Changing Critter Country to Match Frog Mountain

No Name

Well-Known Member
We can lay some blame on either MK or whoever the team is that worked on the Florida version of the ride. Their Splash doesn't fit Frontierland either, though they tried and did well enough I suppose that it doesn't register for most people. I don't know if it was ever considered or not, but WDW's is the only version without a Critter Country of any kind, with Tokyo purpose-building an area from scratch that is even situated in such a place that it acts as a transition between Fantasyland and Westernland (as Frontierland is called there).

I would love more insight into their decision-making, frankly.

In my opinion, the best justification is that a westernized Splash Mountain in Frontierland is no less fitting than the majority of the park. To the average guest I guarantee it never made them think twice. Heck I’d call Liberty Square part of Frontierland too if I were in charge. Too many lands is messy.
 

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
I don't see how Tiana's can replace Hungry Bear. Hungry Bear is clearly set in the middle of the wilderness. Even if they try and build expansions of NOS, you still have Splash Mountain which is clearly not in developed New Orleans. To suggest Tiana built her restaurant in the swamp is pretty tragic as you're saying her restaurant in the film didn't work and she couldn't get a restaurant open in the city, so she moved out into the swamp to open a restaurant. Yay, way to go? I'd say you could call it Mama Odie's, but they are going to be sticking a big fake boat on top of Splash, so that idea doesn't work either. If it was still on the river without the walkway, they could theme it to a docked paddle wheel with Louis entertaining guests, but we all know Disney is not going to put that much time and money into this.
 

George Lucas on a Bench

Well-Known Member
The issue with putting Tiana in Norleans Square is that she and her silly animal friends are cartoons. At Disneyland, Norleans has Pirates, Haunted Mansion and adjoining realistic setting. Splash Mountain doesn't exactly look like a cartoon from the outside and it's not a part of the land anyway. Cartoon Tiana is basically going to be like Roger Rabbit in Norleans Square! It's a cartoon in what is otherwise a realistic setting.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
The issue with putting Tiana in Norleans Square is that she and her silly animal friends are cartoons. At Disneyland, Norleans has Pirates, Haunted Mansion and adjoining realistic setting. Splash Mountain doesn't exactly look like a cartoon from the outside and it's not a part of the land anyway. Cartoon Tiana is basically going to be like Roger Rabbit in Norleans Square! It's a cartoon in what is otherwise a realistic setting.

I'm sure a live action remake is in the works!
 

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
i
The issue with putting Tiana in Norleans Square is that she and her silly animal friends are cartoons. At Disneyland, Norleans has Pirates, Haunted Mansion and adjoining realistic setting. Splash Mountain doesn't exactly look like a cartoon from the outside and it's not a part of the land anyway. Cartoon Tiana is basically going to be like Roger Rabbit in Norleans Square! It's a cartoon in what is otherwise a realistic setting.

Tiana use to have a show on the Mark Twain. She did a meet & greet there too. She is designed to fit into NOS.
 

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
The issue with putting Tiana in Norleans Square is that she and her silly animal friends are cartoons. At Disneyland, Norleans has Pirates, Haunted Mansion and adjoining realistic setting. Splash Mountain doesn't exactly look like a cartoon from the outside and it's not a part of the land anyway. Cartoon Tiana is basically going to be like Roger Rabbit in Norleans Square! It's a cartoon in what is otherwise a realistic setting.

Because the Pirates and Ghosts present in NOS are so realistic and not cartoony at all...
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
The issue with putting Tiana in Norleans Square is that she and her silly animal friends are cartoons. At Disneyland, Norleans has Pirates, Haunted Mansion and adjoining realistic setting. Splash Mountain doesn't exactly look like a cartoon from the outside and it's not a part of the land anyway. Cartoon Tiana is basically going to be like Roger Rabbit in Norleans Square! It's a cartoon in what is otherwise a realistic setting.
One of the beauties of Splash Mountain was the transition from the realistic mountain exterior to the wonderous cartoony interior. Like you just went through a portal into a world of anthropomorphic animals unlike anything you ever saw.

The animals were a hybrid between realistic textures and cartoon character designs. Even the Brer’s from the film look notably more realistic than the original animated shorts.

I feel like this effect is going to be lost on the new one. Even if they see the light and decide to give the PatF animals realistic textures (scales in the Gator’s case), you still have the matter of Tiana, Naveen, the other lady, and Dr Facilier (I really hope he’s in it though cause otherwise? 😴😴😴). Cartoon humans in animal mountain seem odd to me.

That’s why I wish they went with an all anthropomorphic animal IP, or created a brand new story with the America Sings animatronics and maybe some new characters. Oh well. I just hope they try to retain the effect as well as possible.
 

Miru

Well-Known Member
I’d probably expand New Orleans Square up to the Splash Mountain Area. Would retain the Splash Mountain name but add a new subtitle like “Splash Mountain: Tiana’s Bayou Barge Adventure” or something.

Would retrofit Harbor gallery as a new P&TF quick service restaraunt serving finger foods like beignets and Muffaletta sandwiches but I’d expand the seating and add a deck with additional seating and M&G character interaction overseeing the “splash down”. I also would change the design and look of the logs as well as the volume of the splash to “tone down the wetness” in the night and winter months and add a lighting package with fireflies projected on Mama Odie’s tree. With the goal of “driving traffic“ to the ride at night when it’s usually dead.

Remnants of critter country would be renamed and lightly retouched to Hundred acre wood. Hungry Bear restaurant would remain, as would Pooh corner and M&G shops. The canoes would get renamed to “Christopher Robin explorer canoes” with perhaps with minor references/drawings from the characters.

Turning CC into a pure Pooh land makes sense. Maybe we could add a flat ride there in the future to add more content, or maybe even convert Many Adventures into Hunny Hunt.
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
Turning CC into a pure Pooh land makes sense. Maybe we could add a flat ride there in the future to add more content, or maybe even convert Many Adventures into Hunny Hunt.
It’s also a much popular IP than PatF. Recent trends would hint otherwise, but Pooh seems to peak every so often to Heights that are unmatched. It just hasn’t been given good amount of attention lately.

But I guess New Orleans Tie in cuisine beats out Honey themed foods.
 

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