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

[UNCgolf]

Shows the wide variety in opinions.

I don't think Maelstrom was a very good ride (it was one of the worst at EPCOT), but Frozen Ever After is just awful. It's among the worst rides Disney has ever built -- it feels like they stopped halfway through construction and just opened what was there. Since neither is good, Maelstrom gets the easy nod because the backwards section actually made sense in the context of the ride and the fact that it was actually about Norway (however tenuously).

Plus, Frozen should have received its own impressive attraction, not a short, shoehorned version that does essentially nothing. The fact that they are cloning FEA elsewhere is as big an indictment on current Disney as anything they've ever done.

 

[erasure fan1]

This entire first new section of the ride is better than the entirety of Maelstrom. Just a gorgeous set design and sequence.


View attachment 653426


Add in the queue being a major improvement, fluid AAs throughout, no oil rig to float past, and no theatre to be dumped into....


A much better ride.

I haven't been on frozen yet to determine for myself if it is better. But what I can say is this, maelstrom didn't need to go. Frozen, while I'm not a big fan of the film, deserved better than a shoehorned attraction. It should have received a proper build out. The same thing goes for princess and the frog. It deserves better than an reskin. WDW needs A LOT more capacity. So taking down rides, especially one as prolific as splash, is a head scratcher. Great movie ride is another good example.

The point you are making, at least I think, is that Disney can reskin a ride and make it better. My issue with that comparison is this. Maelstrom was not, or ever was, considered one of the best attractions ever made. Disney has a fairly good track record of updating great attractions and making them inferior to what was there before.

 

[disneyfireman]

Nope maelstrom was horrible, glad it's gone. Sorry with every little girl in love with Elsa, I wouldn't say no one thinks it's an improvement

But I do have to ask, how is it a shell of a ride?? It's the exact same ride. Nothing changed pretty much except they swapped out knomes for snow monsters.

The slowed it down quite a bit...the area where you changed direction used to be more fast paced and sort of "thrilling". they could have done so much better with he redo....There was also alot more wind produced...they tamed it down so to speak....like putting breaks on a roller coaster.

 

[EagleScout610]

Several things can be true at once.

Splash Mountain is indeed a charming masterpiece, loved by many (myself include).

Few people have any real knowledge of the IP to which it is tied. Many, and perhaps even a majority, of those riding it may have no idea whatsoever of its source material.

However, the IP in question happens to be a film that has been regarded as controversial from the moment of its inception. Since 1946, long before most of us were born, criticism has been levelled at Song of the South for its portrayal of plantation life. The debate started over half a century before the fabled "woke mob" can be accused of getting involved.

What this means is that Splash Mountain, no matter how charming or beloved it may be, and regardless of how little-known Song of the South is today, has an indelible connection to something long perceived as problematic. That connection was previously thought of as tenuous enough not to matter; now, Disney considers it to be a liability.

I'm not sure why those who object to the retheme aren't at least able to acknowledge the chain of circumstances that have brought us here. No amount of obfuscation or denial can change the fact that Splash Mountain would never have existed in its current form had it not been for Song of the South. Its relationship to the film cannot be pretended away; it's baked into the ride itself.

Last year it was said a few times that Splash had been a ticking time bomb until a remake as long as it had the SotS elements

 

[Sir_Cliff]

This entire first new section of the ride is better than the entirety of Maelstrom. Just a gorgeous set design and sequence.


View attachment 653426


Add in the queue being a major improvement, fluid AAs throughout, no oil rig to float past, and no theatre to be dumped into....


A much better ride.

Yeah, while I appreciated the originality of Maelstrom, I really find FEA a more impressive and atmospheric attraction.

Every time I am in Oslo and see the big troll figures outside the tourist shops, I do think of Maelstrom, though!

 

[mickEblu]

Indeed, it seems a non-issue. I'm sure most people already just say they're just going to ride Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Buzz, Pirates, etc. If I had to guess, this will just become "Tiana" which seems fine to me. I think people even shorten Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain to Splash and Big Thunder!

