Mousetalgia Episode 610: Splash Mountain, visiting Walt Disney World, Stitch Shoppe
This week, Team Mousetalgia tries to find a laughing place in the midst of crazy changing deadlines and a new (albeit temporary) normal for visiting Disney’s theme parks. But first, we speak with Liz DeSilva, VP Creative for Loungefly/Funko, who talks about the Stitch Shoppe, a new clothing line from Loungefly. Then, Beci Mehnken, CEO of Mouse Fan Travel, returns to talk about the reopening of Walt Disney World, and we discuss strategies, expectations and the new rules and regulations that will be a part of the new experience of visiting a Disney theme park (or taking a Disney cruise) during the era of COVID-19. Also – Splash Mountain is going to receive a re-theming to incorporate the characters from “Princess and the Frog,” and we discuss – Jeff on the aesthetics of re-developing attractions, Kristen and Dave on the troubled history of Song of the South, and Becky on the strong character presented in Tiana.
Splash Mountain is not based on Song of the South, the stories of Brer Rabbit are African folktales that the slaves brought with them. I fell that Disney is doing the wrong thing for the right reason and in doing so is erasing African American history. Many people will not understand what those stories are and just think that they are rasist because Disney got rid of that attraction.