Wow... Okay... I stopped catching up for a second because I got busy and I lost track of whether I was quoting messages in the spoiler thread or the regular thread. And now rather than 10 added pages... there are a total across the threads of 70. So... I'm not gonna get there. Screw it. I'm just going to give my impressions now and catch up later...
The Disney ride-through was absolute garbage. The cuts and neckbrace view for a non-omnimover dark ride were brutal. Today I got to see a 360 of an early access YouTuber going through the queue, ride, and exit to get an actual experience.
What that included was some audio entering the barn of Tiana setting up the story and suggesting that all who wish to join the search meet up with her. At least there is some explanation for what is going on, since as we saw in the ride-through within the mountain it just starts with "Let's get a-lookin'!"
It seems that now they've pared back the lyrical version of "Down in New Orleans" to the edge of the infamous gumbo wall. That's where the change from instrumental to lyrical happened in the 360, while it happens at the top of the first lift in others that are suggested at taking place earlier. I hope that this is an adjustment they've made. I can't ask Drew (at least not until tomorrow), but I wonder if this means it can no longer be heard from the pathway. That would be great.
The lily pads are free-floating like I expected. Probably why they took so long to be added.
I've only seen one version where logs got jammed at the mill. But it looks like Tiana has at least three different options for things to say, which is always a positive. As everyone's said, this is an improvement over the old mill.
The gardens are cute. Same with the gourd gator. It's disappointing to not see the bridge survive or any signage. The look-through between logs is a cool feature. I'm glad someone's still inhabiting the old cave, and the little line is fun. Louis also has multiple lines. I wonder how many everyone has. The crop movement is... really stupid-looking, tho. The traffic up here is also less fun and I really don't think it's a good idea to hear Mama Odie more than once, which seems impossible to avoid with how many are here... but I'm shocked given how much sound is blasting that there appears to be no sound bleeding from one place to the next. They could have included more critter touches up here to replace what was lost. Shoulda included the sounds of birds in the soundtrack that they did after the drop. It's definitely a downgrade, although not hugely.
One of the cringiest things about the ride preview, playing into the predictions of Dora-level dialogue was Louis saying that the Zydeco band "can play" followed by Tiana saying "They can play, no doubt!" To my great relief, both have multiple lines and it seems they're not programmed to just repeat each other like that.
I'm gonna get killed for this. I know it. But here's the deal... I'm a Mansion fan. I love Claude-Coates-style atmospheric storytelling and place-setting. I love the caverns of Pirates. I love the rainforests of Living with the Land. I love the waters off of San Angel Inn. I do think that the bayou is an improvement above the Pooh-like colorful forests of Splash. The old sets were a strange juxtaposition of bright blue skies and dark shadow that never achieved for me the charm they were meant to. The night setting works much better. But the thing I know is gonna do it is the fact that I'm not futzed about the loss of a bunch of singing critters everywhere. But the real thing that's going to get me crucified is the fact that with the screens and lighting effects, the "dead" parts of this area don't feel dead to me.
I know, I've heard a lot of Splash fans who found the sheer number of critters all around to be their favorite part. And that's gone. So I understand their complaints and know how ultimate a betrayal that is to many. I'm sure many are going to make comparison to attractions I love like the Mansion or Carousel of Progress or Jungle Cruise. But... to me personally it's not as big a deal.
But back to the experience... The deadest portion is the leadup to the last Tiana of this area, but the music changes are interesting here. I notice the frogs coming front and center in it, originally thinking the sonal experience making up some for it. But I realize now I don't think I've seen those frogs on logs we saw previewed. Are they supposed to be here and for some reason not lit up? That would be an interesting tease to them being musicians in a sec.
Tiana does not just sit there and stare off into the distance during this long straightaway as suggested by the official ride-through. She is still speaking to the last log. Fortunately, since she and Louis both have multiple lines it's not as weird as it could be. Mama Odie up in Br'er Rabbit's spot is fun. I was right! She is totally just screwing with you the whole time.
I was so focused on other things that I somehow completely missed Tiana's panicked cry as we disappear. It's quickly broken by everybody's favorite drumming frog, but it's a welcome moment of tension. I would prefer to put the big guy down below to let that linger a little longer and use this middle floor to create a threatening atmosphere.
