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

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EagleScout610

These cats can PLAAAAAYYYYY
Premium Member
In other words, a bald mountain at night?

Facilier isn't in the ride because Tiana has moved past such weak villains and will now be fighting Chernabog?
Well sure! She's already defeated the first boss, Facillier, and is about to beat Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. She's on a roll.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
Well sure! She's already defeated the first boss, Facillier, and is about to beat Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. She's on a roll.
I lost a full year of my childhood to this boss:
1666970413200.png

Those '90s Disney games made a man out of me, though. I cried so much during the damn "Be Prepared" stage in Lion King that I've been unable to cry ever since.
 

retr0gate

Well-Known Member
It honestly seems that people want to hate this just for the sake of hating it. People DESPISED the Louis Trumpet storyline. Now all of a sudden we're praising it? People are also constantly preaching about how Imagineering never does anything original anymore. Now we want a book report ride? Please, make up your minds.

I understand the arguments being made but there's a lot to appreciate here. Original songs, new animatronics, an original story. This is all stuff we've been asking for. If the ride is really that disconnected from the source material, shouldn't that be a good thing? Princess and the Frog is as important to this ride as SOTS was to Splash Mountain. If it weren't for the fact that Tiana is directly mentioned in the attraction name, this ride could very well adopt a unique identity akin to the original Splash. A ride that is attached to an IP, yes, but still manages to stand on its own as an icon for the parks. Imagine if Runaway Railway or Frozen Ever After paid this much respect to their predecessors.
 

Incomudro

Well-Known Member
It honestly seems that people want to hate this just for the sake of hating it. People DESPISED the Louis Trumpet storyline. Now all of a sudden we're praising it? People are also constantly preaching about how Imagineering never does anything original anymore. Now we want a book report ride? Please, make up your minds.

I understand the arguments being made but there's a lot to appreciate here. Original songs, new animatronics, an original story. This is all stuff we've been asking for. If the ride is really that disconnected from the source material, shouldn't that be a good thing? Princess and the Frog is as important to this ride as SOTS was to Splash Mountain. If it weren't for the fact that Tiana is directly mentioned in the attraction name, this ride could very well adopt a unique identity akin to the original Splash. A ride that is attached to an IP, yes, but still manages to stand on its own as an icon for the parks. Imagine if Runaway Railway or Frozen Ever After paid this much respect to their predecessors.
I haven't been asking for original songs and an original story.
I find that disconnecting the ride from the source material of the movie - a very good, and fun movie with great visuals and great songs is a horrible idea.
Now... Despite that, it is possible that this ride will be very well done and enjoyable.
But at this point, I don't like anything about the direction of it.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
It honestly seems that people want to hate this just for the sake of hating it. People DESPISED the Louis Trumpet storyline. Now all of a sudden we're praising it? People are also constantly preaching about how Imagineering never does anything original anymore. Now we want a book report ride? Please, make up your minds.

I understand the arguments being made but there's a lot to appreciate here. Original songs, new animatronics, an original story. This is all stuff we've been asking for. If the ride is really that disconnected from the source material, shouldn't that be a good thing? Princess and the Frog is as important to this ride as SOTS was to Splash Mountain. If it weren't for the fact that Tiana is directly mentioned in the attraction name, this ride could very well adopt a unique identity akin to the original Splash. A ride that is attached to an IP, yes, but still manages to stand on its own as an icon for the parks. Imagine if Runaway Railway or Frozen Ever After paid this much respect to their predecessors.

Choosing IP for rides/lands but not including songs/ music, characters and locations from the movie is counterintuitive and not something most fans want. It’s imagineers over thinking things.

I could be wrong but I don’t think anyone started using the term “book report ride” until after Mermaid opened in the early 2010’s. The truth is there are good “book report” rides and there are bad “book report rides.” Mermaid is bad. Pan, Toad and Alice are good. It all comes down to the execution. Notice how on Mermaid we are going around every scene, never through any? Just further cementing the fact that you’re not a part of the action but are watching someone else’s story. Actually it’s more like you’re creating visuals off a story someone is telling you from the past. It’s very passive. Compare that to Toad where we bump over the railroad tracks or Pan where we fly over Neverland. Alice is the most passive of the 3 but has the advantage of the ride system and intimacy of the old dark ride layouts. Even Pinocchio, which is arguably the worst of the Fantasyland rides has moments like going through the oversized cage in Stromboli’s wagon that makes you feel like you’re a part of the adventure.
 
