News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[larryz]

Or build a fake steamboat like that of the Empress Lilly for a New Orleans inspired restaurant, but I? would advise they only do that if Ralph Brennan group runs it.

Except when I tried to get an authentic po-boy sandwich at their restaurant in California, I was told they used hoagy rolls instead of New Orleans-style French baguettes.

 

[Dreaming to Imagineer]

The original announcement of the Splash Mountain to Princess and the Frog thread is now available in the 'Politics and Social Issues' forum at https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/splash-mountain-re-theme-announced.965846/unread

In the absence of many specific details on the project and due to its polarizing nature, the original thread is mostly a political/social debate, which is best served in the Politics/Social section of the forum. In its original location in News & Rumors it became impossible to moderate within the no-political discussion rule that we have in place (see Terms and rules).

This thread will serve as the ongoing thread for discussion of the attraction retheme. ANY political/social commentary in this thread will be deleted and the poster will be banned from taking any further part.

Here is the original announcement news article which contains concept art and all of the released information at this point.

Splash Mountain to be rethemed to The Princess and the Frog

The massively popular Magic Kingdom ride loosely based on Song of the South will be rethemed.

www.wdwmagic.com

Posted a similar thread over on Imagineering but here are my thoughts:

Im pumped! This has a lot of potential especially with Disney’s newer styles of using projections as lighting features or for creating shadows. Nonetheless I’m hoping they’re will be AA’s and heavy physical sets, but then again no idea on the budget. Also hoping they’ll include plenty of nods and Easter eggs to splash (maybe Louis could even end up playing the famous tune of song of the south on his trumpet haha!)

 

[aladdin2007]

Im pumped! This has a lot of potential especially with Disney’s newer styles of using projections as lighting features or for creating shadows. Nonetheless I’m hoping they’re will be AA’s and heavy physical sets, but then again no idea on the budget. Also hoping they’ll include plenty of nods and Easter eggs to splash (maybe Louis could even end up playing the famous tune of song of the south on his trumpet haha!)

great another barren frozen ever after; "Tiana Ever After Through the Bayou"......not if what others are saying is true......pathetically meager, IF what others have said is true.

They are going to have to do better than all that with this, they are taking a iconic heavily detailed headliner and messing with perfection, they have a lot to live up to on this one. But I dont think they much care anymore. With Baxter consulting it gave me some hope, but then he also consulted on frozen...so.....meh.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

The spatial considerations of SM's show areas compared to Maelstrom give me encouragement that it would be much more difficult to replace most physical scenes with projections. I sincerely expect to see the scene layout and many set elements on the upper 2 floors of the show building to remain intact, as much of it is baked into the ride itself.

After the drop into the laughing place is where I think we'll see a thinning of show elements, and wouldn't be completely shocked if much of the gunnite work down there is simply left in the dark a la SSE's descent. If that's the budgetary compromise we're left with, I'm good with it.

 

[EagleScout610]

Interestingly enough, even the MK attraction page has the attraction blurb stating that Splash Mountain is a "hare-raising" adventure along a Southern bayou. Southern Bayou you say? And with that; I'd be shocked if "Bayou" isn't include in the rename of the attraction.

Princess Tina's Splash Mountain: Bayou Soirée
(apostrophe and accent marks will be little fireflies)

I think it's always used the phrase "Southern Bayou" to describe Splash

 

[aladdin2007]

The spatial considerations of SM's show areas compared to Maelstrom give me encouragement that it would be much more difficult to replace most physical scenes with projections. I sincerely expect to see the scene layout and many set elements on the upper 2 floors of the show building to remain intact, as much of it is baked into the ride itself.

After the drop into the laughing place is where I think we'll see a thinning of show elements, and wouldn't be completely shocked if much of the gunnite work down there is simply left in the dark a la SSE's descent. If that's the budgetary compromise we're left with, I'm good with it.

good perspective, makes sense

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

Did I miss something.....

Just some sarc and armchair-imagineering showing that Princess and the Frog IP could have gone elsewhere. Instead of a single overlay to Splash Mountain. What if:

Swiss Family Tree House became "Mama Odie's Place"
Aladdin Spinner became "Ray's Firefly Jamboree"
Aloha Isle : "Sweet Evangiline's Bayou Beignets"
Agrabah Bazaar into "La Bouff Sugar Company Gifts: a Princess and the Frog Store"
Frontierland Shooting Gallery (repurposed to be Adventurerland facing) "Dr, Facilier's Arcana Arcade"
Diamond Horseshoe : "Tiana's Place Restaurant"

Heck, I'm sure a Meet and Greet could have be thrown in somewhere as well.

Not ideal, but that, in my mind would have been a better use of the IP versus the singular ride overlay to Splash Mountain we're getting. This or something similar could have reinvigorated some of the lesser areas and attractions within Adventureland. My sarcky response is that PatF could have gone elsewhere. MK's Splash would have still required a retheme of course.* But, had WDI done this instead or some other PatF overlay to the upper half of Adventureland - we'd atleast have different representations of the IP on each coast as well as unique Splash Mountains in the parks. But I guess that's a discussion for another thread. Not sure if it was ever considered, but the idea is moot now.

C'est la vie.

 

[TJJohn12]

...Realistically they could actually just close the ride and not re-open it for a while but I don’t think that happens....

I'm not sure that's realistic - either from a MK attraction capacity standpoint or from the point where culture is. This moment is not going away.

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm not sure that's realistic - either from a MK attraction capacity standpoint or from the point where culture is. This moment is not going away.

