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

[_caleb]

Anyone reading this thread without having seen the attraction would assume that WDW’s version looks completely different from the Disneyland original. Here’s an actual comparison:

I personally don’t view these as pointing to explicitly differentiated or easily identifiable geographical settings. Asked which one looks more “frontier”, I might well answer the first—the boulders evoke the West for me. I realise this is subjective, but I think it’s important to ground ourselves in the visual evidence rather than exaggerate the extent to which WDW’s Splash Mountain has been shorn of its Southern associations. As others have pointed out, Frontierland has always been a mishmash of West and South.

I know I'm going to upset the "Splash Mountain at MK is the perfect ride" gang with this, but something about the square-ish shape of the one at MK seems more building-like than the more pyramid shape of the DL version.

 

[LittleBuford]

this is the Tokyo one

Which is in their Critter Country yet looks like the WDW version rather than the Disneyland one.

 

[Movielover]

Which is in their Critter County yet looks like the WDW version rather than the Disneyland one.

And is a mirrored layout of the WDW version.

 

[Brer Panther]

Will the Country Bears end up mounted on Gaston’s wall next to Staggs Ale?

Nah, Iger will mount them in his office next to Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear.

 

[_caleb]

Nah, Iger will mount them in his office next to Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear.

Anyone want to do a photoshop mockup of the Brer Heads mounted like trophies? (Sorry, @Brer Panther!)

 

[JoeCamel]

I know I'm going to upset the "Splash Mountain at MK is the perfect ride" gang with this, but something about the square-ish shape of the one at MK seems more building-like than the more pyramid shape of the DL version.

The opening in the DL version is shaped like an amorphous mouth with eyes and nose while the others are just openings in the rock. I like the mouth

 

[IMDREW]

Is Disneylands tree much larger than the others? Or does it only look that way?

 

[KaliSplash]

I was under the impression it was smaller. I know DL uses single file logs whereas MK uses 2 to a row.

 

[IMDREW]

I am talking about the tree atop the drop, not the ride vehicles. The one that's becoming mama Odie's house? It looks so much bigger than the people in photos.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I agree with the setting complaints - but also noting it was that way from inception ("South" vs. "West").

Frankly, this is another example of where storytelling adjustment could work (or at least reduce the "location offense"). Have the WDW ride focus on the bayou and the animals. That's frankly what it does right now. Rather than getting ready for Mardi Gras, have it focus on Mama Odie and exploring the bayou with the characters and the music. Disney is so obsessed with this blatant story in these days - it's like a bad movie short. Sometimes, exploring the setting with characters (ala Pirates, Mansion, etc.) is enough! You can have the end scene with Naveen and Tiana as the big reveal. Yes, Mardi Gras is far beyond NOLA itself. But, that's what most people equate it to. If you focus the ride on the bayou and the characters that live there - period - it actually frames very similarly to the current story's setting. And, it helps make the setting more generic than "Louisiana Bayou" or, even more problematic, "New Orleans."

 

[Brer Panther]

Anyone want to do a photoshop mockup of the Brer Heads mounted like trophies? (Sorry, @Brer Panther!)

Don't forget to have Iger standing next to them dressed like Elmer Fudd.

As for me, I'm still waiting for someone to do that picture of Brer Bear threatening to knock Iger's head clean off.

 

[Lora Baines Bradley]

Personally, I think it works well as a middle ground between Pirates and BTMRR- roughly speaking, it's geographically accurate. Of course, this is still in its early stages, so who's to say what the final product will look like?

 

[EagleScout610]

Disneyland sets attraction lineup through 2023 with Spidey, Tiana and Mickey rides

The decision to delay the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway until 2023 offers a glimpse at how and when Disneyland plans to roll out its new lineup of attractions over the next few yea…

www.ocregister.com

I know the article is about Disneyland, but it looks like they're hoping for 2022 to take down Splash

 

[celluloid]

http://I know the article is about ...e they're hoping for 2022 to take down Splash

They can hope all they want.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Disneyland sets attraction lineup through 2023 with Spidey, Tiana and Mickey rides

The decision to delay the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway until 2023 offers a glimpse at how and when Disneyland plans to roll out its new lineup of attractions over the next few yea…

www.ocregister.com

I know the article is about Disneyland, but it looks like they're hoping for 2022 to take down Splash

That’s an article columnist predicting when it’s going to happen based on the delay of Mickey (which has been delayed due to COVID).

The writer is also assuming the Splash retheme will be cheaper and easier to execute than Mickey, which isn’t necessarily true. Splash retheme still needs new R&D (time and money), is Physical prop dependent, and has to be fit in the constraints of an existing building. Mickey is a clone. The R&D And Land allotting have been done already, it’s just a matter of construction (which is dependent on COVID and working conditions).

