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

[RSoxNo1]

I'm glad I was able to ride Splash Mountain 3 times last week, but if any of Disney's franchise partners operated an attraction this way, they would be in breach of contract.

I actually expected it to be worse, but the attraction is not show ready nor will it be before it closes. I mentioned to a CM upon exiting the first ride through, "this thing is limping to the finish line" and all he could do was laugh.

 

[fgmnt]

One thing I am struck by having returned from a trip where I rode the newest major attraction on property (Rewind) and Splash Mountain within 24 hours, is how well-built the Splash Mountain experience is. Though the ride has not been show-ready for a visit I made this year (obviously on purpose), I still can respect how well-paced and lovingly sensational (in the literal way of how it engages your senses of sight, scent, sound, and touch) the entire encounter is in comparison to what now passes for a major attraction. It is a ride designed by people who knew exactly how to engage their audience in a unique and memorable experience. You are moving in a Splash Mountain log more than 3x as long as you do so in the Rewind Omnicoaster. You are naturally directed to more unique set pieces through a single act of Splash Mountain than you are spun into on Rewind.

I know this is not a remotely novel observation, but it is really striking to be reminded exactly how they quite literally do not make them like they used to.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

One thing I am struck by having returned from a trip where I rode the newest major attraction on property (Rewind) and Splash Mountain within 24 hours, is how well-built the Splash Mountain experience is. Though the ride has not been show-ready for a visit I made this year (obviously on purpose), I still can respect how well-paced and lovingly sensational (in the literal way of how it engages your senses of sight, scent, sound, and touch) the entire encounter is in comparison to what now passes for a major attraction. It is a ride designed by people who knew exactly how to engage their audience in a unique and memorable experience. You are moving in a Splash Mountain log more than 3x as long as you do so in the Rewind Omnicoaster. You are naturally directed to more unique set pieces through a single act of Splash Mountain than you are spun into on Rewind.

I know this is not a remotely novel observation, but it is really striking to be reminded exactly how they quite literally do not make them like they used to.

This is going to be the main problem with TBA: the building was NOT built for it. It can be shoehorned well, at the most but at the end of the day: it will be shoehorned in.

 

[IronRod]

I rode it today before it shut down for half the day. The state its in is really sad, its almost like they deliberately avoided maintaining something they knew would close. At one point today, the wait time was about 85 mins and that was before it shut down AGAIN. They gave us lightning lane vouchers to use on any ride which we ended up using on Pirates of the Caribbean.

I noticed the following on today's ride through:

How Do You Do?

• Br'er Frog animatronic at the start doesn't talk until you're more than halfway up
• Geese on right side moved erratically
• Frogs made very audible joint clicking noises
• Lights were barely on, only certain scenes were illuminated
• Projected shadows of the Br'er trio running over the hill wasn't working
• Second Br'er Fox was silent for a good 20 seconds before talking
• Br'er Bear moves his arms and head
• Million dollar bunny is obviously broken, I didn't see hide nor hair of it actually and I'm wondering if they took it out.
• Roadrunner was talking but its beak was out of sync.
• Possums were barely moving
• Br'er Fox missing hat, Br'er Rabbit's head moves weirdly

Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place

• Br'er Bear with beehive barely moving, sort of shimmies around.
• Turtles don't go up and down, are just stuck sitting on top of the geysers
• Weasels are out of sync with the audio
• Br'er Rabbit moves his head and twitches his feet but doesn't move his mouth
• Tied up Br'er Rabbit barely moves, if at all
• Br'er Fox projection is out of sync and pops up before the audio even starts in some cases, sometimes appears when the log is halfway up.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
This entire scene is broken, there's too much to list

Million dollar bunny is definitely still there. I saw it on Saturday. He’s really hidden back there. I wish they would turn it one last time, even though it would probably just twitch angrily. I never heard what was so complex about it. I guess putting an already complex animatronic on a robotic arm didn’t help.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I rode it today before it shut down for half the day. The state its in is really sad, its almost like they deliberately avoided maintaining something they knew would close. At one point today, the wait time was about 85 mins and that was before it shut down AGAIN. They gave us lightning lane vouchers to use on any ride which we ended up using on Pirates of the Caribbean.

I noticed the following on today's ride through:

How Do You Do?

