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

[Haymarket2008]

The thing is, Liberty Square and the time it represents is representative of a dark time in our country for many Disney guests. Many of the attractions stretching from Liberty Square to Splash Mountain have their own issues that are largely tied directly or indirectly to that sensitivity. You can update them piecemeal (which is likely what they will do). Or you can do the more dramatic refresh that solves the problem all at once.

Really this all boils down to my wanting Cafe Orleans in the Magic Kingdom.

The Revolutionary War and the late 1700’s was a point in history that had dark times, yes. But Liberty Square does not touch on these issues except for in small segments within The Hall of Presidents. Liberty Square is absolutely not problematic in its presentation. Frontierland has *some* issues, but that’s a larger discussion. The same could be said for Adventureland. None are anywhere near the issues of Song of the South.

Also the removal of Liberty Square destroys the Americana throughline that is elemental to the park as a whole.

 

[EagleScout610]

In another thread, @lazyboy97o raised the question about whether the trains will need to be stopped during the retheme of Splash Mountain as they have been for the construction of TRON. Just wanted to post that here (as it's relevant to the thread) along with my hope that they can figure out a way to keep the train running. (Extra points if we were able to get a glimpse of the work being done as the train passes through the mountain)!

I'm guessing that would, but if not I see them taping over the window into the finale

 

[RSoxNo1]

Also the removal of Liberty Square destroys the Americana throughline that is elemental to the park as a whole.

I would argue that Liberty Square and the American Adventure Pavilion are also redundant.

 

[FettFan]

Apparently, now someone is calling for the removal of the hanging Ghost Host corpse in the Haunted Mansion.

https:///2020/06/hanging-body-haunted-mansion-kc1/

Whether they're being serious or it's another case of sarcastic hyperbole, I know not.

But there are folks in ITM's comment section that are treating it like it's a good idea.




If these folks seriously believe that a dark suicide joke is too much, God help them should they realize that WDW used child murder as a game in the interactive queue.

PS - Those two are TOTALLY caricatures of Brad Bird.

 

[FettFan]

I would also say that the people who seem to go out of their way to be perpetually offended over everything would probably only be happy in Progressive Park.


No-Bump Bumper Cars because someone's CHILD died in a car accident and how DARE you!

 

[Haymarket2008]

I would argue that Liberty Square and the American Adventure Pavilion are also redundant.

I can see where you are coming from there. I happen to love both shows. Both of which aren't wrong to delve into the complications of a "new country", imho. Every country has its dark side. These shows are highlighting the positives and weaknesses and do so effectively. Definitely not reason to remove Liberty Square. Disneyland/WDW IS Americana.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Exactly. The Aesop fable can be made to work in ANY setting. Not going to happen obviously but it's a better fit than the PatF story, at least in WDW. Not knocking PatF though. Fun movie. Just think it should be showcased elsewhere in WDW.
(Treehouse, Aladdin Spinner, Restaurant)

And it’s already a Disney IP. One of their oldest.

 

[Haymarket2008]

I'm team Western River Expedition or a log flume version of the Disney American Tall Tale cartoons. Both would be excellent.

 

[Bleed0range]

Splash Mountain is not the only problematic attraction in that area, there are 4 by my count: Splash Mountain, Country Bear Jamboree, Tom Sawyer Island and Hall of Presidents.

If you really want to look at viability of everything with money not being an object, the move would be to replace Liberty Square and part of Frontierland with New Orleans Square. Frontierland could then be extended over to Tom Sawyer Island with an additional major ride, perhaps a boat ride featuring the less problematic country bears?

To me, logically, it makes the most sense to retheme the area directly around it to New Orleans Square snd modify Pecos Bill to a New Orleans style restaurant. Then they can utilize the Frontierland expansion pad and build a new attraction there later.

 

[dig311dug]

Why consider ruining a perfectly themed land when tomorrowland is on life support?

 

[_caleb]

Why consider ruining a perfectly themed land when tomorrowland is on life support?

Not that Tomorrowland is without its problems, but you're saying that Frontierland is perfectly themed?

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Why consider ruining a perfectly themed land when tomorrowland is on life support?

For the same reason they put a warehouse fortress powerplant in Hollywood land.. and a chase-a-baby roller coaster in a pier about Pixar

 

[FettFan]

Why consider ruining a perfectly themed land when tomorrowland is on life support?

