Former Imagineer says Splash Mountain was ‘a horrible idea’

Kathy Mangum, who worked on the ride, said she knew building it around Song of the South was a mistake. She called the switch to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure “the right thing.”

One of the people who helped build Splash Mountain wishes Disney never had.

Kathy Mangum, a former Walt Disney Imagineer, said building the ride is one of her biggest regrets, WDW News Today reported Wednesday, Oct. 21, citing The Orange County Register.

She said it on the Dream Chasing podcast, hosted by fellow former Imagineer Bob Weis. Here’s what she said, and why the ride still sparks arguments years after it closed.

What did Kathy Mangum say about Splash Mountain?

She didn’t hold back. “I knew building Splash Mountain based on a movie we would not show was not a great idea,” Mangum said, according to WDWNT. “It was a horrible idea.”

Mangum said she was “not proud” of working on the ride.

“I wouldn’t do it today,” she said. “Neither would Disney, but we did it.”

She also remembered feeling uncomfortable when an actor recorded dialogue for Br’er Fox, one of the ride’s characters, WDWNT reported. Mangum retired from Imagineering in 2018.

Why was Splash Mountain controversial?

Because of the movie it came from. Splash Mountain was based on the animated parts of Song of the South, a 1946 Disney film. The movie has been criticized since its release for how it portrays African Americans, WDWNT noted.

Disney re-released the film in theaters a few times. But it has never released the full movie on home video or streaming, WDWNT said, and it isn’t on Disney+.

That’s the “movie we would not show” that Mangum was talking about. Disney still built a major ride around its characters and its Oscar-winning song, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”

When did Splash Mountain open and close?

It opened at Disneyland in 1989. Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland got their own versions in 1992.

Disney announced in June 2020 that it would retheme the ride at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom’s version closed in January 2023, and Disneyland’s closed that May.

In recent years, Disney also removed other Song of the South references from its parks, including “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” WDWNT reported.

What replaced Splash Mountain?

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on The Princess and the Frog. It opened at Magic Kingdom in June 2024 and at Disneyland that November.

The 2009 movie introduced Tiana, Disney’s first Black princess, and it’s set in New Orleans. That made it a natural fit for a ride that already wound through a Southern bayou.

Mangum said the change “was the right thing.”

The new ride kept Splash Mountain’s log flume and its big final drop. But it swapped in Tiana, Louis and a story about getting ready for a Mardi Gras party, with new music.

Who disagrees with Mangum?

The man who came up with Splash Mountain. Disney Legend Tony Baxter, who also designed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, pitched the idea in 1983.

He defended it on the Zeitgeist’s Spirit of the Time podcast in 2023, WDWNT reported.

“There was nothing in the ride that in any way was detrimental to anybody,” Baxter said.

“Whatever the controversy is that has come up with it is more related to what the film is,” he added. “And I think we’re way overboard on that kind of sensitivity.”

Can you still ride Splash Mountain anywhere?

Yes, in Japan. Splash Mountain is still open at Tokyo Disneyland, WDWNT noted. It sits in the park’s Critter Country, with Br’er Rabbit and friends still in place.

Tokyo Disney Resort is owned and run by the Oriental Land Company, which licenses the Disney name. So decisions about its rides aren’t up to Disney alone.

Here’s one last ride on Magic Kingdom’s version, from WDW News Today:

Is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure open right now?

It is, for now. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom closes Nov. 2 for a refurbishment and is set to reopen Dec. 18, as PNP reported.

So if you want to ride the bayou before the holidays, you’ve got less than two weeks. And if you’re still missing Br’er Rabbit, Tokyo is the only place he’s hopping.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (Oct. 21, 2026), Mangum’s and Baxter’s comments and the ride’s history, via The Orange County Register

• Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 9, 2026), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s refurbishment dates

• WDW News Today on YouTube (Jan. 22, 2023), the final Splash Mountain ride video

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.