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

[MerlinTheGoat]

The stormtroopers in Rise are also animated figures (though a lot don't even move at all AFAIK). Since they only have one or two axes of motion in the neck or arms.

Disney in recent years has taken to conflating animated figures with animatronics so they can lie in marketing. Hence why Star Wars was stated to have so many in marketing, while in actuality it only had like 5. The official ride page for Splash Mountain claimed it had over 100 animatronics. When in reality around 30-40 of those were animated props with pretty minimal movement. They were literally even counting the spinning beehives in that number (mentioning the ride has "animatronic bees" on the ride's page). Though to be fair, it still has a ton of legitimate animatronic figures compared to Star Wars and such.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Wow. Mind blown. I had no idea there was a difference. So for splash that would be something like one of the laughin place turtles versus the rabbit trap Brer Fox

That's a good example, yes.

Animated Figures can be really nice to flesh out a scene with characters and motion that don't have to be programmed as specifically as the main figures, and therefore cost less. If you single them out specifically you can tell they're doing less than the main figures in the scene, but taken as a collective it's often hard to notice they're doing anything less impressive than the genuine Animatronics.

This is also how Jungle Cruise had animated animals on opening day in 1955 despite Audio Animatronics not being invented properly until The Tiki Room came along - the JC figures were all Animated Figures rather than proper Animatronics. I think that may still be the case today, unless any of the new figures from the last update are actual AAs.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

To be fair, the term "audio animatronic" I think only defines a robotic figure whose movement is synced specifically to a sound recording (often the mouth but can also mean body movement). But you can still have fairly simplistic figures that are synced to sound. Like the Small World dolls, Splash Mountain possums etc. Or sophisticated robots that don't rely on sound much or at all. There are POTC characters for instance that don't speak, but still have a decent and dynamic enough range of motion for me to call them legitimate animatronics. Same goes for a number of the minor animals in Splash Mountain (though a lot of these did once have speech in America Sings). Sinbad at Tokyo have a ton of incredible and legit animatronics that don't have connecting audio.

That's why I usually like to classify a figure based on the movement they're capable of. The tiki birds imo are a good minimum baseline for what I call an animatronic, even without including sound.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Finally, we understand where the suspense comes from—the constant existential threat caused by thyroid goiter.

As we all know, in salt mines, heavier iodized salt sinks below regular salt. We will have to “dig a little deeper” to save our new bayou friends and ourselves.

Oh, wait! So Tiana and Naveen weren't turned into frogs... they only looked like frogs!!

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

To be fair, the term "audio animatronic" I think only defines a robotic figure whose movement is synced specifically to a sound recording (often the mouth but can also mean body movement). But you can still have fairly simplistic figures that are synced to sound (like the Small World dolls), or sophisticated robots that don't rely on sound much or at all. There are POTC characters for instance that don't speak, but still have a decent enough range of motion for me to call them legitimate animatronics. Same goes for a number of the minor animals in Splash Mountain (though a number of these did once have speech in America Sings).

That's why I usually classify a figure based on the movement they're capable of. The tiki birds imo are a good minimum baseline for what I call an animatronic, even without including sound.

It's a little bit tricky, which is why I tried but maybe failed to be clear.

The "Audio" in "Audio Animatronics" actually isn't about whether the figure is synced to an Audio track or not, like speech or music (though they often are), but instead comes from the fact that those figures used to be programmed using Audio Impulses before the dawn of the digital era. That was how they activated the figures' movements in specific and designated sequence without computer technology. Technically speaking, the term Audio Animatronics is pretty much wholly outdated at this point, since I don't think any figures still run off of Audio input, but the term was already popularized and is still used today despite now being controlled digitally. I think the fact that many of them do sync to recorded dialogue or music is part of what kept the term in use - it's easy and pretty logical to assume that's what Audio Animatronic meant, even though it actually meant something else.

My point about lipsyncing wasn't so much that every Audio Animatronic can lipsync, since that isn't necessarily true, but any figure that can lipsync is basically more than a mere Animated Figure. Many of the Pirates in PotC don't lipsync, but are still programmed figures that used to run off of Audio control to create a specific and timed performance, and therefore are Audio Animatronics despite that. Not every rectangle is a square, and all that. It's weird.