I think the Laughing Place is a huge improvement. We had static turtles on sticks, frogs with less movement than the new ones, and the only thing that seemed to work with any level of regularity were the whack-a-gophers, and that includes the lighting. The jumping fountains are back. The surroundings are colorful and interesting. Tiana and Louis don't look nearly as terrible as they did in the initial sneak peek. This rendition of "Dig a Little Deeper" absolutely slaps. I suppose we are supposed to be able to hear them while shrunk? But we do hear Louis talk too. Strange. But Mama Odie is hanging out and screwing with us the whole time. I'm fine with it as long as the people who said Facilier could totally come back don't complain this is a plot hole. Nevertheless, while the critters have been compared to the fish in Little Mermaid, I don't think that's a good comp. They aren't held up by sticks. They don't look plastic. But the actual comparison being made is in the effect. There are a number of drummers, but except for perhaps one, they all look way more convincing than the drumming lobster.
The effect over the entrance to the lift... It works. The problem is the timing. Given the transition at the start and end of it, it NEEDS to be timed correctly. Every log should come in on the leaves and watch them open as they travel beneath. It seems like a simple thing, but I saw a number of videos where this timing is totally off. Either
walking in on the tail end of her talking and watching the leaves close and then immediately open,
getting stuck in a logjam at the bottom of the hill for multiple cycles, or
even watching as the leaves close and then them not opening until out of view. The closest thing to getting this to work right I've seen is the official video with cuts before the start and after the end. It's terrible. There's gotta be some way to get this to work right. Given the way the leaves seem to reopen in different intervals, I'd have to imagine there's a sensor controlling it, right?
The lift hill effect doesn't seem to work well during the day as the sunlight breaks through the mist. But perhaps this is an effect that looks differently in person. I wish they'd included some bottles all the way down with varying sizes to sell the effect. Mama Odie looks good, though. And the drop is the drop. There appears to be so little mist in portions that it's almost like there isn't much point to the sprayers existing at all.
It's at this point in every ride-through that I realize that our new critter friend doesn't seem to show up nearly as much as I expected. Or does she? Is she disappearing into the darkness, hard to find on video? Is it her eyes in the stump beside Tiana before miniaturization? Or are there really only three of her? That seems very odd. Well, at least it looks like they toned down the waterfall. The animal singing effects are also really a good addition.
The finale is really hard to judge on video. I'm already on record as saying the song's lyrics are rough but the melody is catchy enough to cover over it. The set is nice and detailed. The dress complaints are a nothingburger. I was shocked when watching a clip back today that I was wrong. The princess ballgown wasn't a choice because of the costume party and her working behind a stand where practicality isn't an issue. I'd forgotten that her original, more sensible costume was ruined and she changed into something of Lottie's. As evidenced by her second wedding dress, even in the most formal of settings Tiana would never willingly dress like that. But... they found a way to put her in it for the merchandising.
The frogs from the outside being at the end makes me think they're also an Easter Egg hidden through the ride. Are they elsewhere? Are those THEIR eyes in that log? No friggin' clue.
I like the look at the restaurant. It seems almost to be a response to all the confusion of the building in the finale or how people claimed Tiana's Foods meant she was ditching her original dream or the restaurant. But it's still there. Mama Odie is at the end as I expected when people thought her talking about the party was earlier and Juju with the beignets was a harbinger of them being the centerpiece of the attraction.
In the end... I like it. It's a big step down from the animatronic count of Splash. My hope is that they've centered these in more accessible locations so that they're easier to keep on the maintenance of. This is not the same as what happened to Imagination. The replacement there was slapdash and mostly empty black space. Tiana's Bayou Adventure on its own is not an abomination or a failure. I'd compare it to if the Haunted Mansion was replaced with Mystic Manor. Mystic Manor is not a bad ride, but for those who adore the original, it could never compare. I'm sorry for those who lost their favorite ride. I don't think it should have happened.
But judging the new experience on its own... I think it's a B+/A-
that hasn't been pointed out. Tiana as a character in the film is likable and endearing. But we see the best of her when she's with Naveen. Naveen challenges her and helps uncover a different side of her personality. She learns that without him, she is incomplete. She could have the restaurant of her dreams, but without Naveen it's pointless. That's not because she is horribly flawed or weak. Not at all. But even the best and strongest people need someone (family or friends) to have real happiness.
