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

[MagicHappens1971]

I mean personally I believe it’ll happen, I’m just pointing our there’s plenty that has never happened that had been announced.
They wouldn’t ever announce they’ve cancelled it, just never speak of it again like most other cancelled products. People, in general, would forget eventually.

I’d be willing to bet the majority of guests in Magic Kingdom today have no clue about any of this.

Oh i agree if they were going to cancel this, they would just never speak about it again. I also agree that the majority of MK guests don’t even know this is a thing, however the minority is loud. I strongly believe there is no reason to not think this is happening

 

[Sir_Cliff]

When they finally make their move one way or another we will miss this time when those who opposed the project dared to dream that maybe it will never happen while others maintained that even a fiery meteorite heading straight for earth couldn't stop it.

 

[TikibirdLand]

When they finally make their move one way or another we will miss this time when those who opposed the project dared to dream that maybe it will never happen while others maintained that even a fiery meteorite heading straight for earth couldn't stop it.

At least I'll know how the dinosaurs felt. Nah, nothing's gonna happen; we'll be alright.... Uh Oh!

 

[Brer Oswald]

The amount of public backlash that would occur if Disney tried to cancel this project after announcing that they were changing it due to the fact that it was “culturally insensitive” and that rebranding it was part of their new inclusion key, would be tremendous and not even worth canceling it. This isnt a project that can go quietly, like the Mary attraction in the UK or the Main Street Theatre.

This keeps being thrown around. Disney has always been in control of the narrative. Always. If they wanted to make a Brer Rabbit movie tomorrow that was more culturally appropriate, and wanted to tie the current ride into that, they could. Disney’s most staunch supporters, the ones that actually care and are excited about the current decision, would support it because they support every new thing the company decides to do.

But Disney won’t. Why? Because Princesses are in their top 4 highest grossing franchises. Brer Rabbit is not even close. Even if they try to make it relevant again, there isn’t a guarantee the project would succeed, nor is it likely that potential merchandise would come close to what the Princesses sell. Disney is very risk averse when it comes to anything outside the core 5 brands.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

This keeps being thrown around. Disney has always been in control of the narrative. Always. If they wanted to make a Brer Rabbit movie tomorrow that was more culturally appropriate, and wanted to tie the current ride into that, they could. Disney’s most staunch supporters, the ones that actually care and are excited about the current decision, would support it because they support every new thing the company decides to do.

But they won’t. Why? Because Princesses are in their top 4 highest grossing franchises. Brer Rabbit is not even close. Even if they try to make it relevant again, there isn’t a guarantee the project would succeed, nor is it likely that potential merchandise would come close to what the Princesses sell. Disney is very risk averse when it comes to anything outside the core 5 brands.

The Princesses "brand" needs to fall off a cliff.

 

[Brer Oswald]

The Princesses "brand" needs to fall off a cliff.

I agree, but it won’t anytime soon because it sells.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I agree, but it won’t anytime soon because it sells.

Which I wouldn't care about aside from a few things - that they insist on princessifying every corner of the parks; and they also negate any progress they make with their princess characters and diversity by continuing to present the same tiny waistlines and furthering the pigeonholing of gender and toys/playing (ie: boys play with cars and trucks, girls play with dolls).

 

[Kirby86]

This keeps being thrown around. Disney has always been in control of the narrative. Always. If they wanted to make a Brer Rabbit movie tomorrow that was more culturally appropriate, and wanted to tie the current ride into that, they could. Disney’s most staunch supporters, the ones that actually care and are excited about the current decision, would support it because they support every new thing the company decides to do.

But Disney won’t. Why? Because Princesses are in their top 4 highest grossing franchises. Brer Rabbit is not even close. Even if they try to make it relevant again, there isn’t a guarantee the project would succeed, nor is it likely that potential merchandise would come close to what the Princesses sell. Disney is very risk averse when it comes to anything outside the core 5 brands.

I was telling my dad that is what made Splash Mountain special in its current form it's a major attraction that's well designed and has nothing to do with the princesses. Magic Kingdom in particular Disney loves to shove the princess brand down your throat and this retheme is no different. If it wasn't Princess and the Frog it would have been Tangled.

 

[UNCgolf]

I was telling my dad that is what made Splash Mountain special in its current form it's a major attraction that's well designed and has nothing to do with the princesses. Magic Kingdom in particular Disney loves to shove the princess brand down your throat and this retheme is no different. If it wasn't Princess and the Frog it would have been Tangled.

There aren't very many princess rides/attractions -- the only really egregious example of what you're suggesting is when they shoehorned Frozen into the Norway pavilion. There are some meet and greets here and there but that's basically it outside of Fantasyland and the aforementioned Frozen. Oh, and the Beauty and the Beast singalong in the France pavilion. That one sucks.

 

[Kirby86]

There aren't very many princess rides/attractions -- the only really egregious example of what you're suggesting is when they shoehorned Frozen into the Norway pavilion. There are some meet and greets here and there but that's basically it outside of Fantasyland and the aforementioned Frozen. Oh, and the Beauty and the Beast singalong in the France pavilion. That one sucks.

I'm not saying all the rides are princess based but Disney does lean heavy into that brand a lot. The Princesses are the focus of a good handful of shows and lot of the marketing. I don't begrudge them for that because that line of Merchandise makes a lot of money.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Which I wouldn't care about aside from a few things - that they insist on princessifying every corner of the parks; and they also negate any progress they make with their princess characters and diversity by continuing to present the same tiny waistlines and furthering the pigeonholing of gender and toys/playing (ie: boys play with cars and trucks, girls play with dolls).

