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

[jt04]

Maybe the Western town and Big Al's Toy Barn were taking out of the final version of TSL for a reason. Because they are saving it for a retheme of Frontierland with Woody's Roundup. I know that people won't like it, but I'm actually totally for it. Unlike Tiana it fits perfectly in Frontierland.

I think it is more likely a precursor to moving away from the Frontierland aesthetics of the past at wdw. But I think Big Thunder is safe as is. Might even get the Disneyland enhancements. IMO.

 

[EagleScout610]

Maybe the Western town and Big Al's Toy Barn were taking out of the final version of TSL for a reason. Because they are saving it for a New Frontierland with Woody's Roundup. I know that people won't like it, but I'm actually totally for it. Unlike Tiana it fits perfectly in Frontierland.

Please for the love of Walt and all that is magic,
NO MORETOY STORY What's next, Everest becoming Buzz Lightyear's Frozen Adventure???

 

[Haymarket2008]

Maybe the Western town and Big Al's Toy Barn were taking out of the final version of TSL for a reason. Because they are saving it for a New Frontierland with Woody's Roundup. I know that people won't like it, but I'm actually totally for it. Unlike Tiana it fits perfectly in Frontierland.

But does it though?

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

But does it though?

The only way I'd accept any Toy Story treatment to Fronterland is if it's so understated it's practically blink and you miss it. By that I mean, no giant Toy figures or any "plastic" looking set decor. A ye-olde Woody's Roundup show, Meet and Greet and super subtle overlay to Big Thunder; acceptable if they must put the IP there. As for how to retheme big thunder to Toy Story and not have it suck... :shrugs: not a clue. Unless they can somehow convince us that Stinky Pete was based on an actual person.

 

[Haymarket2008]

The only way I'd accept any Toy Story treatment to Fronterland is if it's so understated it's practically blink and you miss it. By that I mean, no giant Toy figures or any "plastic" looking set decor. A ye-olde Woody's Roundup show, Meet and Greet and super subtle overlay to Big Thunder would be acceptable. Not great or ideal but acceptable if they must put the IP there. As for how to retheme big thunder to Toy Story and not have it suck... :shrugs: not a clue. Unless they can somehow convince us that Stinky Pete was based on an actual person.

The only acceptable thing, imho, would be a little addition like the Hunchback turn and crank in the little courtyard to the left of Disneyland castle. Super out of the way and unobtrusive.

 

[jt04]

The only way I'd accept any Toy Story treatment to Fronterland is if it's so understated it's practically blink and you miss it. By that I mean, no giant Toy figures or any "plastic" looking set decor. A ye-olde Woody's Roundup show, Meet and Greet and super subtle overlay to Big Thunder would be acceptable. Not great or ideal but acceptable if they must put the IP there. As for how to retheme big thunder to Toy Story and not have it suck... :shrugs: not a clue. Unless they can somehow convince us that Stinky Pete was based on an actual person.

S.E.A. could be another layer in place setting. All about the layers.

 

[MisterPenguin]

S.E.A. could be another layer in place setting. All about the layers.

S.E.A. knows that the toys are sentient...

 

[stratman50th]

Let's be realistic. It's Disney, they won't bother retheming anything, any land. Just slap Louisiana onto a mountain, call it the upper bayou and then call it a day.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Are Disney rides art?

Similarly, should Magic Kingdom be considered for designation as a Florida or National Historic Landmark? (Technically, to be a NHL it has to reach 50 years old. Before that , it can be put in the National Register.)

 

[DC0703]

I was looking at Google Maps to refresh my memory on the placement of this ride. It is in an awkward place for a re-theme, given that Frontierland is shaped like a boomerang and Splash is right at the crux. Probably the easiest way to make it fit would be to make it a part of Adventureland, which would require retheming the area around Splash and probably retheming Pecos Bill Cafe to something bayou themed. I doubt they will do much theming to the surrounding area, but having the old west theme directly around the ride will not fit.

 

[TP2000]

I was looking at Google Maps to refresh my memory on the placement of this ride. It is in an awkward place for a re-theme, given that Frontierland is shaped like a boomerang and Splash is right at the crux. Probably the easiest way to make it fit would be to make it a part of Adventureland, which would require retheming the area around Splash and probably retheming Pecos Bill Cafe to something bayou themed. I doubt they will do much theming to the surrounding area, but having the old west theme directly around the ride will not fit.

We're talking about this over on the Disneyland forum, but the Tiana remake for Splash Mountain was hatched back in 2019 specifically for Disneyland where Splash Mountain sits right next to New Orleans Square. The Disneyland version will extend New Orleans Square's theme into the woodsy "bayou" that used to be Critter Country.

Whatever happens to the awkward placement of WDW's Splash Mountain in the middle of Frontierland will merely be leftovers from the Disneyland artistic vision this remake was originally created for.

