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

[Brer Oswald]

Very fascinated to see how they pull this off in terms of the set design. At Disneyland, it’s pretty easy. The How Do You Do section is already in a dark swampy area.

But in Florida, that scene is filled with orange rockwork, cartoony grass, flowers & trees, rustic picket fences, rolling green hills, blue skies, bird houses, water troughs, beaver dams, etc.

Maybe that’s why they might be “holding it off for the time being” in Florida. It isn’t just a matter of swapping a few animatronics and adding some screens. The first two minutes of the interior scenes need a full set rebuild, lest they want it to be “Tiana in Brer Rabbit Land”.

 

[Brer Oswald]

This has been posted a few times but now it got me thinking about the last point:

”The time frame for the new attraction to open may not be until 2024-2025 with a closure not until 2022”

Why would they cancel a redo if this is the timetable that doesn’t make any sense. Either Pro is wrong or Hill is wrong both sources aren’t adding up.

It’s important to remember that the internal politics of Disney is very complicated. Different parties will do things without telling everyone. There are some parties who really want this to happen, and there are other parties that understand that it’s not the most feasible thing to do right at this moment in time.

The choice of timing of this announcement is very clear. The idea was in flux, and like most projects during this trying time, at risk. Someone (or a group) within the company wanted it out now so that they would be guaranteed to move ahead with the idea.

 

[lazyboy97o]

This has been posted a few times but now it got me thinking about the last point:

”The time frame for the new attraction to open may not be until 2024-2025 with a closure not until 2022”

Why would they cancel a redo if this is the timetable that doesn’t make any sense. Either Pro is wrong or Hill is wrong both sources aren’t adding up.

Projects are usually given what should be final approval after Concept Design leaving at least a year of Schematic Design, Design Development and Construction Documentation (the actual “blueprints”). There is some overlap in the start of construction as Disney often utilized aspects of fast track project delivery where construction will start before design work is complete. Based on Disney’s own statements that they still need to really assess the Splash Mountain facilities this project appears to have been approved earlier in the process than other projects.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Projects are usually given what should be final approval after Concept Design leaving at least a year of Schematic Design, Design Development and Construction Documentation (the actual “blueprints”). There is some overlap in the start of construction as Disney often utilized aspects of fast track project delivery where construction will start before design work is complete. Based on Disney’s own statements that they still need to really assess the Splash Mountain facilities this project appears to have been approved earlier in the process than other projects.

Reminds me of when they announced they got the rights to build Avatar, years before construction actually started.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Reminds me of when they announced they got the rights to build Avatar, years before construction actually started.

This does seem to be a similar situation. It seems they had a Blue Sky design that was sort of bobbing around and it was given a very sudden commitment without the typical due diligence regarding feasibility. That Disney themselves stated they haven’t really dug into the facilities is astounding and something I think is a huge risk as modernizing the facilities could be a huge cost that would otherwise not make it financially viable to reuse the attractions.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

This does seem to be a similar situation. It seems they had a Blue Sky design that was sort of bobbing around and it was given a very sudden commitment without the typical due diligence regarding feasibility. That Disney themselves stated they haven’t really dug into the facilities is astounding and something I think is a huge risk as modernizing the facilities could be a huge cost that would otherwise not make it financially viable to reuse the attractions.

I guess they wanted to strike while the iron was hot in the middle of a major cultural movement.

 

[WDW Pro]

My eyes can't roll any farther back into my head.

Is it racially insensitive? Or isn't it?

Has Disney's financial situation changed THAT much in the last couple of weeks?

Yes.

On the latest Disney Dish podcast with Jim Hill and @lentesta, they discussed possible scenes...

• The attraction will largely follow Louis the alligator trying to find his missing trumpet case on his way to a Mardi Gras celebration
• Tiana is expected to appear in the current "How do you Do" scene as well as the attraction's finale
• Some of the animal animatronics may be repurposed
• Some of the visual gags may have similar scenes in the new version of the attraction. An example given was Br'er Bear with his nose stuck in a beehive may be replaced with Louis covered in prickers
• The fireflies are expected to appears in the current black light scene
• Dr. Facilier's Friends form the Otherside are expected to make an appearance on the final lift hill before being cast off by Mama Odie at the top. Her spell to do away with Dr. Facilier will also send us down the waterfall.
• The time frame for the new attraction to open may not be until 2024-2025 with a closure not until 2022.

2022 for MK was the plan, but even that seems difficult. Disney flat out committed to a project they can't currently afford.

 

[_caleb]

Based on Disney’s own statements that they still need to really assess the Splash Mountain facilities this project appears to have been approved earlier in the process than other projects.

