Disney Pulls Classic Song Amid Politically Correct Rebranding
The Academy Award-winning best original song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” was quietly removed from the Disneyland Resort music loops across the Esplanade and Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, this week as Disney moves to retheme its Splash Mountain attraction.
The song, originally from the controversial 1946 Disney film “Song of the South,” was normally played between the “Frozen” medley and “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” in the music loop but was recently removed, Walt Disney World News Today reported.
“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” was used in the opening theme medley for the “Wonderful World of Disney” television program.
It was also featured in the “Disney Sing Along Songs” VHS tapes in 1986.
Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Florida announced in June that the parks would be retheming Splash Mountain to the 2009 film “Princess and the Frog” amid a debate about the undertones of “Song of the South,” which the attraction was based on, The Orange County Register reported.
Although the project does not have a debut date, Walt Disney Imagineering reportedly has been developing a “Princess and the Frog” backstory for Splash Mountain since last year.
“The retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today,” Disneyland Resort public relations director Michael Ramirez wrote on Disney Parks Blog.
“The new concept is inclusive — one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.”
We’re thrilled to share Splash Mountain at @Disneyland & @WaltDisneyWorld will be completely reimagined with a new story inspired by an all-time favorite @DisneyAnimation film, “The Princess and the Frog.” Learn about what Imagineers have in development: https://t.co/HyKfdDSH3j pic.twitter.com/DV6476KAVX
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) June 25, 2020
“Song of the South” has been locked in the Disney vault since the 1980s because of its portrayal of Southern plantation life in the late 1800s.
The title, a live-action/animation hybrid based on the tales of “Uncle Remus” about Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear, was never released on home video in the United States.
A closure date set for Splash Mountain had not been set as of Wednesday.
Carmen Smith, creative development and inclusive strategies executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a statement that the company is always looking for ways to improve the park experience, The Washington Post reported.
“It’s important that our guests be able to see themselves in the experiences we create,” Smith said.
“Because we consider ourselves constant learners, we go to great lengths to research and engage cultural advisers and other experts to help guide us along the way.”
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