I think trying to pigeonhole every girl that enters that park to feel represented by a princess is pretty antiquated for a company that champions themselves as “progressive” and “modern”. It isn’t like they’ve never created a non Princess Heroine before, and it’s not like they can’t do it today. But they always either get ignored, or they get the Princess label even if it doesn’t make sense.

 

[Brer Oswald]

There aren't very many princess rides/attractions -- the only really egregious example of what you're suggesting is when they shoehorned Frozen into the Norway pavilion. There are some meet and greets here and there but that's basically it outside of Fantasyland and the aforementioned Frozen. Oh, and the Beauty and the Beast singalong in the France pavilion. That one sucks.

- Cinderella Castle
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- The Carousel
- Mine Train
- Princess Fairytale Hall
- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Beauty and the Beast Sing a Long
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Beauty and the Beast Live in Stage
- Frozen Sing a Long

Upcoming:
- Tiana’s Log Flume Ride
- Moana’s Water Maze

You’d be hard pressed to find a brand with more attractions, besides maybe Toy Story. Some of these films arguably deserve the attractions (maybe even better attractions). But I think it’s time to move away from pushing the Princesses so hard. The lineup they have is good for now, it’s time to do something else.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I think trying to pigeonhole every girl that enters that park to feel represented by a princess is pretty antiquated for a company that champions themselves as “progressive” and “modern”. It isn’t like they’ve never created a non Princess Heroine before, and it’s not like they can’t do it today. But they always either get ignored, or they get the Princess label even if it doesn’t make sense.

Another of the things that bothers me is that once a princess gets annexed into the "Princess Brand", she's even more princessified than she was to begin with...more girlish figure and face, fancier dress, etc. etc.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

The blurb about the transformation is back on the Splash Mountain page as of this morning.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Another of the things that bothers me is that once a princess gets annexed into the "Princess Brand", she's even more princessified than she was to begin with...more girlish figure, fancier dress, etc. etc.

Yep. Didn’t they do that to Mulan? A character that not only added much needed cultural diversity, but also (organically) added personality and skill diversity. But they homogenized her afterwards to “fit the brand”. Looks like they will be doing the same with the two from last year, Raya and Mirabel.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Yep. Didn’t they do that to Mulan? A character that not only added much needed cultural diversity, but also (organically) added personality and skill diversity. But they homogenized her afterwards to “fit the brand”. Looks like they will be doing the same with the two from last year, Raya and Mirabel.

Yes, and Merida, although not to the same extent as Mulan.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Yep. Didn’t they do that to Mulan? A character that not only added much needed cultural diversity, but also (organically) added personality and skill diversity. But they homogenized her afterwards to “fit the brand”. Looks like they will be doing the same with the two from last year, Raya and Mirabel.

Much virtue to signal, they have. Just as long as it doesn't interfere with profit margins and PGS.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Yes, and Merida, although not to the same extent as Mulan.

To be fair to them, I believe Merida was a princess in the movie, right?

Mulan wasn’t. There was no need to make her one, and the only reason they did was branding. If it was “Disney Heroines” or something, and they didn’t overtly princess-ify every member, I don’t think it would be as much of an issue.

Better yet, break away from this “5 core brand strategy”, and just market all of your popular characters as their own thing, all under the greater Disney brand.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Much virtue to signal, they have. Just as long as it doesn't interfere with profit margins and PGS.

They're just as guilty of the same things as Mattel is with Barbie...but at least Mattel lets Barbie be a pilot or an astronaut and she gets to wear pants *gasp*.

 

[UNCgolf]

- Cinderella Castle
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- The Carousel
- Mine Train
- Princess Fairytale Hall
- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Beauty and the Beast Sing a Long
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Beauty and the Beast Live in Stage
- Frozen Sing a Long

Upcoming:
- Tiana’s Log Flume Ride
- Moana’s Water Maze

You’d be hard pressed to find a brand with more attractions, besides maybe Toy Story. Some of these films arguably deserve the attractions (maybe even better attractions). But I think it’s time to move away from pushing the Princesses so hard. The lineup they have is good for now, it’s time to do something else.

That's what I said -- they're currently all in Fantasyland except for the two that don't belong in EPCOT. I've never counted the live shows at DHS, but if you want to throw them in, sure, although the Little Mermaid show is closed.

I think it's a bit silly to group them in with something like Toy Story or Star Wars. Beauty and the Beast and Snow White are only the same "brand" because they have characters Disney has chosen to label as a princess. They have no other connection to each other, and those princess movies constitute a significant part of Disney's classic catalog.

Beyond that, some of those attractions aren't really about princesses at all; they are just connected to a movie that features someone Disney has decided to call princess. I wouldn't call the Mine Train a princess ride. If they decided to start calling Nala a Disney princess, that wouldn't make Festival of the Lion King a princess attraction -- just like you didn't include the Magic Carpets of Aladdin as a princess attraction, even though Jasmine actually is a Disney princess.

I'm certainly not arguing that they need to build more princess attractions. I'm just pointing out that there's not some huge glut of princess attractions all over WDW. Most of Disney's great attractions have nothing to do with any princess, even tangentially.