Splash Mountain re-theme announced

[Phicinfan]

Okay I have to ask, wonder if we get a petition going, we could get a tombstone for GMR, Brear Rabit and may be dinosaurs in Energy in the cemetery by Haunted Mansion

 

[Oskar]

So do you think Disney should never change older rides? You think we should still have opening day MK with a handful of new rides squeezed in?

Many of us on here are disney fanatics. The average disney guest doesn't get excited or attached to the peoplemover or COP like we do. They want new and more current attractions.

Take someone who has never been to disney and make them watch CBJ... they generally have a "wth" face the either time. Disney understands that too. They have to keep the parks fresh and give the average disney guest a reason to come - they already have our money. They know us crazies are going to the parks no matter what.

No, I wasn’t even remotely suggesting that; if anything, it was the opposite - update attractions like Great Movie Ride, improve those experiences and use the land available to them in all of the parks to also add new ones.

I’m all for keeping the parks relevant, though I’m not sure there is anything in them that I would class as irrelevant, personally. Make changes where appropriate and necessary, freshen things up, but it doesn’t always need to be the case where we need to lose current attractions, rather than update them, in order to bring in new ones.

They could refresh elements of CBJ and also build a new attraction in Frontierland, they have the room and, apparently, infinite resources even in the current economic downturn.

I agree with your points throughout this threat to a certain extent, but I also think that Disney shouldn’t take the “crazies” and their money for granted.

 

[celluloid]

Have you been there the past few years? I think it died already, it seems WDW has forgotten its even there beyond operating the rafts.

You think so? Aunt Polly's just reopened recently, two years ago to now before the Covid closure happened to operate seasonally where it never had before. It was crowded, barrel bridge was open and kids were loving it. It has a low cost to operate and maintain. There are Photopass people there as well. There is a reason it is reopening with the first line up phase. It is only going to be more popular when everyhting indoors has a virtual queue roam to wait.

 

[Phicinfan]

Have you been there the past few years? I think it died already, it seems WDW has forgotten its even there beyond operating the rafts.

All joking aside, the first thought "I" had, was they move the Belle over to splash mountain side, dock it permanently and use it for shows or a restaurant...and then re do the Island and other areas there for expansion.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Somebody needs to create a 21st century version of the "Save Mr. Toad" campaign but changed to "Save Splash Mountain". Complete with shirts and a website.

Here's photos during the "Save Mr Toad" period.

Yes that worked out so well....

 

[SteamboatJoe]

It will be a sad day when TSI is gone. I'm sure Swiss Family Treehouse will be gone too (or reimagined) in the near future.

I adore both and it won't be the same w/out the originals.

I wouldn't be surprised if treehouse stays because its relatively small footprint and ability to serve as a buffer and background for the land. The Tarzan overlay seems likely which doesn't bother me. I have no personal, emotional connection to the Swiss Family Robinson. I am sure there are those that do and I sympathize.

This Splash Mountain thing makes me feel like TSI is definitely not long for this world. A total re-brand a la Disneyland is probably the short term solution but it simply sits on too much real estate to not get eaten away also like at Disneyland.

 

[orlandogal22]

Have you been there the past few years? I think it died already, it seems WDW has forgotten its even there beyond operating the rafts.

And that's how I like it! Peaceful place to explore and be a kid again.

They also had opened Aunt Polly's back up here or there, as I ate there in December.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Listen, I know you have mental health issues, as you have mentioned your extreme depression and suicidal thoughts here. Honestly, you need to speak to a mental health professional.

But again, no one here has ever called anyone racist. And most (from what I can recall) have all said they enjoy and have fond memories of the ride. It’s sad to me that the extremists on this thread can not understand that there level-headed, mature adults here who enjoyed the ride but also believe it’s the right decision to change it. Enough already.

When I make those comments. I’m not talking about you. There are tons of people for the change that are speaking level headed. There are also a bunch who are making people feel bad for being against the change. The fact that you are pulling the “get help” card, when I said nothing to warrant it is pretty lame of you, but I’ll give you the pass this time.

 

[orlandogal22]

You think so? Aunt Polly's just reopened recently, two years ago to now before the Covid closure happened to operate seasonally where it never had before. It was crowded, barrel bridge was open and kids were loving it. It has a low cost to operate and maintain. There are Photopass people there as well. There is a reason it is reopening with the first line up phase. It is only going to be more popular when everyhting indoors has a virtual queue roam to wait.

Yeah. I just said the same thing. I ate at Aunt Polly's in Dec. Love it there. I also love the barrel bridge... exploring the cool dark caves, going up in Fort Langhorn - really being like a kid again. Plus, you can get some great photos of BTMR from TSI.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

You think so? Aunt Polly's just reopened recently, two years ago to now before the Covid closure happened to operate seasonally where it never had before. It was crowded, barrel bridge was open and kids were loving it. It has a low cost to operate and maintain. There are Photopass people there as well. There is a reason it is reopening with the first line up phase. It is only going to be more popular when everyhting indoors has a virtual queue roam to wait.