Its hardly the biggest offender when it comes to this whole thing but regardless its a poor name and generic in the worst way. Exacerbated by the fact its replacing a very popular name/ ride that's simple from the Disney lexicon as well as removing the ride from the "Mountain Range" category. Also just having a ride with arguably the most thrilling moment in the entire park be called "Tiana" is just so odd. But I guess that's what happens when you choose a "thrill" ride to insert your princess IP. I say this as a fan of the PatF movie and as someone who thinks its the best IP that could replace Splash Mountain. Well, at my home park of Disneyland that is. MK is another story.

All of the other rides that we shorten were original rides and many of them have Simple names. Calling Space Mountain "Space" works. Calling Splash Mountain "Tiana" makes me cringe.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Its hardly the biggest offender when it comes to this whole thing but regardless its a poor name and generic in the worst way. Exacerbated by the fact its replacing a very popular name/ ride that's simple from the Disney lexicon as well as removing the ride from the "Mountain Range" category. Also just having a ride with arguably the most thrilling moment in the entire park be called "Tiana" is just so odd. But I guess that's what happens when you choose a "thrill" ride to insert your princess IP. I say this as a fan of the PatF movie and as someone who thinks its the best IP that could replace Splash Mountain. Well, at my home park of Disneyland that is. MK is another story.

All of the other rides that we shorten were original rides and many of them have Simple names. Calling Space Mountain "Space" works. Calling Splash Mountain "Tiana" makes me cringe.

What would be a good name then for the retheme?

 

[mickEblu]

What would be a good name then for the retheme?

Let me get back to you on my official choice. But as someone who has gotten used to very bad attractions names of late, I would have even been ok with Tiana's Bayou Splash. Then I can at least picture calling it "Bayou Splash" and it pays a little homage to Splash Mountain. Im just not going to say "Bayou" or "Bayou Adventure" so its just going to become... Tiana. Or maybe Princess and the Frog or there's a first time for everything. Maybe amongst family and friends ill call it Frog Logs and it would be the first time that I name an attraction to make it easier to roll of the tongue and less cringey. Someone else said it best earlier. There isn't one word in the attraction name to hold onto.

Preferably it wouldn't have "Tiana" in the attraction name. But without it even Bayou Splash would become a little dull. I honestly think the best thing to do would have been to leave the name as Splash Mountain. Have Splash Mountain remain the brand that just now happens to have Princess and the Frog characters in it. The brand being a log ride that splashes with critters through the country/bayou etc to Dixie/ jazz tunes. The characters and music just happen to change. There is enough there for Splash Mountain to remain a brand even without the characters and music from Song of the South. There is nothing offensive about the name. I don't think they wanted to distance themselves from the name. I just think they can’t resist being so on the nose and highlighting the IP...as if we wouldn't know. And for those who say there's no Mountains in New Orleans, putting a tree on top isn't going to make us forget what it was called and designed to be.

 

[mickEblu]

What would be a good name then for the retheme?

Yeah my official answer is Splash Mountain. It has nothing to do with Song of the South and can be it’s own brand. In fact, my attachment to Splash Mountain has almost nothing to do with the main characters other than how they are designed. I’d imagine many people are in the same boat as the majority of riders today rode the ride before they saw the movie. Now the music is harder to replace as those are great and catchy songs. Splash Mountain to me is Splash Mountain first and foremost because of the setting, ride system, water, splashes, plethora of anthropomorphic critter AAs and music… in no particular order. The main characters are dead last.

 

[Tom Morrow]

This entire first new section of the ride is better than the entirety of Maelstrom. Just a gorgeous set design and sequence.


View attachment 653426


Add in the queue being a major improvement, fluid AAs throughout, no oil rig to float past, and no theatre to be dumped into....


A much better ride.

It is a better ride.... but it's not a great ride. By modern standards, it's passable. It still has a low effort, non-story/recap of elements of the film as the premise rather than doing something fun and new with the IP. It still doesn't belong in World Showcase and no attempt was even made to make it fit. I'm sick of these low effort movie recap rides. The OG Fantasyland rides were different. They're quaint, they're old, there's an excuse. But today, they could be so much more creative than "recap the movie". This is what I fear the outcome will be with Tiana's Bayou Adventure. It's gonna probably look awesome... and it's also probably going to be another uninspired recap of the film.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

It is a better ride.... but it's not a great ride. By modern standards, it's passable. It still has a low effort, non-story/recap of elements of the film as the premise rather than doing something fun and new with the IP. It still doesn't belong in World Showcase and no attempt was even made to make it fit. I'm sick of these low effort movie recap rides. The OG Fantasyland rides were different. They're quaint, they're old, there's an excuse. But today, they could be so much more creative than "recap the movie". This is what I fear the outcome will be with Tiana's Bayou Adventure. It's gonna probably look awesome... and it's also probably going to be another uninspired recap of the film.

