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

[FettFan]

The promise of a revised Splash Mountain is built on a very different foundation than the promise of the rest of the cancelled projects. It’s not strictly a P&L perspective. There are other forces causing Disney to feel like they have to do this. There will be PR blowback if they update it on one coast and not the other.

We shall see.

Keep in mind that after GotG, MMRR, and Frozen were announced, each of the rides they were to replace (Energy, Great Movie Ride, and Maelstrom) were closed within months of the announcement and work began immediately.


In this case, we got a single piece of concept art released in 2020 that looked more like Thomas Kinkade’s PATF Disney Dreams painting.

After a year, we got a second piece of concept art that…looked really really bad.

It’s almost like they focused on the three main characters, then squeezed in the log flume as an afterthought.

And the riders are all quadruple amputees.

 

[doctornick]

Allegedly.

I find it better to not count chickens at WDW before they hatch.

Especially in the aftermath of a global pandemic where the bean counters are scrambling for lost revenue and indefinitely postponing or outright canceling planned attractions.

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You can add the Main Street Theater to this list as well

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I still maintain that this is definitely happening in Disneyland, but possibly not happening in WDW.

Closing down a headliner attraction for 2 years in the run up to the opening of Epic Universe, while then sieging 50-100 million+ on this just makes very little sense.

And no, they don't have to do it because they said they would. It will just be added to the growing list of dead projects...

It's financially a silly time to do this to begin with. Nonetheless, the thematic issues at WDW seem unsolvable. That being said, if you fast forward 10 years from now, both Splash Mountains will be re-themed to something else; even if it's not PATF at WDW.

 

[EagleScout610]

Keep in mind that after GotG, MMRR, and Frozen were announced, each of the rides they were to replace (Energy, Great Movie Ride, and Maelstrom) were closed within months of the announcement and work began immediately.

Just more proof they jumped the gun WAAAYYY too early

 

[James Alucobond]

Just more proof they jumped the gun WAAAYYY too early

I would imagine much of this centers on their need to justify the cost of admission for D23 events.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

I would imagine much of this centers on their need to justify the cost of admission for D23 events.

They couldn't just, oh I don't know, Imagineer some creative attractions?

 

[Disney Glimpses]

For starters. I misunderstood. Thought you meant before this decision and announcement was made that they would have replaced it…. And i do get what you are saying but as ive stated before and i think you mentioned in another thread (Genie+) regarding say a new CEO comes in. Maybe that person says this is a waste of $ to replace this attraction that has been around for 30 years w/o any issue whatsoever and just build a brand new ride attraction for Tiana elsewhere. Disney PR has spun much worse things.

Anything is possible, sure. The problem really lies in that Splash needs an extensive refurbishment. I'm not sure any CEO would go down the route of causing a PR storm by spending x millions by putting Splash in tip top shape for the next 15-20 years.

 

[crazy4disney]

Anything is possible, sure. The problem really lies in that Splash needs an extensive refurbishment. I'm not sure any CEO would go down the route of causing a PR storm by spending x millions by putting Splash in tip top shape for the next 15-20 years.

fair point but does he want to plunk down all this money on a ride that basically cant be as successful as Splash is & lets face it will be criticized for it being a cheap overlay & im sure people who said it needed to go because of its "issues" will complain Disney didnt do Tiana justice. Hence why a proper attraction for her and a nice refurb for Splash and maybe find a way to create a new show on Disney+ i dk but im sure its possible w their magical PR division

 

[tanc]

Let's say Disney is aiming for sometime in 2024 as "leaked" I would say it likely means that the Disneyland Splash will be rethemed first.

It is obviously the inferior version of the ride and the first attempt. Disney also is banking that they probably will get better reception as well from it. Then begins the WDW version, which I think will be quite scary to remake. Your taking the very best version, a crown jewel, and retheming it. Botch it, and everyone will be disappointed.

Disney is also probably hoping thay the retheme goes well so Tokyo will change theirs, because if not I would suspect Disney would have to go to the drawing boards again for Tokyo. Which to me is nightmare material. Tokyo already has a prestine OG Splash, while the ones in America are falling apart. Not to mention if Tokyo doesn't do PATF they might get an exclusive retheme.

It will definitely be very interesting to see how this all will turn out.

 

[Ghost93]

Let's say Disney is aiming for sometime in 2024 as "leaked" I would say it likely means that the Disneyland Splash will be rethemed first.

It is obviously the inferior version of the ride and the first attempt. Disney also is banking that they probably will get better reception as well from it. Then begins the WDW version, which I think will be quite scary to remake. Your taking the very best version, a crown jewel, and retheming it. Botch it, and everyone will be disappointed.

Disney is also probably hoping thay the retheme goes well so Tokyo will change theirs, because if not I would suspect Disney would have to go to the drawing boards again for Tokyo. Which to me is nightmare material. Tokyo already has a prestine OG Splash, while the ones in America are falling apart. Not to mention if Tokyo doesn't do PATF they might get an exclusive retheme.