• Br'er Frog animatronic at the start doesn't talk until you're more than halfway up
• Geese on right side moved erratically
• Frogs made very audible joint clicking noises
• Lights were barely on, only certain scenes were illuminated
• Projected shadows of the Br'er trio running over the hill wasn't working
• Second Br'er Fox was silent for a good 20 seconds before talking
• Br'er Bear moves his arms and head
• Million dollar bunny is obviously broken, I didn't see hide nor hair of it actually and I'm wondering if they took it out.
• Roadrunner was talking but its beak was out of sync.
• Possums were barely moving
• Br'er Fox missing hat, Br'er Rabbit's head moves weirdly

Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place

• Br'er Bear with beehive barely moving, sort of shimmies around.
• Turtles don't go up and down, are just stuck sitting on top of the geysers
• Weasels are out of sync with the audio
• Br'er Rabbit moves his head and twitches his feet but doesn't move his mouth
• Tied up Br'er Rabbit barely moves, if at all
• Br'er Fox projection is out of sync and pops up before the audio even starts in some cases, sometimes appears when the log is halfway up.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
This entire scene is broken, there's too much to list

See, that’s what worries me about the amount of AA’s that will be carried over from Splash. I know I’m being rational, but to me, it would be better (and more cost effective) to maintain the ones that are going to be reskinned. By ongoing maintenance, it would lessen the down time for the reboot. The amount of inoperable AA’s is just leading me to believe that they will be removed.

 

[phillip9698]

One thing I am struck by having returned from a trip where I rode the newest major attraction on property (Rewind) and Splash Mountain within 24 hours, is how well-built the Splash Mountain experience is. Though the ride has not been show-ready for a visit I made this year (obviously on purpose), I still can respect how well-paced and lovingly sensational (in the literal way of how it engages your senses of sight, scent, sound, and touch) the entire encounter is in comparison to what now passes for a major attraction. It is a ride designed by people who knew exactly how to engage their audience in a unique and memorable experience. You are moving in a Splash Mountain log more than 3x as long as you do so in the Rewind Omnicoaster. You are naturally directed to more unique set pieces through a single act of Splash Mountain than you are spun into on Rewind.

I know this is not a remotely novel observation, but it is really striking to be reminded exactly how they quite literally do not make them like they used to.

Why would you compare a slow log ride through show scenes to a coaster? A more apt comparison would be to compare coasters built in the same era as Splash to Guardians so BTMR to Guardians.

If you are gonna compare show scene rides it would be better to use Rise.

 

[discos]

See, that’s what worries me about the amount of AA’s that will be carried over from Splash. I know I’m being rational, but to me, it would be better (and more cost effective) to maintain the ones that are going to be reskinned. By ongoing maintenance, it would lessen the down time for the reboot. The amount of inoperable AA’s is just leading me to believe that they will be removed.

They could rebuild some of them as they did with the three cabs at Epcot but at that point just build brand new figures. Maybe some of the smaller basic figures could be reused like the raccoon playing the turtle. The entire finale just needs to go to the landfill though

 

[JohnD]

I rode it today before it shut down for half the day. The state its in is really sad, its almost like they deliberately avoided maintaining something they knew would close. At one point today, the wait time was about 85 mins and that was before it shut down AGAIN. They gave us lightning lane vouchers to use on any ride which we ended up using on Pirates of the Caribbean.

I noticed the following on today's ride through:

How Do You Do?

• Br'er Frog animatronic at the start doesn't talk until you're more than halfway up
• Geese on right side moved erratically
• Frogs made very audible joint clicking noises
• Lights were barely on, only certain scenes were illuminated
• Projected shadows of the Br'er trio running over the hill wasn't working
• Second Br'er Fox was silent for a good 20 seconds before talking
• Br'er Bear moves his arms and head
• Million dollar bunny is obviously broken, I didn't see hide nor hair of it actually and I'm wondering if they took it out.
• Roadrunner was talking but its beak was out of sync.
• Possums were barely moving
• Br'er Fox missing hat, Br'er Rabbit's head moves weirdly

Everybody's Got a Laughin' Place

• Br'er Bear with beehive barely moving, sort of shimmies around.
• Turtles don't go up and down, are just stuck sitting on top of the geysers
• Weasels are out of sync with the audio
• Br'er Rabbit moves his head and twitches his feet but doesn't move his mouth
• Tied up Br'er Rabbit barely moves, if at all
• Br'er Fox projection is out of sync and pops up before the audio even starts in some cases, sometimes appears when the log is halfway up.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
This entire scene is broken, there's too much to list

At this point I actually think it's kind of cruel to keep Splash running until the 23rd.


