MK Tiana's Bayou Adventure - latest details and construction progress

[bmr1591]

Interesting teaser at the end. I wonder if they believe it’ll open sooner than expected.

 

[Nland316]

Some of the weirdest marketing I’ve ever seen for any ride. Nobody cares. Yay we have artists from New Orleans painting murals that look out of place and authentic weathervanes and drum set replicas lol. But not the best song or the bad guy from the movie. What a joke.

I don’t mind teasers and insight like this, but it should definitely be more balanced with teasers of actual substance..

 

[Tha Realest]

At the end of the day it will still be a log flume in Disneyland/ MK with a great layout with 3 fun drops and music. There is no way it can fail. But that doesn’t mean it’s not frustrating to not see it live up to its potential.

As much as certain things don’t make sense about this ride (like the facade for example) the odds are that TBA will be more fun than a purpose built PatF attraction. Riding around another warehouse in trackless vehicles shaped like boats doesn’t sound very fun to me. They get a nice jump start by building off of Baxter and teams work.

Oh I agree with you. I honestly think the creatives on this believe their idea is more enticing to general audiences than including the songs and characters in the film. I do think it will be difficult to quantify whether this is a better or worse attraction ultimately

 

[mickEblu]

Oh I agree with you. I honestly think the creatives on this believe their idea is more enticing to general audiences than including the songs and characters in the film. I do think it will be difficult to quantify whether this is a better or worse attraction ultimately

Oh yea I don’t doubt some of the Imagineers believe that. I also believe that some probably aren’t too happy with the direction it went in. Regardless, we know that this retheme is a special case and has objectives and constraints that are unique/ atypical.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I do not understand how you could possibly think you’d be a better judge of what fits and what’s out of place on this yet-unfinished attraction than the imagineers and Louisiana-based artists who are building it.

The mural on the barn at the very least is complete as far as I'm aware. And it does indeed look out of place. It's an absurd argument that only artists or imagineers have the authority to decide what looks correct and that no other opinions are valid. Especially when considering the people that currently work at WDI.

Most of the imagineers working at Disney right now are new hires with very little creative experience. There were mass layoffs from WDI during Covid (something that has been ongoing for many years prior). Not to mention a great many voluntary departures due to unhappiness with the executives. And unlike a lot of prior generations, much of the new crop weren't trained by their predecessors to ensure that the lineage of classic Disney artistry and creativity is passed down.

This is especially true of the two heads on this project, one of whom is an accountant and the other of whom is a diversity editor. Thankfully these two are mostly just marketing figureheads, with the creative process being handed over to people who allegedly do have some talent. But it still says a lot about the current creative situation at Disney that they're appointing people with absolutely no creative or artistic talent in leadership roles at WDI.

I will also be a bit charitable to the person who designed that barn mural- Looking through her other work on her website, Malaika Favorite's style is much better in her own non-Disney work. The piece used on the barn however is awkward in a number of different ways. The design of Louis is one of the bigger problems, as it's clearly very different from what she normally does and clashes with her style (especially the eyes). Not to mention the mural just being painted on the side of a barn like that doesn't look right.

I found this to also be the case for Sharika Mahdi's art as well. The pieces of "concept art" she drew for the attraction mostly look quite awkward and messy. While her own non-Disney work is much better. In fact, several of the pieces i've seen from her are quite lovely IMO. There's just something about these Disney characters that I think look very "off" when presented and mixed into such a dramatically different art style. Even environment designs as well. Incidentally, the one piece that Mahdi created for the ride with the frog band that didn't include PATF character was also much better IMO. Because again she was creating more of her own work in mostly her own style rather than trying to adhere to something Disney asked her to do (basically forcing a square peg through a round hole).

 

[FettFan]

The artists are contract for hire working on one thing. The weathervane guy is hired to make the weathervane. Not sure what that has to do with anything. I’m not commenting on the quality of their work. I’m commenting on how weird the marketing for this ride is and that Disney is focused on the wrong things.

Nobody paying for a park ticket gives two ****s about a weathervane.

Especially when there’s nothing particularly special about said weathervane that would instantly be recognizable to guests.

It ain’t exactly Haunted Mansion or Peter Pan’s Flight.

(ps - I’d wager that most of y’all probably didn’t know that the PPF vane even existed)

 

[FettFan]

Little Mermaid has a really cool one though…a wink and nod to 20,000 Leagues.

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

Interesting teaser at the end. I wonder if they believe it’ll open sooner than expected.

I don't think it's a coincidence they've dropped the "late 2024" from every piece of promo for it, on top of the other info shared by others in this thread saying it could open sooner. Everything is pointing towards WDW's opening being sooner than originally expected.

Before:

After:

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I don't think it's a coincidence they've dropped the "late 2024" from every piece of promo for it, on top of the other info shared by others in this thread saying it could open sooner. Everything is pointing towards WDW's opening being sooner than originally expected.

Before:
View attachment 761902

After:
View attachment 761904

Hopefully it’s opening early but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they are just trying to get more people to book a summer/fall trip rather than waiting for winter.

 

[Disney Analyst]

The current rumour for MK is April-May. Who knows if that will happen, but the exterior is looking close at least.

 

[stitchangel]

I think I might just wait a bit before booking for the month of august, vine though most of you are now convinced the ride will be open by now! But if it opens in April or may, Disney will announce an opening date very soon allowing me to travel there in June.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

This is especially true of the two heads on this project, one of whom is an accountant and the other of whom is a diversity editor. Thankfully these two are mostly just marketing figureheads, with the creative process being handed over to people who allegedly do have some talent. But it still says a lot about the current creative situation at Disney that they're appointing people with absolutely no creative or artistic talent in leadership roles at WDI.