Do you mean *announced earlier in the process than other projects or approved? How far into the process do projects usually get before Disney gives the official green light to spend the money and built the attraction?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Do you mean *announced earlier in the process than other projects or approved? How far into the process do projects usually get before Disney gives the official green light to spend the money and built the attraction?

See Slide 6 for the phases of design and construction.

https://network.aia.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=25eadd48-6fff-4a2f-ae26-cef8a77d4f6d&forceDialog=0

I mean approved. Projects are approved at the end of Feasibility and it’s not unusual for them to be announced shortly thereafter. The D23 Expo will now push that back but Disney announces projects rather early in development which is why construction usually starts so long after the announcement, because they haven’t done enough to be able to start construction.

 

[WDW862]

Has Disney's financial situation changed THAT much in the last couple of weeks?

Its not like almost all of their revenue generating businesses were shut down or something.

 

[_caleb]

See Slide 6 for the phases of design and construction.

https://network.aia.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=25eadd48-6fff-4a2f-ae26-cef8a77d4f6d&forceDialog=0

I mean approved. Projects are approved at the end of Feasibility and it’s not unusual for them to be announced shortly thereafter. The D23 Expo will now push that back but Disney announces projects rather early in development which is why construction usually starts so long after the announcement, because they haven’t done enough to be able to start construction.

Thanks! This helps me understand. It does seem a bit risky for Disney to routinely announce projects so early in development, yet here they’ve done it again. Add to this @TP2000’s suggestion that the Splash retheme may have been a sort of play to solidify support for greenlighting the project, and then the rumors that other projects may be put on pause while funds are diverted to PatF Mountain— it’s all very interesting to me.

 

[EagleScout610]

So just to clarify, is the retheme in limbo for World at the moment?

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

Yes.



2022 for MK was the plan, but even that seems difficult. Disney flat out committed to a project they can't currently afford.

I will say as someone who is a tepid supporter of the idea of this “refresh” project overall cognizant of the need to connect this to a more recognizable and inclusive IP. But as a (modest) stockholder I was unpleasantly surprised the company would commit to such a project at seemingly the worst possible time (fiscally).

As I’ve said in the Disneyland side of the forum I feel like it’s likely the budget gets slashed substantially to get this approved in the current budgetary climate which will anger the many fans of the original Splash while looking like a cheap attempt at “tokenization“ for supporters of the project. I really hope WDI will cautiously and carefully take the necessary time to reevaluate this, hopefully shifting money from other WDI budgets/projects if/where possible.

Even if this was in the works for a year (which is certainly plausible) it’s never a good idea to jump at “flash in the pan” news stories without some exercise in due diligence first. This is a real catch-22 for TWDC now.

 

[drizgirl]

Disney Plus brings in $6.99 per subscriber. People drop thousands on a Disney World vacation they are not at all in the same league.

Disney has now realized that:
-Covid is not going away and will be suppressing interstate travel for at least the rest of the year
-International travel will be nonexistent for the rest of 2020
-They’ve already given up on Halloween, MVMCP and the CP 2020 is on its deathbed and will die unless something dramatic happens in the next month
-Demand is going to be soft through Oct 2021, and possibly after
-Movie Theatres are likely going to remain closed for the entire summer, and potentially the rest of the year

This is disastrous for the company.

Yes, but it was already disastrous when this was announced 10 days ago.

It’s important to remember that the internal politics of Disney is very complicated. Different parties will do things without telling everyone. There are some parties who really want this to happen, and there are other parties that understand that it’s not the most feasible thing to do right at this moment in time.

The choice of timing of this announcement is very clear. The idea was in flux, and like most projects during this trying time, at risk. Someone (or a group) within the company wanted it out now so that they would be guaranteed to move ahead with the idea.

Do people really go around announcing things in a big corporation without approval?

 

[drizgirl]

That would be incredible, it just seemed like they didn't really take a deep breath and fully understand what they were doing. Very knee jerk.

They're way too big for kneejerk. If true, how emabrrassing.

Its not like almost all of their revenue generating businesses were shut down or something.

It was already shut down when they made the announcement.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

They should put SotS on D+ and watch what happens.

 

[Surferboy567]

So just to clarify, is the retheme in limbo for World at the moment?

We don’t know I’d assume no

 

[RSoxNo1]

They should put SotS on D+ and watch what happens.

Considering there are complaints about Hamilton, SotS should go over well.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Considering there are complaints about Hamilton, SotS should go over well.

People will complain about anything, if given the chance.

 

[RSoxNo1]

People will complain about anything, if given the chance.

I don't like that I can't dislike your post, so I liked it, but you know what it really means.