How Do Ya Do
• First frog not moving
• Goose moving very shakily and barely moving
• Goose trio on right barely moving at all
• Br'er Fox paralyzed from the neck down
• Br'er Rabbit only moving his head and arm
• Mr. Bluebird not moving
• Br'er Raccoon not moving
• Second bunny stuck turned away from shadow
• Br'er Fox slumped forward and barely moving
• Br'er Bear only moving arms in trap
• Br'er Bear speaker giving out, can barely hear it next to Br'er Fox and the music
• Air leaks in Upper Laughin Place getting worse
• Sounds like one of the possums is leaking now too
• Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear not moving at the top of the dip drop
• Br'er Rabbit audio is waaay too loud again

Laughin' Place/Burrow’s Lament/Big Drop
• Br'er Bear being stung audio is now completely turned off
• Br'er Bear with beehive completely tipped to one side and barely twitching
• Laughing Br'er Rabbit mouth broken
• Br'er Fox with beehive barely moving
• No jumping water in Laughin' Place
• Laughin' Place nearly pitch black aside from the character spots
• Neither turtle going up and down
• Fountain only running under one turtle
• Trapped Br’er Rabbit only moving his feet
• Br'er Fox holding Br'er Rabbit looks very very dirty.
• Br'er Fox jaw going WAAAYY too fast compared to the rest of him.
• Right boothill boy not moving
• Vulture audio sounds distorted
• Tied up Br'er Rabbit not moving
• Br'er Fox shadow comes on after boat is already past
• Br'er Rabbit audio cutting off Br'er Fox audio

Zip a Dee Doo Dah
• Neither of the two remaining Swamp Boys moving
• Brown Hen on top level of boat stuck looking all the way back and not moving
• Organ pig not moving
• Three can-can geese out of sync
• Tan hen on farthest left stuck looking up and not moving aside from tambourine
• Captain Goose slumped over, barely moving
• Saddlesore Swanson barely moving
• Br'er Toad not moving
• Audio turned off for Toad/Turkey
• Entire Gator attack scene turned off
• Br'er Rabbit barely moving in home sweet home scene

I honestly don't understand why you all are bothering to track everything that is "wrong" with the ride at this point. If it were staying around you would have a valid gripe that they would let it get this bad until its annual refurbishment. But it's getting rethemed. Why bother refurbishing elements of the "old" theme when it gets taken down next month for a retheme anyway? You can complain that if its this bad they should just take it down now. But then you would have the issues of those guests complaining they didn't get to ride it one last time. So, they're just going to take it down when it would normally be refurbished and start the re-theme then.

 

[JohnD]

My wife and I are here now…rode it twice on Friday and once Saturday night. While I agree at least 50% of the AA’s aren’t working properly or at all, I don’t think it should be closed now. It’s almost like (for lack of a better term), visiting an old friend when you know the end is near. It’s one of those situations where you’ll regret not going.

Agree. I told a co-worker, who's going next week, that many of the elements are not working. She's riding anyway to get in one last ride. You can still appreciate it hearing the overall theme music and seeing the characters, even if many are immobile.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Why bother refurbishing elements of the "old" theme when it gets taken down next month for a retheme anyway?

Because the customers paying ever increasing admission costs and extra-pay FastPass (including for this ride specifically) deserve to see these attractions in acceptable show condition. Splash has been like this for some time now, not just the past month.

I'm not interested in hearing anymore excuses for this park's consistently abysmal show quality. We deserve better. Period.

 

[UNCgolf]

Why would you compare a slow log ride through show scenes to a coaster? A more apt comparison would be to compare coasters built in the same era as Splash to Guardians so BTMR to Guardians.

If you are gonna compare show scene rides it would be better to use Rise.

BTMR easily tops Guardians in that comparison, if you're talking about actual storytelling/show scenes/etc. -- Guardians is, of course, a more intense/thrilling coaster.

I think he was making the original comparison because there was an idea pushed that Guardians was going to be a lot more than just a coaster; that it was going to be like a coaster/dark ride hybrid. That obviously didn't happen.

 

[JohnD]

Because the customers paying ever increasing admission costs and extra-pay FastPass (including for this ride specifically) deserve to see these attractions in acceptable show condition. Splash has been like this for some time now, not just the past month.

