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

[Disney Glimpses]

But Disney releasing this statement doesn't really add confidence to her statement. I still think they're a bit of a ways off.

 

[DCBaker]

Did it miss it somewhere in this thread? What did she say verbatim?

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Well that was a great big nothingburger.

 

[wdwmagic]

Something a bit strange about this.

This is an ABC produced show, and they have even chosen to make this a clip on their YouTube page. Watching the video, she also seems to be aware of what she can and can't say.

Was this perhaps prearranged?

 

[Captain Culpepper Cline]

One thing I will miss if it does get re‐themed, it was quite a few years ago, I think on these boards I read it. A family mentioned their 2 little boys thought " pretty good, sure as you're born" was "pretty good show us your ️️" . I mentioned that to my son and that was the words from then on. He laughed so hard. Probably better it gets re-themed.

Yes thats what I always thought the lyrics were. And still sing them on the ride.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Something a bit strange about this.

This is an ABC produced show, and they have even chosen to make this a clip on their YouTube page. Watching the video, she also seems to be aware of what she can and can't say.

Was this perhaps prearranged?

Could just be a rogue social media manager. But agree, the whole thing is odd.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Something a bit strange about this.

This is an ABC produced show, and they have even chosen to make this a clip on their YouTube page. Watching the video, she also seems to be aware of what she can and can't say.

Was this perhaps prearranged?

I was ready with this post when I saw yours. The actress made a statement on an ABC talk show (Disney owns that and the network), she said what Disney wanted her to say. The opening date is obviously nonsense IMHO, but again that is extremely common. There's a marketing strategy to these date fibs, keeps the hype and buzz up. Especially here as it gives the public the impression that they're moving swiftly. And when they fail to meet the date, they can come up with various excuses for why they missed it. Like "we're putting extra time and effort in to ensure it's amazing". Even when that isn't the reason, and they never had any intention of meeting the date.

 

[wdwmagic]

I was ready with this post when I saw yours. The actress made a statement on an ABC talk show (Disney owns that and the network), she said what Disney wanted her to say. The opening date is obviously nonsense IMHO, but again that is extremely common. There's a marketing strategy to these date fibs, keeps the hype and buzz up. Especially here as it gives the public the impression that they're moving swiftly. And when they fail to meet the date, they can come up with various excuses for why they missed it. Like "we're putting extra time and effort in to ensure it's amazing". Even when that isn't the reason, and they never had any intention of meeting the date.

So perhaps we are looking at another roundtable type discussion and a piece of marketing art in July, then an actual announcement at D23 Expo of a timeline, and this can maybe be dragged out to 2025.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I was ready with this post when I saw yours. The actress made a statement on an ABC talk show (Disney owns that and the network), she said what Disney wanted her to say. The opening date is obviously nonsense IMHO, but again that is extremely common. There's a marketing strategy to these date fibs, keeps the hype and buzz up. Especially here as it gives the public the impression that they're moving swiftly. And when they fail to meet the date, they can come up with various excuses for why they missed it. Like "we're putting extra time and effort in to ensure it's amazing". Even when that isn't the reason, and they never had any intention of meeting the date.

I feel like you are giving way too much credit for the various divisions of Disney to be that coordinated. I would think more likely this is all independent and the clip is up because it is getting traffic which is all that specific department cares about

 

[Kirby86]

The thing is though if Disney was going to use ABC to announce a time frame. One You'd expect there to be concept art, and two it would be on Good Morning America no offense to Kelly Rippa and Ryan Seacrest but if you want eyeballs you put it on the flagship morning show.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Something a bit strange about this.

This is an ABC produced show, and they have even chosen to make this a clip on their YouTube page. Watching the video, she also seems to be aware of what she can and can't say.

Was this perhaps prearranged?

In watching it again, she appears to makes a wince face after saying "2024" hinting at the slip-up and immediately regretted it. I don't think that was planned.

 

[Ayla]

I would just look at a recent example of a ride with plenty of "physical" effects. In this case I'll talk about ROTR (WDW version) in its current state today since it opened about 3 years ago.

• All three pre-show BB-8's still operate normally regularly.
• All three Lt. Bek AA's also operates normally.
• Probe droid was recently fixed after being broken for months (Nov 2021)
• Spinning blasters in AT-AT room were broken almost immediately after opening in Dec 2019. Fixed about 5 months later. Still working today.
• Both Finn AA's still move and bob their heads.
• Likewise, the two hand-blasters also still move and fire.
• AT-AT blasters (track A) still rotates and moves as you climb the elevator and escape.
• Lighted ceiling tubes that simulate the AT-AT blasters trails still light up in both tracks.
• Bridge Kylo and Hux AA's still motion and move.
• Projected Kylo with physical saber still walks towards your RV. There are times when this goes into B-mode (Kylo just drops down but doesn't walk towards you), but this is usually quickly fixed.
• Lightsaber effect in "elevator-down" works regularly. Usually if this breaks, it's fixed within days.
• Cannons are all motionless. Last seen in B-mode-lite, where only first cannon moves, in Dec 2021. Last A-mode I believe was October 2021. Since then, complete B-mode and supposedly no fix in sight.
• Final Kylo AA works regularly in A-mode as of recent. If it breaks, it's down for a couple days in B-mode then working again.
• 3 physical props that move/fall after the Star Destroyer's hull breaks:
  • Main piece that covers Kylo. Obviously this piece has to move/fall in order for scene to remain in A-mode.
  • Hanging tube next to Kylo. This also still moves. There was a period months after opening when it stopped moving, but it's been fixed since.
  • Ceiling vent above Kylo. This no longer falls. As far as I can remember, it stopped moving sometime before March 2020/closure.
• Wind effect still happens, as long final Kylo scene is in A-mode.
• Lt. Bek AA at unload still moving. There was a day or two when he was missing a couple months ago, presumably for maintenance.

