Splash Mountain is one of the most recognized log flume attractions in the world, with rides at Disneyland Park, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disneyland. Stateside, Disney has already announced that the classic attraction will be replaced by ‘Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,’ a new ride using the same system that picks up at the end of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Since news of the new theme for Splash Mountain broke, we have seen subtle references to the attraction, and therefore the film the ride is based on, Song of the South (1949) removed from both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Segments of parades and soundtracks that previously featured characters from the ride and controversial film have nearly all been removed.
In Tokyo Disneyland, however, Disney has not announced any changes to the attraction. Recently though, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah has been removed from one of the soundtracks Guests hear as they arrive at Tokyo Disneyland, leaving us to speculate the ride’s future in this international Disney Park, too.
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Similar to Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Guests arriving at Tokyo Disneyland have the option to do so via monorail. Much like the monorail station or even the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, Guests at Tokyo Disneyland will also hear soundtracks that include a variety of songs they will hear later as they experience attractions in the Park. One such song that had been on the monorail station soundtrack for a number of years was none other than “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.”
Guests visiting Tokyo Disneyland recently took to Twitter to share the update that the iconic Splash Mountain song could no longer be heard at the Resort Gateway Station as it had been removed from the soundtrack:
リゾートゲートウェイ・ステーションのBGMセットリストから、
南部の唄の「Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah」が削除されました‼️
この曲の出だしが鳴らずにそのまま「Winnie the Pooh」が流れる違和感がすごい#TDR_now #リゾートライン #リゾラ pic.twitter.com/ZxFkYYFIqK
— リゾ鉄_P (@P29294180) August 22, 2022
Even before the retheme of Splash Mountain was announced for Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, a retheme of the attraction in Tokyo seemed unlikely for a number of reasons. Guests visiting Tokyo Disneyland are not as aware of the racial implications of the source material for the attraction, and even if they are aware they are much further removed from the controversy of Song of the South.
Then there is the matter of the way that Critter Country at Tokyo Disneyland is essentially themed to Splash Mountain. Whereas the attraction could be rethemed fairly easily in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo’s version of Critter Country is essentially decorated in the same style as Splash Mountain, so a retheme of Splash Mountain could mean a retheme of the entire land at Tokyo Disneyland.
“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” has also been trending on the musical charts in Japan, which is surprising in itself where the song is not a recent release and an odd coincidence as it was just removed from Tokyo Disney’s Resort monorail station.
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And all of this comes before even mentioning that Tokyo Disneyland only exists through an agreement with the Oriental Land Company that would need to approve or request major changes in the Parks, giving Disney less ability to retheme the ride as is being done in the States.
Tokyo Disneyland’s official website is even vague in its description of the attraction, only writing:
Board a log boat and go off on a fun adventure! Be prepared for a 45-degree drop down a 16-meter high waterfall!
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The possibility of Disney changing any attraction is always on the table. We can never be sure what the company’s plans are until an official announcement is made. However, it still seems like a stretch to consider that Tokyo’s version of the attraction will be rethemed, especially as the characters and songs that to Americans might be recognizable to the controversial film in Japan are often just interpreted as art that is part of the Kawaii culture.
We will continue to monitor changes to Splash Mountain at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disney Resort, and will share new information as we have it here on DisneyTips.