News Peter Pan's Flight scene updates

[Brer Panther]

Now why couldn't they have done this sort of thing with Splash Mountain?

 

[denyuntilcaught]

Now why couldn't they have done this sort of thing with Splash Mountain?

Because the problem with Peter Pan was a scene within the attraction. The problem with Splash was the basis of the entire attraction.

 

[Professortango1]

Because the problem with Peter Pan was a scene within the attraction. The problem with Splash was the basis of the entire attraction.

The problem with Peter Pan is the story as well. The "Indians" represented in the original story and adaptations have been problematic for quite a while since there was never any attempt to represent them as anything other than stereotypes. Many have argued that Peter Pan, as a story, is beyond saving given how integral the "Indians" are to the story while also lacking any agency or depth and their inclusion in the story is inherently for sensationalism and draws off racist viewpoints of the time it was created.

The difference would be that Song of the South was based on the stories collected from the actual culture they are representing.

 

[Too Many Hats]

I think fans have given this update a warm reception because it retains the tone of the original scene and is well-integrated into the overall sensibility of the attraction. I think we all wish WDI would’ve done “this sort of thing” with other recent projects.

In the case of Pirates, WDI took a risqué scene involving a woman who actually kinda wants to be auctioned off to a pirate (my word!) and turned it into a scene where an elementary school teacher dressed as a pirate for Halloween shouts “Yo ho!”

With Splash, WDI turned a Campbellian hero’s journey that was charming, humorous, suspenseful, and joyous into a one-note episode of Dora The Explorer. I reject the notion that this was the only possible outcome for this project, and that the adventurous spirit of Splash (for which the flume itself was designed!) couldn’t have been maintained (despite the new IP).

 

[Professortango1]

In the case of Pirates, WDI took a risqué scene involving a woman who actually kinda wants to be auctioned off to a pirate (my word!) and turned it into a scene where an elementary school teacher dressed as a pirate for Halloween shouts “Yo ho!”

Don't forget about the other parts of that scene. The heavy-set woman who's purpose was for us to laugh that nobody wanted her and the women in back who were crying at the idea of being forced to marry against their will.

I know my mom was always mildly upset by the fat-shaming aspect of the sequence, long before "fat-shaming" was even a phrase.

 

[AndyS2992]

I think it's fine, I just hate that the characters are not in keeping with the artistic style of the rest of the ride/movie and so they stand out. They look pretty bad at WDW for this reason and because being new, they're movements are too smooth and fluid whereas the other AAs are old and move very clunkily. Fortunately Disneyland's AA's movements aren't anywhere near as bad as WDW's.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Don't forget about the other parts of that scene. The heavy-set woman who's purpose was for us to laugh that nobody wanted her and the women in back who were crying at the idea of being forced to marry against their will.

I know my mom was always mildly upset by the fat-shaming aspect of the sequence, long before "fat-shaming" was even a phrase.

It’s a wild scene! Funny in only the darkest way; I am not confused by the decision to replace it.

But they didn’t need to go full-Doc McStuffins with the new scene. Ditch the fat-shaming and trafficking (oof), but maintain a sense of humor and danger in the replacement. I’ve written out examples in the past; it could’ve been done, I swear.

 

[Professortango1]

It’s a wild scene! Funny in only the darkest way; I am not confused by the decision to replace it.

But they didn’t need to go full-Doc McStuffins with the new scene. Ditch the fat-shaming and trafficking (oof), but maintain a sense of humor and danger in the replacement. I’ve written out examples in the past; it could’ve been done, I swear.

Oh I agree. I don't think anyone would argue that the replacement was well done other than the quality of Red an AA. Its the same issue I have with Jungle Cruise. I get why scenes needed to be changed, but just replacing indigenous people in multiple scenes with monkeys doesn't exactly make JC a stronger attraction.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Oh I agree. I don't think anyone would argue that the replacement was well done other than the quality of Red an AA. Its the same issue I have with Jungle Cruise. I get why scenes needed to be changed, but just replacing indigenous people in multiple scenes with monkeys doesn't exactly make JC a stronger attraction.

I initially defended the JC updates but over time I’ve come to see them as more of the same antiseptic, forgettable 2020s WDI fluff.

It’s actually the same problem I identified in my post about Pan, Pirates, and Splash. WDI changed the tone of JC’s scenes — from “danger” to comedy/slapstick. Consequently JC now feels a little less dynamic (as awful as the original scenes were).

 

[Professortango1]

I initially defended the JC updates but over time I’ve come to see them as more of the same antiseptic, forgettable 2020s WDI fluff.

It’s actually the same problem I identified in my post about Pan, Pirates, and Splash. WDI changed the tone of those scenes — from “danger” to comedy/slapstick. Consequently JC now feels a little less dynamic (as awful as the original scenes were).

My other issue with the repurposed tribal scenes is that they used to take place on land, meaning we had variation of things being right on the river. This made the attraction seem larger whereas now, its a boat with monkeys that we pass by and a large butterfly on a tree in the river making it far less significant and impactful.

 

[D.Silentu]

Precisely, a land based scene ought to have been replaced with a land based scene and I'll go as far to add one that doesn't involve animals of a similar genus to others previously seen in the attraction. That also contributes to making the experience feel smaller.

 

[Consumer]

I still remember my first ever ride on the Jungle Cruise as a little kid and being scared the natives were going to actually throw spears at the boat.

 

[Phroobar]

I still remember my first ever ride on the Jungle Cruise as a little kid and being scared the natives were going to actually throw spears at the boat.

I remember one skipper got hit by the spears and was dead the rest of the cruise. A little kid got up and steered the boat home.

 

[jmuboy]

The Peter Pan changes are tasteful and keep the scene is a modern way. A+ executive.

The auction scene is COMPLETE TRASH in comparison ( Auction the rum, have Tough Redd fire at the pirates cat calling her …. Etc). So many obvious ways to do it better

 

[Basketbuddy101]

My favorite part of the new Auction scene is after Red delivers her cringy dialogue, one of the pirates fires his gun in her direction and yells "Quiet, you scum!" It's just too bad he presumably misses...

 

[mickEblu]

How is the scene change an A+ when they inserted characters who look nothing like anything from the movie into a ride where the other 99% of the content is directly from the movie? I understand the bar has been lowered and we re grading on a curve as we remember other recent atrocious changes but A+? They should have replaced the scene with something else that’s (not offensive) from the movie like Peter Pan and Tiger Lily dancing. But no they couldn’t do that of course because they re worried people would complain about removing Native representation from the ride. The Fantasy No Specific Name tribe from a 1950’s animated movie. SMH

 

[Too Many Hats]

How is the scene change an A+ when they inserted characters who look nothing like anything from the movie into a ride where the other 99% of the content is directly from the movie?

Disney would prefer to bury these characters from the movie. In that light, what we got isn’t half bad (and is much better than deleting the scene entirely, IMO).

 

[mickEblu]

Disney would prefer to bury these characters from the movie. In that light, what we got isn’t half bad (and is much better than deleting the scene entirely, IMO).

Half bad isn’t an A+

 

[Too Many Hats]

Half bad isn’t an A+

It’s an A+ compared to the auction scene’s D+, to be fair. I’m bracing myself for the new stretching room hanging man to be a solid F.

But really, I’m not sure what else WDI could do, given the limitations.

 

[mickEblu]

It’s an A+ compared to the auction scene’s D+, to be fair. I’m bracing myself for the new stretching room hanging man to be a solid F.

But really, I’m not sure what else WDI could do, given the limitations.

Haha exactly, we’re grading on a curve. I suggested something that I think would have pleased pretty much everyone.