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

[crazy4disney]

That's . . . all the more reason my point stands.

Anika Noni Rose said the retheme was coming in 2024 in her interview. Disney knows that's either gonna happen or it isn't, and that these days more than ever dates and timelines are subject to change. So why would her comment make them feel the need to rush to respond, and how on earth would them being like "Yes, it's gonna be late 2024, and BTW here's the new name" qualify as a knee-jerk reaction?

Some people are acting like there's a conspiracy here, but they basically just said "Yep" and kept moving.

Well i dk if you want to call it a conspiracy but there was NO way they had real serious plans to change this ride to Tiana before the fake outrage on social media happened….

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

This is wandering off topic, but I think I'm one of the few who might even rate the DLP version of Pirates a little below the MK version. The facade and whole area around it is fantastic and the queue is also great. For me, though, the Paris version feels more like a theme park ride and lacks the atmosphere of the other versions that seem to unfold in a more meandering, mysterious fashion. One big flaw in Paris is that they take you up a lift hill early on and you can look down on scenes unfolding later in the ride. That kind of blows the whole thing for me as where are you supposed to be? The upper ocean looking down on a town that sits on the lower ocean?

They do make some sense of the uphill portion of the ride, though it is a little convoluted (and now a little more confused by the presence of the Davy Jones/Blackbeard Projection).

I personally enjoy the idea of the upper portion, but I do agree that does a little bit expose some of the theme-parkiness. Some of the views from uptop don't do the best job masking the ceilings, and sort of draw a little attention to the fact that you're in a warehouse. There is some good stuff up there, though, and it earns you the ability to put the second drop right after the Burning City, which is really nice. Spilling out the blown up side of the Upper fort down into the harbor where the ship is attacking is also a great bit of staging, but it does also result in you rushing through that classic moment, and I agree that some of the scenes feel more cramped and theatrically lit than they do stateside.

It's a thrilling interpretation to witness, but I wouldn't call it perfect. Your post sort of goes back to my original idea that WDW's Pirates is better than it gets credit for, because it does a lot of seemingly small things right that DLP's doesn't always pick up on.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

It's a thrilling interpretation to witness, but I wouldn't call it perfect. Your post sort of goes back to my original idea that WDW's Pirates is better than it gets credit for, because it does a lot of seemingly small things right that DLP's doesn't always pick up on.

Completely agree, and in fact it was the Paris version that gave me a new appreciation for the WDW version after years of always thinking of it mostly according to the stereotype of a rushed and truncated version of the DL version.

That's not to say I don't like the Paris version, though, and I agree with all of your observations of its strengths and weaknesses. I really feel that even just sealing up those views from the upper level of the ride would go a long way to addressing the theme parky feel of the Paris version and the sense that you're floating around a giant warehouse. One of the most impressive things about the DL version in particular is how the hide the ceilings, but in Paris they don't do a great job of that.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Completely agree, and in fact it was the Paris version that gave me a new appreciation for the WDW version after years of always thinking of it mostly according to the stereotype of a rushed and truncated version of the DL version.

That's not to say I don't like the Paris version, though, and I agree with all of your observations of its strengths and weaknesses. I really feel that even just sealing up those views from the upper level of the ride would go a long way to addressing the theme parky feel of the Paris version and the sense that you're floating around a giant warehouse. One of the most impressive things about the DL version in particular is how the hide the ceilings, but in Paris they don't do a great job of that.

Okay so I haven't been to DLP, and did not realize how different POTC was there. Just watched a video.

DLP Pirates is leaps and bounds better them MK, just off the video. It maintains most the key elements that makes the DL version superior, but in a new way. It's what MK should have been if they wanted to differentiate the rides.

Poor MK deserves a better POTC.

 

[Ghost93]

Especially because they barely expanded on it - like, we know the attraction's name now, but the only other thing they added to what we knew was that it's coming in LATE 2024. People are acting like Anika Noni Rose's 2024 mention forced their hand or something. They barely told us anything that we didn't already know, it's not like they're doing damage control.

If this is reactionary, it feels way less like "QUICK, now we HAVE to throw something together!" and more like "IDK, we might as well make it official since it's already out there".

I also feel the announcement was to dispel the rumors that the current version of Splash Mountain would remain in the parks and that the retheme was cancelled.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Your post sort of goes back to my original idea that WDW's Pirates is better than it gets credit for, because it does a lot of seemingly small things right that DLP's doesn't always pick up on.

One example I've given before is the placement of hurricane cove, which WDW places before the drop, the only version to do so.

It builds anticipation and masks the sound of the drop itself (and the riders in the boat in front of you going down it), making it seem like it will be more dramatic than it really is.

We see the storm approaching, the destruction of the what it did to the last ship, and now have to somehow survive our escape...only to land in a new danger with the battle.

 

[Dear Prudence]

Especially because they barely expanded on it - like, we know the attraction's name now, but the only other thing they added to what we knew was that it's coming in LATE 2024. People are acting like Anika Noni Rose's 2024 mention forced their hand or something. They barely told us anything that we didn't already know, it's not like they're doing damage control.

If this is reactionary, it feels way less like "QUICK, now we HAVE to throw something together!" and more like "IDK, we might as well make it official since it's already out there".

