rk03221
Well-Known Member
BLM isn’t an organization
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Splash Mountain re-theme announced
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
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BLM isn’t an organization
Father Robinson
Well-Known Member
And if people seeing this don't see the obvious...(almost immediately after a petition from an outsider with an idea for PatF replacing SM, an announcement is made that Disney is doing JUST THAT)
Like you said, they have no budget for projects that NEED to be finished (EPCOT entrance and spine)
NEED reimagining (Journey into Imagination)
NEED to be created (Stitch)
NEED to be finished (WDW Railroad/Tron..)
And all the cast members who were furloughed, and 3 months of no money coming into the parks...after all that, they STILL thought this should be a priority?! And the timing of it.. yeah, we're excited to finally announce this project we've been developing for a year. Coincidentally, whoever started that petition must have a sixth sense, because we've been working on JUST THAT, a PatF overlay! Wow, you should've played the lottery that day!
BigDlover
Well-Known Member
Plenty of people that agree with the change love Disney and go often.
manmythlegend
Well-Known Member
From Wikipedia:
"An organization known simply as Black Lives Matter[a] exists as a decentralized network with over 30 chapters in the United States and sister organizations worldwide while a larger Black Lives Matter movement exists consisting of various separate like-minded organizations such as Dream Defenders and Assata's Daughters. The broader movement and its related organizations typically advocate against police violence towards black people, as well as for various other policy changes considered to be related to black liberation."
For BLM not being an organization, I sure see the word organization a lot.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
Semi coming out of "retirement" to comment on this and long post ahead. My opinion about the IP swap here will be brief because it's actually relatively low on my concerns. That said, it's still sad and disappointing. For the record, while I actually don't find even the movie version of Song of the South racist, I don't like it either. I find all the parts besides animated and Uncle Remus scenes boring. Splash Mountain however is incredible and possibly my favorite ride (among those still operating at least). On the flipside, I REALLY like Princess and the Frog (even a couple of Randy Newman's songs are surprisingly decent). Far moreso than SOTS. And if this were under different circumstances and during a different era for the Disney company (25-30 years ago with the proper budget and creative talent), it would have the potential to be an incredible ride. But a hard no to it replacing Splash Mtn, and an even harder no to the modern Disney company handling it.
I have zero confidence (in fact less) that modern Disney has the desire or capacity to create anything close to Splash Mtn. Even 20+ years ago, it would have taken an enormous budget and truly outstanding imagineering team. Disney were already slashing budgets left and right before this mess. Covid and economic woes will do no favors to whatever paltry budgets have been debated for PATF since last year. I've also come to the unfortunate conclusion that most current imagineers probably lack the necessary creative talent as well.
Disney doesn't create rides like Splash Mtn anymore. This style of E ticket ride are from a bygone era that kicked off in 1967 with Pirates of the Caribbean and finally ended in 2001 with Tokyo's Sinbad. That isn't to say there haven't been other really good Disney rides since. Radiator Springs Racers, Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Mystic Manor are technically impressive ride systems with some nice scenes. And the single mine scene from 7DMT feels like it would be at home within a larger Splash Mtn caliber ride. But there's still nothing that truly matches the E tickets such as POTC, Horizons, SSE, World of Motion, Great Movie Ride, Splash Mtn etc etc. These rides were all notable for their numerous sets of rich densely detailed physical scenery and artistry as well as huge armies of well articulated animatronics. Video elements being kept to a minimum and supplemental role while the physical parts were front and center. They were also lengthy, 10 minutes at least, some 15 or even 20 minutes. At least PATF is likely to retain Splash's length.
My gravest concern is that the ride will be gutted and left as a literal hollow shell of its former self. I fear the imagineers (both lacking the necessary budget/resources AND possibly the creative/artistic talent) will be unable to replicate anything close to the same level of dense physical detail seen in Splash Mtn. I fear that significant amounts of physical scenery will be removed, leaving largely bare walls used for video projection. I also fear most if not all of the current animatronics will be removed and possibly scrapped. Reason being that their proportions are simultaneously too anthropomorphic for most of the movie's animal designs, but also not the right proportions for human characters either. It's also extremely unlikely they will fabricate new AA figures at a similar quantity to the ones being removed. Besides Louis, most animal figures will probably be small non-AA's and only use limited simple motion (or stationary) ala Little Mermaid's figures. There will probably be a couple of new decent human AA's, though likely very sparse in quantity and possibly utilizing the trendy (and more often than not, clumsy and poorly executed) facial projections seen in Frozenstrom. Though the B&TB ride in Tokyo uses physical articulated faces at least, so we'll see. Don't have high hopes for the story or its logic either.
So yeah, i'm not pleased with this news whatsoever. If it was the Disney company of 30 years ago i'd still be upset, but at least there would be hope that the replacement would be of comparable quality. Given the Disney company of today however, I have every reason to expect the literal worst out of this. Comments from @marni1971 aren't very comforting either. Does anyone else with inside knowledge/details about the ride plans have any comments that can help address some of my stated concerns?