Not to mention what I consider Frozen Ever After's biggest sin - The Ice Palace sets are puzzlingly underwhelming. I love me some good blacklight scenery, but good this is not. That whole upper level of the ride should be one of the great Disney ride sequences of the 21st century, full of eye-popping visuals from scenery to effects, and instead it just falls so flat. It's stunning how many opportunities they seemed to waste in favor of oddly sparse scenery and an overemphasis on plainly obvious screen projections.

The intro scene with Olaf and Sven is prettier and more appealing than the Let It Go sequence . . . somebody make it make sense.

 

[Tha Realest]

If I had to guess, this will just become "Tiana" which seems fine to me.

aghast at the thought of some neckbeard Disney Adult having a meltdown, yelling “I want to ride Tiana!” in the hub.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Not to mention what I consider Frozen Ever After's biggest sin - The Ice Palace sets are puzzlingly underwhelming. I love me some good blacklight scenery, but good this is not. That whole upper level of the ride should be one of the great Disney ride sequences of the 21st century, full of eye-popping visuals from scenery to effects, and instead it just falls so flat. It's stunning how many opportunities they seemed to waste in favor of oddly sparse scenery and an overemphasis on plainly obvious screen projections.

The intro scene with Olaf and Sven is prettier and more appealing than the Let It Go sequence . . . somebody make it make sense.

The scene with Marshmallow and the snowggies is also really empty and static for a scene that goes on as long as it does.

 

[celluloid]

Not to mention what I consider Frozen Ever After's biggest sin - The Ice Palace sets are puzzlingly underwhelming. I love me some good blacklight scenery, but good this is not. That whole upper level of the ride should be one of the great Disney ride sequences of the 21st century, full of eye-popping visuals from scenery to effects, and instead it just falls so flat. It's stunning how many opportunities they seemed to waste in favor of oddly sparse scenery and an overemphasis on plainly obvious screen projections.

The intro scene with Olaf and Sven is prettier and more appealing than the Let It Go sequence . . . somebody make it make sense.

Also, the agregious mistake of plugging up the waterfall ruining the effect within the ride of nearly going over a fall backwards and one of the most unique kinetic energy ever outside an attraction.

 

[EagleScout610]

aghast at the thought of some neckbeard Disney Adult having a meltdown, yelling “I want to ride Tiana!” in the hub.

Splash had the Flash Mountain scandal, Tianas Bayou Adventure shall have the "Ride Tiana" scandal

 

[Ghost93]

Splash had the Flash Mountain scandal, Tianas Bayou Adventure shall have the "Ride Tiana" scandal

I think the "Ride Tiana" scandal, if any, will be minor. After all, I'm sure there are already people saying they want to "ride Snow White" or "Ride Ariel" or "ride Peter Pan" when talking about the Snow White and Ariel and Peter Pan rides. It's no big deal.

 

[Dear Prudence]

It's not the Br'er theme itself (i.e. not the IP) -- it's the overall theming quality. it's how detailed everything is with the physical sets, AAs, etc.

Otherwise it could just be a simple log flume ride. People would still enjoy that, but no one would consider it a masterpiece.

The amount of gaslighting and revisionist history in these Splash threads people absolutely love those characters. They are what makes the theme work.

 

[LittleBuford]

The amount of gaslighting and revisionist history in these Splash threads people absolutely love those characters. They are what makes the theme work.

I think the point that @UNCgolf was making is that many (most?) people like the theming and animal characters without necessarily knowing anything about the narratives and traditions to which they’re tied. I would say that’s a reasonable claim.

 

[disneyfireman]

What would be a good name then for the retheme?

Splash Mountain. Why change the name? If they are going to do this stupid and unnecessary redo. Keep the name the same. Just a different storyline. I still can’t believe they are changing it. And for all pety and ridiculous reasons.

 

[Disney Analyst]

... and it's also probably going to be another uninspired recap of the film.

Well based on what we have been told, we know this is not the case.