Splash Mountain Down...again

[Pixiedustmaker]

The ride is a shell of its former self... Sorry... truth can burn sometimes, I know... Splash needs a major refurbishment... I hope what pixiedustmaker says is true, that it gets a longer refurb than Big Thunder Mountain because the ride deserves it...

I kid you not! What I heard from an acquaintance was that TDO is expecting crowds to MK to increase in 2014, and the following couple years, due to repeat business by the been there done that crowd that will be visiting Orlando for the first time in years because of the two new Fantasyland rides, and also to see Harry Potter, and the new expansion, whenever that opens??? They want to make sure that the at least Splash and BTMRR have interactive queues and major upgrades in the next couple years, and supposedly Splash will go down this winter for a lengthy refurb, plus new stuff which will give the crowds a better impression instead of the same old stuff at Disney

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The previously deactivated splash that soaks you early on has returned.

 

[menamechris]

The previously deactivated splash that soaks you early on has returned.

That gets adjusted alot based on weather, temperature outside, etc...

 

[Captain Chaos]

I kid you not! What I heard from an acquaintance was that TDO is expecting crowds to MK to increase in 2014, and the following couple years, due to repeat business by the been there done that crowd that will be visiting Orlando for the first time in years because of the two new Fantasyland rides, and also to see Harry Potter, and the new expansion, whenever that opens??? They want to make sure that the at least Splash and BTMRR have interactive queues and major upgrades in the next couple years, and supposedly Splash will go down this winter for a lengthy refurb, plus new stuff which will give the crowds a better impression instead of the same old stuff at Disney

If you are right I'll buy you dinner at Le Cellier after the refurb...

**maybe I should edit this one, quickly... don't want to be on the hook for a Le Cellier over priced meal... :lol:

 

[muse1983]

We rode SM this afternoon and here is what I witnessed/noticed...
1. The water cannon as you round the corner was not working
2. The sound would randomly cut out at random times during the ride
3. There were 2 scenes that were unusually darker than normal, there was definitely a light off.
4. Jumping fountains were still down
5. Brer Rabbit was hopping along just fine ( I think I'm one of the we who has actually always seen this effect or working every time)
6. The paint at the end of the ride (It's The Truth) still looked embarrassingly bad.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

One of the weirdest parts of the ride is before the Laughin' Place drop where Brer Fox and Brer Bear no longer talk and you hear the sound of the bees? Then, Brer Rabbit is incredibly loud for some reason. It's been like that for a while.

 

[Lee]

Rode it Tiesday.
Overall the ride looked pretty good, most of the effects seemed to be working.

Except for the Laughing Place. Some of the lights were off and all the water effects were inoperable. No jumping fountains, no water to support the turtles...nothing. That scene is really disgraceful.

Refurb? I'm all for it.

 

[jt04]

Rode it Tiesday.
Overall the ride looked pretty good, most of the effects seemed to be working.

Except for the Laughing Place. Some of the lights were off and all the water effects were inoperable. No jumping fountains, no water to support the turtles...nothing. That scene is really disgraceful.

Refurb? I'm all for it.

I'd be for the removal of the "Song of the South" theme and the exterior of the show building to be replaced by ........ doesn't matter, as long as it fits Frontierland thematically.

Honestly, Disney will never have any sort of franchise with SotS and the theme is all wrong. So I am hoping they keep the great ride but everything else can go. :wave:

And on the day it closes they should release SotS on Blu-Ray just to not be all PC and stuff. The film is what it is and is part of history both good and bad. No sense in burying it as people can learn from history.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Honestly, Disney will never have any sort of franchise with SotS and the theme is all wrong.

Does every attraction have to have a franchise behind it? It's a classic attraction and one of the very few nods to SOTS that Disney has made so I don't see reason to remove the theming at all. On the other hand, I'd be all for an extensive refurb to restore it to a semblance of it's former glory.

 

[jt04]

Does every attraction have to have a franchise behind it? It's a classic attraction and one of the very few nods to SOTS that Disney has made so I don't see reason to remove the theming at all. On the other hand, I'd be all for an extensive refurb to restore it to a semblance of it's former glory.

I think a complete new theme could only get funded if it were part of a major new franchise. I guess it is possible Lone Ranger could turn into that. Or it may take a major Pixar film. Even a live action Pixar film based in the old west.

SotS will never be a major franchise and that would be a secondary reason for its removal. The primary reason is the film it is based on is steeped in controversy. Not sure it should be the basis for a theme park attraction.