Animated Figures tend to be more like a wind-up toy, and may have one or a couple motions that will be repeated as long as there's energy to drive them. But Audio Animatronics are more complex than that in how they're constructed and programmed as well as the type of performance they can give.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

Put simply, Animatronics are more complex and programmable, where Animated Figures are simpler and mechanically driven.

Compare a figure like The Auctioneer in Pirates, whose motions are dictated by digital inputs that could be altered to design a different performance for the figure (they used to be controlled by Audio input, hence the name Audio Animatronics), versus something like a Jungle Cruise Elephant, whose individual movements are more cyclical and tend to loop based off the motors and mechanics to create movements that are intentional but not necessarily timed to run together in exact sequence.

Basically, if the performance is the result of carefully crafted programming then it's an Animatronic, but if the performance is the result of carefully crafted mechanics then it's an Animated Figure. It's not always easy to tell the difference just by looking, since Attractions will sometimes use both within the same scene (Little Mermaid uses Sebastian and Ariel Animatronics in the Under the Sea scene, but all the other characters in that room are Animated Figures that mostly have simple rocking motions to them).

Now, Animated Figures can have some pretty complex motions, so it's not automatic that they're worse than an Animatronic, they just tend to move in ways that are more general rather than specifically timed. One of the biggest tells is that if a character is accurately lipsynching it pretty much automatically has to be an Animatronic, since Animated Figures can't do that given how they're built.

This is a really great explanation

 

[dmw]

It's a little bit tricky, which is why I tried but maybe failed to be clear.

The "Audio" in "Audio Animatronics" actually isn't about whether the figure is synced to an Audio track or not, like speech or music (though they often are), but instead comes from the fact that those figures used to be programmed using Audio Impulses before the dawn of the digital era. That was how they activated the figures' movements in specific and designated sequence without computer technology. Technically speaking, the term Audio Animatronics is pretty much wholly outdated at this point, since I don't think any figures still run off of Audio input, but the term was already popularized and is still used today despite now being controlled digitally. I think the fact that many of them do sync to recorded dialogue or music is part of what kept the term in use - it's easy and pretty logical to assume that's what Audio Animatronic meant, even though it actually meant something else.

My point about lipsyncing wasn't so much that every Audio Animatronic can lipsync, since that isn't necessarily true, but any figure that can lipsync is basically more than a mere Animated Figure. Many of the Pirates in PotC don't lipsync, but are still programmed figures that used to run off of Audio control to create a specific and timed performance, and therefore are Audio Animatronics despite that. Not every rectangle is a square, and all that. It's weird.

Animated Figures tend to be more like a wind-up toy, and may have one or a couple motions that will be repeated as long as there's energy to drive them. But Audio Animatronics are more complex than that in how they're constructed and programmed as well as the type of performance they can give.

So, are the Tiki birds animated figures, or animatronics? Serious question. This thread finally got interesting.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Tiki birds are definitely legitimate audio animatronics. They were the first figures to actually be called that from what I understand. Their programming was stored on the aforementioned tape system, movement and audio. And their movement, while "primitive" compared to what came after, is still complex and intricate compared to a simple moving prop. Plus their movement still works perfectly for the size and type of animal they represent (the abrupt and precise movement is quite bird-like).

This video about 2 minutes in explain the tech used behind them-

 

[ToTBellHop]

Of course, modern AAs are far more complicated than the tiki birds.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

I should have said animated figure. Lower range of motion than an AA. Splash had tons of animated figures.

Any word on those America Sings figures? I assume you probably only heard as much as you’ve already said here, so probably not too many specifics

 

[Brer Panther]

Same goes for a number of the minor animals in Splash Mountain (though a lot of these did once have speech in America Sings).

Now I'm wondering which characters, specifically, in Disneyland's version of Splash Mountain didn't have dialogue but did have dialogue in America Sings, and vise-versa... let me see if I can figure it out...

