Brook Lopez was given the nickname “Splash Mountain” by fans in the 2018-19 season. Part of this was the seven-footers ability to knock down threes but it also is a nod to Lopez’s favorite ride in Disney World and Disneyland. It was announced in 2020 that the classic ride would be rethemed and it closes on January 23rd to be redone. Brook Lopez talked about how he was disappointed about the attraction’s closure.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6HYYUZ26VRBZHM6MJT4JXSS4VU.jpg "Milwaukee Bucks: Brook Lopez \"Disappointed\" About Disney's Splash Mountain Closure 1")
Why Is Splash Mountain Being Rethemed?
Splash Mountain is an attraction that is themed on the 1946 film “Song of the South”. This movie has been so controversial due to the blatant racial stereotypes. Current CEO Bob Iger said in 2020 that the movie would never be added to Disney’s streaming service Disney+ even with a disclaimer. The Walt Disney Company is trying to erase that movie from its history. However, Splash Mountain remained and is one of the most popular rides. Disney made the decision to retheme it to their 2009 hit “Princess and the Frog”.
Brook Lopez Disappointed
Lopez, along with many other Disney fans, was saddened by the news. He talked about why he was so emotional with the closure in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It’s tough. It is, because as a kid, you remember the rides, the attractions you went on as a kid and some of those aren’t here anymore,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “That’s one thing. And then to have a ride that is just iconic, timeless, my favorite ride … both the versions, L.A. and Orlando pretty much opened right around the time I was born. And so it’s been there pretty much as long as I have and it’s this big headline attraction and you don’t think it can close or anything like that, so to see it closing it’s very weird.”
Disney has done a great job at raising a generation of people who are emotionally connected to their product. Brook and his brother Robin are no different. Brook claimed that his twin rode Splash Mountain “like 18 times” in a two-hour period. It shows how much that ride means to him and his family.
Brook Lopez joins many fans who are disappointed in the closure of Splash Mountain. I myself am disappointed but at the same time excited about the retheme. You can hear me talk about Splash Mountain’s closure and all things Disney on the Beers and Ears podcast! Check out more of what Lopez had to say about the closure.
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