While the only thing that really jumps out is the cannons, maintenance/TDO has been maintaining the ride pretty good. My only complaint is fixes sometimes takes very long. The blasters in the AT-AT room should not have taken like half a year to fix. And the cannon situation is simply unacceptable since that was like the best show scene in the ride.

Then again, ROTR only really has like 12 AA's, excluding the storm troopers in the hanger preshow room. Splash is on a whole another level (and I guess water doesn't help).

Isn't that all indoors and climate controlled?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

So perhaps we are looking at another roundtable type discussion and a piece of marketing art in July, then an actual announcement at D23 Expo of a timeline, and this can maybe be dragged out to 2025.

These announcements don't mean anything. Disney has shut the railroad down for half a decade ..

 

[GustoGummi]

I'm calling it now, this was a publicity stunt in order to quiet many in the community who have been questioning the timeline and status of this project. If you look on Youtube there's been a few new videos covering the topic, I think Disney doesn't want bad publicity with rumors of the project being cancelled.

 

[Phil12]

In watching it again, she appears to makes a wince face after saying "2024" hinting at the slip-up and immediately regretted it. I don't think that was planned.

She's a very good actress. It looked rehearsed to me.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Something a bit strange about this.

This is an ABC produced show, and they have even chosen to make this a clip on their YouTube page. Watching the video, she also seems to be aware of what she can and can't say.

Was this perhaps prearranged?

I think it is. This is a very clear marketing thing. The question from Kelly and Ryan was clearly pre-planned, you then have the celeb drop a tiny hint, it spurs discussion.

Look at us all discussing this.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

[ridiculously wishful thinking alert] Couldn't the announcement be, actually we're going to build a Princess and the Frog LAND in WDW with two NEW attractions: a new PotC Shanghai-style boat ride and a spinner themed to the fireflies?

In all seriousness, I think this is way more complex than everyone thinks. The DL and WDW versions of the ride are nowhere near identical, and anything they can do to simplify it, they will. And this means that portions of one version of this ride will have either a blank cave to stare at, or a very long Guardians-esque screen showing random bayou locales, until the rides are able to sync up again for the scenes. And if the rumors about the budget are true, we're going to have an extremely disappointing ride on our hands.

It's actually kind of lose-lose. If they keep all of the animal animatronics, there is no conceivable reason to believe maintenance would be better on the new version of the ride. You'll still see storks falling over, eyes rolling back, and lights dimmed.

On the other hand, if they get rid of the majority of the animatronics and replace them with screens, it will be disappointing for another reason. There is no way a cool screen or innovative ride system can save them here, like Guardians.

Given the two choices, I pick the first. Actually, no, I choose a third: this is completely cancelled in WDW and blamed on COVID.

 

[Kirby86]

I think it is. This is a very clear marketing thing. The question from Kelly and Ryan was clearly pre-planned, you then have the celeb drop a tiny hint, it spurs discussion.

Look at us all discussing this.

The people discussing it now were already discussing it though. The clip on YouTube has about 1000 views and no comments. If this was a marketing thing they have done a poor job because it hasn't gained much if any traction from outside the die hard park fans.

 

[celluloid]

This is all around such a mess.

They have had it in the works for years,
but we have to give them time to design and prepare early art for more to announce.
The work is all being done off site to expedite this so it can close and change fast.
It is likely going to take two years after it closes.
More will be revealed at Essence Festival (aren't we a little past New Orleans research phase by now? They did a video bragging on that nearly a year ago.)
But it is all well under way, I means the voice talent said a "date'(the year 2024) so for sure it is happening/well under way. She is happy to have work and is most famous to most for voicing Tiana, of course she is going to give people info on what she has been told may be coming for the character.

 

[celluloid]

The thing with Splash merch is that it would be awkward to say “we’re getting rid of this ride due to its racist ties, anyways who wants a Br’er Rabbit doll?” Somehow even Chapek sees that.

Pressed pennies and onride photos and profiting off of lighting lane and characters on t shirts are somehow ok though. He does not see or care as much as they did not bother to reorder on the priority list like many other merch shortages and consolidation around the resort.