Because a re-theme of an existing ride (especially if they decide to rely 75+% on projectors) is cheap.

Plus, with the much smaller queue, they can change the courtyard area into Tiana's Palace Dance Party.

And because they don't care about the Frontierland theme, you'll see stupid crap like the Mary Poppins penguins running around alongside Clarice.

And the defenders will all be like "Well, PatF had talking animals too!" because they rationalize everything even though PatF is set in New Orleans and THERE ARE NO MOUNTAINS IN NEW ORLEANS.

NEW ORLEANS IS A GIANT LAND-BOWL THAT NEEDS 24/7 PUMPING TO KEEP THE WATER OUT.

^^ Not even Katrina. This was just a couple of years ago during a heavy storm.

 

[Magicart87]

Concept art for the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe retheme? The detail is incredible!
#immersive

 

[FettFan]

PS - If I were building a Louisiana themed log flume ride, instead of logs, I'd have the vehicles designed as caskets.


That's why older cemeteries in South Louisiana (such as during the time of PatF) inter the dead in above-ground mausoleums, and why newer cemeteries (1960s-to today) rely on heavy concrete vaults to hold them down.

Too much groundwater from a flood will take grandpa or grandma on one last fishing trip.

 

[JohnD]

View attachment 485281
I just hope this statue can stay in some way.

Doubtful. There may be subtle reference to Splash Mountain in the ride but that will probably be it.

 

[Magicart87]

I just hope this statue can stay in some way.

For sure, right next to this guy

Although they look more like a Hitchhiking Trio to me...

 

[JohnD]

Splash Mountain is not the only problematic attraction in that area, there are 4 by my count: Splash Mountain, Country Bear Jamboree, Tom Sawyer Island and Hall of Presidents.

If you really want to look at viability of everything with money not being an object, the move would be to replace Liberty Square and part of Frontierland with New Orleans Square. Frontierland could then be extended over to Tom Sawyer Island with an additional major ride, perhaps a boat ride featuring the less problematic country bears?

Putting aside "problematic" (that's a discussion for the politics forum), even if Liberty Square were changed to New Orleans Square, HM exterior would have to be changed to the one from DL and Princess/Frog is all the way on the other side in Frontierland outside of the new New Orleans Square. I'll just say this -- I see nothing "problematic" about Liberty. The worst that can be said of HOP is that it's boring. But so is COP. But maybe, just maybe, those attractions have a loftier goal? Just saying.

 

[JohnD]

For sure, right next to this guy
View attachment 485663
Although they look more like a Hitchhiking Trio to me...

WDW already has one.

 

[tl77]

Indeed, a little more than half of all 4 year olds hit 40 inches. Almost all 5 years are at least 40 inches.

View attachment 482186

In the past our family's problem with WDW is that we have 4 little girls, so I spend a lot of time waiting to meet princesses on my WDW vacation, not that I mind, but there really isn't a lot to do there with little kids ...as crazy as that sounds... but they also want to meet "ALL" the Princesses. So making Splash Mountain into a Princess ride is going to be a problem for us, because not everyone is tall enough for it at the moment, and I'm wondering if little boys will want to ride it at all.

For us it would be better if Splash Mountain didn't have the big drop at the end, all the kids could ride it, they all love the signing animals. At the moment everyone is under 10 years old but Splash is their favorite ride... so my personal vote would be keep the America Sings animals and replace the Song of the South characters with something "gender neutral" and unoffensive.

And since there is so much undeveloped land around the Rivers of America why not make the same Tiana Mardi Gras ride with out the big drop at the end? Why not do something for Pocahontas and Tiana in the north end of Frontierland, that's similar to the theme areas for Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid in the north end of new Fantsayland?

Have a kind of Tiana boat ride, but also combine it with a Tiana's Place restaurant, the same way Blue Bayou and Pirates are in Disneyland, and have live jazz music there. Have a "magical meet and greet" for Tiana, like Belle, Ariel and Tinker Bell have, and have something like Gaston's Tavern for Dr. Facilier in between the Haunted Mansion and the Tiana area... and do a little Pocahontas area/boat ride next to it?

This seems like a "quick fix" for Disneyland's Splash Mountain, but a big missed opportunity for WDW's Magic Kingdom, because Disneyland has plenty of attractions but MK doesn't