 

[N2dru]

We're talking about this over on the Disneyland forum, but the Tiana remake for Splash Mountain was hatched back in 2019 specifically for Disneyland where Splash Mountain sits right next to New Orleans Square. The Disneyland version will extend New Orleans Square's theme into the woodsy "bayou" that used to be Critter Country.

Whatever happens to the awkward placement of WDW's Splash Mountain in the middle of Frontierland will merely be leftovers from the Disneyland artistic vision this remake was originally created for.

I see what you're saying but Splash Mountain is already in an awkward position in the MK now, because how does Georgia currently fit next to Monument Valley Arizona Big Thunder? I really think were overthinking this! I'm sure the Imagineers are aware of this.

 

[TP2000]

I see what you're saying but Splash Mountain is already in an awkward position in the MK now, because how does Georgia currently fit next to Monument Valley Arizona Big Thunder? I really think were overthinking this! I'm sure the Imagineers are aware of this.

From the tenured Imagineer I spoke with at a party yesterday, after he'd had a few drinks, Imagineers are fully aware of that. And they laugh at it. Not with it, at it.

Their main goal is to design something that makes sense for Disneyland. And whatever the execs du jour in Orlando decide to do with it out in the swamps, the Imagineers could really care less but are happy for the "job number" to charge it all off to in order to get themselves an extra year or two of work.

 

[N2dru]

From the tenured Imagineer I spoke with at a party yesterday, after he'd had a few drinks, Imagineers are fully aware of that. And they laugh at it. Not with it, at it.

Their main goal is to design something that makes sense for Disneyland. And whatever the execs du jour in Orlando decide to do with it out in the swamps, the Imagineers could really care less but are happy for the "job number" to charge it all off to in order to get themselves an extra year or two of work.

And that is fine but as Disney purists/hardcore fans, a lot of us are thinking literally when it comes to Splash Mountain placement. The Imagineers will find a way to make a PatF themed Mountain fit. It's not that serious. We need to lighten up, its a theme park flume ride.

 

[Tim Lohr]

I joined this site few years ago because I heard that Fantasyland was getting several new attractions themed to Tinker Bell's Pixie Hollow, and Cinderella's Chateau was going to be added just outside the new castle walls (like it is in the movie) and that Sleeping Beauty's cottage would also be there... I was looking online for more info on it, because I thought my 3 nieces would love all that... but then I found out it all got cancelled for being "too girly"? ...I guess no one thought that the term "too girly" was offensive 10 years ago...

Anyway, the nieces ended up loving Splash Mountain instead. Our only problem with it was the height requirement, because the youngest one who would probably most enjoy all the singing animals couldn't ride, and we also had to split up our group... but I'm wondering, is it really wise to turn a "gender neutral thrill ride" into a "princess themed thrill ride with a height requirement"? Little girls who want to see the Tiana ride will have to be at least 40 inches tall and "may get wet on this ride", and will little boys still want to ride it at all? Won't it be "too girly"

The fact that it doesn't "thematically" fit in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland is another issue I have with it... What's there now in Splash Mountain (whether you like it or not) is "Classic Disney Songs and Animation" based on "Genuine American Folk Lore", but it's mostly characters from the old America Sings attraction which was all about "America's Musical Legacy". So wouldn't it just be cheaper and easier to remove the Song of the South characters and make it completely like America Sings? Or replace the Song of the South Characters with some other "Classic Disney Songs and Animation" based on "Genuine American Folk Lore" like Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Slue-Foot Sue, John Henry the Steel Driving Man and Polly, Casey Jones the Brave Engineer, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox? ...I'd prefer that myself

...also Fun Fact: Disney Legend Thurl Ravenscroft is the voice of Disney's Paul Bunyan

 

[Surferboy567]

So good ol Jim Hill speaks about the Splash Mountain re theme on his podcast today.

Here are some of the highlights...

- Princess Tiana and Naveen will not be frogs and only be seen at the beginning (How do you do) and end (Zip-a-dee-doo-day scenes)

- Louis is driving the story. The majority of the ride from How Do you do through Laughing Place will be Louis chasing his trumpet that he drops in the flume / water.

- They will honor some of Splash Mountain vignettes like Brer Bear stuck in the honey for example with Louis stuck in prickles (?)

-Blacklit scenes during Laughing Place will now be Ray and the other fireflies.

-Burrows Lament through first lift hill will be “friends on the other side” with projections on the tunnel and Dr Facilers shadow where Brer Fox’s shadow is now

-Mama Odie will be at top of lift hill and waves her magic wand to stop Dr. Facilier. The Blast of magic is what sends riders down the hill

-You will be surrounded by cranes who sing “Dig a little Deeper” in the drop tunnel.

-Zip a dee dopo dah finale takes place on the New Orleans waterfront with fireworks going off and Louis reunited with his trumpet.

