It’s been another month without the Disney magic, and we find that we’re missing our walks through the parks more than ever. We can go to Disney Springs these days, and while that’s certainly something, we’d like some real quality time at the parks.
This month, we’re presenting another batch of images we’ve made at Walt Disney World from the past, hoping to share a little of what we like most at Disney.
We've said it before, but one thing we were really looking forward to this summer was the Walt Disney World water parks. We visited Blizzard Beach last summer and came away with this quick video. Take a look. Video and Photos by Don and Bonnie Fink.
2020 seems to be shaping up as the year we'd all like to get past. The fact that we live literally within eyesight of the Happiest Place on Earth but can't get there doesn't help. As we spend our days essentially sequestered in our homes, only venturing out for some of the more vital necessities, we wait. And we're all aware that when the parks open again, they won't be the same as they were. They will have changed, and of course, we will have changed too. Hopefully for the good.
I’ve been reading about the petition to have Splash Mountain “rethemed “ and have the Song of thie South elements removed. Just wanted to know how Mouse Planeters felt about that...
By peanutj
I'm against any retheming. I watched the movie recently and couldn't figure out why people thought it was racist. It was the white characters who behaved badly. I'll admit, though, that I am a white male, so if I need to be educated tell me what I should know.
By Dave1313
I think the ride doesn't have anything in it that's questionable (at least I'm pretty sure it doesn't?! I'd like to know what part is objectionable if I'm wrong.). They kept all the animal characters, and that's pretty much it. Disney never talks about the movie.
They obviously left the worst imagery/concepts out of it (or modified them extensively enough to not have any racial tones to them), that type of thing would have not been acceptable in the late 80's to early 90's when these rides were built either. Even though it's 30 years ago now, it's not like that time was not conscious of issues that could be considered racist, people were clearly aware.
To be honest, I think I maybe saw the movie once as a little kid in the late 70's (might have been one of many after school movie events they used to do in our cafeteria), so a lot of the specifics of the complaints I have no way to be familiar with since there is no way to watch the movie with an adult's viewpoint to try to understand the issues (unless you somehow have a bootleg, or old VHS copy before they edited it out of history- since I don't have one I'm out of luck. I don't think it's coming to Disney+ anytime soon.). I have vague images in my mind of uncle Remus as he was telling the story, but that's it. Other human characters and deep details of the story did not survive in my memory.
I do have this cartoon-ish image in my mind of what was planned to be done to Brer Rabbit, and I think it may have been from some sort of children's book that was in a doctor's waiting room back then. (the rest of the doctor's waiting room could have been from the 50's as well at that time, I think). I remember other similar Disney books in that waiting room (Rescuers, 101 Dalmatians maybe, etc). That image and concept, I obviously can see the problem, but they of course did not include that in the ride!!!
So in short - no, I don't think they need to re-theme it.
By maxbuffmelvin71
Nice article. I love taking photograph of the Splash Mountain ride and queue.
I am vehemently against re-theming Splash Mountain. This is my favorite attraction of all time. This ride is the quintessential Disney attraction with singing critters, fun catchy songs, and well done physical sets. Even the queue area is fantastic. My feelings when riding this attraction are we leave the real world and join the fun world of the critters. This will be devastating if they re-theme Splash Mountain.
By Dave1313
Originally Posted by maxbuffmelvin71
Nice article. I love taking photograph of the Splash Mountain ride and queue.
I am vehemently against re-theming Splash Mountain. This is my favorite attraction of all time. This ride is the quintessential Disney attraction with singing critters, fun catchy songs, and well done physical sets. Even the queue area is fantastic. My feelings when riding this attraction are we leave the real world and join the fun world of the critters. This will be devastating if they re-theme Splash Mountain.
I like trying to take photos in the ride as well. My personal quest is still to capture a non-blurry image of the little raccoon playing the harmonica (raccoons were the "cute stuffed animal" of choice during my childhood). I've gotten one or 2 pics that are not too bad (and a bunch that were not good at all! ). It's really hard to balance the camera settings so as to capture enough light as well as not be slow enough on the shutter to make it blurry due to the motion of the log as we sail by. May have to do with me not being a true photographer and using a digital point and shoot vs a true DSLR.
Maybe someday if I am "lucky" the ride will have a slowdown and I'll get stopped right near the racoon to take my time with a good shot. I'm not wishing for full on breakdown, of course that's no fun, but a slight "log jam" doesn't always mean the ride gets shut down.
Comments
I’ve been reading about the petition to have Splash Mountain “rethemed “ and have the Song of thie South elements removed. Just wanted to know how Mouse Planeters felt about that...
I'm against any retheming. I watched the movie recently and couldn't figure out why people thought it was racist. It was the white characters who behaved badly. I'll admit, though, that I am a white male, so if I need to be educated tell me what I should know.
I think the ride doesn't have anything in it that's questionable (at least I'm pretty sure it doesn't?! I'd like to know what part is objectionable if I'm wrong.). They kept all the animal characters, and that's pretty much it. Disney never talks about the movie.
They obviously left the worst imagery/concepts out of it (or modified them extensively enough to not have any racial tones to them), that type of thing would have not been acceptable in the late 80's to early 90's when these rides were built either. Even though it's 30 years ago now, it's not like that time was not conscious of issues that could be considered racist, people were clearly aware.
To be honest, I think I maybe saw the movie once as a little kid in the late 70's (might have been one of many after school movie events they used to do in our cafeteria), so a lot of the specifics of the complaints I have no way to be familiar with since there is no way to watch the movie with an adult's viewpoint to try to understand the issues (unless you somehow have a bootleg, or old VHS copy before they edited it out of history- since I don't have one I'm out of luck. I don't think it's coming to Disney+ anytime soon.). I have vague images in my mind of uncle Remus as he was telling the story, but that's it. Other human characters and deep details of the story did not survive in my memory.
I do have this cartoon-ish image in my mind of what was planned to be done to Brer Rabbit, and I think it may have been from some sort of children's book that was in a doctor's waiting room back then. (the rest of the doctor's waiting room could have been from the 50's as well at that time, I think). I remember other similar Disney books in that waiting room (Rescuers, 101 Dalmatians maybe, etc). That image and concept, I obviously can see the problem, but they of course did not include that in the ride!!!
So in short - no, I don't think they need to re-theme it.
Nice article. I love taking photograph of the Splash Mountain ride and queue.
I am vehemently against re-theming Splash Mountain. This is my favorite attraction of all time. This ride is the quintessential Disney attraction with singing critters, fun catchy songs, and well done physical sets. Even the queue area is fantastic. My feelings when riding this attraction are we leave the real world and join the fun world of the critters. This will be devastating if they re-theme Splash Mountain.
I like trying to take photos in the ride as well. My personal quest is still to capture a non-blurry image of the little raccoon playing the harmonica (raccoons were the "cute stuffed animal" of choice during my childhood). I've gotten one or 2 pics that are not too bad (and a bunch that were not good at all! ). It's really hard to balance the camera settings so as to capture enough light as well as not be slow enough on the shutter to make it blurry due to the motion of the log as we sail by. May have to do with me not being a true photographer and using a digital point and shoot vs a true DSLR.
Maybe someday if I am "lucky" the ride will have a slowdown and I'll get stopped right near the racoon to take my time with a good shot. I'm not wishing for full on breakdown, of course that's no fun, but a slight "log jam" doesn't always mean the ride gets shut down.