Speed is believed to be a factor in a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred early Saturday morning, January 28, 2023 in Winter Haven.
Traffic Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash which occurred at about 1:51 am on Cypress Gardens Boulevard near Cypress Gardens Road.
26-year old Freddie Wardlaw, III of Winter Haven, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was the driver of a blue 2004 Suzuki Sport motorcycle.
According to detectives, evidence and witness statements revealed that Mr. Wardlaw was traveling west on Cypress Gardens Boulevard at a high rate of speed and struck a curb while entering a slight curve in the roadway, and struck the Mid Florida Credit Union sign.
Mr. Wardlaw was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, but suffered blunt force trauma injuries.
The westbound lanes of the boulevard were closed for approximately three hours.
Haines City, Florida – A Haines City resident shot and wounded a suspected burglar early Friday morning. At 1:45 a.m., the homeowner of the home in the Oakland community with his girlfriend and a small puppy find two strangers standing in his kitchen. The homeowner was very startled seeing the burglars in front of him. Not knowing what the intentions of the strangers in their home were, he was immediately overcome with fear for his life and that of his girlfriend.
The homeowner, who has a concealed weapon license, fired five shots from a Glock 9mm at the suspect closest to him.
The homeowner left the scene and called 911 on his way to the Haines City Police Department. Before he could arrive at the police station, police officers stopped the homeowner. While one officer stayed with the homeowner, other patrol officers responded to the residence. Upon arrival, 27-year-old Tyriek Tramaine Washington, of Haines City, was no longer at the home. Corporal Joseph Elam and K-9 Cash followed the trail of the suspect to Boomerang Park.
Washington was found underneath a pavilion with four bullet wounds. He also had property belonging to the homeowner in his possession. Officer Noel Feliciano, Officer Esmerelda Dominguez, Officer Justin Vasquez and Sgt. Nick Dublino provided immediate lifesaving measures to the suspect until he was flown to Osceola Regional Medical Center Washington is listed in critical but stable condition. Washington was charged with burglary of a residence a second degree felony and grand theft, a third degree felony. Washington has an arrest history that includes burglary, theft, loitering and prowling, resisting an officer, and drug possession. “When a person breaks the sanctity of a person’s home, the average person would rightly conclude their purpose was evil,” said Police Chief Greg Goreck. “The homeowner had every right to take the action he did in this case based on the circumstances.”
The investigation is ongoing and police are attempting to identify the second suspect. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Haines City Police Department at 863-421-3636. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477 (TIPS) or via the web at
When Jason Faunt signed on to perform in Power Rangers: Time Force, he pulled double duty playing the Red Time Ranger, Wesley Collin, as well as his descendent, Alex.
Since then, he has performed roles in video games like Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil: Vendetta. He will also be playing a role in the upcoming film, Legend of the White Dragon which is based on super sentai shows like Power Rangers.
While most other people would fear being typecast, Faunt grew to love it and embrace his role as the Red Power Ranger. In fact, it was that role that allowed him to be recognized by Capcom developers and chosen to act in their games, he said.
“It [playing the Red Ranger] will always be my favorite experience,” he said. “This [role] is what got me here and I will not turn my back on it.”
As for his favorite aspect of acting in Power Rangers, it was the honor of becoming a ranger himself. Though he was in college when the original series premiered in 1993, he grew to appreciate the series for what it was, which prompted him to audition.
“It’s cool to be an action figure, and people in the store see the action figure on the shelf, and then I [also] get to go all over the world and meet people like you,” he told someone during a Q&A session.
Jason Faunt was one of three Power Rangers actors who appeared as special guests during the fifth annual Central Florida Comic Con, hosted last weekend at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
The other two Power Rangers include Red Ranger Steve Cardenas and Yellow Ranger Nakia Burris. Other guests from comic books, television shows, and video games also made appearances at the comic book convention for panels, autographs, and photo opportunities.
One notable guest was local favorite, George Lowe, a Lakeland resident who played the voice actor for Space Ghost on Cartoon Network’s Cartoon Planet and Adult Swim’s Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Lowe pontificated on various random subjects from his sophisticated art tastes to his irreverent ad lib performances for other conventions and panels. One particularly hilarious anecdote was about how he had spotted a rat scurrying across the floor of a barbecue joint, and how the owner tried to shot at it with a shot gun.
Other special guests included comic book artists and voice actors for popular television shows, animated cartoons, and Japanese anime.