 

[FrankLapidus]

You're probably not wrong in what you said about a franchise but, personally, I don't see any reason to change the theme of the attraction. The ride is an iconic one that remains very popular with guests but it's reputation has taken a hit because of the poor state it currently is in. True, Song of the South will never be a franchise but it remains a classic film; it is controversial but that controversy has gathered pace because of Bob Iger's refusal to re-release it on any format. Perhaps the next CEO will do that, maybe in a limited DVD release or siginificantly edited, but even if they don't I still don't think the ride should be rethemed as it one of the very few acknowlegments that Disney has made of a film that is very much a product of the time that it was made and, because of that reason, it has been somewhat victimised. I love the film and it's nice seeing those characters when I visit WDW and I would hate to see them removed and for all traces of the film to be wiped away completely.

 

[jt04]

You're probably not wrong in what you said about a franchise but, personally, I don't see any reason to change the theme of the attraction. The ride is an iconic one that remains very popular with guests but it's reputation has taken a hit because of the poor state it currently is in. True, Song of the South will never be a franchise but it remains a classic film; it is controversial but that controversy has gathered pace because of Bob Iger's refusal to re-release it on any format. Perhaps the next CEO will do that, maybe in a limited DVD release or siginificantly edited, but even if they don't I still don't think the ride should be rethemed as it one of the very few acknowlegments that Disney has made of a film that is very much a product of the time that it was made and, because of that reason, it has been somewhat victimised. I love the film and it's nice seeing those characters when I visit WDW and I would hate to see them removed and for all traces of the film to be wiped away completely.

Exactly why they should release the film on blu-ray.

We will just have to agree to disagree if it should be a theme park attraction. I think it could work even better as a Grizzly Peak type theme. Or something a bit more mystical involving Indian lore based on mythical animal stories or a legendary ancestor. Something along those lines.

 

[disney fan 13]

I think a complete new theme could only get funded if it were part of a major new franchise. I guess it is possible Lone Ranger could turn into that. Or it may take a major Pixar film. Even a live action Pixar film based in the old west.

SotS will never be a major franchise and that would be a secondary reason for its removal. The primary reason is the film it is based on is steeped in controversy. Not sure it should be the basis for a theme park attraction.

:brick:

 

[maryszhi]

i feel bad. i wish it could be brought back to its prime. It really made me feel bad that people were at guests services complaining because it either was not fully functional or gone down because it wasn't working at all. I think they need a major refurb like they did for big thunder. I believe that it can be brought back to its glory... it just needs some tlc and a lot of elbow grease

 

[Clever Name]

I think a complete new theme could only get funded if it were part of a major new franchise. I guess it is possible Lone Ranger could turn into that. Or it may take a major Pixar film. Even a live action Pixar film based in the old west.

SotS will never be a major franchise and that would be a secondary reason for its removal. The primary reason is the film it is based on is steeped in controversy. Not sure it should be the basis for a theme park attraction.

That’s a great idea to find a new theme for Splash Mountain. I think Finding Nemo would work perfectly. The flume log could be themed as a barracuda and all the animatronics in the attraction would be fleeing away form the barracuda so as not to be eaten. At the big drop, the barracuda would be chasing after Coral and would catch and eat her at the bottom of the flume.

The shock of this episode drives Marlin into a deep depression and dementia. Nemo then takes care of Marlin for the remainder of his declining years. This theme presents a lot of great teachable moments for children It’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t count your fish eggs before they hatch. It’s never too early to start your elder care planning. :wave:

 

[IanDLBZF]

That’s a great idea to find a new theme for Splash Mountain. I think Finding Nemo would work perfectly. The flume log could be themed as a barracuda and all the animatronics in the attraction would be fleeing away form the barracuda so as not to be eaten. At the big drop, the barracuda would be chasing after Coral and would catch and eat her at the bottom of the flume.

The shock of this episode drives Marlin into a deep depression and dementia. Nemo then takes care of Marlin for the remainder of his declining years. This theme presents a lot of great teachable moments for children It’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t count your fish eggs before they hatch. It’s never too early to start your elder care planning. :wave:

Um, Finding Nemo doesn't tie into the theme of Frontierland. I'd say keep the Song of The South theme.

 

[jt04]

:brick:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_(film)


While this Pixar movie may not work (or even happen) the fact that they are even considering a live action movie in this era depicting the west makes it possible. :wave:

 

[jt04]

Um, Finding Nemo doesn't tie into the theme of Frontierland. I'd say keep the Song of The South theme.

Humor clevername, give it a slice of cheese and send it home. :wave:

 

[Captain Chaos]

Um, Finding Nemo doesn't tie into the theme of Frontierland. I'd say keep the Song of The South theme.

That was sarcasm... I hope... :lookaroun

 

[FRC Team 180]

I believe it IS a shell of it's former self. The list of non-working (and even removed!) effects is mind-blowing.

It's a shell of its former self in the same way that Dinosaur is a shell of its former self (CTX).

Quick Question: Does anyone know the effects that have been turned off on SM? Just curious. :wave:
Also...NO PIXAR AT MAGIC KINGDOM! :fork: