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

[dreday3]

I lterally had no idea what I said would be problematic. Learn everyday. All a person can do.

Sorry all. Back to topic.

 

[Dear Prudence]

They could shoo-in other magical ideas. Doesn't have to be voodoo.

Tokyo Splash Mountain had this whole backstory about a bootlegging raccoon who flooded the whatever and Disneyland Splash had some stuff about the Rainbow Ponds being enchanted (a throwback to other rainbow-titled themes and motifs and named placed in Frontierland and such). Over the years Disneyland Splash has had narratives such as "we hear rumors about singing, laughing animals, etc." They could really come up with something cute for this time around with lots of magic! One of the things I like the most about both films for Pinocchio and Snow White is that both of those worlds exist with an incredible amount of magic and rule/world building they never completely explain. There are a lot of really marvelous possibilities.

 

[matt9112]

OC Register did a big spill of info regarding the ride. https://www.ocregister.com/2022/09/...e-tianas-bayou-adventure-details-at-d23-expo/

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure riders will ascend the lift hill through a mill house built into the side of the mountain powered by water troughs feeding a spinning water wheel.

Musical critters seen in the show scenes of the revamped log flume attraction will include an otter audio-animatronic playing a fiddle made from a tin can, tree bark and fishing line.

Magical lighting effects triggered by the film’s voodoo priestess Mama Odie will fill the hilltop cavern with glowing colors just before riders descend the log ride’s dramatic drop.

Tiana’s Splash Mountain land grab at Disneyland is expected to force the annexation of the Critter Country attraction into neighboring New Orleans Square."

the bolded text specifically has implictly led us to believe friends from the other side will not be in it. No one has super concrete evidence though so who knows.

How the heck is the final drop not a friends from the other side moment?!

 

[Midwest Elitist]

Tokyo Splash Mountain had this whole backstory about a bootlegging raccoon who flooded the whatever and Disneyland Splash had some stuff about the Rainbow Ponds being enchanted (a throwback to other rainbow-titled themes and motifs and named placed in Frontierland and such). Over the years Disneyland Splash has had narratives such as "we hear rumors about singing, laughing animals, etc." They could really come up with something cute for this time around with lots of magic! One of the things I like the most about both films for Pinocchio and Snow White is that both of those worlds exist with an incredible amount of magic and rule/world building they never completely explain. There are a lot of really marvelous possibilities.

Exactly. There's a point where we can agree something is problematic, but there's other solutions instead of axing those ideas completely. The interesting thing about voodoo is the magical aspect. So, substitute with some other form of magic? It's magic, it doesn't exist, just make it up!

 

[MisterPenguin]

Voodoo?!

 

[Dear Prudence]

Exactly. There's a point where we can agree something is problematic, but there's other solutions instead of axing those ideas completely. The interesting thing about voodoo is the magical aspect. So, substitute with some other form of magic? It's magic, it doesn't exist, just make it up!

^all of THIS.

Also, just as a sidebar, I know we're all giving the new backstory a bit of a hard time, but that Tokyo being an incredibly elaborate backstory (of a soda station, no less) is also rather A LOT.

 

[Dear Prudence]

Anyway, someone said that there are still fireflies on the model and I feel slightly better.

 

[Tha Realest]

It is mildly amusing that Disney looked at a log flume dark ride and thought- employee owned food cooperative that bolsters neighboring communities was a good angle for a backstory.

That might work in a restaurant... maybe. But even then that'd be a tough theme to execute.

But in a dark ride? What's the story gonna be- they ran out of milk so Tiana has to make it to Costco before they close?

This was from July. This feels like a train wreck.

Where’s the tension? That she has to make it to the party in time? That people in the community are…not in harmony?

 

[Midwest Elitist]

This was from July. This feels like a train wreck.

View attachment 665889

Where’s the tension? That she has to make it to the party in time? That people in the community are…not in harmony?

There is tension! They are trying to emulate the feeling of being late to work driving, and the moral of the story is to take Metra! Genius and hits really close to home while sending an environmental message! The WDW railroad going through the mine will actually be canon!

 

[SuddenStorm]

"Acclaimed Imagineer Tony Baxter first dreamed of Splash Mountain (soon to become Tiana's Bayou Adventure) while sitting in traffic on the Santa Ana freeway on his way to work. Did he make it to WDI on time that fateful day, or did the California traffic thwart Mr. Baxter? Today, Imagineering honors this legacy by integrating an immersive story where riders are recruited to accompany Tiana while she journeys to to her first Mardi Gras Party against all odds- all while juggling the demands of an Employee Owned Food Collective that bolsters neighboring communities.

Imagineers on the project hope that this relatable story will immerse, and thrill, riders when Tiana takes them on a shortcut down a 50-foot waterfall, allowing them to make it to the party on time. And who knows- maybe riders will be inspired to join WDI and dream up the next E Ticket attraction while on this attraction, just like Mr. Baxter!"

