News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[Musical Mermaid]

I'd be OK if they changed the WDW Splash to Zorro or some other Western Disney property or original concept. It seems lazy to do the same thing on both coasts and ignore the effort to make Splash fit (at least aesthetically) with Frontierland.

Tokyo Disneyland does have a New Orleans area, but it's on the opposite end of the park from Splash. I could see them picking a different movie if they decide to change their version, or do something more substantial like tear the whole thing down to make another ride.

It’s Paul Bunyan Day today and he is an American frontier story too that would fit well. They wouldn’t even have to toss out the log boats and maybe could even incorporate many of the animals.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It’s Paul Bunyan Day today and he is an American frontier story too that would fit well. They wouldn’t even have to toss out the log boats and maybe could even incorporate many of the animals.

A ride through various American tall tales and legends (Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Davy Crockett, Pecos Bill, Ichabod Crane etc) would be cool.

 

[MickeyMouse10]

A ride through various American tall tales and legends (Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Davy Crockett, Pecos Bill, Ichabod Crane etc) would be cool.

John Henry is another option, but I don't think Disney could make enough money off of those characters in merchandising.

Being chased by the Headless Horseman through the forest sounds pretty cool though. But thematically that would have to be put in Liberty Square.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

I'd be OK if they changed the WDW Splash to Zorro or some other Western Disney property or original concept. It seems lazy to do the same thing on both coasts and ignore the effort to make Splash fit (at least aesthetically) with Frontierland.

Tokyo Disneyland does have a New Orleans area, but it's on the opposite end of the park from Splash. I could see them picking a different movie if they decide to change their version, or do something more substantial like tear the whole thing down to make another ride.

Doesn't OLC think about removing ROA every few years? I could see them removing Splash at the same time when they finally go through with it.

 

[Musical Mermaid]

John Henry is another option, but I don't think Disney could make enough money off of those characters in merchandising.

Being chased by the Headless Horseman through the forest sounds pretty cool though. But thematically that would have to be put in Liberty Square.

Well, little girls might buy Princess and the Frog merchandise, but that’s already in a lot of places where you can buy princess merchandise. I’ve even seen Tiana on ornaments at Port Orleans. But children might be drawn to the new Frontier merchandise if they see the characters in a ride. Babe the blue ox? Disney has the ability to breathe life into other characters if they can make people like a firefly. These American legends may not have a catchy soundtrack yet either, but Disney has created original music for attractions in the past and some of it has been amazing.

 

[Jedijax719]

Great idea! Tiana needs more at Disney World. This ride lends itself perfectly with Tiana and the movie. Song of the South is forgotten and out of circulation and the animation on the ride is REALLY outdated!

 

[MickeyMouse10]

Well, little girls might buy Princess and the Frog merchandise, but that’s already in a lot of places where you can buy princess merchandise. I’ve even seen Tiana on ornaments at Port Orleans. But children might be drawn to the new Frontier merchandise if they see the characters in a ride. Babe the blue ox? Disney has the ability to breathe life into other characters if they can make people like a firefly. These American legends may not have a catchy soundtrack yet either, but Disney has created original music for attractions in the past and some of it has been amazing.

Yep, but that's how Disney loves it. They want to have their BIG IP's based on their feature films (Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars) in every park. They no longer want to make attractions with original ideas (Haunted Mansion) or based on short films (Mr. Toad). They feel (either right or wrong) that there's just not enough money in those type of attractions anymore.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

It will never happen, but some version of Western River Expedition would be the most ideal retheme.

 

[Doberge]

I realize it is extremely unlikely, but wouldn't it be great if they enclosed the main/final drop and somehow the plot involved Dr. Facilier for some reason taking you 'up' somewhere and then at the top you were rescued and the drop was falling back to earth into Lake Pontchartrain and then floating up to the city at night with all the fireflies lit and then moving to the final show scene you were actually in the parade? I know it's thoroughly unrealistic, but I can dream, right?

I'll be very, very surprised if the plot doesn't involve Dr. Facilier breaking back into the "real" world to wreak havoc on Tiana's Mardi Gras plans, culminating in the flat bayou suddenly turning into a lift hill to the tune of "Are You Ready".