All joking aside, the first thought "I" had, was they move the Belle over to splash mountain side, dock it permanently and use it for shows or a restaurant...and then re do the Island and other areas there for expansion.

I guess having seen what they did at DL by comparison, yes I think the island is very neglected. The treehouse and the fort have been closed for as long as I can remember. Its' good to hear Polly's was going to be open again, those sad little vending machines were not cutting it.

 

[celluloid]

Yeah. I just said the same thing. I ate at Aunt Polly's in Dec. Love it there. I also love the barrel bridge... exploring the cool dark caves, going up in Fort Langhorn - really being like a kid again. Plus, you can get some great photos of BTMR from TSI.

I am not making this joke for an argument. When we went the last two times with my then four year old to MK, his favorite thing was Tom Sawyer's Island. The caverns are trippy and great still to this day.

 

[celluloid]

I guess having seen what they did at DL by comparison, yes I think the island is very neglected. The treehouse and the fort have been closed for as long as I can remember. Its' good to hear Polly's was going to be open again, those sad little vending machines were not cutting it.

The playground, windmills, barrel bridge and fort were all open the last visit I had pre covid19.

 

[brb1006]

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.

Those points are a huge reason why a ton of use are very upset with this news. Splash Mountain alongside Pirates are the last attractions that were AA heavy and Marc Davis was involved in both projects.

 

[GeneralZod]

But again, no one here has ever called anyone racist. And most (from what I can recall) have all said they enjoy and have fond memories of the ride. It’s sad to me that the extremists on this thread can not understand that there level-headed, mature adults here who enjoyed the ride but also believe it’s the right decision to change it. Enough already.

People are tired of being labeled an -ist (just as you did) because they stand up against childish woke culture.

 

[orlandogal22]

I am not making this joke for an argument. When we went the last two times with my then four year old to MK, his favorite thing was Tom Sawyer's Island. The caverns are trippy and great still to this day.

What joke or argument? I must need more coffee.

But yeah, I agree. Love them. And one of my fondest first memories of MK is the rowing in the Davy Crockett canoes over to TSI.

 

[getdislove]

If you guys feel “worthless” over this change, imagine how worthless Black people feel when they visit the parks and have to deal with the fact that there’s never any representation for them on the attractions. I love Disney, but I’ve felt worthless when it comes to their parks my entire life.

Tiana did not become a princess until I was 14, so as a little girl, I was meeting all of these princesses who did not look like me, not even feeling good enough.

You guys will be totally fine.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

When I make those comments. I’m not talking about you. There are tons of people for the change that are speaking level headed. There are also a bunch who are making people feel bad for being against the change. The fact that you are pulling the “get help” card, when I said nothing to warrant it is pretty lame of you, but I’ll give you the pass this time.

Brer, I was actually pretty worried about you too. Not for nothing but, if you don't want people to worry about you and suggest you get some help, don't post things feeling suicidal everyday. Its not something to take lightly. We are a community in here, like a family we don't always see eye to eye, but we don't want to see anyone hurting.

 

[_caleb]

You missed my point.

My point was people cherry-pick what they want to be offended by. I'd be on Disney FB pages where people would argue SeaWorld was basically the devil but then completely excuse Disney for having dolphins and other sea creatures in captivity... because, well, it's Disney.

And due to them being Disney fans, it was a bit more inconvenient for them to cancel Disney, to protest Disney, to never go to Disney again - any of the parks - for doing the exact same thing. It was much easier to bash SeaWorld, the smaller of the two.

I should also reference - do you know how Disney acquired their original dolphins? Look it up. It ain't pretty.

Again, point being - people cherrypick what is often the easiest thing at the time to go after. In the context of the conversation last night / early morning, that's all I was referring to.

I understood your point. I see what you mean about selective outrage and hypocrisy with what people support.

My point was that the unpredictable nature of these moral reactions are what might be motivating Disney to take action now in order to avoid a SeaWorld situation.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Brer, I was actually pretty worried about you too. Not for nothing but, if you don't want people to worry about you and suggest you get some help, don't post things feeling suicidal everyday. Its not something to take lightly. We are a community in here, like a family we don't always see eye to eye, but we don't want to see anyone hurting.

Ah I understand. Sometimes it seems rather insincere. I don’t know what getting help would really do. But I appreciate the concern.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

The playground, windmills, barrel bridge and fort were all open the last visit I had pre covid19.

That's really good news. Seriously we had gone for several years, always stopped by and they were shut down. Would be great if they worked in a few more things like they did in DL, but this is a nice thing to hear and happily for me to be corrected on.