Any chance this Splash Mountain retheme is cancelled?

[el_super]

I'm sure if there was any serious push to change Splash, we would have heard about it months ago.

Maybe the value of keeping the planning a secret, was worth more than a new sign.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Even if the Princess ride gets cancelled, Splash is still doomed. They'd have to just keep it closed, rather than going back on their promise to change it.

And this is the reason as to why making knee jerk reactions supposedly based on some disgruntled CMs Twitter request is never a good idea.

IMO either one of two things happened. Either Disney had a couple of concepts on the back burner and decided to make this virtue signaling announcement because the timing was right.. or they secretly told that CM to create a petition/ post it on Twitter to see what sort of reaction it would gather, then make the move.

I refuse to believe this was something they were serious about before the pandemic and riots.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

I completely agree with you, it’s just silly how Disney is acting like it’s been universally approved and everyone has been hard at work planning on getting rid of Splash, yet there are all these clues that say otherwise.

I do agree with this. Even the returning of Hungry Bear with the new signage and walkway into Galaxy’s Edge makes me suspicious that there were at a minimum “two camps” within the company with different views on this project.

I also still think the change.org petition and media uptake was a “planned leak” by someone who favored this project to get it over the finish line. Particularly since the announced Avengers e-ticket, rumored Tron/Tomorrowland revamp, and MMRR had all either been announced or thought to be in development for the first half of the decade.

Pure speculation but I do think someone on the inside may have seen this moment in time as a catalyst to their advantage to “elevate“ this project prematurely and advance it on the calendar, forcing WDI to jump the shark.

 

[Rich T]

I find it interesting that apparently this has been in the works for such a long time, as they keep saying over and over, yet they bothered to spend the money to create this not too long ago.

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I mean, they can't keep this. Why bother making it while they are creating plans to get rid of Splash Mountain?

But all they have to do is change a sign. They’ve done more elaborate things for temporary festivals.

 

[SuddenStorm]

This is all new territory for me. I don't think something Ive ever loved so much ****ed me off so bad that I was willing to leave it cold turkey.

Yeah- like I didn't really care when they turned Tower into Guardians, since that park is a mess anyways. Sure the new ride is a thematic mess and the building is like a giant gold middle finger to the city of Anaheim (probably specifically Dr. Moreno, no wonder there's tension there)... but like I didn't care cause it wasn't Disneyland.

Fantasmic! hurt, as did Galaxy's Edge, but these changes are easy to ignore. I can skip Fantasmic and I don't have to go to GE. But Splash is visible from half the park... I'm gonna be reminded of this change any time I go (on someone else's dime- there's no way to justify paying for park admission now)

 

[Rich T]

...Disney had a couple of concepts on the back burner and decided to make this virtue signaling announcement because the timing was right..

That’s really what it is. They knew Brer Rabbit couldn’t fly under the PC radar forever, and they had this concept ready to deploy at the right moment.

(...just like I predicted last year on this forum and was universally egged... )

 

[Curious Constance]

But all they have to do is change a sign. They’ve done more elaborate things for temporary festivals.

It wasn’t just a sign, they redid the entire churro cart adding Splash Mountain theming and little bird houses all over the cart. Why do that if they wanted to start distance themselves from the ride and announce a reimagining in the near future?

 

[rk03221]

Disney was already going to change the ride to PatF soon anyways, this just accelerated it. Splash is 30 years old and it needs a re-do. PatF has an amazing soundtrack and is a Disney original unlike SotS

 

[Screamface]

IMO either one of two things happened. Either Disney had a couple of concepts on the back burner and decided to make this virtue signaling announcement because the timing was right

I refuse to believe this was something they were serious about before the pandemic and riots.

I suspect these organisations developed a culture where political correctness takes hold, and what I think is referred to as a purity spiral occurs. No one is willing to put up a challenge or any meaningful opposition to a "woke" suggestion. Which then encourages suggestions and ideas based on the "woke" attributes. It's how you get stuff done, it becomes a powerful tool.

Once the idea comes forward, with all it's woke virtue signalling attributes, to criticise or push back is no longer about the idea, but it's pushing back against the wonderful "wokeness" of the idea.