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mickEblu

Well-Known Member
As far as I’m concerned, if “Friends on the other Side” is not playing on the lift hill it will be a huge fail/ missed opportunity. If they don’t do that it’s for no other reason then them over thinking it and not wanting to do something “obvious.”

I just had a thought though, what if they’re saving Dr. Facilier and his friends from the other side for a Halloween overlay?
 

celluloid

Well-Known Member
Choosing IP for rides/lands but not including songs/ music, characters and locations from the movie is counterintuitive and not something most fans want. It’s imagineers over thinking things.

I could be wrong but I don’t think anyone started using the term “book report ride” until after Mermaid opened in the early 2010’s. The truth is there are good “book report” rides and there are bad “book report rides.” Mermaid is bad. Pan, Toad and Alice are good. It all comes down to the execution. Notice how on Mermaid we are going around every scene, never through any? Just further cementing the fact that you’re not a part of the action but are watching someone else’s story. Actually it’s more like you’re creating visuals off a story someone is telling you from the past. It’s very passive. Compare that to Toad where we bump over the railroad tracks or Pan where we fly over Neverland. Alice is the most passive of the 3 but has the advantage of the ride system and intimacy of the old dark ride layouts. Even Pinocchio, which is arguably the worst of the Fantasyland rides has moments like going through the oversized cage in Stromboli’s wagon that makes you feel like you’re a part of the adventure.

It can be summed up by Eddie Sotto's and Tony Baxter's mention of "The best rides, are the ones that happen to you."
 

999th Happy Haunt

Well-Known Member
Choosing IP for rides/lands but not including songs/ music, characters and locations from the movie is counterintuitive and not something most fans want. It’s imagineers over thinking things.

I could be wrong but I don’t think anyone started using the term “book report ride” until after Mermaid opened in the early 2010’s. The truth is there are good “book report” rides and there are bad “book report rides.” Mermaid is bad. Pan, Toad and Alice are good. It all comes down to the execution. Notice how on Mermaid we are going around every scene, never through any? Just further cementing the fact that you’re not a part of the action but are watching someone else’s story. Actually it’s more like you’re creating visuals off a story someone is telling you from the past. It’s very passive. Compare that to Toad where we bump over the railroad tracks or Pan where we fly over Neverland. Alice is the most passive of the 3 but has the advantage of the ride system and intimacy of the old dark ride layouts. Even Pinocchio, which is arguably the worst of the Fantasyland rides has moments like going through the oversized cage in Stromboli’s wagon that makes you feel like you’re a part of the adventure.
Not to arguing this point, but isn’t Splash as it currently exists a book report ride with some thrilling aspects? Are the drops the thing that makes us relative to the story? The only drop I can think of that’s story relevant is the final one, being flung into the briar patch.
 

celluloid

Well-Known Member
Not to arguing this point, but isn’t Splash as it currently exists a book report ride with some thrilling aspects? Are the drops the thing that makes us relative to the story? The only drop I can think of that’s story relevant is the final one, being flung into the briar patch.

No because the things of action happen to you as they do Brer Rabbit. The dynamic matches the action. So, the thrill takes care a part of that as well as the fact the characters at a few portions directly involve you. Tony Baxter designed the ride, so he knew what he was doing in that regard.

Mimicking or reliving the scenes from a film or story is not the same as a book report.
 

999th Happy Haunt

Well-Known Member
No because the things of action happen to you as they do Brer Rabbit. The dynamic matches the action. So, the thrill takes care a part of that as well as the fact the characters at a few portions directly involve you. Tony Baxter designed the ride, so he knew what he was doing in that regard.