I've been trying to figure out how to work in the drop and I like these ideas. Fitting the "big drop" into a regular bayou doesn't make any sense because there are no big drops. So it's needs to be creative, either roping in Dr. Facilier to "ride" before dropping again *or* shrinking everything down to a smaller size that a small drop (to us) is a huge drop (say, riders are frog sized and then scale is important).

Also, regarding the area, it seems more likely they'd sell beignets from a cart instead of creating an entire restaurant to Louisiana food. Pecos Bill tex mex is way more approachable and sells better than Louisiana food in a heavy traffic theme park. The trout almondine, smoked sausage jambalaya, garlic butter charbroiled oysters, seafood gumbo, barbeque shrimp, etc would be better served at a table service restaurant.

 

[Jedijax719]

It will never happen, but some version of Western River Expedition would be the most ideal retheme.

That would have worked well too.

 

[aladdin2007]

I know it's been used to death with the new land and rides, but "Woody's Roundup" would actually fit perfectly. Afterall Stinky Pete and Bullseye haven't really be represented that much in the parks. And we still haven't seen animatronics of most of the characters. Wheezy got one before Woody!!!

All they have to do is retheme Splash, retheme Pecos Bill's and put in an Al's Toy Barn and we got something.

then you just have yet another toy story land which we dont need

 

[Disney Maddux]

It will never happen, but some version of Western River Expedition would be the most ideal retheme.

In a perfect world, Splash is rethemed to WRE and Princess and the Frog gets a brand new dark ride in Fantasyland. I'm still fine with this though.

 

[IMDREW]

They better incorporate Dr Facilier and his song in this. Massive fail if they wouldnt imo. Facilier is a fan favorite and the only true old fashioned disney villain of the last decade.

Anyone know what projects are making way for this? Ive got a feeling Epcots transformation is done..

 

[aladdin2007]

They better incorporate Dr Facilier and his song in this. Massive fail if they wouldnt imo. Facilier is a fan favorite and the only true old fashioned disney villain of the last decade.

Anyone know what projects are making way for this? Ive got a feeling Epcots transformation is done..

I believe I read its coming from Epcots budget, but dont know how true. Maybe its coming from that unnecessary bar in the sky?

 

[GoofGoof]

I’m thinking they keep the front side of the mountain that faces Frontierland pretty much the same but then as you cross into the ride queue they make the area back there into a faux New Orleans town setting. There’s a small play area, bathrooms and a meet and greet area back there too that could get re-themed too. Basically a mini version of New Orleans Square without any actual stuff. Then the ride itself gets the overhaul to the new theme. Splash Mountain itself never truly fit the Frontierland theme anyway.

A more ambitious plan would be to create a New Orleans Square area starting with Pirates and then re-work the Splash queue coming in from the back of the current ride. In the first picture below thats Pirates at the bottom and the whole area in red becomes New Orleans Square. In the second photo the backstage buildings are themed to New Orleans and maybe a show theater and/or restaurant is added with entrance to the queue passing by the current bathrooms and gift shop.

 

[Captain Neo]

If I had to guess, the reason it is set after the movie is because of one big complaint about the movie. The first African American Princess, and she spends 90% of the movie as a frog.

True but I assumed she would be back again as a frog for at least a portion of the ride so that we see things from the talking animals perspectives

 

[Captain Neo]

The chances of Disney reusing the America Sings AA's are pretty low considering the trends and logic behind this overhaul. It depends on a couple of unlikely things. One being that the imagineers have fallen to a level of such extreme incompetence and lack of attention to detail that they don't know or don't care about the massive differences between the character designs and proportions of the Splash Mtn animals and the ones from PATF.

Look at these birds from this scene in PATF-

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disneyprincess/images/2/24/866308_1319848980278_full.jpg

Now look at these from Splash Mountain-

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LaOhC1fW6wk/VMp73Z8XfUI/AAAAAAAAAwY/qJjJdFArVC4/s1600/_DSC0349.jpg

The vast majority of Splash Mtn's animatronics are in this nebulous middle ground where they are simultaneously far too anthropomorphic to be reused for PATF's more realistic animal designs, but also entirely the wrong shape to be reskinned as humans. Louis is one of the only animals in the movie that has a shape you might be able to adapt from an existing animatronic (perhaps using parts from Brer Bear). And some of the tiny animals with more simplistic movement might also be reusable if you remove their clothing (Mr Bluebird, Roadrunner and the other smaller miscellaneous frogs and turtles). But that's about it.

