(MarketWatch) Some Disney fans are hoping to convince the company to overhaul one of its most popular attractions to remove racist references. If they succeed, it wouldn’t be the first time Disney has tweaked an attraction in the face of changing societal norms and shifting attitudes.
A petition on Change.org that has collected over 21,000 signatures is calling on Disney to overhaul the ride Splash Mountain, which is based on the controversial 1946 Disney film “Song of the South.” The petition suggests that Disney reimagine the ride and use the 2009 animated film “The Princess and the Frog” as inspiration for the new version. On Twitter, others have suggested reworking the ride and basing it on other Disney animated films, including “Moana” and “The Emperor’s New Groove.”
The petition comes as Americans are seeing some of their most beloved cultural hallmarks with new eyes as the country faces a national reckoning over race following George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police and weeks of Black Lives Matter protests. In some cases Americans are realizing that some of their happiest childhood memories also reinforce harmful racial stereotypes.