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

[Dreamer19]

I disagree because Epic doesn’t commit well
enough to the concept. When you can see Wizarding Paris’ backstage from Stardust Racers’ queue or you can see Donkey Kong from Dark Universe, the marked change feels cheap. Islands, on the other hand, somehow feels more cohesive because they fully lean into mish-mash.

Is IOA a mishmash, though? They wouldn’t put The Flintstones on Marvel Island or in Jurassic. I could be wrong, but everything kind of makes sense where it is in IOA. I would say USF is definitely a mishmash, but it’s always been more of a studio layout anyway.

I hate the Splash Mountain “retheme”, but if it’s supposed to be the “bayou” I would rather walk around New Orleans riverside…It’s obvious to me they really never planned to commit to the theming because they just wanted Splash gone, even if the area looked ridiculous afterward.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Is IOA a mishmash, though? They wouldn’t put The Flintstones on Marvel Island or Jurassic. I could be wrong, but everything kind of makes sense where it is in IOA. I would say Universal is definitely a mishmash, but it’s always been more of a studio layout anyway.

I hate the Splash Mountain “retheme”, but if it’s supposed to be the “bayou” I would rather walk around New Orleans riverside…It’s obvious to me they really never planned to commit to the theming because they just wanted Splash gone, even if the area looked ridiculous afterward.

IOA was laid out very well…really the last such park to be done so…

You can say that the stuff is dated or not your preference…but it was laid out well.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Is IOA a mishmash, though? They wouldn’t put The Flintstones on Marvel Island or in Jurassic. I could be wrong, but everything kind of makes sense where it is in IOA. I would say USF is definitely a mishmash, but it’s always been more of a studio layout anyway.

In terms of overall concept, it’s definitely a mishmash — IP lands that are really no different than Epic and USF. But my point is moreso that the park is laid out so well that the spillovers you get, like Toon Lagoon to Kong or Velocicoaster to Hogsmeade, still feel really solid.

I also think there’s a lot to be said about IOA’s beautiful skyline that incorporates each Island. Epic’s skyline, in turn, feels really messy, which is why the orientation of the park focuses so heavily on Celestial Park.

 

[James Alucobond]

it may be lazy, but creates a more coherent experience... If I know I am in the Old West and Suddenly I am in a Louisiana Swamp and then in Monument Valley and then in a land of living Automobiles, Portals would be a good way to at least mark a change...especially when all of these areas run together.... Gathering lands around a central Hub with a series of venues to different thematic lands was really the Disney Parks concept... But now as the themes break within the thematic established lands there should also be some way to delineate... If all of the current Frontierland were carefully redesigned to be a Louisiana Riverbend creating a gateway divide as you leave Liberty Square ( just past Golden Horseshoe..that area could make sense and give them the space to turn Tall Tale Cafe into a real Tiana's Palace...and make the Country in Country Bears refer a little less Tennessee and more Louisiana swamp..., but there would need to be some sort of visual device taking you from the swamps of Louisiana to Monument Valley and then to Carsland Piston Peak area...and one more for Villains Land if and when that comes online. The other lands don't seem to need a dividing device as much as the back half of the park will to make some visual sense....

Which is why I said that incoherence is indeed worse. That doesn't stop complete division from being the least thoughtful and interesting of all of the possible "correct" approaches.

 

[HMF]

Nope…I didn’t believe that for a second

Their primary concern was public perception…the second was doing a rehab on an aging, complex ride that results in a cheaper one in the short to intermediate term

Which basically is why it failed.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Which basically is why it failed.

It’s not a terrible ride

The bones are still there

But was it ever gonna be as good as splash?
No…not for a second…that was never realistic for a lot of reasons

Mostly they don’t have the skill or experience at WDI except to deliver meh and spend a ton. And that’s ok for the US parks because no one is footing the bill for them.

It’s just where things are

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Which is why I said that incoherence is indeed worse. That doesn't stop complete division from being the least thoughtful and interesting of all of the possible "correct" approaches.

Yeah, it's not a bad approach, but it's also not especially creative. If anything, it is less interesting than how Disneyland was designed to allow for transitions between lands as guests moved around the park. Another thing that I think has been lost but what was really part of the genius of the Disneyland model is the creation of lands around general themes that don't actually immerse you in a specific time and place but evoke a general concept (such as the Frontier or Adventure) that makes sense cognitively even if it involves juxtapositions that would never occur naturally in the real world.

A park based around portals to enter into lands based on films or franchises is a decent approach, but I don't know I would laud it as evidence that all the creative talent in the theme park industry was working for the company that built it.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ]

It’s not a terrible ride

The bones are still there

But was it ever gonna be as good as splash?
No…not for a second…that was never realistic for a lot of reasons

Mostly they don’t have the skill or experience at WDI except to deliver meh and spend a ton. And that’s ok for the US parks because no one is footing the bill for them.

It’s just where things are

And we accept that cause?

 

[James Alucobond]

Yeah, it's not a bad approach, but it's also not especially creative. If anything, it is less interesting than how Disneyland was designed to allow for transitions between lands as guests moved around the park. Another thing that I think has been lost but what was really part of the genius of the Disneyland model is the creation of lands around general themes that don't actually immerse you in a specific time and place but evoke a general concept (such as the Frontier or Adventure) that makes sense cognitively even if it involves juxtapositions that would never occur naturally in the real world.

A park based around portals to enter into lands based on films or franchises is a decent approach, but I don't know I would laud it as evidence that all the creative talent in the theme park industry was working for the company that built it.

