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

[lentesta]

Timeline?

Doesn't WDI know that CBJ is singing songs from the mid-20th century? And that a Mississippi river boat is parked in a Colonial port? And that the Diamond Horseshoe is on their maps as belonging to Liberty Square?

I can squint my eyes (ears?) and go along with CBJ.

I think the "Rivers of America/Tom Sawyer Island" link to the Riverboat qualifies that.

I can see both sides of the DHSR too. It's incongruous, but not, you know, like an animal.

 

[Tha Realest]

It seems to me a much simpler solution would be to just have the queue be temporally transportive. There's nothing about the exterior of the updated ride shown thus far that ties it directly to the 20s. You could easily push it closer to the turn of the century (just prior to where the story starts with Eudora reading to Tiana and Charlotte) and then tell that story along the way as you lead up to the ride itself.

I love this idea. Set it in a tranquil area that feels like the bayou - a swamp, even. It could be so beautiful you could set up a New Orleans' themed indoor restaurant overlooking the queue and ride start. Then, through some unclear method, the guests are transported back in time to the proper time setting.

 

[ppete1975]

I really hope this is land only and world will be later... because my next and last trip to the world is 2023

 

[Incomudro]

Disney has closed popular rides for replacement before, and has just as much justification with this one as they have with others - they want to do it.

Disney has never made a habit of getting hung up on what the guest wants when it comes to making big decisions like this, and they've certainly never found themselves in the quandary of feeling like they can't do something because it'll trip up the thematic logic of the existing area.

Sometimes they massively retheme the area. Usually they minimally retheme the area. Sometimes they don't retheme the area at all.

For better or for worse, Disney is fully aware that the majority of guests have no awareness of the Frontierland timeline as it exists. They're not gonna let that stand in the way of doing what they want here. The fact of the matter is that Splash Mountain itself was already a major blow to the established place and time of Frontierland at WDW - as major as has ever been realized, at least - and almost nobody bats an eye. They won't suddenly get hung up on resolving an issue this very ride created 30 years ago that never proved meaningfully impactful on the guest experience.

The likelihood is high that they will just do what they want to the ride, share many of the elements with its sister in Disneyland, and if they think they can make money turning Pecos Bill into a Tiana Restaurant they'll do it without much conceptual thought to any existing chronology.

That's not exactly how I want them to handle this, but history speaks for itself.

I wish you were wrong, but as you have shown - the evidence is there.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I love this idea. Set it in a tranquil area that feels like the bayou - a swamp, even. It could be so beautiful you could set up a New Orleans' themed indoor restaurant overlooking the queue and ride start. Then, through some unclear method, the guests are transported back in time to the proper time setting.

I still stand by this sketch I did summer 2020, suggesting that the Splash queue and exit area beyond the Railroad Tracks be redressed as a mini New Orleans courtyard with a walk-up Beignet Window and Tiana's Palace sit-down restaurant built where the current restrooms are:

 

[crazy4disney]

Has anyone suggested a new CEO comes in and says enough is enough and cancels this overlay? maybe do it in Cali where is may make sense but not Florida?

 

[SailorMercury]

Has anyone suggested a new CEO comes in and says enough is enough and cancels this overlay? maybe do it in Cali where is may make sense but not Florida?

No matter what happens, no matter how much Disney Adults wanna go “La la la la I can’t hear you!”, and no matter how much support the current version of the attraction may have, it’s gonna happen. It’s too far gone from announcement and the work that has supposedly already been done is too much to just cancel it.

 

[DisneyfanMA]

For my own selfish reasons I hope this does not start this year. I travel with family of kids in Nov and this is a major ride I know they will love. Crossing fingers.

 

[SailorMercury]

For my own selfish reasons I hope this does not start this year. I travel with family of kids in Nov and this is a major ride I know they will love. Crossing fingers.

I personally don’t think it’ll open in 2024. I think that was Disney’s initial hopes, since i can’t imagine a VA has had much work with the attraction since work began, especially with the further delays put on Guardians and Tron. I think it’ll go down later this year during its annual refurbishment, and not open back up until the retheme is complete.

 

[Tha Realest]

I still stand by this sketch I did summer 2020, suggesting that the Splash queue and exit area beyond the Railroad Tracks be redressed as a mini New Orleans courtyard with a walk-up Beignet Window and Tiana's Palace sit-down restaurant built where the current restrooms are:

View attachment 643196

That is really well done, both as a standalone piece of art and as an executed concept. Thank you for sharing.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The last I heard was that DLR's re-do was fairly straightforward. The Splash part of Critter Country would be annexed to New Orleans Square, with no theme or chronological concerns. I think Disneyland's pretty easy.