-Some Disney Parks Blog post that's going to be published six months from now.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I suppose I’m guilty of jumping to conclusions too, but I have to admit that the backstory they’ve come up with seems a total dud to me. I hope (truly, sincerely hope) that they prove me wrong, because till now, I’ve had faith in this project.

When they announced the change I thought P&TF was a great fit for a water based ride (since most the movie took place on a river) and it would be impossible to screw up a flume ride with drops that soak people and is a pure laugh generating machine…

I maintained that belief right up until I read the co-op farming in a salt mine statement and thought maybe they’ve found a way to screw it up.

This should be an easy home run, natural river setting, singing animals on the riverbanks, just add a few Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Momma Odie animatronics along the way to tell the story…. Nope… they announced co-op food store.

Hopefully this is just another Disney word salad press release that will have no real impact on the ride because the potential for this to be amazing is there.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

"Acclaimed Imagineer Tony Baxter first dreamed of Splash Mountain (soon to become Tiana's Bayou Adventure) while sitting in traffic on the Santa Ana freeway on his way to work. Did he make it to WDI on time that fateful day, or did the California traffic thwart Mr. Baxter? Today, Imagineering honors this legacy by integrating an immersive story where riders are recruited to accompany Tiana while she journeys to to her first Mardi Gras Party against all odds- all while juggling the demands of an Employee Owned Food Collective that bolsters neighboring communities.

Imagineers on the project hope that this relatable story will immerse, and thrill, riders when Tiana takes them on a shortcut down a 50-foot waterfall, allowing them to make it to the party on time. And who knows- maybe riders will be inspired to join WDI and dream up the next E Ticket attraction while on this attraction, just like Mr. Baxter!"

-Some Disney Parks Blog post that's going to be published six months from now.

I never thought of that…after going down the last drop when all the logs back up, it’ll be just like Tony getting stuck in traffic on the freeway…

 

[Sir_Cliff]

When they announced the change I thought P&TF was a great fit for a water based ride (since most the movie took place on a river) and it would be impossible to screw up a flume ride with drops that soak people and is a pure laugh generating machine…

I maintained that belief right up until I read the co-op farming in a salt mine statement and thought maybe they’ve found a way to screw it up.

This should be an easy home run, natural river setting, singing animals on the riverbanks, just add a few Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Momma Odie animatronics along the way to tell the story…. Nope… they announced co-op food store.

Hopefully this is just another Disney word salad press release that will have no real impact on the ride because the potential for this to be amazing is there.

I feel more or less the same. I am in the camp that feels a change was inevitable and PatF seems like a decent option, even if I am a little unsure if the thrill element of the ride will exclude/traumatise a lot of the children who most enjoy the film.

At any rate, I think we're just commenting on the crumbs we're receiving as we receive them and most of us are open to being pleasantly surprised if they are just being clumsy with their big reveals. The concern for me is that it speaks to a bit of a gripe that I have with contemporary WDI which is their tendency to over-engineer their backstories for attractions and even stores and food stalls. They also aren't great at showing not telling anymore, probably in part because the backstories require increasing amounts of explanation. So, when they start talking about her growing her business, starting a food processing co-op and purchasing a salt mine, things start to get worrying!

 

[ToTBellHop]

This was from July. This feels like a train wreck.

View attachment 665889

Where’s the tension? That she has to make it to the party in time? That people in the community are…not in harmony?

Is it a love letter to New Orleans or a love letter to salt mines?

 

[Midwest Elitist]

Is it a love letter to New Orleans or a love letter to salt mines?

I can't actually give you my answer, I now have brain damage from the amount of times I slammed my head into my desk this weekend.

Maybe both? Somehow? Love letter to Louisiana? Popeyes chicken sponsor?

The possibilities are endless, along with the disappointment!

 

[Incomudro]

Does anyone know if they typically run attraction ideas by focus groups?

I'm certain they didn't in days of 'yore, and that's what made the classics so great.
They were the creative expression of the very talented people that made them.
Now, and particularly in the case here of PatF - yes, this sounds like a focus group production.

 

[Incomudro]

The fireflies as a loss. The voodoo nonsense is good gone.

Funny how so many people who are upset out the attractions current form have no problems with voodoo.

Wake me up when it's over.

Voodoo was a huge part of the movie, and what made the movie fun.

 

[Tha Realest]

Is it a love letter to New Orleans or a love letter to salt mines?

Yes

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yes

Ah. Clear as bayou water.

 

[LittleBuford]

I'm certain they didn't in days of 'yore, and that's what made the classics so great.
They were the creative expression of the very talented people that made them.
Now, and particularly in the case here of PatF - yes, this sounds like a focus group production.

Really? I was implying the opposite—that a focus group is unlikely to have been very excited by such a concept (unless there’s something really great about it that we haven’t been shown yet).