El Rio rehab details from Animator

[DisneyMusician2]

Are they using all of the old scenesw from the movie, a combo, or are they going with all brand-new animation? Just curious if anyone knew. I'm psyched about it though. This was one of my favorites as a kid.

 

[DisJosh]

I LOVE this ride and don't know why. I'd really hope if one thing's going to be changes it's the scene with the life sized dancing puppets and fake fireworks. That whole area is so creepy, though I love the song.

 

[kcnole]

It sounds to me like they're going to be looking for Donald in Mexico so we'll see something like, hmmm could he be in this old aztec temple, let's check. Or maybe he's at this waterfall... or in this street market...

So in the end they'll lead us through Mexico in an entertaining way. I'd also like to see a few animatronics maybe at the end when they're all together. I for one am actually cautiously optimistic about this refurb, mainly because the ride was a total blunder to begin with so its not like they're replacing Horizons with it.

 

[JimboJones123]

Yes, that is what I was referring to. Sorry for the confusion. But I think that's how the Mexicans (or perhaps I should also include the Spanish) pronounce the "X" sound. Speedy Gonzales used to say "May-hee-ko" when speaking of Mexico. And when we went to Texas a couple years ago and were looking at some of the old sites, we saw that the Mexican settlers refered to Texas as Tejas, pronounced "Tay-Haas".

I ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE TO ADD.

Tejas was the original spelling of Texas. It was never pronounced "Tay-Haas" by Mexicans. That was the Americans trying to read Tejas. The "J" sound in spanish is like a slight "hocking" sound (as in hocking a luug--almost like the famous German Hocking sound). Phonetically it would be a very slight, very little "k"ish sound.

Tejas = Tekk-is

But in English, Tekk-is sounds like an "X" sound, so they re-wrote it TEXAS. So Mexican settlers never pronounced Texas as "Tay-Haas".


Sorry to be such a nerd about it, but I guess 7th Grade Texas History really paid off for me. Do you want to know what the native Americans used the Buffalo for? I'll give you a clue. Before the White Man PURGED them, they sometimes actually just ate Buffalo. One tribe can only have so many Blankets, especially in Tay-Haas.

 

[hokielutz]

looking forward to the new scenes and animation added to the ride. I won't be pessimistic about it until it is reopened and I have a chance to ride in May. Similar to Pirates, there is some dissonance regarding whether the proposed changes will be good for the attraction and pavillion. But the Pirates refurb turned out to be excellent, and I am going to trust that this will be just fine.
Just have some faith that the imagineers and mgmt made the right choices for this update.

The only real screw-ups have been to the imagination pavillion.

 

[mgraef]

as long as the fake fireworks stay I am good with the changes...

mg

 

[DisneyDragon]

We here in Canada are forming a different opinion of Mexico these days. In the past couple of years, a few Canadians have been murdered and the police there have been working hard to mangle/botch/hide the investigations. It's becoming rather serious here, and of course, the media is ALL over it.

One couple was slain gang-land style in their hotel room, and the Attorney-General in Mexico was stating that it was a pair of single women from Canada that were responsible, not a hotel security guard that broke into their room and has since fallen off the face of the earth...not to mention the fact that the hotel housekeeping cleaned up the room before the police even got there.

 

[Juliaz3]

Apocalypto

I wish they'd do something like theme it to Apocalypto...

When I was in Epcot in January and saw the Mayan (Aztec?) temple, I told my boyfriend all I could think of was the bloody heads rolling down the steps in the movie! I also wondered how they could ever to a tie-in with "Apocalypto"!

 

[George]

Mousemerf - Thanks for the screen grabs. Those are really nice.

 

[JimboJones123]

We here in Canada are forming a different opinion of Mexico these days. In the past couple of years, a few Canadians have been murdered and the police there have been working hard to mangle/botch/hide the investigations. It's becoming rather serious here, and of course, the media is ALL over it.

One couple was slain gang-land style in their hotel room, and the Attorney-General in Mexico was stating that it was a pair of single women from Canada that were responsible, not a hotel security guard that broke into their room and has since fallen off the face of the earth...not to mention the fact that the hotel housekeeping cleaned up the room before the police even got there.

What happens in Mexico....

 

[sbkline]

I ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE TO ADD.

