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

[Dear Prudence]

Look, I don't understand why people on the WDW things cite you not having an Avengers' Campus yet (YET being the operative) as evidence that the retheme isn't happening when we are DLR have one and we absolutely do not want it. It's terrible. You can literally have ours.

 

[crazy4disney]

My issue is that they did not cite any of the academics. :/

I would also like to know more about the actual ride.

for a project thats been in the works for what 5 years now? you would think we would have some details 2 years after the official announcement

 

[Stupido]

We knew a hell of a lot more for ROTR, Tron, Runaway RR, etc way ahead of time. So either the project is really far behind in development....or nothing is being said because it won't be all that spectacular....Again this from the same WDI that share fine details of flooring tiles in projects years before they actually are completed.

Or maybe Disney is holding onto these details for their Parks Presentation (where they historically announce details for all new projects) at D23 that kicks off in 17 days.

 

[monothingie]

Or maybe Disney is holding onto these details for their Parks Presentation (where they historically announce details for all new projects) at D23 that kicks off in 17 days.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't any mention of it.

Honestly, without any information on what they are actually changing, the real tell in terms of the level of change in what they're doing will be based on the time between the closure of Splash and "Late" 2024 (November/December).

 

[Dear Prudence]

The people who are desperate for this to be good will strongarm it into being seen as good and the people who hate this will hate it no matter what. You don't be able to give or get an honest opinion on it, because of how camped out and unobjective people are being. Forget about the influncers giving anyone an honest opinion, either. No one has any critical thinking skills. No one can possibly see something as being not that great just because they like it or because they want it to be something it's not.

 

[LittleBuford]

We knew a hell of a lot more for ROTR, Tron, Runaway RR, etc way ahead of time. So either the project is really far behind in development....or nothing is being said because it won't be all that spectacular....Again this from the same WDI that share fine details of flooring tiles in projects years before they actually are completed.

If we take Cosmic Rewind as an example, before it opened, we had a couple of examples of concept art (one of them indicating unrealised animatronics) and only a general sense of the ride system. Details are similarly lacking for Journey of Water, even as it’s being built. I don’t think it’s all that unusual for Disney to hold such information back.

 

[LittleBuford]

The people who are desperate for this to be good will strongarm it into being seen as good and the people who hate this will hate it no matter what. You don't be able to give or get an honest opinion on it, because of how camped out and unobjective people are being. Forget about the influncers giving anyone an honest opinion, either. No one has any critical thinking skills. No one can possibly see something as being not that great just because they like it or because they want it to be something it's not.

I think (hope) this describes only a minority of people.

 

[monothingie]

If we take Cosmic Rewind as an example, before it opened, we had a couple of examples of concept art (one of them indicating unrealised animatronics) and only a general sense of the ride system. Details are similarly lacking for Journey of Water, even as it’s being built. I don’t think it’s all that unusual for Disney to hold such information back.

Guardians, they released the entire mockup ride system before the building was even enclosed. Pandora, had intricate details of the Shaman AA way before opening.

I'm not asking for a blue print of what they're doing, but some nugget of the actual ride to be teased or hinted at. If it's just going to be new skins on the same 30 year old animatronics, then that's a fail. But I mean they paid a lot of academics and experts to pontificate on the cultural impact of a mediocre animated movie.....so great?

 

[Midwest Elitist]

The people who are desperate for this to be good will strongarm it into being seen as good and the people who hate this will hate it no matter what. You don't be able to give or get an honest opinion on it, because of how camped out and unobjective people are being. Forget about the influncers giving anyone an honest opinion, either. No one has any critical thinking skills. No one can possibly see something as being not that great just because they like it or because they want it to be something it's not.

I was literally in the "I don't care if the ride is retheme" camp until they started the "pretend this never existed" thing.

Characters gone -> ok, unnecessary but I can understand?

Songs gone -> really?

Mountains challenge but 7DMT instead of Splash -> absolute cringe

I think at this point, Disney has lost me, someone who  agrees with the overall mission of diversity and inclusion, but the reality is that TWDC and I are operating with different definitions of what diversity means, and I'm not the one stretching it.

At this point, I'm just sad and disappointed

 

[crazy4disney]

The people who are desperate for this to be good will strongarm it into being seen as good and the people who hate this will hate it no matter what. You don't be able to give or get an honest opinion on it, because of how camped out and unobjective people are being. Forget about the influncers giving anyone an honest opinion, either. No one has any critical thinking skills. No one can possibly see something as being not that great just because they like it or because they want it to be something it's not.

I will say this... GMR was one of my favorite attractions right up there w Splash & i was so against them getting rid of the ride vs refurbing it and putting MMRR elsewhere... with that being said i absolutely love MMRR but still feel that it should have been an addition not a replacement....

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I hope they hire real professionals to build it. If they let the academics put it together, we’ll all drown.

(But while we’re drowning, we’ll be so much more enlightened…)

Especially if they don’t address the leaky logs…

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Or maybe Disney is holding onto these details for their Parks Presentation (where they historically announce details for all new projects) at D23 that kicks off in 17 days.

I honestly hope you’re right…but I don’t want to hear any comments if no concrete images of the ride itself don’t get mentioned. One of two things…either TWDC doesn’t have a clear, honest picture of what it’s going to be OR they know the final product is going to be underwhelming and they’re trying to keep a lid on it.
It’s kinda disconcerting that we haven’t heard one peep from Tony Baxter with at least a feeble attempt to quell everyone’s fears and/or pumping up the new attraction…These are the times that TWDC misses a man like Marty Sklar who while he towed the company line, he always seemed to have a knack for calming the unsteady waters.