I'm not interested in hearing anymore excuses for this park's consistently abysmal show quality. We deserve better. Period.

Because a retheme is coming. What about that don't you understand? If I were going, I'm with other guests in that I'd like to ride one last time. I mean, you're seriously going to count everything that is "wrong" with it less than a month out before it gets taken down for a retheme?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Because a retheme is coming. What about that don't you understand? If I were going, I'm with other guests in that I'd like to ride one last time. I mean, you're seriously going to count everything that is "wrong" with it less than a month out before it gets taken down for a retheme?

It's Disney's job to maintain their attractions. Thousands of paying customers are riding this every day until it closes. They deserve better.

 

[phillip9698]

It's Disney's job to maintain their attractions. Thousands of paying customers are riding this every day until it closes. They deserve better.

The thing is that the current sad state of Splash is only really a bother to people who know how much was taking place in the original working attraction. Most people who ride it dont know the extent of what is missing. There was so much put in there that even with 50% working animatronics its still blows other log rides away in terms of show so Disney can get away with it. Most people riding dont know what is supposed to be moving outside of incredibly obvious stuff like the missing water fountains and gophers that arent popping up. My wife had no clue there were supposed to be spinning bees, possums coming out the ceiling, etc...

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Because a retheme is coming. What about that don't you understand? If I were going, I'm with other guests in that I'd like to ride one last time. I mean, you're seriously going to count everything that is "wrong" with it less than a month out before it gets taken down for a retheme?

Imagine if you went to a coffee shop at 4PM and the employees refused to serve you because "we're closing in an hour anyway".

Guests are paying for show quality and they are not recieving it. And unfortunately, in Splash's case, the damage is so bad its noticeable even to the uninitiated.

Add to that the fact that the lack of maintenance on Splash does not actually stem from senioritis and it becomes clear this is a larger problem that needs addressing if guests are expected to pay so much.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The thing is that the current sad state of Splash is only really a bother to people who know how much was taking place in the original working attraction. Most people who ride it dont know the extent of what is missing.

Lots of people don't know things about Magic Kingdom. Most people paying $40 each to eat dinner in the Diamond Horseshoe tonight probably don't know they venue had a show there for 30 years.

That doesn't mean the park shouldn't be held to a higher standard than the bare minimum of rides considered working because a vehicle can move from point A to B without issue and you can get an edible lunch inside some places.

I understand the circumstances of Splash's imminent closure and the park's current customer base, but the world's most visited theme park should live up to its own standards and reputation.

 

[Ayla]

I honestly don't understand why you all are bothering to track everything that is "wrong" with the ride at this point. If it were staying around you would have a valid gripe that they would let it get this bad until its annual refurbishment. But it's getting rethemed. Why bother refurbishing elements of the "old" theme when it gets taken down next month for a retheme anyway? You can complain that if its this bad they should just take it down now. But then you would have the issues of those guests complaining they didn't get to ride it one last time. So, they're just going to take it down when it would normally be refurbished and start the re-theme then.

Splash has been in its current state for years.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

It's Disney's job to maintain their attractions. Thousands of paying customers are riding this every day until it closes. They deserve better.

Imagine if you went to a coffee shop at 4PM and the employees refused to serve you because "we're closing in an hour anyway".

Guests are paying for show quality and they are not recieving it. And unfortunately, in Splash's case, the damage is so bad its noticeable even to the uninitiated.

Add to that the fact that the lack of maintenance on Splash does not actually stem from senioritis and it becomes clear this is a larger problem that needs addressing if guests are expected to pay so much.

So your saying Disney should just shut it down permanently now? What exactly do you want them to do?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

So your saying Disney should just shut it down permanently now? What exactly do you want them to do?

Maintenance???

Upkeep the attraction while it is open?? Don't let it get to this far-gone point even if its closing date is on the calendar?

I don't know why people are confused by this.

 

[phillip9698]

Lots of people don't know things about Magic Kingdom. Most people paying $40 each to eat dinner in the Diamond Horseshoe tonight probably don't know they venue had a show there for 30 years.

That doesn't mean the park shouldn't be held to a higher standard than the bare minimum of rides considered working because a vehicle can move from point A to B without issue and you can get an edible lunch inside some places.

I understand the circumstances of Splash's imminent closure and the park's current customer base, but the world's most visited theme park should live up to its own standards and reputation.

Funny thing is, food quality has dropped immensely at Disney World over the past 15 years and people are paying even more for it.