No one wants to be against the progressive idea, labelled on the wrong side of the debate. It's detrimental to your career in these environments. People then figure out it's a tool they can use to generate work for themselves.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Disney was already going to change the ride to PatF soon anyways, this just accelerated it. Splash is 30 years old and it needs a re-do. PatF has an amazing soundtrack and is a Disney original unlike SotS

I agree about the age. 30 years is way too long for an attraction to be around without a thematic overhaul to make it relevant to modern audiences.

So when is Mansion getting closed? Jungle? Tiki Room?

 

[No Name]

It wasn’t just a sign, they redid the entire churro cart adding Splash Mountain theming and little bird houses all over the cart. Why do that if they wanted to start distance themselves from the ride and announce a reimagining in the near future?

The people who make decisions on things as small as snack carts probably found out about the PatF announcement the same day that we did.

 

[Rich T]

It wasn’t just a sign, they redid the entire churro cart adding Splash Mountain theming and little bird houses all over the cart. Why do that if they wanted to start distance themselves from the ride and announce a reimagining in the near future?

They had this plan ready to go and were waiting for the moment when Brer Rabbit’s cultural expiration date lit up neon red.

I am certain, considering what happened to Pirates, that people at Disney were pointing out potential issues with the Song of the South ride and how another theme (and a more merchandisable theme at that) could be overlayed relatively easily.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

It wasn’t just a sign, they redid the entire churro cart adding Splash Mountain theming and little bird houses all over the cart. Why do that if they wanted to start distance themselves from the ride and announce a reimagining in the near future?

Most likely this “reimagining“ was planned to be further down riverbend. I wonder if there was/is an appetite planned P&TF sequel they could have waited out for though. That would really maximize synergy and allow for the kind of cross-promotion that occurs in Bob Chapek‘s wildest dreams.

Knowing Brer Rabbit is on borrowed time now, trying to think of ways to delay the project that give fans a chance for couple good final rides and Imagineers time to do this remake right.

 

[Rich T]

Disney was already going to change the ride to PatF soon anyways, this just accelerated it. Splash is 30 years old and it needs a re-do. PatF has an amazing soundtrack and is a Disney original unlike SotS

I’m in favor of the change, but PatF is adapted from Grimm’s fairy tales (though, like Frozen, it’s mostly its own thing).

 

[Californian Elitist]

The chances of this getting cancelled are slim to none.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

There may be a shot if the company goes bankrupt and sells off the parks.

 

[Salted Nut Roll]

At least The Princess and the Frog is an actual Disney Studios creation—Classic 2D animation at that!

This is how I feel. Lately, Disney has been all about pushing the properties that they'e bought--Star Wars, Marvel--, that we haven't seen many additions that are uniquely Disney. In my wildest dreams, I would love another completely original ride not based on any property, like Haunted Mansion. But if they're going to replace Splash with something, I'm so glad it's a "classic" property, and not, say a Simpsons ride.

 

[solidyne]

Show Disney the Randy Newman songs that use the N word.
[...]

He's got some doozies! The songs' irony will go right over their heads and they'll cave.

I suspect these organisations developed a culture where political correctness takes hold, and what I think is referred to as a purity spiral occurs. No one is willing to put up a challenge or any meaningful opposition to a "woke" suggestion. Which then encourages suggestions and ideas based on the "woke" attributes. It's how you get stuff done, it becomes a powerful tool.

Once the idea comes forward, with all it's woke virtue signalling attributes, to criticise or push back is no longer about the idea, but it's pushing back against the wonderful "wokeness" of the idea.

No one wants to be against the progressive idea, labelled on the wrong side of the debate. It's detrimental to your career in these environments. People then figure out it's a tool they can use to generate work for themselves.

A "purity spiral"? Brilliant! That's exactly what it is. Kudos to the coiner of that one.

 

[Phroobar]

What happened to Rian Johnson's trilogy?

Knives Out 2 & 3?
Yes please.

 

[PiratesMansion]

It wasn’t just a sign, they redid the entire churro cart adding Splash Mountain theming and little bird houses all over the cart. Why do that if they wanted to start distance themselves from the ride and announce a reimagining in the near future?

Hadn't DLR marketing people planned a good portion of their Halloween marketing around TOT its final season, having no idea that the change to Guardians was imminent?

I totally buy that a lot of these divisions just don't communicate with each other on a regular basis.