General Discussion of Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[celluloid]

How about some of Mama Odie's magic to bring Dr. Facilier back from the other side?

I know what you mean.
Sadly we know he is not a part of it in anyway thus far. This is so focused on the series and the guy who literally has the connection with the line of life and death supernaturally will not be returning supernaturally.

Disney fans got what they wanted but lost what they had.

 

[NelleBelle]

There better be some Mama Odie or this Mama is gonna be p***ed!

 

[celluloid]

There better be some Mama Odie or this Mama is gonna be p***ed!

She is confirmed in the story released about the ride as she is also in the tv series this is based on.

 

[mightynine]

Based on this info, I can already guess the queue will get minimal changes - the wooden structures will be part of the company’s building near the salt mine, I imagine we’ll see pictures like the one of “Placing The Tiara” along the way showing milestone events in the company’s history, before you enter your log flume.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Disney trying to make this replacement work

 

[celluloid]

Based on this info, I can already guess the queue will get minimal changes - the wooden structures will be part of the company’s building near the salt mine, I imagine we’ll see pictures like the one of “Placing The Tiara” along the way showing milestone events in the company’s history, before you enter your log flume.

Crates of cooking goods all over the place and portraits of daddy on the wall. Left over barrels from the queue will be stamped with the Salt Dome logo.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It reads like parody to me also, but there's nothing "far left" about what they've announced.

Far left might be the wrong term but it feels like the mockery is in how many progressive buzzwords and concepts they can use in one article. It’s just so extreme it reads as mockery.

They could have simply said “With the success of Tiana’s palace, and the expansion into a nearby salt mine to grow her own herbs and spices, Tiana has decided to throw a celebration for her friends and family who supported her along the way, but something’s missing… join her (and some furry friends) as they search the bayou to find the missing ingredient.”

I’d be far more excited for that story than the story of visiting a diverse employee owned cooperative, that features local artists, teaches children about farming, and empowers women to get into business.

One sounds like a fun adventure, the other sounds like a work conference.

 

[celluloid]

It sure is interesting seeing so many people disappointed who were the same pro retheme and always said "But the theme is inconsequential, it is still the same ride"

With all this concern over the terrible story treatment, some are finding out just how untrue that can be.

 

[LittleBuford]

I have to think that Disney has people monitoring this forum and other online discussions to gauge the public's reaction. Let's hope they learn something from all the criticisms.

 

[Tha Realest]

It sure is interesting seeing so many people disappointed who were the same pro retheme and always said "But the theme is inconsequential, it is still the same ride"

With all this concern over the terrible story treatment, some are finding out just how untrue that can be.

This is an interesting point. Even some of the biggest defenders have been kind of scrambling since last night.

I do recall a number of people assuring us that Disney would make sure this would NOT fail, for a multitude of reasons.

We don’t know to what degree the storyline is just a preamble/queue or encompasses the breadth of the experience, but right now it does not inspire confidence. I hope they let the beignets cook longer than these story ideas.

 

[Kirby86]

It sure is interesting seeing so many people disappointed who were the same pro retheme and always said "But the theme is inconsequential, it is still the same ride"

With all this concern over the terrible story treatment, some are finding out just how untrue that can be.

Yup the theme doesn't matter crowd kind of confused me, because jumping companies for a minute look at Back to the Future: The Ride and The Simpsons Ride there is a clear divide between the fandom and it literally is the same ride system.

 

[donaldtoo]

Based on this info, I can already guess the queue will get minimal changes - the wooden structures will be part of the company’s building near the salt mine, I imagine we’ll see pictures like the one of “Placing The Tiara” along the way showing milestone events in the company’s history, before you enter your log flume.

I once flew over Louisiana. From what I could tell, all those mountains down there were filled with flumage.

 

[Drdcm]

It sure is interesting seeing so many people disappointed who were the same pro retheme and always said "But the theme is inconsequential, it is still the same ride"

With all this concern over the terrible story treatment, some are finding out just how untrue that can be.

To be fair… I certainly hope people are allowed to change their minds as this progresses and when new information becomes available.

