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

[erasure fan1]

It was also left to rot, being high maintenance and staffing. So it all circles back to why the people's concerns over PATF are well founded.

Exactly. Disney took the cheapest way out with Great movie ride. In a park that is lacking in attractions they decide to close GMR. Instead of giving Mickey his own building and updating GMR with, I don't know, maybe movies from your 70 billion dollar purchase of Fox. When you know you are adding a huge draw to the park with star wars, and you need the capacity. It really does speak volumes about how these type of things are handled. So yea, everyone is well within their right to think this will fall short.

 

[danlb_2000]

RCID maps are not always correct or trustworthy like other computer maps. I seen this design before, and they are sometimes incorrect. This is one reason why I don't look through computer maps. Those images don't mean anything either. Also, People claim which one is the correct destination, but it would turn wrong sometimes. Sorry.

The RCID maps are very trustworthy, all the permitting is done based on those maps. 4955 is absolutely the address for Splash Mountain, it says so on the RCID map, and everything around it has addresses close to that number. You can go to the RCID mapping site and check for yourself...

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html

We know the re-theme is happening, it was announced along with a completion date of 2024. Disney isn't going to hire their biggest contractor to spend a year and a half renovating a ride only to then retheme it afterwards. There is no doubt that this is for the re-theme.

 

[danlb_2000]

RCID maps are not always correct or trustworthy like other computer maps. I seen this design before, and they are sometimes incorrect. This is one reason why I don't look through computer maps. Those images don't mean anything either. Also, People claim which one is the correct destination, but it would turn wrong sometimes. Sorry.

And if you need any more proof, here is a different permit that links that address to Splash..

 

[LittleBuford]

From a Disney business perspective, sure, but I assume he was talking from an individual fan perspective.

I think MMRR is fine and would have been an excellent addition, but it's a significantly worse attraction than GMR for me. The fact that it's like 15 minutes shorter than GMR and has a lower hourly capacity (I'm pretty sure) also means it needs to be much busier to make up for the overall loss.

I'm just not sure the comparison holds from a more general (not business) perspective. Whatever one's personal feelings, GMR was generally not all that popular, and certainly less so than the ride that has replaced it (we have actual data attesting to this). Splash Mountain, by contrast, remains very popular, and the retheme will have to do very well indeed to equal or exceed it in most people's eyes.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Are you comparing MMRR with what GMR actually was, or with what you imgained it could have been with a careful update?

Having ridden both a number of times now, I would wholeheartedly agree that The Great Movie Ride was the superior attraction. Runaway Railway is, like, cute . . . but the level of showmanship is some of the worst I've ever seen in a supposed headliner. Much of it looks like it was set up for a temporary expo and could be brought down in a day.

 

[UNCgolf]

Are you comparing MMRR with what GMR actually was, or with what you imgained it could have been with a careful update?

What it actually was. The final version of GMR, even as they let maintenance slip significantly and made some other changes, was still a better ride than MMRR -- the fully functional original version was dramatically better than MMRR -- but an update could have restored it to its place as one of the best rides ever built at WDW (to be fair, an update also could have made it worse). It was an Imagineering masterpiece; MMRR is a fine attraction but not close to being one of the best rides at WDW.

I'm just not sure the comparison holds from a more general (not business) perspective. Whatever one's personal feelings, GMR was generally not all that popular, and certainly less so than the ride that has replaced it (we have actual data attesting to this). Splash Mountain, by contrast, remains very popular, and the retheme will have to do very well indeed to equal or exceed it in most people's eyes.

The Touring Plans link you posted suggested before it closed they expected it to have 40+ minute waits on average crowd level days, so I'm not sure the general popularity level is as dramatically different as you're suggesting. I don't doubt MMRR is more popular, though, if only because it's newer and features Mickey Mouse.

The fact that it was 15 minutes longer makes a gigantic difference that people overlook, though. It could have half as many riders as MMRR in an hour and still be arguably better for park capacity because of that difference (of course there are other factors, like how long someone spent in line before boarding, although with FP+ and now LL that's much less of a factor than it would have been 25 years ago). That's a separate argument from ride quality, though -- just pointing out that Disney needs to get back to building some longer attractions (as they did with Rise).

 

[Sir_Cliff]

What it actually was. The final version of GMR, even as they let maintenance slip significantly and made some other changes, was still a better ride than MMRR -- the fully functional version was dramatically better than MMRR -- but an update could have restored it to its place as one of the best rides ever built at WDW (an update also could have made it worse). It was an Imagineering masterpiece; MMRR is a fine attraction but not close to being one of the best rides at WDW.

I'm with @LittleBuford on GMR in that I don't think the whole was equal to the sum of its parts. It was an impressive attraction taking into account the elaborate sets and number of AAs and the concept sounds good on paper. I always felt it just fell a bit flat, though, and wonder whether any amount of sprucing up the existing attraction with new technology could have fundamentally changed that. I suspect part of the issue was that it was such a slow-moving ride on such massive vehicles that it never really conveyed the charm or dynamism of any of the movies portrayed nor felt truely immersive. I don't think a slow crawl through a new Avengers scene, for example, would have changed that.

