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

[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.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

Maintancance???

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.

But they didn't and it would take an extended amout of time to fix everything is wrong with it so here we are. I ask again right now, what should they do?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

But they didn't and it would take an extended amout of time to fix everything is wrong with it so here we are. I ask again right now, what should they do?

Obviously the only thing they can do is just do better by other attractions in the future.

Nobody expects them to shut down Splash right now and address the issues at hand. But we should absolutely not excuse the falling standards that led to it.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Don’t you know that for Bob I, rather than have a window on Main St. when he FINALLY retires, TWDC is going to award him the first ever Mickey golden shoehorn…

 

[EagleScout610]

But they didn't and it would take an extended amout of time to fix everything is wrong with it so here we are. I ask again right now, what should they do?

We're not asking for them to pull it for a refurb, then reopen and then close it right away again for the retheme. We're asking for some maintenance so Splash can die with the slightest shred of dignity

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Obviously the only thing they can do is just do better by other attractions in the future.

Nobody expects them to shut down Splash right now and address the issues at hand. But we should absolutely not excuse the falling standards that led to it.

This is the heart of the issue, no one expects them to close a ride for maintenance a few months before it closes but it never should have gotten to this point, same with Indy at DL and dozens of others, Disney has gone from primarily fixing things overnight to primarily fixing things once a year during the annual downtime… if you’re fortunate to go after the annual refurb you get a great ride but if you go near the scheduled refurb you’ll likely get a bad show.

Obviously some things can’t be fixed overnight but I’d argue most things can be and throwing lipstick and bandaids on everything for a year is a bad maintenance plan.

 

[EagleScout610]

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?

Because we're sad that Disney is allowing one of its greatest attractions to limp out its final days as opposed to going out in a somewhat respectable condition where, sure, things don't work, but not a state where it would be faster to list things that are working vs. not functioning.

 

[RobWDW1971]

What's frankly even more sad is that on a Disney theme park fan site, of all places, people are rationalizing and even defending an attraction to be in this state. If apparently hardcore Disney fans have no expectations for attraction quality, why would we assume Disney management would ever care?

The fans are getting exactly what they are demanding - lower quality staff, lower service and appearance standards, lower attraction quality and maintenance, lower food quality, and complete lack of theming/architecture consistency.

And yet this site is filled with people defending it and rushing to pay even more for it.

Disney management just sits back and laughs.