1. Geese - Dialogue in both
2. Hound Dog in the Laughin' Place - I think he had one line in America Sings, not sure if he was among the critters singing in the Laughin' Place or if he didn't say anything
3. Swamp Boys - Dialogue in both
4. Bullfrogs - Dialogue in both (in fact, they said the same thing in both: "Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum...")
5. Harmonica-Playing Raccoon - No dialogue in either
6. Mother Possum - Dialogue in both
7. Baby Possums - No dialogue in either
8. Hanging Possums - No dialogue in either (they did hum in Splash Mountain, though)
9. Convict Fox - Dialogue in both (singing "Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place" in Splash Mountain)
10. Hens and Foxes on the Riverboat - Dialogue in both (sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Splash Mountain)
11. Donkey 1 (the one in the finale) - No dialogue in either
12. Handcar Rabbit (redressed as Brer Rabbit in Splash Mountain) - No dialogue in either
13. Saddlesore Swanson - Dialogue in both (singing "Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place" in Splash Mountain)
14. Donkey 2 (the one across from Brer Fox and Brer Bear during the "How Do You Do" sequence) - No dialogue in either
15. Vultures - Dialogue in both
16. Tex Ranger (dog who sang "Home on the Range" and is now on the riverboat) - Dialogue in both (sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Splash Mountain)
17. Brer Turtle - No dialogue in America Sings, had dialogue in Splash Mountain
18. Roadrunner - No dialogue in either (he was originally going to sing Disney World's Brer Porcupine's "Time to Be Turnin' Around" verse of "How Do You Do", but they scrapped that), but did have dialogue in the Disney World version of Splash Mountain
19. Owl - No dialogue in America Sings, just hooted in Splash Mountain
20. Mother Rabbit - Dialogue in both
21. Baby Rabbits - No dialogue in either
22. Showgirl Pig - Dialogue in both (sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Splash Mountain)
23. Bird in a Gilded Cage - Dialogue in both (sang "Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place" in Splash Mountain)
24. Laughin' Place Storks - Don't recall if they had dialogue in America Sings (if they did, it was singing "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay" with a bunch of other characters), but they sang "Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place" in Splash Mountain
25. Showgirl Birds - Dialogue in both (sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Splash Mountain)
26. College Quartet (Fox, Wolf, and Cats in the wagon in the finale) - Dialogue in both (sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Splash Mountain)
27. Piano Pig - Had dialogue in America Sings, I think was among the critters singing "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Splash Mountain but he might've just played the organ
28. Drummer Porcupine - No dialogue in either version, but did have dialogue in the Disney World Splash Mountain
29. Laughin' Place Chicken - Dialogue in both (sang "Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place")
30. Hitchhiking Alligator - Dialogue in both
31. Weasels - Dialogue in America Sings, I don't think had any dialogue in Splash Mountain, but they do make noises in the Disney World version

 

[Brer Oswald]

I should have said animated figure. Lower range of motion than an AA. Splash had tons of animated figures.

It did? Besides Brer Gator and the weasels, I can’t think of that many. Maybe the Bullfrogs and turtles? I’d probably still consider them small and simpler AAs (above what we’d see in Fantasyland).

Disneyland Splash had a lot more. Brer Frog was limited motion, as was the bobbing Brer Bear.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Put simply, Animatronics are more complex and programmable, where Animated Figures are simpler and mechanically driven.

Compare a figure like The Auctioneer in Pirates, whose motions are dictated by digital inputs that could be altered to design a different performance for the figure (they used to be controlled by Audio input, hence the name Audio Animatronics), versus something like a Jungle Cruise Elephant, whose individual movements are more cyclical and tend to loop based off the motors and mechanics to create movements that are intentional but not necessarily timed to run together in exact sequence.

Basically, if the performance is the result of carefully crafted programming then it's an Animatronic, but if the performance is the result of carefully crafted mechanics then it's an Animated Figure. It's not always easy to tell the difference just by looking, since Attractions will sometimes use both within the same scene (Little Mermaid uses Sebastian and Ariel Animatronics in the Under the Sea scene, but all the other characters in that room are Animated Figures that mostly have simple rocking motions to them).

Now, Animated Figures can have some pretty complex motions, so it's not automatic that they're worse than an Animatronic, they just tend to move in ways that are more general rather than specifically timed. One of the biggest tells is that if a character is accurately lipsynching it pretty much automatically has to be an Animatronic, since Animated Figures can't do that given how they're built.