Not saying that a 2022 opening is impossible (highly improbable if they want this to be well received), but all of this is speculation based on assumptions.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Anyone reading this thread without having seen the attraction would assume that WDW’s version looks completely different from the Disneyland original. Here’s an actual comparison:

I personally don’t view these as pointing to explicitly differentiated or easily identifiable geographical settings. Asked which one looks more “frontier”, I might well answer the first—the boulders evoke the West for me. I realise this is subjective, but I think it’s important to ground ourselves in the visual evidence rather than exaggerate the extent to which WDW’s Splash Mountain has been shorn of its Southern associations. As others have pointed out, Frontierland has always been a mishmash of West and South.

It’s less about the exterior, and more about the interior, music, and other thematic touches. I doubt the exterior will change much with the retheme. But the music and interior theming will clash with the rest of Frontierland.

Florida’s Splash doesn’t have bayou interior’s like California does. It has rolling farm lands and abandoned mine shafts. It doesn’t have the jazzy music. PatF is a natural fit at Disneyland because it has bayous and jazz music. The style isn’t changing.

Unless we’re getting Tiana in farm world, with Louis playing the banjo and Naveen on the harmonica, it’s going to be out of place.

 

[FettFan]

I'm ashamed to admit that I forgot that Disney produced one great African American-centric short that could be a decent replacement for Florida's Splash, as it actually takes place in the Frontier.


Plus it would also work with Pecos Bill's Tall Tale cafe, seeing as how John Henry's hammer is hanging above one of the dining room entrances.

Heck, you could also expand it beyond John Henry...adding Paul Bunyan to the ride would provide a reason that you're all riding in logs.

 

[owlsandcoffee]

I'm ashamed to admit that I forgot that Disney produced one great African American-centric short that could be a decent replacement for Florida's Splash, as it actually takes place in the Frontier.


Plus it would also work with Pecos Bill's Tall Tale cafe, seeing as how John Henry's hammer is hanging above one of the dining room entrances.

Heck, you could also expand it beyond John Henry...adding Paul Bunyan to the ride would provide a reason that you're all riding in logs.

I still have that DVD!

 

[Brer Oswald]

I'm ashamed to admit that I forgot that Disney produced one great African American-centric short that could be a decent replacement for Florida's Splash, as it actually takes place in the Frontier.


Plus it would also work with Pecos Bill's Tall Tale cafe, seeing as how John Henry's hammer is hanging above one of the dining room entrances.

Heck, you could also expand it beyond John Henry...adding Paul Bunyan to the ride would provide a reason that you're all riding in logs.

What a great idea. Not only a perfect thematic fit, but an actual African American folk hero, with actual African American roots (something Princess and the Frog can’t claim, with its white American roots based on a white European fairytale).

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have as much marketing potential. *Gasp*, could that be the reason Disney picked PatF? Not as a form of justice but for merchandise and food?

Sarcasm aside, this really is a great idea. It really is unfair that the African American folktales aren’t allowed to be told. That needs to change.

 

[_caleb]

I'm ashamed to admit that I forgot that Disney produced one great African American-centric short that could be a decent replacement for Florida's Splash, as it actually takes place in the Frontier.


Plus it would also work with Pecos Bill's Tall Tale cafe, seeing as how John Henry's hammer is hanging above one of the dining room entrances.

Heck, you could also expand it beyond John Henry...adding Paul Bunyan to the ride would provide a reason that you're all riding in logs.

This thread is supposed to be about the Princess and the Frog attraction that's been announced. For armchair imagineering, debating whether Song of the South is racist, or trying to convince people that Princess and the Frog isn't a good fit for Frontierland, you may want to try these threads:

• Splash Mountain re-theme announced (Politics and Social Issues board)
• Armchair Imagineering PatF retheme of Splash Mountain
• Splash Mountain re-theme poll

Another great way to engage in the conversation while keeping a thread on track is to use the "search" function to see if anyone has posted something similar to what you're about to post. If so, you can quote those posts that may have already covered the point you'd like to make and you can then add any additional thoughts you might have.

For example, the idea of retheming Splash Mountain around John Henry is an interesting idea:

There's the African American folklore of John Henry. Period appropriate though not an IP. The timeline is all screwy with the inclusion of the 1920's P&F overlay. There's really not a lot of IPs that fit a Big Thunder overlay. It's going to be interesting to see how they thematically address these transitions in MK's Frontierland.

There's a Disney animated John Henry short. ;-)

John Henry is another option, but I don't think Disney could make enough money off of those characters in merchandising.

Being chased by the Headless Horseman through the forest sounds pretty cool though. But thematically that would have to be put in Liberty Square.

Building a "Land of Legends" type land or area of Frontierland would be fantastic - and having a John Henry attraction would be an ideal way to provide greater representation to people of color. Is there any Native American based "tall tale" that could be considered for such an area?

If you already knew all of this and just don't care, feel free to ignore this post!