A retired Walt Disney Imagineer recently expressed deep regret over the creation of Splash Mountain, stating that building the attraction based on a film Disney would not show was a horrible idea. Kathy Mangum, who worked at Walt Disney Imagineering for 42 years before retiring in 2018, admitted she is not proud of her involvement and said she would not repeat the decision today. The water flume ride opened in 1989 using characters from the controversial 1946 film Song of the South, which has faced decades of criticism for its portrayals of African Americans. In recent years, Disney closed both domestic versions of Splash Mountain to transform them into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by The Princess and the Frog. Mangum supported this change as the right thing to do, although original designer Tony Baxter previously defended the ride itself from controversy. The attraction remains operational at Tokyo Disneyland while U.S. parks now feature Princess Tiana and her New Orleans adventures in place of the former flume ride.
Key Points:
- Kathy Mangum retired from Walt Disney Imagineering in 2018 after a 42-year career.
- Splash Mountain opened at Disneyland in 1989 and later appeared at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland.
- Both domestic versions of Splash Mountain closed permanently to be reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
- The ride was based on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South, which has never been released on home video or Disney+.