As far as capacity goes, MK isn’t going to get near full “normal” operations for a while. Could even be several years before we pull fully out of this recession and full travel and leisure gets back to where it was pre-Covid. At a minimum they will wait until after this fiscal year is over to start laying out cash for the project. Capital spend is virtually on hold outside of projects that are already too far along to stop. I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility that the ride stays closed for a year or 2 if they slow play the project. I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen but it’s not impossible either.

 

[GoofGoof]

I doubt they'll keep the word "Splash" in the title. Because it will just **** off the traditionalists. At least we'll be able to tell our grandkids, pets and possibly fellow mental patients about it. My bet is they'll go with "Tiana's Mardi Gras Mountain".

I admit it is the best thing merchandise-wise to go with Tiana and her crew. But I just wish it could have gone somewhere else, much like Frozen and Mickey's Railway. They could have put their shiny faces somewhere else that was more suitable.

The only lock is that “mountain” will be in the name. Outside of that who knows.

 

[Otamin]

The only lock is that “mountain” will be in the name. Outside of that who knows.

Source?

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

The only lock is that “mountain” will be in the name. Outside of that who knows.

Hmm. I'd rather they keep "Splash" and drop "Mountain" from the name.

But as @MickeyMouse10 suggested and because Disney likes their alliterative titles; it may very well be "Mardi Gras Mountain". I don't particularly like it however because mountains in NOLA don't exist but I doubt that'll stop them. For additional alliteration you can have it be "Mama Odie's Mardi Gras Mountain" which would theoretically address the "no mountains in NOLA issue" - it exists because it's magic!

 

[TJJohn12]

Closing the ride and announcing the replacement addresses the ”cultural“ aspect. As far as capacity goes, MK isn’t going to get near full “normal” operations for a while. Could even be several years before we pull fully out of this recession and full travel and leisure gets back to where it was pre-Covid. At a minimum they will wait until after this fiscal year is over to start laying out cash for the project. Capital spend is virtually on hold outside of projects that are already too far along to stop. I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility that the ride stays closed for a year or 2 if they slow play the project. I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen but it’s not impossible either.

Now I get you. I thought you meant mothball Splash for an extended period to allow the "moment" to blow over, then reopen as Splash after.

I'm actually on board with what you're saying here, though I'd even push Capex out further on this one if I had to guess. The project has only been in progress at WDI for a year. I doubt there's much concrete beyond a few storyboard options for the ride's story. There's tons of R&D / design work to do between now and first shovel.

Closing the ride in the next 12 months even if they don't lift a shovel for another year after that doesn't seem out of the question - what you're saying about ride capacity is quite clearly the case. But the shovels will be lifting at some point relatively soon (3-4 year timeline I'd wager).

 

[Parker in NYC]

I'm sticking with Beignet Mountain. A thrilling drop into a vat of powdered sugar.

 

[SirLink]

Except when I tried to get an authentic po-boy sandwich at their restaurant in California, I was told they used hoagy rolls instead of New Orleans-style French baguettes.

I have definately had apo-boy in a french baguette at Ralph Brennan though so maybe they ran out or the bread delivery hadn't been

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

I'm thinking they'll give an over-the-top name e.g. extraTERRORrestrial with a wordsmithered title that's somehow both alliterative and generic all at once. Oh and on brand for marketing reasons, that's important! Something painfully stupid like "Princess Tiana's Splash Mountain Mardi Gras Bash" a serviceable attraction name that offends traditionalists and is too word. It's terrible really. Naturally, it's probably the frontrunner.

 

[jprenkert]

Actually the way the attraction was designed already dealt with any "Cultural Aspect" of the ride. It is Southern critters only...There is no mention of race, time period or anything else related to the film,..just some fun happy tunes and a sweet story... It goes no further...And neither should anyone riding it...
Do we need to start dissecting all of the fairy tales to look for things to be offended by?

Having rode the ride, maybe twice, I would not have known it came from that movie, let alone anything to slavery. Shouldn't we take some of the things in the past, have a discussion on it, learn from it, and move on?

Just like anything, you dig deep enough, youll find something you don't like.

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

Having rode the ride, maybe twice, I would not have known it came from that movie, let alone anything to slavery. Shouldn't we take some of the things in the past, have a discussion on it, learn from it, and move on?

Just like anything, you dig deep enough, youll find something you don't like.

You gotta dig a little deeper

 

[GoofGoof]

Source?

It’s one of THE mountains. They won’t change that.

Hmm. I'd rather they keep "Splash" and drop "Mountain" from the name.

But as @MickeyMouse10 suggested and because Disney likes their alliterative titles; it may very well be "Mardi Gras Mountain". I don't particularly like it however because mountains in NOLA don't exist but I doubt that'll stop them. For additional alliteration you can have it be "Mama Odie's Mardi Gras Mountain" which would theoretically address the "no mountains in NOLA issue" - it exists because it's magic!

Being that the name Splash Mountain had literally nothing to do with the story, IP or the ride itself it’s possible they just keep the name Splash Mountain. It’s still a mountain...there’s still a splash at the end. Maybe Splash Mountain and then a subtitle.

“Splash Mountain: Mardis Gras“ Pick your favorite subtitle. Depends on what the story of the ride is.

 

[GoofGoof]

Actually the way the attraction was designed already dealt with any "Cultural Aspect" of the ride. It is Southern critters only...There is no mention of race, time period or anything else related to the film,..just some fun happy tunes and a sweet story... It goes no further...And neither should anyone riding it...
Do we need to start dissecting all of the fairy tales to look for things to be offended by?

I’m sure that debate is probably still raging in the other thread. Off topic here.