So, I get why people enjoy and appreciate the attraction as a work of theme park design, but as an actual attraction I think it was just ok.

Splash, of course, is a different beast where the ride mechanics will remain the same and its popularity is such that it probably couldn't handle many more people than it already does most days. They really just have to make sure they don't screw it up and somehow end up spending a lot of money to make a less popular attraction.

 

[UNCgolf]

I'm with @LittleBuford on GMR in that I don't think the whole was equal to the sum of its parts. It was an impressive attraction taking into account the elaborate sets and number of AAs and the concept sounds good on paper. I always felt it just fell a bit flat, though, and wonder whether any amount of sprucing up the existing attraction with new technology could have fundamentally changed that. I suspect part of the issue was that it was such a slow-moving ride on such massive vehicles that it never really conveyed the charm or dynamism of any of the movies portrayed nor felt truely immersive. I don't think a slow crawl through a new Avengers scene, for example, would have changed that.

So, I get why people enjoy and appreciate the attraction as a work of theme park design, but as an actual attraction I think it was just ok.

Splash, of course, is a different beast where the ride mechanics will remain the same and its popularity is such that it probably couldn't handle many more people than it already does most days. They really just have to make sure they don't screw it up and somehow end up spending a lot of money to make a less popular attraction.

I have no issue with that opinion -- not everyone is going to love everything, and there are certainly rides I really like that people seem to hate (Na'vi River Journey) and ones I think are pretty bad that others love (Toy Story Mania).

I'm curious how you feel about MMRR, though. Do you think it's really impressive/great or are you ambivalent about it? I'm certainly in the latter category -- it's not a bad ride and it does some things well, but it's underwhelming. It feels more like a complementary D ticket than a headlining E, which again, is fine, but not really fitting for the location or what it replaced (even if someone didn't think GMR worked well I don't think there's an argument against it having the scale of an E in the park centerpiece location).

 

[LittleBuford]

The fact that it was 15 minutes longer makes a gigantic difference that people overlook, though. It could have half as many riders as MMRR in an hour and still be arguably better for park capacity because of that difference (of course there are other factors, like how long someone spent in line before boarding, although with FP+ and now LL that's much less of a factor than it would have been 25 years ago). That's a separate argument from ride quality, though -- just pointing out that Disney needs to get back to building some longer attractions (as they did with Rise).

I didn’t mean to bring up the issue of capacity. As you say, that’s a separate matter from ride quality.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I have no issue with that opinion -- not everyone is going to love everything, and there are certainly rides I really like that people seem to hate (Na'vi River Journey) and ones I think are pretty bad that others love (Toy Story Mania).

I'm curious how you feel about MMRR, though. Do you think it's really impressive/great or are you ambivalent about it? I'm certainly in the latter category -- it's not a bad ride, but it's underwhelming. It feels more like a complementary D ticket than a headlining E, which again, is fine, but not really fitting for the location or what it replaced (even if someone didn't think GMR worked well I don't think there's an argument against it having the scale of an E in the park centerpiece location).

I don't really have a strong opinion on MMRR, to be honest, as I haven't been on it yet. From what I've seen, though, I think it does look like a at least a very good ride that appears to use projections and sets quite well to create a cartoon feel. I'm not sure it's a headlining E, though it seems like a popular and fun attraction that can be enjoyed by the whole family and suits the location. In my book, that's pretty much a win, particularly by the patchy standards of recent WDI. I do get why some would see it as a step down from the grander scale and ambition of GMR, though.

 

[UNCgolf]

I don't really have a strong opinion on MMRR, to be honest, as I haven't been on it yet. From what I've seen, though, I think it does look like a at least a very good ride that appears to use projections and sets quite well to create a cartoon feel. I'm not sure it's a headlining E, though it seems like a popular and fun attraction that can be enjoyed by the whole family and suits the location. In my book, that's pretty much a win, particularly by the patchy standards of recent WDI. I do get why some would see it as a step down from the grander scale and ambition of GMR, though.

I do think it's one of the better rides built at WDW in in the past 10-15 years -- I think Rise, Flight of Passage, and NRJ are the only ones I'd say are definitely better off the top of my head (I haven't been on Cosmic Rewind, but it doesn't look as interesting as MMRR to me). It's just that it replaced the park's original headliner attraction and sits in the park's centerpiece. It should be more than it is in that location, which is one of the many reasons it would have been much better as a new build in another location (like at Disneyland).

 

[dreday3]

I do think it's one of the better rides built at WDW in in the past 10-15 years -- I think Rise, Flight of Passage, and NRJ are the only ones I'd say are definitely better off the top of my head (I haven't been on Cosmic Rewind, but it doesn't look as interesting as MMRR to me). It's just that it replaced the park's original headliner attraction and sits in the park's centerpiece. It should be more than it is in that location, which is one of the many reasons it would have been much better as a new build in another location (like at Disneyland).