I feel like we have to get real clear about the facts here - Charita Carter was an accountant for Imagineering . . . in 1997. Since 2007 she has been working in the creative branches of WDI, moving from being a Show Producer to a Senior Creative Producer to Executive Creative Producer to now Executive Creative Producer-VP. Carmen Smith started with Disney at ABC in 2000 and has spent 14 years in her current role as Senior Vice President Creative Development Content-Products & Inclusive Strategies. These people have been around for years creating work you've enjoyed, but only now that their names are visibly and publicly attached to a project that people dislike for . . . reasons . . . they're abruptly being treated as if they couldn't possibly have earned their positions.

To incorrectly call these people figureheads, assume they have no talent, clearly attempt to dismiss them as "an accountant & a diversity editor", neither of which are wholly accurate descriptors, and disregard their many years of productive creative work in which they both worked their way up the ladder within this company is pointedly ugly given the context.

You don't have to like this these people, the ride, or even their work on it, but this kind of misguided devaluing of these women, their positions, and their achievements speaks to exactly the kind of gross and charged negative behavior people are hurling at this project. I would encourage you to speak more mindfully on this subject in the future.

 

[Brer Panther]

Riding around another warehouse in trackless vehicles shaped like boats doesn’t sound very fun to me.

I never even thought of that, but... you're right. A Ratatouille/Runaway Railway/Shanghai Disneyland Zootopia ride-style Princess and the Frog dark ride would've been far, far worse than this Splash Mountain retheme.

Most of the imagineers working at Disney right now are new hires with very little creative experience. There were mass layoffs from WDI during Covid (something that has been ongoing for many years prior). Not to mention a great many voluntary departures due to unhappiness with the executives. And unlike a lot of prior generations, much of the new crop weren't trained by their predecessors to ensure that the lineage of classic Disney artistry and creativity is passed down.

This sort of thing makes me worried that Iger has done irreparable damage to Disney and the parks.

Especially when there’s nothing particularly special about said weathervane that would instantly be recognizable to guests.

It ain’t exactly Haunted Mansion or Peter Pan’s Flight.

Or the Brer Rabbit weathervane that Splash Mountain had.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I feel like we have to get real clear about the facts here - Charita Carter was an accountant for Imagineering . . . in 1997. Since 2007 she has been working in the creative branches of WDI, moving from being a Show Producer to a Senior Creative Producer to Executive Creative Producer to now Executive Creative Producer-VP. Carmen Smith started with Disney at ABC in 2000 and has spent 14 years in her current role as Senior Vice President Creative Development Content-Products & Inclusive Strategies. These people have been around for years creating work you've enjoyed, but only now that their names are visibly and publicly attached to a project that people dislike for . . . reasons . . . they're abruptly being treated as if they couldn't possibly have earned their positions.

To incorrectly call these people figureheads, assume they have no talent, clearly attempt to dismiss them as "an accountant & a diversity editor", neither of which are wholly accurate descriptors, and disregard their many years of productive creative work in which they both worked their way up the ladder within this company is pointedly ugly given the context.

You don't have to like this these people, the ride, or even their work on it, but this kind of misguided devaluing of these women, their positions, and their achievements speaks to exactly the kind of gross and charged negative behavior people are hurling at this project. I would encourage you to speak more mindfully on this subject in the future.

Here here!!

 

[mickEblu]

I never even thought of that, but... you're right. A Ratatouille/Runaway Railway/Shanghai Disneyland Zootopia ride-style Princess and the Frog dark ride would've been far, far worse than this Splash Mountain retheme.

This sort of thing makes me worried that Iger has done irreparable damage to Disney and the parks.

Or the Brer Rabbit weathervane that Splash Mountain had.

Right. Although I’d rather have a crappy PatF ride if it meant Splash Mountain survived.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

disregard their many years of productive creative work in which they both worked their way up the ladder within this company is pointedly ugly given the context.

Can you elaborate on the productive creative work that each one has been responsible for? I'm not challenging you, just asking for further explanation.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

(ps - I’d wager that most of y’all probably didn’t know that the PPF vane even existed)

If you’re keeping score - I did know the Peter Pan vane existed - I love tik-tok croc! But I didn’t know about the bat on the vane in haunted mansion.

The other weather vane I recall is the Mary Poppins one on jolly holiday cafe - winds in the east and all!

 

[JD80]

Some of the weirdest marketing I’ve ever seen for any ride. Nobody cares. Yay we have artists from New Orleans painting murals that look out of place and authentic weathervanes and drum set replicas lol. But not the best song or the bad guy from the movie. What a joke.

I care and I enjoy watching little snippets of the work being done. If you don't like it go somewhere else.

 

[mickEblu]

I care and I enjoy watching little snippets of the work being done. If you don't like it go somewhere else.

There’s always one…

 

[_caleb]

It's an absurd argument that only artists or imagineers have the authority to decide what looks correct and that no other opinions are valid.

How is it absurd? I’ve not said ONLY artists or imagineers have authority to judge, just that nobody is in a better position than they.

Eventually, we’ll be able to experience it as a whole and judge whether we like it or not, and how well we think it “fits” in the broader area of the parks.

Making definitive statements about the consistency or quality of the work at this point is like tasting dinner before all the ingredients have been added (when you don’t even know what dish is being made and aren’t familiar with the cuisine), declaring it to be disgusting and the chef to be incompetent.

The pieces of "concept art" she drew for the attraction mostly look quite awkward and messy.

I imagine you wouldn’t say such a thing if you were judging the work of an indigenous artist in a remote part of the world; and rightly so, because “awkward” is relative, and it’d be rude to call another culture’s art “messy.” But somehow here, we all suppose our standards for art are universal.