Last fall, I'd heard WDI was still struggling with the chronology problem in WDW, since Frontierland has a definitive end to its timeline, which I think its roughly 1790-1895. That's at least ~25 years before the events in PATF, which is a faily large gap in both time and in the definition of the US "frontier".

The proposals I was aware of last fall included:

1. Build the PATF ride with Tiana and alter Frontierland to include 1920's New Orleans
2. Build the PATF "prequel" ride without Tiana but with other characters from the film
3. Let Tiana take over Pecos Bill's and make it Tiana's Palace

There are pretty clear issues with all three. There might be other alternatives by now.

WDI has shown with GOTG and now Batuu that existing themes, timelines, and canon aren't barriers to putting in any ride in any location. It's possible they take option #1. I think the reason why options 2 and 3 exist is that enough people in WDI saw the problems with #1, that they were looking for a compromise everyone could live with.

I mean, if option #1 is taken, it means Frontierland includes everything in US history from the Lewis & Clark expedition to the end of World War I, the formation of the League of Nations, and almost up to the Great Depression. Everything from canoes to airplane travel, to the earliest helicopters, is fair game. The first half of Tomorrowland's Carousel of Progress would fit into Frontierland's chronology.

I think WDI recognizes the issues with this, hence this is why we've not heard more about it.

If the next Disney update on PATF focuses only on Disneyland, that would be an indication that WDW's Frontierland timeline remains an issue within WDI.

Not that they asked me, but I feel like they could annex Splash/PatF into a new subland themed to New Orleans and Caribbean with a new restaurant in Pecos and Pirates (which in some ways feels a bit separate from rest of Adventureland .... Maybe build up that boardwalk walkway to me a more substantial path into the Big Thunder area

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Not just PLAY! But I've heard their plan to combat Epic also includes:
•Moana
•A fully fixed Yeti
•Tiana Mt.
•Free churros and turkey legs for everyone on property
•The public overthrowing of Bob Chapek

After the whole "churro stand" thing with VelociCoaster it would be fun if Disney promoted free churros as their counter

 

[lentesta]

Not that they asked me, but I feel like they could annex Splash/PatF into a new subland themed to New Orleans and Caribbean with a new restaurant in Pecos and Pirates (which in some ways feels a bit separate from rest of Adventureland .... Maybe build up that boardwalk walkway to me a more substantial path into the Big Thunder area

View attachment 643213

An annex of Splash and POTC into a proto-New Orleans Square would work for me. I could get behind this idea.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I can squint my eyes (ears?) and go along with CBJ.

Study: 96 Percent Of Humans Would Rather Be Animatronic Bear

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—The University of Virginia published the results of an extensive 18-month study Wednesday revealing that 96 percent of human beings across the planet would strongly prefer to be a singing, dancing animatronic bear.

www.theonion.com

 

[Phil12]

I love this idea. Set it in a tranquil area that feels like the bayou - a swamp, even. It could be so beautiful you could set up a New Orleans' themed indoor restaurant overlooking the queue and ride start. Then, through some unclear method, the guests are transported back in time to the proper time setting.

That's where Stitch comes in with his time machine surfboard:

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Something a bit strange about this.

This is an ABC produced show, and they have even chosen to make this a clip on their YouTube page. Watching the video, she also seems to be aware of what she can and can't say.

Was this perhaps prearranged?

Yeah, she’s riding GotG 8 times in a row…that statement should’ve set the bells off…I think TWDC needs to hire a PR person who’s an expert at walking statements back…from Orlando, just about 850 miles due north

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Build the PATF "prequel" ride without Tiana but with other characters from the film

No way are they doing this without Tiana.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Don't worry, Disney has a plan. Frontierland and Liberty Square will be redistricted into several NEW and EXCITING lands!

World New Orleans
World Gold Rush
World Critter Country
World Bicentennial
World Halloween Town

 

[JD80]

An annex of Splash and POTC into a proto-New Orleans Square would work for me. I could get behind this idea.

I'm here for this.

 

[britain]

1920's Tiana will fit into 1880's Frontierland just as well as 1850's Lincoln fits into Disneyland's 1900's Main Street.

And just as well as 1700's PotC fits inside 1920's New Orleans Square.

And honestly, just as well as 1850's (judging by the cast members clothing) Haunted Mansion fits inside 1780's Liberty Square.

Because these themes are LAUNCHING POINTS, not zones with hard and fast restrictions.