I like this definition. In this case, the bullfrogs would be animatronic as they were programmed to sync up to their parts in the music.

 

[Brer Panther]

It did? Besides Brer Gator and the weasels, I can’t think of that many. Maybe the Bullfrogs and turtles? I’d probably still consider them small and simpler AAs (above what we’d see in Fantasyland).

Disneyland Splash had a lot more. Brer Frog was limited motion, as was the bobbing Brer Bear.

The bees, I suppose. Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe the possums too?

 

[Brer Oswald]

The stormtroopers in Rise are also animated figures (though a lot don't even move at all AFAIK). Since they only have one or two axes of motion in the neck or arms.

Disney in recent years has taken to conflating animated figures with animatronics so they can lie in marketing. Hence why Star Wars was stated to have so many in marketing, while in actuality it only had like 5. The official ride page for Splash Mountain claimed it had over 100 animatronics. When in reality around 30-40 of those were animated props with pretty minimal movement. They were literally even counting the spinning beehives in that number (mentioning the ride has "animatronic bees" on the ride's page). Though to be fair, it still has a ton of legitimate animatronic figures compared to Star Wars and such.

I decided to do a watch of both PoVs to get my own animatronic count. I was rather conservative with what I considered an animatronic (anything I wasn’t sure I didn’t count). I counted around 54 in WDW and 72 in DL. The first scene in Disneyland is particularly notable as it throws you in with 15 animatronics right off the bat (12 geese and 3 frogs). Tiana has her work cut out for her no doubt.

 

[EagleScout610]

It did? Besides Brer Gator and the weasels, I can’t think of that many. Maybe the Bullfrogs and turtles? I’d probably still consider them small and simpler AAs (above what we’d see in Fantasyland).

Disneyland Splash had a lot more. Brer Frog was limited motion, as was the bobbing Brer Bear.

I would also add this Br'er Bear to that list since he's just wobbling on a base with his mouth in one fixed position just going "Ooh oww! Oooo!!" Technically any figure with a fixed mouth I'd count as limited motion.

 

[BrerFoxesBayouAdventure]

You know, most companies would reconsider the project altogether with this reaction from their fans.

They would never admit the ride themed to their most controversial property was enjoyed by people, even by those who knew what the source material was.

I agree.100% the missing ingredient will be “you”. Then they will say “thanks for coming, y’all”

But if the bulk of the ride is them hurrying around looking for something lost, I kind of like the message: slow down, look around, you already have what you need.

Spoiler: The missing ingredient is:

Soul.

 

[Brer Oswald]

View attachment 762729
I would also add this Br'er Bear to that list since he's just wobbling on a base with his mouth in one fixed position just going "Ooh oww! Oooo!!" Technically any figure with a fixed mouth I'd count as limited motion.

Some may say it is, but given the movement it was capable of, and the complexities that went it to creating it and the rig, I’d give it special consideration.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Some may say it is, but given the movement it was capable of, and the complexities that went it to creating it and the rig, I’d give it special consideration.

The version at WDW has an extra motor in the neck (absent on the DL figure) to allow the head to also move, but they're both fairly simple figures. If the arms were actually robotic, then that would definitely up their complexity, but I strongly suspect they aren't. Someone can correct me if i'm wrong, but I believe the arms are actually using some kind of spring mechanism. And that they are reliant on the main body flailing around hard enough to cause them to move.

This has been an issue in recent years at WDW since the base figure itself has had very limited motion (or even static) that isn't producing enough force to get the arms moving. Even after the otherwise mostly excellent 2013 refurb, the figure never moved quite as violently as it did in the 90s. I suspect they may have intentionally kept it toned down to reduce maintenance costs. So the arm movement also isn't as strong as it once was either. In DL's case, it's even worse because the arms have seemingly been stuck in place for a very long time. Even during the points when the figure itself still wobbled with significant force (though again the entire thing has been static a lot in recent years). I don't even know if they've worked at any point in the 2000s...

Someone can correct me if i'm wrong about the arms being spring powered. But looking closely at them, I do think that's how it works.

 

[SJN1279]

It would make sense to have this open for the summer. Lines for Splash Mountain were always longest in those months, and they want to brand this ride a huge success.

Let’s hope they aren’t cutting corners.