An attraction within Disney World has shut down for good today after its last day of operation.
Splash Mountain at the Florida theme park ended its operations on Sunday with hundreds of guests queueing up to enjoy the attraction for the last time.
The ride will transform into Tiana's Bayou Adventure, a ride based on the 2009 animated film "The Princess and the Frog", which will be ready in late 2024, it was announced.
The log flume was based on the animated sequences of the 1946 Disney film Song of the South. It opened at the Magic Kingdom in 1992 as a boat ride through different scenes featuring animatronics of characters named Br'er Bear, Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit.
It features a 50-foot drop into the "Briar Patch".
Song of the South long has been criticised for its depiction of African Americans.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a shareholders meeting in 2020: "I've felt, as long as I've been CEO, that 'Song of the South' was — even with a disclaimer — was just not appropriate in today's world."
The Princess and the Frog, which will replace the attraction features Disney's first Black princess.
On its last day of operation, it was reported that guests flocked the Splash Mountain.
The standby line quickly reached 3 hours, with waiting lanes hitting capacity after just 3 minutes.
Disney described the upcoming attraction as such: "In Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, you’ll join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis during Mardi Gras season as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration for the people of New Orleans.
"This new scene is the thrilling moment you first drop into the bayou and encounter some friends both new and familiar."
Walt Disney World celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022.
The change of the attraction comes after calls to re-theme Splash Mountain with Princess and the Frog, which even took the form of a petition.
The Change.org petition read: "While the rides [sic] storyline is not an exact version of the movies [sic] plot line it is derivative from it, the characters, the songs and locations are all main features of the ride.
"Disney has removed Song of the South from its library, refusing to share it on DVD or their streaming services.
"The best next step to remove all traces of this racist movie would be to re-theme Splash Mountain into a Princess and the Frog themed ride."