How do you feel about Rat?

I know a lot of people don't like it, but when I went on for the first time and walked into the ride room, felt the cool air, darkly lit and that gorgeous music...it was the first time in a long time I felt transported back to the dark ride feelings I got in 1980! I actually got a lump in my throat.

And for the record, I think MMRR is spectacular!

 

[UNCgolf]

How do you feel about Rat?

I know a lot of people don't like it, but when I went on for the first time and walked into the ride room, felt the cool air, darkly lit and that gorgeous music...it was the first time in a long time I felt transported back to the dark ride feelings I got in 1980! I actually got a lump in my throat.

And for the record, I think MMRR is spectacular!

Rat is fine; similar to MMRR. I don't think it's great, but it's a solid addition -- I actually forgot about it. I might rate it higher than MMRR as well. It helps that it was an actual addition instead of a replacement.

 

[mikejs78]

There's little to no financial upside here. Companies don't spend a lot of money on things with little to no financial upside. I personally am expecting a very long and dark scene that requires little to no theming (other than some "mist" and lights) to reduce the burden. Splash Mountain is simply too long and too complicated of an attraction to be done correctly under these circumstances.

I expect mostly a reskinning - reuse what's mostly there, swap out the SotS characters with PatF characters, and add in new narration and music. Leave most of the scenery/animals in place.

 

[WondersOfLife]

As I said, I’m certainly not alone in my view. The ride was not a hit with guests when they scrapped it.

Any non-thrill ride ends up being a walk-on so many years later after no updates.

That does not mean the ride was bad lol. It was one of the best, actually.

 

[aladdin2007]

I expect mostly a reskinning - reuse what's mostly there, swap out the SotS characters with PatF characters, and add in new narration and music. Leave most of the scenery/animals in place.

I would prefer that myself, but I think its all going to be ripped out, and return with a barren frozen ever after type style, less scenes than what is there now with a lot of altered ride through space of...well space. In which they hope riders wont notice, we will Disney.

 

[WondersOfLife]

For what it’s worth, here are the guest ratings for both attractions on TouringPlans, which suggest that the new ride is generally more popular than the old:

The Great Movie Ride | Disney's Hollywood Studios

Entering through a re-creation of Hollywood's Chinese Theater, guests board vehicles for a fast-paced tour through soundstage sets from classic

touringplans.com

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway | Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney restarted regular production of Mickey Mouse cartoons in 2013. Mostly written and directed by Paul Rudish, these 4-minute vignettes—

touringplans.com

M&MRR opened in 2020. It's only 2 years old.
GMR opened in 1989. It was roughly 27 years old when it closed.

They call MMRR a "Major Attraction."
They call GMR a "Headliner."
Let me know how this attraction holds up 25+ years from now....


But even then, all of that is irrelevant. I never brought up MMRR. Nor did I ever say it was a BAD ride. We were talking about GMR... That was a phenomenal slow moving dark ride that everyone of all ages could get on and enjoy with the family. And the amount of decent quality AAs in that ride made quite a difference. Of course its replacement will be "more popular." It is new. It's not 25+ years old, nor was it a thrill ride. It also had super high capacity.

Your opinion of GMR if it is anything related to "eh" or "bad" just doesn't speak any words to me. I like MMRR as much as the next guy. But that is irrelevant. GMR was a phenomenal attraction. It is truly a shame that it was replaced entirely with something that should have gone somewhere else... (Although that just seems to be the norm these days.)

 

[LittleBuford]

Any non-thrill ride ends up being a walk-on so many years later after no updates.

That does not mean the ride was bad lol. It was one of the best, actually.

My view of the ride has nothing to do with whether or not it was a walk-on (in my experience, it wasn’t). I just didn’t think it was especially strong. Clearly you disagree, and that’s fine. I’m a huge fan of the Country Bear Jamboree (no surprises there!), but I fully realise many aren’t. It’s all a matter of personal taste.

 

[WondersOfLife]

My view of the ride has nothing to do with whether or not it was a walk-on (in my experience, it wasn’t). I just didn’t think it was especially strong. Clearly you disagree, and that’s fine. I’m a huge fan of the Country Bear Jamboree (no surprises there!), but I fully realise many aren’t. It’s all a matter of personal taste.

CBJ is a different case. I am a HUGE fan of the show. But I totally GET why people don't like it.

GMR is a different animal, though. Comparing GMR to CBJ does not make any sense to me.

I'd compare GMR to Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and other attractions of that nature... It was definitely just as iconic and spectacular as those other dark rides.

 

[LittleBuford]

I'd compare GMR to Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and other attractions of that nature... It was definitely just as iconic and spectacular as those other dark rides.

In your opinion. Many, myself included, never warmed to it in the same way. I respect your view, but I’m not going to agree with it or accept it as gospel just because you hold it so passionately!