 

[haveyoumetmark]

The story details are there, and like any attraction, you can choose your level of engagement with them. Some people get really into the stories and get a kick out of it. My hunch is that most are riding for the music, scenery and the drop. The level of detailed story Disney shared doesn’t render the ride a dud at all. It’s there for those who choose to get invested in it.

What if the story inspires kids to discover a new passion? It’ll connect with kids who see themselves in the characters. It’ll satisfy some goals for Disney that its predecessor couldn’t, and it’ll still be fun in the meantime for those who don’t care for it. The discussion around this retheme is so one-note and lacking in any optimism whatsoever.

There’s (understandably) a lot of sentimental attachment to the original ride, so people are going to hate/resent its replacement no matter what. And that unfortunately includes tearing apart every new detail as soon as it’s released. If TBA is half as exciting as all the meltdowns in its wake, then Disney has a huge blockbuster on their hands.

 

[Joel]

The discussion around this retheme is so one-note and lacking in any optimism whatsoever.

Increasingly so because of the details that have been released thus far.

If TBA is half as exciting as all the meltdowns in its wake, then Disney has a huge blockbuster on their hands.

And if it's twice as exciting as the story underpinning it, then Disney has an absolute mess on its hands.

 

[celluloid]

. The discussion around this retheme is so one-note and lacking in any optimism whatsoever.

There is no accounting for taste, however, in every artform there are things that are objectively bad. And a lot of those notes have been hit.

 

[zemmyz]

It's...just strange. Ironic. Makes my eyes roll. Building this story and concept, while ham-fisting so many buzzwords that screams "look! we understand you guys!" to me and my peers. My friend works at a co-op. They read the premise and simply cringed. Made me laugh. This is what they chose? Same guys who have, for years, treated/paid cast members what exactly? While 96% of union members told them to kick rocks this week... This whole overlay makes me wince. Doesn't feel great.

 

[YouMakeTheWorldGoRound]

There’s (understandably) a lot of sentimental attachment to the original ride, so people are going to hate/resent its replacement no matter what.

I’m gonna be completely honest, I am one of these people. If they closed Carousel Of Progress, Or Tiki Room, Or Pirates, or Spaceship Earth it doesn’t really matter what comes next. I’m gonna be resentful for it removing a classic. Splash is on that list and joins ranks with other hall of famers like Horizons, Great Movie Ride and World Of Motion.

And before anyone calls me a stubborn old timer, my first WDW trip was in 2008!

 

[SuddenStorm]

This Tiana story at least has potential to be more developed than the loose Splash story of Br'er Rabbit looking for his laughing place and Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear trying and failing to catch him before he escapes and realizes he could find it at home. Pretty simple story.

It's a ride- not a film or a book.

It's also a fairly fast paced ride, with a thrill component. Simple stories are best for an attraction.

 

[_caleb]

Quoting myself from the other thread since it seems I posted in the wrong place.

I think this overly-detailed, "convoluted" backstory is typical for most thoughtfully-designed themed attractions. The main difference here is that they're sharing it with the public like this so early in the process. Someone upthread shared the backstory document for Pandora, and it was similarly filled with details and in-world jargon while being short on narrative or emotional connections.

Based on other things we've seen, I don't think the document represents the storyline of the Tiana's Bayou Adventure. The ride seems like it will have a cute critters, a fun party story, and, well, some sort of adventure. The backstory might be better understood as a framework the actual stories of the ride, restaurants, and shops should fit into.

In the parks, they are retheming the mountain. They want to sell hot sauce and beignets, have a restaurant, a kitchen/cooking/baking shop (Eudora's), offer cooking classes, sell gardening/homesteading merch, brand all these things as being under the ownership of Tiana, and tie it into the Disney+ series and its characters.

This backstory document can serve to unify all these efforts in time/place/story. WDI teams are gathering props and sourcing materials and beginning to build out TBA, and this document can help provide context for things like blueprints, checklists, and plans.

It also seems clear to me that Disney is trying to nurture the fandom by sharing things like the "Beyond Thunder Mountain" blue sky presentation at last years' D23 and documents like this backstory. The goal of releasing this was probably to get us talking about the ride, to signal what's coming, and to appeal to those of us who like to be in on the process as it's happening. I could be wrong, but I don't think the document was designed to be a press release or a summery of the ride.

TL;DR: Story and backstory are not the same thing.