Here's the crazy thing - I almost posted yesterday that I had changed my mind about my support for changing the ride. Reason being, I just couldn't get behind the reasons that were being presented in the media for changing it. The fact that Disney had buried both SotS and the children's books that went along with it (Tar Baby), was my primary reason for supporting the re-theme. After all, if you are not going to cross-market the ride to the multi-media, why use that as your theme? The fact that I knew the TB story that the drop was based on was the other reason. Sure, they changed the details of the story, but that is THE pivotal moment on the ride, and if you try and go back and read the story, just as many of us have done with Wind in the Willows with Mr. Toad's, you will ONLY find Tar Baby, not the story of how Braer Rabbit get stuck in honey - and that is an AWFUL story to tell to kids today (without context of course).
BUT...
Neither of these things were being discussed in the media. Instead it was a different narrative about systemic racism that is NOT in the ride - it's just a fun little story about a rabbit that left home to see the world, and was trapped by Braer Fox through no doing of his own. The animals are not different races, the songs are not racist unless you REALLY dig into their origins - and who would ever do that?
OK, so great, they are changing it - can't wait to see what they have in mind. As Walt said, "As long as there is imagination left int he world,
Disneyland will never be completed." That's a good thing, this is just part of that. I just hope the ride isn't closed too long for the makeover, because it is my favorite at both parks.