Most interesting were the voice actors for the titular characters of the Disney Channel animated show, Phineas and Ferb. Vincent Martella voiced Phineas, and Devid Errigo, Jr. voiced Ferb. Both attended to mingle with guests for autographs and photographs and to answer questions at a panel.
Their most common questions were for their favorite episodes and songs. Vincent loved singing, “Summer Belongs To You”, which he performed alongside Ashely Tinsdale, and David loved the Christmas special episode where the titular characters build a spa for Santa.
With the show making an epic comeback as a reboot on Disney Plus, Vincent and Martella are super excited to reprise their roles and are looking forward to what the show creators have in store for them.
“We feel fortunate enough to have done it for so long, and to be able to do it again for a similar run of the show and connect with the audience is an exciting prospect,” Vincent said.
“I love meeting people, the look on people’s faces and the smiles that are given,” David said about the convention. “We are talking about what we love, you cannot trade that for anything.”
During the two days of the convention, attendees were able to peruse various vendors for fan art and collectibles, participate in cosplay costume contests, and play video games and tabletop role-playing games.
The event has been hosted in Lakeland for the past five years as Central Florida’s premier comic book convention. Founder Ben Penrod started it after years of attending and running similar conventions, as he wanted to bring the big convention feel to a small-town setting like Lakeland.
For more information about future events, visit their website at:https://www.centralfloridacomiccon.com/
Texas is home to many musical styles: country, blues, gospel, and even jazz. The state is where Sabrina Morris, a jazz vocalist, was bitten by the jazz bug, and she’s been jazzing it up ever since.
Sabrina was inspired by many of the great jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. She and her husband have been touring the country and performing. Of all the places she has performed, Lakeland is by far her favorite.
She recently performed during the inaugural Swan City Jazz Fest hosted in Munn Park last weekend. She and her husband are also expected to return to the city on Feb. 11.
“I would not miss it,” she said. “This is my favorite kind of thing, jazz is my favorite genre, and I am so excited to be here…We are so privileged to be able to entertain Lakeland with my husband. Lakeland has had us here a couple of times.”
The Swan City Jazz Fest was hosted in Munn Park on Friday and Saturday. Several hundred attendees sat on the grass or pulled up a lawn chair to listen to jazz performances by several artists and bands.
Musicians attending that weekend included Paula Atherton, Jazmin Ghent, 6 Robbs Trio, the 7:15 Franchise Players, and even performances from student groups from Lakeland High School and Harrison School of the Arts. Aside from great music, the event also hosted several food trucks along the street and vendors throughout the park.
“I think what I am looking forward to the most is the community coming together in the midst of everything that is going on in the world,” said Lisa Kirk, Director of the Festival. “I believe three things bring people together: that is amazing music, food, and sports, and we will have two of those this weekend with music and food trucks.”
The event was hosted by Blended Family Foundation, a local non-profit organization that, according to its website, “provides socks, shoes, hygiene items and emergency closets in public schools throughout central Florida.”
Kirk and her husband started the foundation in honor of their son, Kalen, who passed away seven years ago. As he loved sneakers, they decided to start a charity to help children who otherwise cannot afford footwear.
The inaugural jazz fest proved to be a success that drew in several hundred attendees to Munn Park over the weekend. Kirk was impressed by the turnout, which she owed to the beautiful Florida weather, especially considering the recent cold chill last week.
“We are excited,” she said. “It is a beautiful day in January for Florida. We cannot complain at all about this weather. The folks have come out to support and folks have brought donations for sneakers and socks and hygiene products for students in Polk County students. That is the reason why we are here…It will get bigger and better each year.”
DJ MINi C Productions Joins Lakeland and Northeast Polk County Chambers
by James Coulter
Need to plan a birthday, wedding, or even a bar mitzvah or quinceañera? Even if you’re hosting a corporate event, and especially if you just want an excuse to host a party, DJ MINi C Productions can help your ordinary event become extraordinary.
Since 2010, DJ MINi C Productions has served as Polk County’s premier party planner, hosting and planning everything from school dances and corporate functions to class reunions and school proms.
Whether you are celebrating a birthday or an anniversary, a grand opening or retirement, or a school or corporate event, DJ Mini C will liven things up with disk jockeys, photo booths, special effects lighting, and even body tattoos.
For five straight years, DJ MINi C Productions has been the five-star winner of the Couples’ Choice Awards from Wedding Wire–and by giving couples everything they need to make their special day special, those honors prove well-awarded.
“DJ MINi C Productions is not your normal DJ service,” its description on Wedding Wire states. “Couples, it’s your big day and you should have it your way. Let us guide you to a successful wedding full of love and attention to detail. We can help you with finding vendors and provide you with an awesome sound, lighting, and interactive show.”