Rose said it on a Disney owned network responding to a question that was clearly staged/baited. Which is sonweird because they could obviously just announce it, buy they've been so cagey about it the entire time.

 

[DCBaker]

Disney has posted video of the full panel discussion from ESSENCE Fest -

 

[BuddyThomas]

I mean, we’ve had Splash Mountain for what, over 30 years now? That’s a pretty good run for any theme park ride. Didn’t Walt himself say that the parks would always be evolving? I for one am totally fine with the retheme of this.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

I mean, we’ve had Splash Mountain for what, over 30 years now? That’s a pretty good run for any theme park ride. Didn’t Walt himself say that the parks would always be evolving? I for one am totally fine with the retheme of this.

He's said that but also that "Disneyland will sometimes be a museum".

 

[BuddyThomas]

He's said that but also that "Disneyland will sometimes be a museum".

Well, Splash will live for eternity in endless YouTube videos, so there’s the museum.

 

[BuddyThomas]

tv

Let’s stick to Splash. What is the reason for the refurbishment?

Hasn’t this question already been answered and responded to multiple times?

 

[Disney Analyst]

you’re entitled to your own opinion, as is your prerogative.

Let’s stick to Splash. What is the reason for the refurbishment?

Because Disney said so .

 

[Disney Analyst]

Disney does not have the ability to simply close Splash Mountain in Tokyo Disneyland because they do not own or run that park. They license their properties to a company that owns and operates the parks in Tokyo, and Disney has vested interest in closing all of the Splash Mountains. That the Tokyo version isn't closing suggests that they do not have the ability to just close that one - perhaps there's some contractual peculiarity there with the OLC.

I have been thinking about this lately. As Disney licenses to OLC, could they not pull the license for the Splash / SOTS Characters and music, forcing OLC to redo the attraction?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Disney does not have the ability to simply close Splash Mountain in Tokyo Disneyland because they do not own or run that park. They license their properties to a company that owns and operates the parks in Tokyo, and Disney has vested interest in closing all of the Splash Mountains. That the Tokyo version isn't closing suggests that they do not have the ability to just close that one - perhaps there's some contractual peculiarity there with the OLC. But they want the ride dead and buried worldwide, and they could have saved money on Tiana's Bayou Adventure by sharing costs with Tokyo had they said yes to turning their Splash into it, so this doesn't seem to be an example of them picking and choosing. They would break through that wall if they could because they know it would make them money and that it would help them look better in this situation.

I wonder if Disney can jack up the license fees for only the Song of the south elements thereby forcing Tokyo to close and re theme?

 

[Tha Realest]

Because Disney said so .

What is the purpose for the refurbishment?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I have been thinking about this lately. As Disney licenses to OLC, could they not pull the license for the Splash / SOTS Characters and music, forcing OLC to redo the attraction?

The fact that they aren't doing that seems to suggest they can't - because like I said, they they have no vested interest in keeping Splash Mountain open anywhere, since the characters make them basically no money, and they would have saved money on the refurbishment by doing Tiana's Bayou Adventure as a joint project with OLC. We have it on good authority that OLC shot down Disney's proposal to turn Splash into Tiana in Tokuo, which would indicate that OLC can do that regardless of what Disney wants.

Perhaps they've licensed the Brer's for x amount of years and that number isn't up yet.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

The fact that they aren't doing that seems to suggest they can't - because like I said, they they have no vested interest in keeping Splash Mountain open anywhere, since the characters make them basically no money, and they would have saved money on the refurbishment by doing Tiana's Bayou Adventure as a joint project with OLC. We have it on good authority that OLC shot down Disney's proposal to turn Splash into Tiana in Tokuo, which would indicate that OLC can do that regardless of what Disney wants.

Perhaps they've licensed the Brer's for x amount of years and that number isn't up yet.

It would seem like an unnecessarily hostile move by Disney to force OLC to subsidise this by withdrawing permission for licensing the characters for Splash Mountain even if they could. Insiders have already suggested there was some annoyance from OLC that they were being used to fund R&D for Disney's other parks, so presumably this would have turned relations toxic.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

It would seem like an unnecessarily hostile move by Disney to force OLC to subsidise this by withdrawing permission for licensing the characters for Splash Mountain even if they could. Insiders have already suggested there was some annoyance from OLC that they were being used to fund R&D for Disney's other parks, so presumably this would have turned relations toxic.

Also, SotS may be public domain in Japan.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

> Saying the park will "sometimes" be "a museum of living facts" is not the same as saying "we should choose selectively to keep things the way they are, even when we recognize the problems with them". Splash Mountain and Song of the South are not "living facts".

Ok, but... did I say this? The second sentence is incredibly uncalled for and childish. Ironic.

I already said no.

Since you need your hand held - Walt saying that the park will "sometimes" be "a museum of living facts" is not tantamount to HIM saying "we're gonna keep some stuff just for the purpose of filling the museum quota of Disneyland". His reference to Disneyland being a "museum of living facts" does not relate to Splash Mountain, a ride based on an animated feature based on stories that are not based in fact, and is certainly not an example of the "living facts" he specifically referred to.

But feel free to keep telling on yourself. I'm sure the mods will have fun with your posts when the time comes.