-One last gag where Brer Fox and Brer Bear are being bit by the gator in Splash... Louis loses his trumpet again (4 feet later) and is frantically looking for it but unbeknownst to him it’s on his head.

- flume layout stays the same

- PatF wouldn’t open until 2024/2025

- Disney would like to do some Splash is going away fan events and sell limited edition merch.

- Splash might close in 2022 after WDW 50th anniversary. (Not sure if this applies to DL as well)

-Disneylands version will at least lose 40 of the animatronics or more.


Some of my thoughts- Not sure why this overlay would take 2+ years? Happy to hear it’s critter based and not Tiana focused and that they are doing that 1:1 overlay I was talking about by honoring some of the vignettes and keeping the flow of the ride the same like with the blacklit laughing place and tense moments during lift hill.

Was trying to alude to this last night but here you go...

From the DL Fourms...grain of salt and all that

EDIT: I don’t remember him saying losing 40 attractions...it was late though and I could be wrong.

 

[TJJohn12]

Was trying to alude to this last night but here you go...

From the DL Fourms...grain of salt and all that

EDIT: I don’t remember him saying losing 40 attractions...it was late though and I could be wrong.

I don’t know Jim’s recent batting average, but this isn’t sounding too far afield from what I’d expect: introduce the villain early, have the hero blissfully unaware of him for a long portion of the ride, then fight him off/trick him at the last minute.

 

[Surferboy567]

I don’t know Jim’s recent batting average, but this isn’t sounding too far afield from what I’d expect: introduce the villain early, have the hero blissfully unaware of him for a long portion of the ride, then fight him off/trick him at the last minute.

He is all over the place in terms of getting things correct. He however, does have a solid record of being right.

He also mentioned some other...adjustments.

This seems very plausible at least to me though, can totally see this happening. They HAVE to use going down the bayou though it’s too perfect not to use it.

 

[jt04]

From the tenured Imagineer I spoke with at a party yesterday, after he'd had a few drinks, Imagineers are fully aware of that. And they laugh at it. Not with it, at it.

Their main goal is to design something that makes sense for Disneyland. And whatever the execs du jour in Orlando decide to do with it out in the swamps, the Imagineers could really care less but are happy for the "job number" to charge it all off to in order to get themselves an extra year or two of work.

A solution for MK isn't difficult. Plenty of ways they could go from expanding Adventureland theming to relocating portions of the western theming.

I keep mentioning a potential transition for the area, just Google Red River of the South. It enters the Mississippi River delta region in southern Louisiana. Something as simple as going from the hub to Liberty Square would work. IMO.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I joined this site few years ago because I heard that Fantasyland was getting several new attractions themed to Tinker Bell's Pixie Hollow, and Cinderella's Chateau was going to be added just outside the new castle walls (like it is in the movie) and that Sleeping Beauty's cottage would also be there... I was looking online for more info on it, because I thought my 3 nieces would love all that... but then I found out it all got cancelled for being "too girly"? ...I guess no one thought that the term "too girly" was offensive 10 years ago...

Anyway, the nieces ended up loving Splash Mountain instead. Our only problem with it was the height requirement, because the youngest one who would probably most enjoy all the singing animals couldn't ride, and we also had to split up our group... but I'm wondering, is it really wise to turn a "gender neutral thrill ride" into a "princess themed thrill ride with a height requirement"? Little girls who want to see the Tiana ride will have to be at least 40 inches tall and "may get wet on this ride", and will little boys still want to ride it at all? Won't it be "too girly"

The fact that it doesn't "thematically" fit in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland is another issue I have with it... What's there now in Splash Mountain (whether you like it or not) is "Classic Disney Songs and Animation" based on "Genuine American Folk Lore", but it's mostly characters from the old America Sings attraction which was all about "America's Musical Legacy". So wouldn't it just be cheaper and easier to remove the Song of the South characters and make it completely like America Sings? Or replace the Song of the South Characters with some other "Classic Disney Songs and Animation" based on "Genuine American Folk Lore" like Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Slue-Foot Sue, John Henry the Steel Driving Man and Polly, Casey Jones the Brave Engineer, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox? ...I'd prefer that myself

...also Fun Fact: Disney Legend Thurl Ravenscroft is the voice of Disney's Paul Bunyan

This is all driven by:

• Song of the South association must go. No saving it.
• Replacement must be "more Disney", and by "more Disney" they're talking about a popular IP that they want to promote. The American folktales had their day and their popularity is gone.
• Make it work first and foremost in Disneyland. Putting a New Orleans based IP next to a New Orleans mini-land is a no-brainer.
• Cloning it to MK is to save money on re-imagineering some other re-theme (which is costly). Any detriment to overall theme of the land is WDW's problem, and generally, WDW doesn't mind such inconsistencies. I could tick of a dozen such things in MK. Hopefully, one day, WDW will care and fix some of them.