DJ Mini C Productions recently became a member of both the Greater Lakeland and Northeast Chamber of Commerce, with plans to join the other chambers throughout the county including Lake Wales and Winter Haven.
“This is the fastest way to grow your company and get your brand out there with awareness,” said owner Joe Carter. “I always heard good things about the Chamber. So not just join one but join them all and dominate the market…I will be happy with entertaining millions.”
Joe started his career 15 years ago working night clubs and gentleman clubs, first as a bouncer, then as a DJ. In high school, he played various instruments in band. He asked a few students how to become a DJ, and that started him down his career path.
He owes his success to his statewide reach, his 24/7 services, and offering high-quality products and amenities. Currently, he is incorporating glimmer body art and other activities for children’s parties.
Lara Stripling, Executive Director for the Northeast Chamber, commended him on his decision to join as a member. She attests to his great services and wishes him the best of luck to makethem grow.
“He is great for members to be able to contact someone for entertainment or photo booths,” she said. “We used him for a couple of events already, and he does a great job. So we are super excited he is a member of our Chamber.”
For more information about DJMinic Productions, visit their website at: https://www.djminic.com/
Two Haines City Seniors Awarded Scholarships at MLK Scholarship Brunch.
One wants to study biology. The other wants to study nursing. Both will be attending the college of their choice, each with a $500 scholarship.
Two high school seniors from Ridge Community High School each received scholarships provided through the Haines City Revitalization Group as presented at a special brunch on Thursday.
The MLK Scholarship Brunch was hosted at the Lake Eva Event Center in Haines City on Thursday morning. Approximately nine students from local schools were honored at the ceremony, hosted by the Haines City Revitalization Group.
Two seniors each received a scholarship worth $500. Moreover, Betty White, the master of ceremonies for the event, and the treasurer and ex-president of the Revitalization Group, promised to raise an extra $1,000 so that each senior would receive an extra $500 for a total of $1,000.
Shanique Glasgow, 16, plans to study nursing to become a registered nurse and travel the world. Receiving the scholarship gave her a great feeling, and she is especially glad to know that the community is giving back to its own.
“I want to have a life experience as a whole and experience things I never did before,” she said.
Ramiyah Anglin, meanwhile, wants to study biology. She expects to attend college and do her best to study hard and live her best life.
“It [the scholarship] makes me want to grow harder and exceed more academically,” she said. “I will go to college and try my best and live life to the fullest.”
The event was hosted in conjunction with the city’s weeklong celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. The week started with a prayer and praise festival on Sunday and concluded with the Unity Day Parade and Event on Saturday.
Jonathan Anglin offered several words of encouragement during a motivational speech. He told the students there that their success hinged upon five words: Dream, Goals, Failure, Faith, and Purpose. He admonished them to follow their dreams, set goals to accomplish them, accept failure, find the faith to pull through, and overall, follow their purpose.
“Life will get hard…but continue to find the fight, continue to find the will to go on, and continue to dream and find your purpose,” he told them. “You will be like MLK. He is gone, but guess what: his legacy continued to live on. What he did, he changed the world forever, and no one can ever take that away from him because he operated to his purpose….[So] continue to fight and move on and find your purpose and that is when you will live your happiest life and have an effect on others.”
A Lakeland man walking along S.R. 60 in unincorporated Polk County was fatally struck by a vehicle Wednesday morning, January 25, 2023.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at around 4:00 a.m. to the crash scene on S.R. 60 West near Century Boulevard in Bartow.
Based on statements and evidence at the scene, it was determined that 52-year-old Michael Bullis was walking east on S.R. 60 in the inside lane and on the roadway side of the fog line. At the same time a gray 2016 Jeep Compass was also traveling east in the inside lane. When the driver of the Jeep saw the pedestrian in the roadway, it was too late to avoid the crash. The front of the Jeep struck Mr. Bullis, and he died at the scene.
The driver of the Jeep was uninjured. He remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
It was dark in the area of the crash, and the lighting was described as minimal. Excessive speed, impairment, and distracted driving are not believed to be factors in the crash.
A portion of the roadway was closed for about two hours during the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Men dressed in buckskin and furs. Women in aprons and bonnets. Blacksmiths hammer away at red glowing iron fresh hot from the furnace. Bakers cook fresh bread in open clay ovens. Muskets firing. Arrows launched from longbows.
