In discussing theme park history, and in particular the history of the Disney theme parks, sometimes the source material behind a given attraction or land is almost entirely forgotten. Attractions exist for long enough on their own merits that they become a sort of establishment. Such is the case of the “Disney Mountains” – Space, Big Thunder, and Splash. While both Space and Big Thunder are essentially their own freestanding intellectual properties, Splash is not.
No, Splash Mountain is based one of the most maligned and misunderstood movies that Disney has ever produced: Song of the South.
Under normal circumstances a ride being based on a film wouldn’t be so remarkable – that’s essentially all of Fantasyland – but in the case of Splash Mountain and Song of the South, Disney wants so desperately for the film to be forgotten that it’s a small wonder the ride still exists. The attempts at historical circumvention by Disney have resulted in there being relatively little out there to really discuss when considering the background of the attraction as it relates to the film.
Well, we can’t be having that now can we? So without much further ado, we present the Nostalgia Chick herself, Lindsay Ellis, and her analysis of Song of the South.