Mimicking or reliving the scenes from a film or story is not the same as a book report.
Good point, thanks for the insight!
 

retr0gate

Well-Known Member
Too much IP in the parks!
...but if there's going to be an IP at least make sure the IP fits
...but if the IP doesn't fit, at least make sure it doesn't replace anything else
...but if it does replace something else, at least make sure it's an IP I like
...but if I don't like the IP, at least do something original with it
...but if it's going to be a scene by scene retelling of the story, at least make us a part of the action
...but if we're just observing the story, at least let the attraction have a unique ride system.

Not any one person's argument, just a compilation of different contradictions I've seen in this thread. If people didn't want original songs and stories, then why isn't Frozen Ever After being held up on a pedestal? It checks all the boxes - popular IP, popular soundtrack from the film, new animatronics. While not an exact retelling of the original story, it manages to be "Frozen's greatest hits" and actively engages the guest by making them a focal point in the story. Yet, the attraction still falls flat for many. How you may feel about those individual aspects is subjective, but the point still stands. If the ride was built in Fantasyland instead, would that have improved the overall experience? Or if a couple of lines of dialogue were changed to be better aligned with the original story? Alternatively, in it's current location, would the addition of new characters and music make it worse?

An attempt is being made here to not only retain the spirit of the attraction that this will be replacing, but also to simply cater towards what many fans have been asking for. If you're reading this and thinking to yourself "well I never asked for...," your opinion is valued and appreciated, but you can't ignore the fact that overuse of IP is a constant point of criticism amongst a majority of people on these boards. A retelling of PATF with the original soundtrack sounds fun in theory, and very well could be, but I could guarantee that the first people to complain about it would be those who are currently arguing in favor of it. The "I don't want IP unless it's handled this certain way" argument is moot, at least in the eyes of Disney. They don't hear the "if" part, they're only listening to the "want" part and it's the reason why projects like this keep getting announced in the first place.
 
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ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
What if Splash became a mini New Orleans Square with Pecos Bill’s becoming Tiana’s Palace and Frontierland being routed over the bridge to Big Thunder?
1667395988503.png

New Orleans in red, Frontierland in blue. The buildings that currently surround the queue could have retail and a beignet stand.
 

JohnD

Well-Known Member
What if Splash became a mini New Orleans Square with Pecos Bill’s becoming Tiana’s Palace and Frontierland being routed over the bridge to Big Thunder?
View attachment 676279
New Orleans in red, Frontierland in blue. The buildings that currently surround the queue could have retail and a beignet stand.
Anything is possible. They'll start with the Splash retheme first. Then its hurry up and wait.
 
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Stupido

Well-Known Member
What if Splash became a mini New Orleans Square with Pecos Bill’s becoming Tiana’s Palace and Frontierland being routed over the bridge to Big Thunder?
View attachment 676279
New Orleans in red, Frontierland in blue. The buildings that currently surround the queue could have retail and a beignet stand.

That’s kind of what I’ve been thinking since our visit a few weeks ago. Pecos has really doubled down on its south western menu, and frankly without the topping bar, it’s not the restaurant it used to be. If that blue sky concept of a Coco and Encanto extension of Frontierland comes true, I find it very unlikely that it won’t include its own restaurant, which surely would include its own south western menu. They wouldn’t need Pecos to serve the same kind of food, so they’d essentially be freeing up Pecos to be rethemed to Tiana’s Place. I would keep it a qs restaurant too. We already have two table service princess themed restaurants, I think it would be nice to have a princess themed dining for the kids whose parents weren’t able to snag ADRs.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
That’s kind of what I’ve been thinking since our visit a few weeks ago. Pecos has really doubled down on its south western menu, and frankly without the topping bar, it’s not the restaurant it used to be. If that blue sky concept of a Coco and Encanto extension of Frontierland comes true, I find it very unlikely that it won’t include its own restaurant, which surely would include its own south western menu. They wouldn’t need Pecos to serve the same kind of food, so they’d essentially be freeing up Pecos to be rethemed to Tiana’s Place. I would keep it a qs restaurant too. We already have two table service princess themed restaurants, I think it would be nice to have a princess themed dining for the kids whose parents weren’t able to snag ADRs.
Either keep it QS or make Horseshoe a QSR. I presume, at minimum, that would occur during any Pecos refurb. Plus Tortuga could actually function as intended.
 
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