All these things were common occurrences among settlers in the Florida wilderness pre-1840s. They were also sights and sounds recreated for the modern era during the annual Alafia River Rendezvous.
Located behind Homeland Heritage Park between Bartow and Fort Meade, the Alafia River Rendezvous is an annual festival where historic demonstrators bring history to life by dressing in traditional garments and practicing traditional arts, crafts, and skills.
Visitors can peruse the encampment and visit tents where demonstrators live the settler life and practice their crafts, ranging from blacksmithing and basket-weaving to archery and musket firing. Special school days are hosted to educate local school children about history through first-hand experience.
The Alafia River Rendezvous has been hosted for more than 50 years. The event was first held in 1971 in Hudson, Fl. by the Alafia River Long Rifles, and it was later acquired by the Florida Frontiersmen in 1985 after the Alafia River Long Rifles disbanded.
More than 1,000 people from across the country and even the world arrive at this event annually to spend an entire week utilizing their skills to re-enact history, with as many as 1,400 people attending, explained Ron Clark, Florida Frontiersman President.
Clark has been with the event since his organization took it over in 1985. He appreciates being able to mingle with fellow historical re-enactors and demonstrators and share their passion for history.
“This is what we do once a year to introduce people to the hobby and bring out the school kids for the educational program that we host to help preserve the skills and trades of pre-1840s America,” Clark explained.
Normally, as a historic demonstrator, he visits other rendezvous to participate in archery, marksmanship, and other fun and games. However, as a coordinator for the Alafia River Rendezvous, his primary job is to assist the other Florida Frontiersman hosting the event. Overall, he loves being able to participate in the event with his fellow club members and historic re-enactors.
“I love seeing people,” he said. It is like a big reunion. Over and over, these people have been coming for many, many years. [I love] seeing old friends once a year from across the country. Some have been here from England, it is being able to see the people again, reacquainting old friendships, and mourning the loss of the people who are no longer with us.”
Jim Hull is a wood craftsman who makes Shaker boxes, little figurines, and other crafts. He has been performing his craft for 33 years. He keeps returning every year to Alafia River for his good friend, Ron, and the other demonstrators.
“I love camping with them and talking with them,” he said. “It is all about the camaraderie and the campfires and the people. We are all on an equal basis. There is no class or class system. You could be talking to a dirt farmer or a lawyer. We even have a Reedy Creek fire chief here. It is his vacation time. You never know. It is a good group of people interested in history, and you learn [from them].”
Greg Fulbright, President of the Florida Frontiersman, has been attending for 32 years, and the overall camaraderie from fellow reenactors and demonstrators keeps him coming back time and again.
“[It’s] just a great place to come where you have no problems and hardly any place where you can bring 1,500 to 1,700 people and not have a problem,” he said.
Liz and Frank Fulghum oversee the event working registration, the ranch house, and wherever else they are needed. She loves being able to play out life during a different time and being able to disconnect from the modern world.
“The key here is no electronics,” she said. “It is all primitive,and gets [you] to recharge and relax and have an affordable vacation.”
The Day Visitors’ Days for the Alafia River Rendezvous will be Fri., Jan. 20 and Sat., Jan. 21 from 9 AM – 3 PM. The event is located at 1000 Old Fort Meade Rd., Homeland, FL 33847. For more information, visit their website at: http://www.alafiariverrendezvous.org/
After 30 years of sending riders splashing into the briar patch, Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World has closed. The ride will undergo extensive refurbishment to be re-themed as “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” based on the popular 2009 animated film, Princess and the Frog. The new ride is expected to open in 2024.
Previously, the former attraction was themed to the animated Brer Rabbit segments from the 1946 movie, Song of the South, a film deemed so controversial due to racially-insensitive elements that Disney has yet to release it on either home media or streaming.
The problematic nature of the ride and its source material is partially the reason why the attraction will be changed. The re-theme was announced in 2020 shortly following the protests of George Floyd’s death. For this reason, the announced change has been accused by some detractors of Disney pushing “political correctness” and a “woke” agenda.
But is the Splash Mountain re-theme necessary? Does the old ride deserve to be tossed into the briar patch? And does Tiana deserve to take its place as the princess of her bayou adventure? Answering that question will require delving into three quarters of a century’s worth of history. So, strap yourself in because this is going to be a wild ride.
Note: This article will be citing and summarizing information as presented by two YouTube videos: Tony Goldmark’s “Splash Mountain: Why Tiana’s Almost There (And Why That’s Okay)” (https://youtu.be/U5hIamKrdxk) and DreamSound’s “Disney’s Racist Ride.” (https://youtu.be/1iz4FwBUN2M) Please watch both of those videos if you want a more thorough in-depth analysis.