To be fair, I imagine it’s kind of necessary when dealing with licensed franchises, especially ones like Mario and Potter where the original visionaries wield a great degree of control over the visual presentation of their properties. They likely wouldn’t submit to an integrated approach where some of the original character of the art and design is lost in order to bring everything together harmoniously.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

But was it ever gonna be as good as splash?
No…not for a second…that was never realistic for a lot of reasons

It wasn't ever going to be as good, but the potential was there for it to get a heck of a lot closer than it did. I don't think the ride is terrible in the same vein as Imagination v2 and 3 (along with many other replacements), but I don't consider it to be a baseline of "good" either. It's purely mediocre and bland. I'd give it C- at most.

There are a couple of key areas that could have gotten it to potentially a solid B+ or MAYBE an A-. First would be to keep all of the old non-SOTS critter AA's. I gather that there were considerations to do this at some point in development, but for whatever reason they decided they'd rather scrap them. The ride has a ton of empty dark space now where things used to be, the small handful of new critters also have far less motion than most of Splash's (incidentally, i'd also suggest giving them some cute and colorful new Mardi Gras themed outfits as I saw one former imagineer suggest). Second, include Facilier in the story. Almost everyone is baffled at his exclusion. Whether it's making the ride a book report, or coming up with a post-movie story, either choice would have been fine. The story they came up with is boring as hell and is at odds with the tone the ride is designed around having. Third would have been to keep more of the original scenery intact. Scrapping the finale riverboat was completely asinine and wasteful, a setpiece that wasn't even in SOTS but WAS featured prominently throughout PATF and was the literal theme of Tiana's restaurant. Too much of the budget looks like it went into unnecessarily gutting and replacing that with a new set. They should have used that money to deal with the other lapses in scenery throughout the ride, and build that tree atop the peak that was part of the original art.

Allowing Tony Baxter to lead the project and let him do whatever he wants would have been a good start.

Mostly they don’t have the skill or experience at WDI except to deliver meh and spend a ton. And that’s ok for the US parks because no one is footing the bill for them.

The ride wasn't lacking a healthy budget. Reports claim that it was about $140 million (which I think is right). For a retheme of an existing attraction, that really is a lot of money (Tokyo's Beauty and the Beast ride reportedly cost around $200 million, and that was from scratch). But it stands to wonder where specifically the money went here. Given the final product, it isn't entirely clear to me why it cost so much. I'm sure some of it was sunk into the dozen overly complex and temperamental new AA's. And again wasteful rebuilding of setpieces that should have been left alone with only minor redressing. But i'm wondering how much went into things that weren't really even related to the ride, like their group vacations to LA.

 

[James Alucobond]

But i'm wondering how much went into things that weren't really even related to the ride, like their group vacations to LA.

I doubt research trips would approach even half a percent of the budget, regardless of lavishness. I think the animatronics really are just overly complex relative to the payoff. Lantern Festival in Tokyo does a lot more with a lot less motion.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And we accept that cause?

Mostly a gutless fanbase that continues to show up and buy line skips?

As long as they post higher revenues they have no reason to change

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Makes people feel better by giving them the illusion of control.

That may be…but showing up occasionally and dumping money on whatever they happen to be selling is the lack of control from one side of the market…for sure

 

[celluloid]

My son rode Dudley Doright's for the first time yesterday and stated it is the best log flume in the world, except for Splash Mountain that is still in Japan.

Even with Dudley's flaws I can't really disagree.

 

[Touchdown]

Timber Mtn Log Flume at Knotts is also fantastic, as is its little brother the Paul Bunyan Log Chute at Mall of America.

 

[Jedi14]

Mostly a gutless fanbase that continues to show up and buy line skips?

As long as they post higher revenues they have no reason to change

What if there are people in the “gutless” fanbase like change and the ride?

 

[Dreamer19]

My son rode Dudley Doright's for the first time yesterday and stated it is the best log flume in the world, except for Splash Mountain that is still in Japan.

Even with Dudley's flaws I can't really disagree.

The first time I rode the DD flume, I enjoyed it so much I felt like I was cheating on Splash Mountain. Truly a great ride. Funny, too!

 

[Dreamer19]

What if there are people in the “gutless” fanbase like change and the ride?

Change isn’t always good.

I like change. I love making improvements to my house or buying a new car.

On the other hand, when the Notre Dame ceiling and roof collapsed, it was proposed that they change it to glass and steel to keep up with the times.

Thank goodness Disney wasn’t in charge of that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What if there are people in the “gutless” fanbase like change and the ride?

That’s an opinion…and we know everybody’s got one

Or…they can ADD a ride and not stop slapping bobs direct to video IP library in reskins everywhere?

Cause that’s kinda the root of all the angst

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah, it's not a bad approach, but it's also not especially creative. If anything, it is less interesting than how Disneyland was designed to allow for transitions between lands as guests moved around the park. Another thing that I think has been lost but what was really part of the genius of the Disneyland model is the creation of lands around general themes that don't actually immerse you in a specific time and place but evoke a general concept (such as the Frontier or Adventure) that makes sense cognitively even if it involves juxtapositions that would never occur naturally in the real world.

A park based around portals to enter into lands based on films or franchises is a decent approach, but I don't know I would laud it as evidence that all the creative talent in the theme park industry was working for the company that built it.

Different strokes for different folks

…some wanna slap the muppets on a roller coaster…