 

[Incomudro]

The issue is, that it seems they are more interested in talking about their "street cred" of "inclusiveness" than actually making a product that people will like and enjoy.

Unless this part of TWDC's atonement for the sin of Splash Mountain which only has impact for the sewer dwellers on Twitter, this constant reinforcement of their inclusiveness and cultural awareness does nothing to move the needle with fans or the general public.

For example. If they came in and said all the animatronics will be replaced by state of the art new ones and there would be some type of unique and never before done thing implemented, then the fan reaction and general public reaction would be significantly more positive.

THIS is why so much entertainment - primarily in the form of movies and tv fails today.
A product's primary goal should be to be GOOD.
Make it funny, exciting, entertaining, whatever... Make it the best it can be in that regard.
If it's done well, people will flock to it.
If the message is more important than the product, then it won't sell.
And we are seeing far too much of that.
I really hope this ride is done well, but I have my worries.
By the way... Shouldn't its look, its art, be based on the movie?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Guardians, they released the entire mockup ride system before the building was even enclosed. Pandora, had intricate details of the Shaman AA way before opening.

I think you're overstating how much we knew about these attractions "way before opening".

The first real glimpse of the Shaman animatronic was November 2016, 5 months before Pandora opened:



Cosmic Rewind ultimately had about 10 pieces of concept art released - although one of them was a do-over of an earlier piece of art, and the others were mostly the exterior and queue - and about half of them didn't show up publically until we were within 8 months of the thing actually opening.

The only reason we know anything real about TRON is because there's already one open on the other side of the world. Otherwise, we only got 3 sketches of TRON at Magic Kingdom, and they're basically all the same angle of the exterior at different times of day.

Sometimes Disney has been super forthcoming about details of their attractions before they open. Sometimes they have been super withholding. The company has a long history and they don't always do the same things the same way. We only got 4 pieces of concept art for Runaway Railway, and half showed up the fall before it opened. They only ever released 2 pieces of concept art showing interiors for Frozen Ever After.

That we haven't seen more concept art for Tiana's Bayou Adventure really isn't the harbinger some people are making it out to be.

 

[JohnD]

I was literally in the "I don't care if the ride is retheme" camp until they started the "pretend this never existed" thing.

Characters gone -> ok, unnecessary but I can understand?

Songs gone -> really?

Mountains challenge but 7DMT instead of Splash -> absolute cringe

I think at this point, Disney has lost me, someone who  agrees with the overall mission of diversity and inclusion, but the reality is that TWDC and I are operating with different definitions of what diversity means, and I'm not the one stretching it.

At this point, I'm just sad and disappointed

I hear what you’re saying. Okay Splash is due for a retheme. I get it. But the other “eradication” moves (ala Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben’s) are just a little too heavy handed. (Zippity Do Dah removed wherever possible, Brer Bear and Rabbit removed from MNSSHP parade, etc).

 

[monothingie]

The first real glimpse of the Shaman animatronic was November 2016, 5 months before Pandora opened:

The video you are referencing was the end results. Insiders here and promotional information released by the TWDC dropped news and tidbits about the AA being an integral part of the C/D-ticket in Pandora.

Cosmic Rewind ultimately had about 10 pieces of concept art released - although one of them was a do-over of an earlier piece of art, and the others were mostly the exterior and queue - and about half of them didn't show up publically until we were within 8 months of the thing actually opening.

WDI had a mockup of ride vehicles and an actual section of functional test track from the ride manufacturer years before completion.

 

[mysto]

My carefully cultivated shadowy connections within WDI have provided me with ACTUAL DETAILS of the ride system that will be used in PATF! You're welcome. Please don't out me !

Type Log flume
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
Drop 52.5 ft (16.0 m)
Speed 45 mph (72 km/h)
Duration 11:45
Height restriction 40 in (102 cm)
Manufacturer 68
Restraint Lap bar
number of lifts 2
number of drops 5
Length 2600 feet

But seriously @jagiord1 is right, there's gotta be a release ready for D23. Info from wikipedia.

 

[Dear Prudence]

I don't understand why there is such scoff towards them including academics. The culture of NOLA is not the Party City rendition of it. You're talking about an incredibly rich, nuanced, and complex culture which exists only in this part of the country as it falls into a greater conversation around diaspora. I would HOPE they would be consulting cultural experts.

My issue is that they didn't say what those sources were in the video. In academia, you cite your sources. Point blank, end of story.

 

[MisterPenguin]

My issue is that they didn't say what those sources were in the video. In academia, you cite your sources.

*Top* sources!

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

The video you are referencing was the end results. Insiders here and promotional information released by the TWDC dropped news and tidbits about the AA being an integral part of the C/D-ticket in Pandora.

So you're saying that we knew the Shaman was part of the ride? Okay . . . we know Tiana and Naveen and Louis are part of this ride and will be represented in Animatronic form. Insiders have even suggested they'll be in the vein of the Tokyo Beauty and the Beast animatronics, rather than the Frozen Ever After projected face style. We're basically on that same page with this ride.

WDI had a mockup of ride vehicles and an actual section of functional test track from the ride manufacturer years before completion.

Sure, but what's the equivalent you expect here? Splash Mountain already exists. The ride system is developed. And keep in mind, at Cosmic Rewind the ride system basically is the ride - there are hardly any other show elements to speak of outside of the big projections and a bunch of laser stars, so if they were gonna show us anything tangible that was basically all they could show.

Point being, there's no reason that because they showed ______ for _______ ride on _______ timeline that they're now suddenly behind schedule on revealing things to us about this ride. Each attraction is its own case when it comes to promotion, concept art, and revealing details.

I wanna see stuff too, but the way people are talking it's like they think it's a plot. Disney will show us when they show us.