It will definitely be very interesting to see how this all will turn out.

I guess sometime this year Disney will announce a 2024 opening date for the new Splash Mountain just to give the illusion of progress and to get the media off of their backs for dragging their feet with the retheme. However, once OG Splash actually closes I think Disney will take its time with a retheme and will chock up a more realistic 2025 or 2026 opening date to "construction delays/complications/challenges."

 

[Californian Elitist]

Taking the ride down in California but not in Florida is unlikely. The optics wouldn’t be very good at all.

 

[Tha Realest]

Anything is possible, sure. The problem really lies in that Splash needs an extensive refurbishment. I'm not sure any CEO would go down the route of causing a PR storm by spending x millions by putting Splash in tip top shape for the next 15-20 years.

This is as good a reason as any. If it would cost 3 Mos and $15M to spruce it back up, why not just start over for something that could extend the life for many more decades.

 

[Incomudro]

Ohhh... They are doing this ride.
They have to do it because of the reason they pledged to do it.

 

[BubbaisSleep]

They have to do it because of the reason they pledged to do it.

Well define pledge. Did Disney pledge pledge? Or is it more of a Amber Heard $7 million donation pledge?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Which will enable us to lay off half the maintenance staff, the intern Trevor can do screens.

No need to lay anyone off, they already lost all of that institutional knowledge due to COVID....

 

[JoeCamel]

No need to lay anyone off, they already lost all of that institutional knowledge due to COVID....

Yeah, we keep Ted but Ron gets the axe.....

 

[Riverrafter21]

This whole ordeal is wildly entertaining. I might need another bucket of popcorn.

Disney doesn't change Splash at WDW:
- Disney faces media backlash
- Makes fans Happy / Makes people who don't go to WDW on Twitter mad
- Sells merchandise
- Carmen Smith and the gang are mad
- The company saves money by not re-theming
- They fail to complete all the upkeep needed

Disney does change Splash at WDW
- Disney is applauded in the media
- Makes fans unhappy / Makes people who don't go to WDW on Twitter happy
- Sells merchandise
- Carmen Smith and the gang find another attraction to be mad about
- The company saves money by screens over upkeep
- They fail to open by 2024

 

[Stupido]

This whole ordeal is wildly entertaining. I might need another bucket of popcorn.

Disney doesn't change Splash at WDW:
- Disney faces media backlash
- Makes fans Happy / Makes people who don't go to WDW on Twitter mad
- Sells merchandise
- Carmen Smith and the gang are mad
- The company saves money by not re-theming
- They fail to complete all the upkeep needed

Disney does change Splash at WDW
- Disney is applauded in the media
- Makes fans unhappy / Makes people who don't go to WDW on Twitter happy
- Sells merchandise
- Carmen Smith and the gang find another attraction to be mad about
- The company saves money by screens over upkeep
- They fail to open by 2024

I love people summarizing their personal beliefs as a unified beliefs.

I know so many fans (who regularly visit WDW ) counting down the days until there's more information about this retheme. I know people who actively work at Disney who are refusing to ride Splash Mountain until it gets it's retheme. Just because there is a vocal majority on this site against the retheme doesn't mean that it's reflected by the majority of the population that visits the World. That vocal majority only exists because most members actively excited for this retheme have abandoned this thread until there's more news to actually discuss.

Also, there's no possible way to know that the new splash will be screen based. The current running theory is that most if not all of the america sings animatronics will be re-skinned and repurposed. I understanding complaining if that's not what the reality when Tiana Mountain opens, but I don't understand getting worked up about something that may or may not bee true.

 

[Riverrafter21]

I listed "fans" as being fans of the current Splash Mountain, not just Disney fans in general. I guess I should have simplified that.

You were too busy summarizing your anecdotal evidence as unified beliefs

 

[SailorMercury]

This whole ordeal is wildly entertaining. I might need another bucket of popcorn.

Disney doesn't change Splash at WDW:
- Disney faces media backlash
- Makes fans Happy / Makes people who don't go to WDW on Twitter mad
- Sells merchandise
- Carmen Smith and the gang are mad
- The company saves money by not re-theming
- They fail to complete all the upkeep needed

Disney does change Splash at WDW
- Disney is applauded in the media
- Makes fans unhappy / Makes people who don't go to WDW on Twitter happy
- Sells merchandise
- Carmen Smith and the gang find another attraction to be mad about
- The company saves money by screens over upkeep
- They fail to open by 2024

I can assure you most fans don’t care enough. Heck I’d even say that most fans are excited. Like yeah, Splash is a classic. It sucks losing it. But at the same time, the animatronics on the thing never work and the ride is always in shambles. It’s honestly “Time to be movin’ along”