Tejas was the original spelling of Texas. It was never pronounced "Tay-Haas" by Mexicans. That was the Americans trying to read Tejas. The "J" sound in spanish is like a slight "hocking" sound (as in hocking a luug--almost like the famous German Hocking sound). Phonetically it would be a very slight, very little "k"ish sound.

Tejas = Tekk-is

But in English, Tekk-is sounds like an "X" sound, so they re-wrote it TEXAS. So Mexican settlers never pronounced Texas as "Tay-Haas".


Sorry to be such a nerd about it, but I guess 7th Grade Texas History really paid off for me. Do you want to know what the native Americans used the Buffalo for? I'll give you a clue. Before the White Man PURGED them, they sometimes actually just ate Buffalo. One tribe can only have so many Blankets, especially in Tay-Haas.

Well, when we were in Texas, one of the tour guides pronounced it "Tay-Haas", in addition to the spelling of "Tejas".

 

[sbkline]

Personally, I think that the Caballeros are going to take the time to teach us about Mexico while searching for Donald at the same time.

I hope you're right, and I was actually just thinking about something today regarding that.

The ride is called "EL Rio del Tempo" or "River of Time". It seems to me that they would either have to keep that overall theme, or change the name. If they keep the name, then I guess that would mean that they are keeping the same overall motif of going from past to present in Mexican culture...only with Donald and friends.

All I ask is that they keep the volcano scene at the beginning and the song, although I really wish they'd keep the narrator, but I don't see that happening.

 

[kcnole]

I don't see anyway they can get rid of the entry portion with the temple as it just sets up the ambience for the restaurant and the pavilion. Everything else is fair game however.

 

[dxwwf3]

I don't see anyway they can get rid of the entry portion with the temple as it just sets up the ambience for the restaurant and the pavilion. Everything else is fair game however.

Yeah a major change to the opening scene would be a HUGE mistake. It will be interesting to see what is done though. Disney is going to have to walk a tight rope to get the balance of this attraction right, but I think they are up to it.....if they really care enough to do be up to it.

 

[SirGoofy]

I've got high hopes for this one. After seeing how the Seas turned out I've got faith in the Imagineers.

 

[sbkline]

I've got high hopes for this one. After seeing how the Seas turned out I've got faith in the Imagineers.

I'm really hoping they'll leave it mostly the same and just change what plays on the TV screens, although I'd really prefer they leave it the heck alone altogether.

I'd like them to keep the day of the dead scene and the marketplace scene and the "Small World" scene. And, if they simply MUST change SOMETHING, then put Donald and Friends on the TV screens.

But I guess I'll get to see the new and improved (or unimproved) version in 71 days.

 

[mousermerf]

I'm really hoping they'll leave it mostly the same and just change what plays on the TV screens, although I'd really prefer they leave it the heck alone altogether.

I'd like them to keep the day of the dead scene and the marketplace scene and the "Small World" scene. And, if they simply MUST change SOMETHING, then put Donald and Friends on the TV screens.

But I guess I'll get to see the new and improved (or unimproved) version in 71 days.

I don't think they can or will change the opening scene at this point. It's visible over the refurbishment wall, as it only blocks the view of the actual "ride" from the restaurant, so you can still see the volcano and the temple peaking out in the distance and the foliiage, none of which has been disturbed. There's work lights around them, but they're pointing toward the ride path - as far as we can tell - and the top 1/3 of the temple and the backdrop with the volcano haven't been touched.

The whole pavilion does smell like paint thinner and paint though. So, either some drastic changes in color in some scenes, or newer scenery is being installed. I'm betting the entire last scene is being redone to remove the 1980's looking cityscape.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I can't wait. This rehab was LONG is coming. Although I LOVE the old Rio, it reallt needed this upgrade to appeal to more than the typical DIsney Nostalgia buffs like ourselves.

 

[JimboJones123]

Long Live Day of the Dead.

 

[JimboJones123]

I can't wait. This rehab was LONG is coming. Although I LOVE the old Rio, it reallt needed this upgrade to appeal to more than the typical DIsney Nostalgia buffs like ourselves.

The whole debate on this upgrade is really weird. Ride Nostalgia buffs hate it... Disney Nostalgia buffs that are actually seeing a classic come to life are thrilled. It's a battle of Nostalgias. :lol: