Splash Mountain re-theme announced

[J_Carioca]

I hate this on so many levels.

You pretty much said it all here. What is happening makes me sick. As for the merch, I already have a collection of Splash items going back about 20 years. But I won't pay a cent to Disney for any more Splash merchandise. Selling this stuff hand over first while scrapping the ride because it's supposedly problematic is hypocrisy of the highest order.

Man, Disney is really plummeting in my esteem these days.

 

[Phil12]

I think we need to look at the bright side of this re-theme. As a practical matter the Br'er Rabbit animatronic (Million Dollar Bunny) never seemed to work very well. However, fortunately rabbits aren't the only animals that hop. Frogs hop too! So it's going to be an easy matter to reskin the Br'er Rabbit animatronic with a Princess Frog costume. She'll be able to hop all over that set!

 

[Brer Oswald]

I think we need to look at the bright side of this re-theme. As a practical matter the Br'er Rabbit animatronic (Million Dollar Bunny) never seemed to work very well. However, fortunately rabbits aren't the only animals that hop. Frogs hop too! So it's going to be an easy matter to reskin the Br'er Rabbit animatronic with a Princess Frog costume. She'll be able to hop all over that set!

There isn’t a chance in hell they’re reusing that mechanism. I wouldn’t be surprised if 30% of the reason they’re retiring the ride in Florida is specifically because they don’t want to keep shelling out money to fix it every time it breaks.

 

[dig311dug]

@Phil12 be prepared for 100% increase in video screens and 80% reduction in animatronics. cheap cheap cheap is the name of the game.

 

[Astro_Digital]

Disney may re-theme Splash Mountain to a "Meet and Great" they good at those, and think of the money they would save.

 

[Phil12]

@Phil12 be prepared for 100% increase in video screens and 80% reduction in animatronics. cheap cheap cheap is the name of the game.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing. Animatronics are good if they are properly maintained and we all know the fate of the Disco Yeti. And John in CoP is not doing too well:

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing. Animatronics are good if they are properly maintained and we all know the fate of the Disco Yeti. And John in CoP is not doing too well:

 

[dig311dug]

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing. Animatronics are good if they are properly maintained and we all know the fate of the Disco Yeti.

I can stare at a screen at home. Give me animatronics or give me death!

 

[Phil12]

But you can have animatronics at home too:

 

[Brer Panther]

We can have video screens at home too. Just sayin'.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

You can also have ride vehicles at home, assuming you have a lot of money on hand and you're willing to pay the price....

10 most expensive Disneyland items in an auction featuring 1,500 theme park collectibles

Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks will hold a history of Disneyland auction on Dec. 7 with a history of Disney World auction to follow on Dec. 8.

www.ocregister.com

 

[Phil12]

We can have video screens at home too. Just sayin'.

Yes indeed. I like your positive attitude! We can also have monorails at home too:

 

[dig311dug]

Ok Mr. perfect hair... I just don’t care for screens in attractions.

 

[Phil12]

Ok Mr. perfect hair... I just don’t care for screens in attractions.

Well, I think a combination of screens and animatronics would work very well. In particular I believe that the old "Million Dollar Bunny" mechanism will work wonderfully for the new frog.

Folks often complained that the old "Million Dollar Bunny" had some mechanical problems that caused it to malfunction sometimes. Well that type of mechanism would be perfect for an animal such as an ectothermic frog.

During the times when the machine is working right, they can light the scene brightly as if the sun is brightly shining and giving the frog lots of energy. But when the machine is working poorly and the frog hopping erratically, they can dim down the lighting on the scene to simulate a colder time when ectotherms slow down and/or stop movement entirely.

This would serve as both an entertaining and educational part of the attraction. Perhaps they could have a screen to tell the guests which mode the frog is in and why the frog moves in the fashion it does.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Well, I think a combination of screens and animatronics would work very well. In particular I believe that the old "Million Dollar Bunny" mechanism will work wonderfully for the new frog.

Folks often complained that the old "Million Dollar Bunny" had some mechanical problems that caused it to malfunction sometimes. Well that type of mechanism would be perfect for an animal such as an ectothermic frog.

During the times when the machine is working right, they can light the scene brightly as if the sun is brightly shining and giving the frog lots of energy. But when the machine is working poorly and the frog hopping erratically, they can dim down the lighting on the scene to simulate a colder time when ectotherms slow down and/or stop movement entirely.

This would serve as both an entertaining and educational part of the attraction. Perhaps they could have a screen to tell the guests which mode the frog is in and why the frog moves in the fashion it does.

View attachment 484119
View attachment 484120

I said this in another thread, and I’ll say it again. The Million Dollar Bunny mechanism is the first thing to go, and it’s probably a big motivator for this refurb. They want this to be cheaper to maintain, not equally or more expensive.

Also, the malfunction wasn’t erratically hopping. It just didn’t work.

Spoiler

PS: If you don’t think I’ve figured out your gimmick, think again

 

[dig311dug]

Well, I think a combination of screens and animatronics would work very well.

Have ridden down the snoozefest n'avi river?

...well snoozefest until you reach the incredible ANIMATRONIC n'avi shaman.

 

[Phil12]

Have ridden down the snoozefest n'avi river?

...well snoozefest until you reach the incredible ANIMATRONIC n'avi shaman.

Yes, they made a mistake there. But let's hope they've learned from that. Just imagine a frog with the movements of the shaman! Or a dancing frog in the re-theme of Splash Mountain:

 

[dig311dug]

Yes, they made a mistake there. But let's hope they've learned from that. Just imagine a frog with the movements of the shaman! Or a dancing frog in the re-theme of Splash Mountain:

They had a huge budget then and basically none now.
Just admit this is going to be one big unless they wait 5-10 years (or the smarter choice... never).

also, that youtube vid is the stuff nightmare's are made of.

 

[FettFan]

Even if you wanted to axe any and all trace of Song of the South, there are far better ways to do it than Princess and the Frog.

Case in point...

"Country Bear Splash"

90% of the ride stays the exact same, including the music, but now with Henry leading 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' in the finale.

 

[Phil12]

They had a huge budget then and basically none now.
Just admit this is going to be one bigunless they wait 5-10 years (or the smarter choice... never).

also, that youtube vid is the stuff nightmare's are made of.

I suppose it's possible that the attraction re-theme could be as bad as CBJ or the Tiki Room. But they're not going to change the log flume so the ride itself is safe. And, after, all who in their right mind would sit through a static show of the Splash Mountain animatronic sets in a theater? That, in and of itself would be worse than CBJ and Tiki Room combined!

So, as long as we've got the ride, any theme they throw in will be tolerable. It's that 55 foot drop that draws the crowds!