Part 1: Song of the South
Released in 1946, Song of the South was Disney’s first live-action film and its first full-length feature to combine live-action with animated elements. The movie is based on the Uncle Remus tales as written and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris—a childhood favorite of Walt Disney.
The film is about Johnny, a young boy who has been sent to live with his wealthy mother on her southern plantation. Initially, Johnny does not care for his new home, but he soon grows to love it after meeting Uncle Remus, a kindly old plantation worker who tells him stories about Brer Rabbit. Unfortunately, Johnny’s mother does not take kindly to him befriending the elderly black gentleman (because racism) and has Remus sent away. Johnny chases after him, gets hit by a bull, and only recovers after Remus returns and promises to stay.
On a technical level, Song of the South was praised for its blend of live-action and animation, a technique that would be later perfected in 1964’s Mary Poppins. However, the film has also received criticism for its portrayal of African-Americans. Most of the movie’s black actors play workers on a Southern (post-Civil War Reconstruction-era) plantation portrayed as happily serving under its white owners, and the characters speak in racially-insensitive broken English (which, unfortunately, was common during movies at the time).
Even when it was first released in 1946, Song of the South sparked controversy for its racial insensitivity. The movie was protested with picket lines, denounced by the NAACP, declared an “insult to American minorities” by a U.S. Congressman, and decried by one movie critic as “as vicious a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood ever produced.” (This was only a few years after Hollywood produced Birth of a Nation, an infamous movie that glorified and helped revitalize the Ku Klux Klan!)
In fairness, the movie attempted to convey a progressive message about racial tolerance. In a time when most movie theaters were segregated (to the point where not even the actor who played Uncle Remus was allowed to watch its premiere), a movie about a young white boy learning to overcome the racial prejudice of his elders by befriending people marginalized as a “lower” race and class and treating them as his equal is somewhat radical.
The movie also provided prominent acting roles to James Baskett (Uncle Remus) and Hattie McDaniel, a black actress who had previously starred in the equally controversial Gone with the Wind a few years prior. And while Baskett was unable to attend the movie’s opening night, Walt Disney did campaign relentlessly for him to be given an Academy Award for his performance, claiming that the man deserved it for his hard work.
Regardless, due to its negative reception, Song of the South was re-released theatrically in 1956, with no re-release during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s (for obvious reasons). The movie would only be shown later in 1972, 1980, and 1986 (more on that later). Since then, it has never had a theatrical release, and it has never been released on home media or streaming in America.
So why did this controversial film become the basis of a thrill ride? Well…
Part 2: Splash Mountain
Flash forward to the mid-1980s. Michael Eisner took charge as the new Disney CEO, and he had big plans for Disneyland. To change its public perception as being a park for “little kids”, he wanted to build new thrill rides to draw in an older teen demographic. Star Tours, which opened in 1987, was one of those attractions.
Another ride he proposed would be a log flume ride. Disney did not have an outdoor water ride, and something like Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knotts Berry Farm would most likely draw in guests during the hot summer months. As Critter Country (then Bear Country) was the only place in the park with enough available space, the ride would have to be built there and themed to the area.
Initally, the ride was proposed as “Moonshine Run”, a combination log flume/shooter ride that would have had guests using laser guns to shoot at redneck bears making and smuggling moonshine. However, that initial plan was scrapped, and a new proposal was pitched to theme the ride after Song of the South.
The new ride would re-use animatronic animal characters from the defunct America Sings attraction. As the characters were designed by Marc Davis, who had also worked as an animator for Song of the South, the rustic southern animatronics would fit right perfectly alongside Brer Rabbit and the other animated Song of the South Characters.
To ensure it still had brand marketability to build an entire ride around it, the movie had a limited theatrical release for four weeks in 1986. If it received any protest or boycott, then the ride would be scrapped. The theatrical re-release proved successful, and construction went underway.
Originally pitched as Zip-A-Dee River Run, Splash Mountain (re-named to strangely tie in with the 1984 live-action movie Splash) opened in the newly re-themed Critter Country in Disneyland in 1989. Three years later, the ride would be built in Tokyo Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
While the attraction focuses primarily on the animated Brer Rabbit segments from the movie, quotes from Uncle Remus can be seen posted through the queue, and, of course, the main headline song is the movie’s famous “Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah!”