The other problem is that the executives will be thirsty as all hell at the opportunity to gut yet another animatronics heavy ride in favor of one with much emptier and more sparsely detailed rooms. I don't see them approving anywhere close to the same amount of newly designed animatronic figures either.

My prediction is that much like the Frozen ride, much of the physical scenery will be gutted and replaced with empier hallways of projections and lasers (specifically for fireflies and other small bugs and birds). Any physical animal figures are likely to be much smaller in size, probably using a mixture of static models or simpler moving figures ala Little Mermaid (not actual animatronics). The only animatronics are likely to be a half dozen (if we're lucky) figures combined of Tiana, Naveen and possibly Mama Odie. Louis might be reskinned from a Brer Bear frame or something. If Facilier appears in any form, it almost certainly won't be an AA but a basic shadow projection. Incidentally, one hopes they don't go for facial projections for the humans. This effect rarely looks good and more often than not is awkward and poorly executed. It'll be even more of a challenge for characters with darker skin tones.

I agree and IMO its a real tragedy. I'm hoping like you said at least the frogs and turtles can survive and maybe the swamp boys (The aligators playing banjo with the racoon) can compliment a Louise AA. I'd be thrilled if they slip in a few others deep in the background of a few scenes like the geese.

Like I mentioned they didn't really fit Song of the South either. The proportions of the birds and other animals were different in that film as well.

 

[ryan1]

I’m thinking they keep the front side of the mountain that faces Frontierland pretty much the same but then as you cross into the ride queue they make the area back there into a faux New Orleans town setting. There’s a small play area, bathrooms and a meet and greet area back there too that could get re-themed too. Basically a mini version of New Orleans Square without any actual stuff. Then the ride itself gets the overhaul to the new theme. Splash Mountain itself never truly fit the Frontierland theme anyway.

A more ambitious plan would be to create a New Orleans Square area starting with Pirates and then re-work the Splash queue coming in from the back of the current ride. In the first picture below thats Pirates at the bottom and the whole area in red becomes New Orleans Square. In the second photo the backstage buildings are themed to New Orleans and maybe a show theater and/or restaurant is added with entrance to the queue passing by the current bathrooms and gift shop.

View attachment 480184

View attachment 480185

What would you do with the parade storage, parade path, and marathon route if you used all that red circled area in your first option? At least Splash as it is fits the "rustic" aesthetic of the surrounding areas.

They could redo the Splash queue and bathrooms into a French Quarter pretty easily and maybe add a very small building adjacent to the bathrooms (where Woody and Jesse occasionally are) for a meet and greet.

If you do the second version of what you're suggesting then Pirates is in a weird limbo of Caribbean Plaza and your new New Orleans square. You'd have to adjust the queue and shop of Pirates as well as part of the ride (there aren't any Spanish forts in New Orleans).

I think no matter what they do its going to get messy thematically speaking for everything surrounding it.

 

[GoofGoof]

Your first option of New Orleans square would need to stop at the small walkway to the Pirates' bathrooms just before the covered walkway at Pirates in order to keep the theming of both sections from butting up too harshly. What would you do with the parade storage, parade path, and marathon route if you used all that red circled area?

They could redo the Splash queue and bathrooms into a New Orleans quarter pretty easily and maybe add a very small building adjacent to the bathrooms (where Woody and Jesse occasionally are) for a meet and greet.

If you do the second version of what you're suggesting then Pirates is in a weird limbo of Caribbean Plaza and your new New Orleans square. You'd have to adjust the queue and shop of Pirates as well as part of the ride (there aren't any Spanish forts in New Orleans).

I think no matter what they do its going to get messy thematically speaking for everything surrounding it.

The cheaper and more likely plan would be just redo the queue and call it a day. If they wanted to be consistent with what I’m assuming will happen at DLR they could do a more extensive project and create a New Orleans Square area that includes Pirates like DL. Then the new ride would actually fit the theme of the area.

 

[tirian]

Sometimes I genuinely don’t know if you all have forgotten about that one attraction that opened 6 months ago.

Are we talking about the ride whose art direction was set by two movies made in 1977 and 1980, or the cardboard/projection ride that WDI actually art directed from scratch?