This is a fascinating take. I had a strong initial impulse to belittle this video, but that's neither respectful or productive. He's taken an unpopular opinion, and I can tell he's not saying this to be provocative or to be a shill. He believes what he's saying. There's a raw sincerity and even vulnerability that is deeply likable. So, I'm going to force myself to take this video seriously.
Here's some of the points that might actually prove to be right...
1) "Disney shot themselves in the foot releasing the PoV." This isn't an unreasonable argument. This goes back to the motive of why Disney released it in the first place. Was it a marketing stunt gone awry? Was it damage control? I think Occam's razor probably leans towards the marketing stunt. He's not wrong in implying that those who see the PoV will be more likely to be negative going into the ride. I know that describes me. The counter argument is that a ride PoV would have surfaced within a few days of opening anyway. Is it any worse to simply preempt that from happening by releasing a Disney-edited copy where potential distractions and snafus are eliminated? If it's inevitable that TBA will be on the web, why not control the copy that gets out? Still, I think his point is defensible.
2) "The ride feels natural." To summarize, I believe he's lauding the pacing of the attraction. He connects this to the environments encountered in the course of the attraction. For him, the "dead space" is not "dead space" at all. In fact, it's a core part of the storytelling. It's those experiential moments that really don't translate to camera well. It might be that the "vibe" works in those scenes. This is similar to the caverns of Pirates of the Caribbean. In fact, Disneyland's version is beloved precisely because their cavern scenes are extended. No one would would describe that as "dead space," (expect for all the dead pirates) because it serves an important storytelling function. But watching that on video... Yeah, the caverns aren't nearly as fun on a YouTube PoV. So I'm sympathetic to the argument that pacing could be much better in person.
But he doesn't wrestle with the key issue.
Story. He doesn't mention the glaring story problems. The story is awful. It has no stakes and no purpose. Nobody cares about this random party the attraction wants us to care deeply about.
The celebration at the end of Splash Mountain had been earned. Why? Not because Brer Rabbit told us over and over he needed help planning the celebration. It was because it represented the lesson of the attraction. There was a strong message that your home and community should not be casually tossed aside for a "Laughing Place" that doesn't really exist. Safety comes from relying on those who care about you. Brer Rabbit had to face the possibility of death in order to learn that lesson. The "grass is always greener" can be deadly. While the animals and scenes were lighthearted, it's actually pretty heavy stuff. "Special Spice" doesn't actually connect to the rest of the attraction. Apparently our inclusion in the party is important to making the party fun? Or something? But nothing in the attraction demonstrated that. It's a song filled with platitudes. It sounds okay (not as good as her "Dreams Do Come True in New Orleans" reprise at the end of the film), but it's not earned or meaningful.
This attraction replaced one of the great storytelling rides. And in that way it falls terribly terribly flat.
His reverence for WDI might be making him miss key flaws in the attraction. That's something I can relate to. I used to see them incapable of doing wrong. But for every Expedition Everest there is a Superstar Limo. WDI can misfire. And I fear that's exactly what happened here. I will also take issue with his description of the finale scene as being one of the most amazing things you can see. Tell me this is the most amazing thing you've ever seen!