Part 3: The Controversy
Being based on a controversial film like Song of the South, Splash Mountain has received criticism. Some fans insist the attraction preserves the story and characters of the Brer Rabbit animated segments while stripping away and toning down the other problematic elements of the movie. Other fans, however, claim the ride merely sanitizes those problematic elements.
In her video essay, Dreamsounds explains how many of the movie’s songs, which are also played in the ride’s queue, were based on racist blackface minstrel songs. In fact, the movie and ride’s most popular song, “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!”, was influenced by the minstrel song, “Zip Coon.”
“Disney definitely tried to separate the ride from the movie,” she said. “Although Disney tried to sift out the film’s problematic elements when making Splash Mountain…Song of the South would not exist without problematic racist traditions, so thinking it’s possible to separate the movie from them to make a ride is missing the point.”
Many fans have called for Splash Mountain to be changed. One Change.org petition, created in June 2020, requested the attraction be re-themed to Princess and the Frog, not only to remove the ride’s problematic origins, but also to give a ride to Disney’s first black princess. That petition received 21 thousand signatures.
“Disney parks should be a home for all to enjoy,” the petition read. “There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this could help fill that need. Princess and the Frog is a beloved princess movie but has very little representation in the parks. Tiana could be one of the first princesses with a thrill ride, as well as giving her a much-deserved place in the parks.”
Nearly a month later, Disney officially announced it would re-theme Splash Mountain to Princess and the Frog. But while some fans were excited and others mildly disappointed, others complained the Walt Disney Company was kowtowing to “political correctness” and a “woke agenda.” Complicating matters was how the announcement was made shortly after the death of George Floyd and amidst the ensuing nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
But is this all true? Did Disney really decide to change the ride due to an online petition? Was Disney succumbing to a “woke agenda”? Most likely not. The blog post announcing the change claimed the Imagineers had been working on the ride concept since last year. Even then, as Tony Goldmark explained in his video essay, the timing between the petition and the announcement was too short for Disney to develop the new ride concept.
“This has all the earmarks of something that was pitched like a decade ago and the executives never quite thought it was worth the cost until now, but when the [petition] campaign went viral, it loosened their purse strings,” he said.
Since then, other petitions have been created to #SaveSplashMountain. One petition, at more than 100,000 signatures, even received four times the support than the petition to change the ride. Unfortunately, with the ride having recently closed for refurbishment, Disney seems set on its initial decision.
But was Disney’s decision inspired by an attempt to appear “woke”? Again, most likely not. The real reason seems to be the same reason Disney had re-themed the former Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to Winnie the Pooh: to theme the ride on a more relevant (and thus more lucrative) intellectual property.
After all, which seems more profitable? Keeping a ride themed off an old movie deemed so controversial it still hasn’t been released on home media or streaming? Or re-theming it to a more recent and more popular princess movie? In the end, Disney seems to care less about “Black Lives Matter” and more about seeing green.
On a more positive note, Tony Baxter, the original Imagineer who designed Splash Mountain, has given his blessing on the ride’s retheme and will even be coming out of retirement to serve as a consultant on its redesign.
Overall, Disney seems set on the re-theme from the controversial Song of the South to the more popular Princess and the Frog. Only time will tell how well the new attraction will be. But even if you’re blue about Splash Mountain, you can take solace in knowing that it’ll be the same old ride with a new coat of paint.
It’s the truth. It’s actual. Everything is satis-factual!
What do you think? Do you think it was right for Disney to close Splash Mountain? Are you looking forward to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Or are you going to miss Brer Rabbit and friends too much? Tell us what you think in a comment on our Facebook page.
A crash involving two vehicles on Thornhill Road in Winter Haven early Sunday morning, January 22, 2023 resulted in the death a Bartow man.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at 5:15 a.m., to the crash scene near the intersection of Thornhill Road and Sugar Creek Road.
Upon arrival of first responders, a 63-year-old Bartow man was found deceased. He was the driver of a blue 1999 Mercury Grand Marquise.
The second driver, 37-year-old Keith Lawson of Bartow, was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. He was driving a red 2002 Ford Explorer.
Based on evidence and interviews at the scene, Traffic Homicide investigators determined that the 63-year-old man was traveling north on Thornhill Road, while Mr. Lawson was traveling south. Mr. Lawson swerved across the center, double-yellow line of Thornhill Road and crashed into the front driver’s side of the Grand Marquise.
Detectives are investigating if excessive speed, impairment, and/or distracted driving are factors in the crash; this investigation is on-going. A small portion of Thornhill Road was closed in the area of the crash for approximately three hours.
