-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
- Status
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
That gives hope but is Dave drunk?
Aries1975
Well-Known Member
My comments below are not directly replying to anyone.
I honestly believe if Disney does not deliver on this ride, it will be worse for them if they did nothing. This ride will be scrutinized like no other. They have to ensure Tiana’s coloring is natural: her skin tone, her eyes, her hair, etc. They need to be authentic with her costuming, her hair styling, her makeup. The script/lyrics will be focus group tested relentlessly to eliminate anything which could be remotely misconstrued. The animatronics and stationary characters in each scene will be counted to ensure the total exceeds all other princess rides. Everything that can be pulsed will be. Everything will be fully functional. I would not be surprised if there will be duplicates of the Tiana animatronics to avoid a “disco” situation at all costs.
Offending millions of current and potential customers (and business partners) is way too big a risk. The financial consequences for failure far exceed whatever they spent on Star Wars. No one will allow their personal brand to be tarnished through “guilty by association“ if the big “D” is labeled with a big “R.” Entire casts of scripted shows, movies and even the on-air news talent will insist the “ethics” clause in their contracts apply to both parties. The domestic parks will be only the beginning of the boycotts. And no amount of “sensitivity” training (which never seems to apply to the executives) will appease the masses this time.
I honestly believe if Disney does not deliver on this ride, it will be worse for them if they did nothing. This ride will be scrutinized like no other. They have to ensure Tiana’s coloring is natural: her skin tone, her eyes, her hair, etc. They need to be authentic with her costuming, her hair styling, her makeup. The script/lyrics will be focus group tested relentlessly to eliminate anything which could be remotely misconstrued. The animatronics and stationary characters in each scene will be counted to ensure the total exceeds all other princess rides. Everything that can be pulsed will be. Everything will be fully functional. I would not be surprised if there will be duplicates of the Tiana animatronics to avoid a “disco” situation at all costs.
Offending millions of current and potential customers (and business partners) is way too big a risk. The financial consequences for failure far exceed whatever they spent on Star Wars. No one will allow their personal brand to be tarnished through “guilty by association“ if the big “D” is labeled with a big “R.” Entire casts of scripted shows, movies and even the on-air news talent will insist the “ethics” clause in their contracts apply to both parties. The domestic parks will be only the beginning of the boycotts. And no amount of “sensitivity” training (which never seems to apply to the executives) will appease the masses this time.
Last edited:
Kirby86
Well-Known Member
I still think no matter how well made this attraction is it'll eventually have the same technical issues that the current one does. The current Walt Disney Company has shown many times that if they can maintain their attractions to the minimum amount needed for it to still run safely that's what they will do. If audio is out of sync with the show scene or an animatronic is having issues they'll let it sit. This isn't just a Splash Mountain problem is a Park problem. Hopefully I'm wrong but I have a feeling the first few months when press and influencers are the main focus to get good word out about Tiana the attraction will be pristine, however once the honeymoon and review phase is over Disney will slide back to the who cares if one animatronic isn't working and so what if the audio levels aren't in sync.
bhg469
Well-Known Member
Dave is the opposite of an apologist for sure. Unless THEY got to him!!!
andysol
Well-Known Member
Really great news from Dave- particularly with the AAs. I’ve said all along I think if any IP can actually elevate an already top tier attraction, It would be PatF.
I’m curious what he means by “we fell short 32 years ago, it grew on us, and now we’re going to miss it”. Fell short on what? The ride was a masterpiece.
At first I thought he meant the “r” word but saying “it grew on us” doesn’t make since. Does he mean the placement?
I’m curious what he means by “we fell short 32 years ago, it grew on us, and now we’re going to miss it”. Fell short on what? The ride was a masterpiece.
At first I thought he meant the “r” word but saying “it grew on us” doesn’t make since. Does he mean the placement?
Maybe he broke into a Disney warehouse at night and saw all the new AAs!!
OrlandoRising
Well-Known Member
They're right alongside Buzzy in a version of Central Shops that exists only in Dave's imagination.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I read it as expanding on his immediately preceding sentence: “I don't think they can do anything that can match the genus of Walt Disney.” By this standard, anything post-Walt falls short.
Kirby86
Well-Known Member
Yeah I think you're right on what he ment on that but the way he worded it kind of was confusing. Also if his standard is anything Post- Walt is subpar the last worthwhile ride was Haunted Mansion in Disneyland.
SailorMercury
Well-Known Member
If Dave Ensign has praises for this, then we're definitely in for a treat.
OrlandoRising
Well-Known Member
Before this board gets too wrapped up in Dave's claim, this was the guy who repeatedly claimed that Buzzy wasn't stolen and was in Disney's possession. OCSO detective Shawn Seufert wrote in a police report of Ensign, "None of the Central Shops’ employees recognized the subject as anyone who would have the access required to know what is housed in the animatronics lab." #FindBuzzy: Disney waited a week to report Epcot animatronic theft to police
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
More efficient spending could result in more projects and more fully realized parks.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
I would agree that this was pushed forward because of an online narrative, but calling this the worst decision Disney ever made and including Toad as your reference point reduces the impact of your opinion. This decision actually has a real world reason behind the decision. In your mind, you're losing a favorite attraction (as you did with Toad), but the switch itself in both cases made sense for the parks. In the case of Toad to Pooh it was to utilize a more marketable character. In the case of Splash to Tiana it was a function of society better understanding the source material.
Splash Mountain is my favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom and there is a big part of me that hates to see it go away. I also don't know if Princess and the Frog is the right choice for a replacement (at least in Florida). But my point of view on this has been remarkably consistent. They can't do this poorly. This needs to be an excellent attraction, and thankfully for Tiana and friends, the ride path and length give them an opportunity to do great things.
As for the worst decision in the history of WDW I would point to EPCOT decisions, mainly those that mark the death of that park. Frozen to Maelstrom and Illuminations to Harmonious (ultimately) were the lynchpins for EPCOT's downfall. For me, Frozen to Maelstrom was the worst decision in my lifetime because it did a disservice to the Frozen franchise and a disservice to EPCOT. That's far more egregious to me than anything else they've done since 1982.
Kirby86
Well-Known Member
My friends wife and I had a discussion about Splash and Epcot did come up. She's pro retheme and is all for adding IP to the world showcase and I'm against both. Her stance for both changes are people don't care about the old so you might as well change it now with Splash maybe I can see that viewpoint (I don't agree but that's an argument I can go yeah makes sense) with Epcot though I told her that Fundamentally changes the purpose of the park of makeing it a world's fair with no end.
If Splash goes down for the refurb in early 2024, will it be ready to open on the announced "late 2024" timeframe?
Maybe "Late 2024" is when it arrives, as in closes? We won't know until it happens
No, opens in "Late 2024"...
The all-new adventure which will bring guests into the world of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film “The Princess and the Frog” like never before is coming to Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland park in California in late 2024.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Coming to Disney Parks in Late 2024
Strike up the band because we’ve saved a seat for you on this musical journey with Tiana and friends! The name of the new attraction evolving from the reimagining of Splash Mountain was announced today during ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans: Tiana’s
disneyparks.disney.go.com
BTW, did you ever get back to your sources find out why they were wrong?...
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
No. I think it is closing this winter now. But until they announce, who knows?
- Status