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

[Sir_Cliff]

I have no issue with that opinion -- not everyone is going to love everything, and there are certainly rides I really like that people seem to hate (Na'vi River Journey) and ones I think are pretty bad that others love (Toy Story Mania).

I'm curious how you feel about MMRR, though. Do you think it's really impressive/great or are you ambivalent about it? I'm certainly in the latter category -- it's not a bad ride, but it's underwhelming. It feels more like a complementary D ticket than a headlining E, which again, is fine, but not really fitting for the location or what it replaced (even if someone didn't think GMR worked well I don't think there's an argument against it having the scale of an E in the park centerpiece location).

I don't really have a strong opinion on MMRR, to be honest, as I haven't been on it yet. From what I've seen, though, I think it does look like a at least a very good ride that appears to use projections and sets quite well to create a cartoon feel. I'm not sure it's a headlining E, though it seems like a popular and fun attraction that can be enjoyed by the whole family and suits the location. In my book, that's pretty much a win, particularly by the patchy standards of recent WDI. I do get why some would see it as a step down from the grander scale and ambition of GMR, though.

 

[UNCgolf]

I don't really have a strong opinion on MMRR, to be honest, as I haven't been on it yet. From what I've seen, though, I think it does look like a at least a very good ride that appears to use projections and sets quite well to create a cartoon feel. I'm not sure it's a headlining E, though it seems like a popular and fun attraction that can be enjoyed by the whole family and suits the location. In my book, that's pretty much a win, particularly by the patchy standards of recent WDI. I do get why some would see it as a step down from the grander scale and ambition of GMR, though.

I do think it's one of the better rides built at WDW in in the past 10-15 years -- I think Rise, Flight of Passage, and NRJ are the only ones I'd say are definitely better off the top of my head (I haven't been on Cosmic Rewind, but it doesn't look as interesting as MMRR to me). It's just that it replaced the park's original headliner attraction and sits in the park's centerpiece. It should be more than it is in that location, which is one of the many reasons it would have been much better as a new build in another location (like at Disneyland).

 

[dreday3]

I do think it's one of the better rides built at WDW in in the past 10-15 years -- I think Rise, Flight of Passage, and NRJ are the only ones I'd say are definitely better off the top of my head (I haven't been on Cosmic Rewind, but it doesn't look as interesting as MMRR to me). It's just that it replaced the park's original headliner attraction and sits in the park's centerpiece. It should be more than it is in that location, which is one of the many reasons it would have been much better as a new build in another location (like at Disneyland).

How do you feel about Rat?

I know a lot of people don't like it, but when I went on for the first time and walked into the ride room, felt the cool air, darkly lit and that gorgeous music...it was the first time in a long time I felt transported back to the dark ride feelings I got in 1980! I actually got a lump in my throat.

And for the record, I think MMRR is spectacular!

 

[UNCgolf]

How do you feel about Rat?

I know a lot of people don't like it, but when I went on for the first time and walked into the ride room, felt the cool air, darkly lit and that gorgeous music...it was the first time in a long time I felt transported back to the dark ride feelings I got in 1980! I actually got a lump in my throat.

And for the record, I think MMRR is spectacular!

Rat is fine; similar to MMRR. I don't think it's great, but it's a solid addition -- I actually forgot about it. I might rate it higher than MMRR as well. It helps that it was an actual addition instead of a replacement.

 

[mikejs78]

There's little to no financial upside here. Companies don't spend a lot of money on things with little to no financial upside. I personally am expecting a very long and dark scene that requires little to no theming (other than some "mist" and lights) to reduce the burden. Splash Mountain is simply too long and too complicated of an attraction to be done correctly under these circumstances.

I expect mostly a reskinning - reuse what's mostly there, swap out the SotS characters with PatF characters, and add in new narration and music. Leave most of the scenery/animals in place.

 

[WondersOfLife]

As I said, I’m certainly not alone in my view. The ride was not a hit with guests when they scrapped it.

Any non-thrill ride ends up being a walk-on so many years later after no updates.

That does not mean the ride was bad lol. It was one of the best, actually.

 

[aladdin2007]

I expect mostly a reskinning - reuse what's mostly there, swap out the SotS characters with PatF characters, and add in new narration and music. Leave most of the scenery/animals in place.

I would prefer that myself, but I think its all going to be ripped out, and return with a barren frozen ever after type style, less scenes than what is there now with a lot of altered ride through space of...well space. In which they hope riders wont notice, we will Disney.

 

[WondersOfLife]

For what it’s worth, here are the guest ratings for both attractions on TouringPlans, which suggest that the new ride is generally more popular than the old:

The Great Movie Ride | Disney's Hollywood Studios

Entering through a re-creation of Hollywood's Chinese Theater, guests board vehicles for a fast-paced tour through soundstage sets from classic

touringplans.com

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway | Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney restarted regular production of Mickey Mouse cartoons in 2013. Mostly written and directed by Paul Rudish, these 4-minute vignettes—

touringplans.com

M&MRR opened in 2020. It's only 2 years old.
GMR opened in 1989. It was roughly 27 years old when it closed.

They call MMRR a "Major Attraction."
They call GMR a "Headliner."
Let me know how this attraction holds up 25+ years from now....


