Splash Mountain returns - but instead of a log flume, it's a gentle boat ride through the wonderful stories of Brer Rabbit and his fellow critters. The queue acts as a mini-museum explaining the characters' origins in African-American folklore, helping to further distance the characters and attraction from
Song of the South, before guests jump aboard their boats and head off to see if this time, Brer Fox and Brer Bear just might succeed in catching Brer Rabbit (spoiler alert: they don't). Oh, and some of the America Sings animatronics from Disneyland's version of Splash Mountain have been brought out the archives (assuming they weren't all trashed) and have a new home in this attraction.
First off, this track we jump right into one of the most recent attraction closures in Disney’s Splash Mountain. While not a major change in going from a log flume to a gentle boat ride, it does still enable guests to easily enjoy the scenes and animatronics you have included, which is key if putting that many visual elements into the attraction. Love the idea of bringing even more animatronics from the archives, even if only simple ones. I don’t know if using Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah in the attraction name helps distance from Song of the South, but like seeing the attempts to distinguish the new from old, with an updated queue and story focus.
Princeda Ka
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The (in)famous Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, once the tallest coaster in the world, returns (sort of), as a children’s log flume? Over at the Golden Kingdom area, near the spot where Ka's replacement will be located, younger guests can ride a small log flume (think the kiddie log flumes at Busch Gardens) with one 10 foot tall hill and drop, designed to mimic the original coaster, only 46 times smaller. There's even a small section of track from the former coaster (provided it isn't entirely scrapped) sitting next to the flume!
Talk about recent closures and complete flip to the original’s script! It is always kind of a big deal when you shut down what was once the world’s tallest roller coaster. Maintenance seems to be a problem with certain attractions, and apparently Ka was no different. While it sounds like an odd change up to a children’s log flume, it honestly makes some sense. Anything with Kinda Ka in the name or trying to achieve thrills, is going to be immediately and forever compared to the original and unlikely to appease everyone. Creating a kid’s version with the flume is a fun way to capture a bit of that with the copied layout, etc. I know you mentioned a section of track nearby, but anything to incorporate visually from the namesake attraction would be a welcome add.
Body Wars: Immuno-Compromised!
Body Wars is BACK, and now guests have joined the new ISDF (Immune System Defense Force) to defend the body against viral villainy in a Universal-MIB-style shooting attraction with full dimensional sets and special effects! Using high-tech projection mapping, physical sets and effects, and cutting-edge animatronics (in shapes never represented before, such as viruses and body organs), guests glide through the blood vessels armed with antibody blasters and tackle a large-scale infection (a particularly poignant topic for many in the post-COVID era). Body Wars: Immuno-Compromised brings IP-free edu-tainment back to Epcot with a high-capacity, family-friendly attraction that signals a return to Epcot's founding principles (yeah, right...they'd probably just purchase the rights to Osmosis Jones...).
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Forgive the Buzz Lightyear cars...it's very late!
I know it was Star Tours in the body, but I still miss Body Wars and that Pavilion, if nothing else for something else to do in the park. Crazy that the building still sits there. Anyway, this seems a totally believable and realistic way to bring that ride back (or spirit of it anyway) and make it popular with today’s park’s guests. Going the MIB route is perfect, and I could see it really helping encapsulate the madness that a journey through the body would entail. It strikes a solid balance between being able to slide at least some education into the queue/ride but leaving the actual attraction entertaining enough that I cannot imagine guests getting bored of it for whatever reason.
Ant Man Adventure Through Inner Space
The latest addition to Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus is a throwback to the original Tomorrowland omnimover, but this time presented as a thrilling simulator based attraction. Pym Technologies has developed a new submarine style vehicle powered by Pym particles, and they’ve set up an exhibit to demonstrate the tech to the visitors of the campus, and educate them on the wonders of inner space. The ride begins calmly, with homages to the previous iteration as we travel past snowflakes and water droplets, but as always, “something goes wrong”, the ride becomes more thrilling, and Ant Man and the Wasp arrive to save us from danger.
(I hope it’s ok to join even though it’s so close to the end of the competition! I just recently meandered back to the Imagineering side of the forums and saw the prompt and inspiration struck)
First off, welcome! Happy to see any faces, new and old at any point during the competition. More pitches = Good. The title of your attraction alone makes complete sense. I assume using the simulator-based attraction we are getting something in the vein of Star Tours, but a journey into inner space/quantum realm seems ripe with possibilities and adventure. Ant Man has an attraction in Hong Kong, but this is a nice differentiator to that one and based on your premise slots into the Avengers Campus just fine. Awesome to see Adventures Through Inner Space callback!
Mr. Toad’s Motor Mania
Out in the open countryside of eastern Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, a familiar face has moved back in for his much-requested return...
Entering Toad Hall, guests learn that Mr. Toad’s reckless motor mania has landed him in jail again, and only they can help him break out - on a rollicking race against time that sends them on a crash course down the streets of London, nearly colliding head-on with an oncoming train, dashing through the countryside, and weaving through the lush and labyrinthine Wild Woods. A simultaneously scaled-down and enhanced slot car system that allows the motorcars to skid and spin out (not unlike Dynamic Attractions’ Duel Power Coaster), plus loads of on-ride effects, will make this a truly wild ride for the ages!
Oh man. This one hit close to home. I loved Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride as a kid, like I still missed it all these years later and getting to ride it a few times (for the first time) at Disneyland this summer was therapeutic. Utilizing a modified slot car system is the perfect way to reinvigorate and bring back the attraction and IP to WDW. So many possibilities lean heavily into the motor mania aspect of the original attraction and give guests a bit of something new. I do not know where they would fit this at MK, but I would absolutely love to see it.
CRANIUM COMMAND: OPEN HOUSE
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Rather than being a show as the previous incarnation was, this reimagining of an underrated Epcot classic is a dark ride taking guests on a tour of the body's important ballet of functions from brain to foot, all hosted by General Knowledge and Buzzy as well as other newly created characters to show the audience to respect and give the body the care it deserves properly.
Another oldie, but goodie in Cranium Command. Going from a show to a dark ride makes perfect sense and still captures the essence of the original attraction and Epcot. Love the idea of newly created characters as well. This would be a nice way to start the reinvention of the pavilion and give the diehards a bit of nostalgia.
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Tot Town: Grown Up at Valleyfair (MN)
From 1981 to 1999, children would access the ValleyFair's island "Tot Town" (including a small water raft ride that could host about 5 kids at a time) by way of a suspension bridge. Now Valleyfair has added a family raft ride (the rafts are in the shape of coconuts) that allows shooting other rafts with water while moving around a giant monkey king (because monkeys like coconuts). On-looking guests can also shoot water at the riders.
Man, making me do some serious googling here! I couldn’t find a ton on Tot Town, but it was nice to see a family attraction added into the park. I assume based on your description; this is much different than the rapids ride Thunder Canyon that is in the park. Based on your reference photo and shooting mechanism, sounds like it is in the vein of Epic Universe’ Fyre Drill from Mack Rides. Sounds like I, and everyone on this one is bound to get soaked in what would likely be a wacky good time with water, coconuts and giant monkey kings about.
