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book to life, along with Terrence, also known as Shaker’s, version of “Fixer-Upper” from Frozen. McAnally also produced and rearranged the new songs, adding a fresh twist to the beloved attraction.
But it appears that one other song was due to be part of the new lineup: the Splash Mountain theme song, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” which would have brought back the attraction to some capacity after Disney destroyed any remnants of this highly controversial ride that has made fans of the attraction enemies of the Mouse.
But why are so many people upset with this decision to remove Splash Mountain from the parks? Well, things all started during the 2020 riots involving those associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, which led to Disney deciding to remove the attraction from its parks in the United States.
The 1989 ride, known for its iconic five-story drop but controversial due to the movie that inspired it, closed at Disney World in January 2023 and in May 2023 at Disneyland. Disney announced that it aims to introduce a more inclusive concept, distancing the attraction from the 1946 film Song of the South and its problematic portrayal of slavery and racial stereotypes.
Many were devasted by the sudden news of this iconic and historic attraction closing down forever, which prompted another movement, the Save Splash Mountain movement, that is still alive and well today.
On social media, @BrerOswald posted the following comment and photo, revealing that, allegedly, Disney Imagineering had plans to include “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” in the new lineup of songs for the soon-to-be-opened Country Bear Musical Jamboree. But the post also mentions that Disney higher-ups got in the way and ultimately scrapped those plans from becoming a reality. Take a look at the post below:
https://twitter.com/BrerOswald/status/1811038223541432551
So it seems like Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah WAS supposed to conclude the Country Bear Musical Jamboree show. The folks at WDI that care must’ve wanted to bring it back. The sanitizers in management put a stop to it. It would’ve been such a win.
Once again, Disney fans of the now-defunct attraction came to the comments to display their support and anger over the decision to exclude any references to Splash Mountain, despite already being in the history books for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort.
The exclusion of this still-highly popular theme song shows that Disney is attempting to remedy the “damage” by including a theme song that could become a PR nightmare for them. Still, fans will never forget the catchy theme song, one that still brings joy and wonder to those who see past the allegations and truly see the historical significance of Splash Mountain.
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