But even then, all of that is irrelevant. I never brought up MMRR. Nor did I ever say it was a BAD ride. We were talking about GMR... That was a phenomenal slow moving dark ride that everyone of all ages could get on and enjoy with the family. And the amount of decent quality AAs in that ride made quite a difference. Of course its replacement will be "more popular." It is new. It's not 25+ years old, nor was it a thrill ride. It also had super high capacity.

Your opinion of GMR if it is anything related to "eh" or "bad" just doesn't speak any words to me. I like MMRR as much as the next guy. But that is irrelevant. GMR was a phenomenal attraction. It is truly a shame that it was replaced entirely with something that should have gone somewhere else... (Although that just seems to be the norm these days.)

 

[LittleBuford]

Any non-thrill ride ends up being a walk-on so many years later after no updates.

That does not mean the ride was bad lol. It was one of the best, actually.

My view of the ride has nothing to do with whether or not it was a walk-on (in my experience, it wasn’t). I just didn’t think it was especially strong. Clearly you disagree, and that’s fine. I’m a huge fan of the Country Bear Jamboree (no surprises there!), but I fully realise many aren’t. It’s all a matter of personal taste.

 

[WondersOfLife]

My view of the ride has nothing to do with whether or not it was a walk-on (in my experience, it wasn’t). I just didn’t think it was especially strong. Clearly you disagree, and that’s fine. I’m a huge fan of the Country Bear Jamboree (no surprises there!), but I fully realise many aren’t. It’s all a matter of personal taste.

CBJ is a different case. I am a HUGE fan of the show. But I totally GET why people don't like it.

GMR is a different animal, though. Comparing GMR to CBJ does not make any sense to me.

I'd compare GMR to Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and other attractions of that nature... It was definitely just as iconic and spectacular as those other dark rides.

 

[LittleBuford]

I'd compare GMR to Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and other attractions of that nature... It was definitely just as iconic and spectacular as those other dark rides.

In your opinion. Many, myself included, never warmed to it in the same way. I respect your view, but I’m not going to agree with it or accept it as gospel just because you hold it so passionately!

 

[Club Cooloholic]

In your opinion. Many, myself included, never warmed to it in the same way. I respect your view, but I’m not going to agree with it or accept it as gospel just because you hold it so passionately!

I can agree, for me it did not quite reach the level of say Haunted Mansion, but GMR had way more soul to it than what they put in there now.

 

[WondersOfLife]

In your opinion. Many, myself included, never warmed to it in the same way. I respect your view, but I’m not going to agree with it or accept it as gospel just because you hold it so passionately!

Eh. I don't consider it opinion. I consider it a fact. The ride was truly spectacular. Especially for its time.

 

[LittleBuford]

I can agree, for me it did not quite reach the level of day Haunted Mansion, but GMR had way more soul to it that what they put in there now.

That’s what it lacked for me—soul. I found it technically impressive but uninspiring. I’ve not experienced the new ride, so I’m reserving judgement on that.

 

[fgmnt]

CBJ is a different case. I am a HUGE fan of the show. But I totally GET why people don't like it.

GMR is a different animal, though. Comparing GMR to CBJ does not make any sense to me.

I'd compare GMR to Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and other attractions of that nature... It was definitely just as iconic and spectacular as those other dark rides.

It's great to make the comparison to Spaceship Earth: attraction housed inside the park icon that exists as the mission statement for the park itself, and both had the ambition and follow through needed to make them matter on opening. What the company has done with them since that period, well... not great!

 

[WondersOfLife]

That’s what it lacked for me—soul. I found it technically impressive but uninspiring. I’ve not experienced the new ride, so I’m reserving judgement on that.

Its a big empty warehouse with screens and a car that kind of jiggles.

Not a bad ride though.

 

[WondersOfLife]

It's great to make the comparison to Spaceship Earth: attraction housed inside the park icon that exists as the mission statement for the park itself, and both had the ambition and follow through needed to make them matter on opening. What the company has done with them since that period, well... not great!

Agreed.

 

[JD80]

I have some faith that the new ride will be fun and enjoyable. Rat, MMRR, Rise, FoP, Guardians and everything else that has been built in the last decade has been very enjoyable. MMRR is one of my favorite attractions on property.

I chase nostalgia and the warm and fuzzys just like anyone else here, but I don't understand the massive attachment to Splash. Splash is an amazing attraction, one of the best in MK because of it's duration, thrills, size and scope. I'm not tied to the story inside or the characters at all.

I very much doubt you can find a great portion of people who know who those characters are and what story they were telling after they come off the ride for the first or second time.

 

[LittleBuford]

Eh. I don't consider it opinion. I consider it a fact. The ride was truly spectacular. Especially for its time.

It’s a fact that it was an ambitious spectacle and technically impressive. Whether those attributes made it a top-notch experience, however, is a matter of opinion.

 

[LittleBuford]

It's great to make the comparison to Spaceship Earth: attraction housed inside the park icon that exists as the mission statement for the park itself, and both had the ambition and follow through needed to make them matter on opening. What the company has done with them since that period, well... not great!

I love Spaceship Earth! For me, it achieves what the Great Movie Ride somehow never managed to.