I have zero confidence (in fact less) that modern Disney has the desire or capacity to create anything close to Splash Mtn. Even 20+ years ago, it would have taken an enormous budget and truly outstanding imagineering team. Disney were already slashing budgets left and right before this mess. Covid and economic woes will do no favors to whatever paltry budgets have been debated for PATF since last year. I've also come to the unfortunate conclusion that most current imagineers probably lack the necessary creative talent as well.
Disney doesn't create rides like Splash Mtn anymore. This style of E ticket ride are from a bygone era that kicked off in 1967 with Pirates of the Caribbean and finally ended in 2001 with Tokyo's Sinbad. That isn't to say there haven't been other really good Disney rides since. Radiator Springs Racers, Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Mystic Manor are technically impressive ride systems with some nice scenes. And the single mine scene from 7DMT feels like it would be at home within a larger Splash Mtn caliber ride. But there's still nothing that truly matches the E tickets such as POTC, Horizons, SSE, World of Motion, Great Movie Ride, Splash Mtn etc etc. These rides were all notable for their numerous sets of rich densely detailed physical scenery and artistry as well as huge armies of well articulated animatronics. Video elements being kept to a minimum and supplemental role while the physical parts were front and center. They were also lengthy, 10 minutes at least, some 15 or even 20 minutes. At least PATF is likely to retain Splash's length.
My gravest concern is that the ride will be gutted and left as a literal hollow shell of its former self. I fear the imagineers (both lacking the necessary budget/resources AND possibly the creative/artistic talent) will be unable to replicate anything close to the same level of dense physical detail seen in Splash Mtn. I fear that significant amounts of physical scenery will be removed, leaving largely bare walls used for video projection. I also fear most if not all of the current animatronics will be removed and possibly scrapped. Reason being that their proportions are simultaneously too anthropomorphic for most of the movie's animal designs, but also not the right proportions for human characters either. It's also extremely unlikely they will fabricate new AA figures at a similar quantity to the ones being removed. Besides Louis, most animal figures will probably be small non-AA's and only use limited simple motion (or stationary) ala Little Mermaid's figures. There will probably be a couple of new decent human AA's, though likely very sparse in quantity and possibly utilizing the trendy (and more often than not, clumsy and poorly executed) facial projections seen in Frozenstrom. Though the B&TB ride in Tokyo uses physical articulated faces at least, so we'll see. Don't have high hopes for the story or its logic either.
So yeah, i'm not pleased with this news whatsoever. If it was the Disney company of 30 years ago i'd still be upset, but at least there would be hope that the replacement would be of comparable quality. Given the Disney company of today however, I have every reason to expect the literal worst out of this. Comments from @marni1971 aren't very comforting either. Does anyone else with inside knowledge/details about the ride plans have any comments that can help address some of my stated concerns?
BigDlover
Well-Known Member
Yert3
Well-Known Member
I guess you’re through debating with me. I’m finished too. Been a long day. I do have to say, while we disagree immensely, thanks for keeping it civil. I’m always down for a civil debate.
BigDlover
Well-Known Member
Same goes for the people that opposed it.
imthewalrus79
Active Member
I'm sure the timing of the announcement has everything to do with the BLM movement, especially how it was announced given everything else going on with the parks right now. But, given how those in charge of planning at the park love to tie new attractions and re-themes in with IP's. And even though SOTS is one of those, it's one that has been troubled since it's original release and one that the company has stopped promoting since the 1980's. So, would it really surprise you that they've been looking at changing the theme of Splash Mountain to another movie? Heck, as popular as Figment is with park goers, I wouldn't be surprised to see them change the Imagination Pavilion theme to Inside Out when the time comes (although I really hope they prove me wrong on that).
Any political issues that brought this about aside, from the marketing stand point, it makes sense to me to theme the ride to a movie you're happy to promote. Hopefully, everything is done well and the story of the ride has the same flow as Splash Mountain has. Given that Tony Baxter is being consulted on the project gives me hope that this will be the case.
The only issue I have with it is how the new theme will fit in at the Magic Kingdom in Frontierland. I can kind of see it working at Disneyland, sitting right next to New Orleans Square.
BigDlover
Well-Known Member
I would love that
manmythlegend
Well-Known Member
lol gotcha
manmythlegend
Well-Known Member
Here is how it works: The minority can voice their concerns/issues to the majority and then the majority decides whether they think a change is warranted. Unfortunately, the majority didn't get to decide in this case. Hence tyranny of the minority.
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
I don't really follow. Not the bizarre "tyranny of the minority" concept, nor the idea that the majority didn't get to decide in the first place. A changing social norm causing a company to reevaluate their business is suddenly the majority not deciding?
manmythlegend
Well-Known Member
The majority of Disney patrons didn't get to decide on whether a change to Splash Mountain was warranted. Unless you think Bobby Iger speaks for the majority of Disney patrons?
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
I get you to an extent, but why do you think the "megaphone" exists in the first place? Minority groups are required to listen, their opinions are inherently never made without the majority in mind.
I obviously don't disagree with your ideals about the majority itself.
Tony Perkis
Well-Known Member
Bob Iger speaks for the majority of Disney everything.
BigDlover
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is more dangerous. Certainly you've been in the minority for something in your life. You wouldn't want people to not take you seriously or consider your feelings because more people felt differently than you did.
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