-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion
- Thread starter Californian Elitist
- Start date
Brer Panther
Well-Known Member
I still loathe that concept art.
Maybe they're changing their minds? I don't know.
Model3 McQueen
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
If they were smart, that would be the case.
Too Many Hats
Well-Known Member
Over time I've realized that although Princess & the Frog aesthetically fits this corner of Disneyland extraordinarily well, most of the film's target audience will not actually be brave enough (or tall enough) to ride Splash Mountain, arguably the most thrilling attraction in the park.
It'll be one thing if Imagineering uses Princess & the Frog as something of a loose inspiration for the attraction, retheming the ride as a jazzy, exuberant journey down the bayou alongside the charming characters from the film. I think that would work just fine (or even incredibly well, perhaps).
But what we've been shown and what has been rumored so far (Tiana speaking directly to riders; no scary Dr. Facilier; insipid childish storyline of Louis losing his trumpet; etc.) suggests the new theme may actually be an attempt to (literally) speak to 5-10 year-old guests, potentially creating a dissonance between the storytelling and the thrilling flume ride. Not sure I have faith in modern Imagineering to even realize this is a problem.
It'll be one thing if Imagineering uses Princess & the Frog as something of a loose inspiration for the attraction, retheming the ride as a jazzy, exuberant journey down the bayou alongside the charming characters from the film. I think that would work just fine (or even incredibly well, perhaps).
But what we've been shown and what has been rumored so far (Tiana speaking directly to riders; no scary Dr. Facilier; insipid childish storyline of Louis losing his trumpet; etc.) suggests the new theme may actually be an attempt to (literally) speak to 5-10 year-old guests, potentially creating a dissonance between the storytelling and the thrilling flume ride. Not sure I have faith in modern Imagineering to even realize this is a problem.
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
This decision, like every other decision Disney's made in the last few years, isn't to actually enhance Disneyland or to make it a more enriching experience for guests.
In this case, it was announced so they could capitalize on events that occurred in 2020 during a time when the parks were closed and Disney wanted to stay relevant. It was not announced because they thought it would be a better ride or fit better thematically.
Just like Genie+ and Lightning Lane were not implemented to make a day at the park more pleasant and the Disney Look wasn't eliminated to make Disneyland's service and quality of employee better.
If Disney doesn’t go through with this, they will look terrible and performative (not that they’re not performative now).
Model3 McQueen
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I would say they deserve it tbh
Model3 McQueen
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Announcing it too early. Virtue signaling. And I despise chapek and other leadership
CaptinEO
Well-Known Member
I think in general Disney needs to stop announcing all of their stuff so early, whether its a ride, retheme, or land. They always give people 5-6 years of project announcement to completion these days and it's completely bonkers.
I say unless construction is about to start, don't even bother making any announcement.
Universal will be midway through or near completion on their projects before they are formally announced.
For example, why do we need to know about a Moana water playground 5 years before it actually opens? I don't understand it.
By the time the projects are released most people have stopped caring.
I say unless construction is about to start, don't even bother making any announcement.
Universal will be midway through or near completion on their projects before they are formally announced.
For example, why do we need to know about a Moana water playground 5 years before it actually opens? I don't understand it.
By the time the projects are released most people have stopped caring.
I get it. But if they cancel this, the black community will be made a joke of. I honestly hope they don’t make that mistake.
Disgruntled Walt
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
In all likelihood, the only way this doesn't happen is if they build a separate PatF attraction and just leave Splash alone. That's what I'm hoping for.
I agree. I don’t think it’ll happen, but we’ll see.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I didn't see the Black Community protesting this 30+ year old attraction. Most of the outrage I saw was online keyboard warriors white knighting. The Black Community was focused more on more direct forms of violent racism like our police force and criminal justice system rather than the unavailable film that loosely inspired the ride.
Absolutely. I never claimed that a bunch of us got together and protested the ride. I said deciding to cancel this project would make a mockery of black people because it would even more clearly show that Disney doesn’t care. Claiming to take down a ride that’s directly, not loosely, based on a racist film, specifically racist towards African Americans, to replace it with a ride that’s based on a much more African American-friendly film, to “show” that they’re “aware,” then turn around and say never mind would be another slap in the face and a shameful move.
And yeah, it’s directly based on SotS.
Brer Panther
Well-Known Member
I still think Mama Odie and Dr. Facilier are way worse racial stereotypes than the Brers.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
One is an old white guy who appropriated black folk tales and kept them pretty true to their original form. The other is Disney wanting to appeal to different demographics by taking a white fairy tale and dropping in African American stereotypes.
Yeah, the Brer Rabbit stories fare a bit better than fabricating race through a white lens. Like how nobody minds that Tiana is black, they just wish she had more money. Way to give them a voice Disney.
Too Many Hats
Well-Known Member
As much as I love Splash Mountain (WDW's is my favorite Disney attraction) and have doubts about the suitability of P&tF for one of the park's most thrilling attractions, it would be vile for Disney to back out of the overlay altogether, given the context in which they announced it.
I'll always complain about lazy overlays, IP shoehorning, and hypocritical/cynical pandering to people of color (all of which are arguably at play here), but generally speaking P&tF obviously is an infinitely more accessible theme for an attraction in 2022 than SotS. And while P&tF is not a perfect film by any means, it's also not fair that all representation of black folks at Disneyland has to hinge on this one IP.
Len Testa speculated on this week's Disney Dish that since it's been two years and Disney has made no progress whatsoever on this overlay (they haven't reached out to vendors to redo the logs or build AAs, etc.), perhaps only Disneyland's Splash will (eventually) receive the overlay.
I'll always complain about lazy overlays, IP shoehorning, and hypocritical/cynical pandering to people of color (all of which are arguably at play here), but generally speaking P&tF obviously is an infinitely more accessible theme for an attraction in 2022 than SotS. And while P&tF is not a perfect film by any means, it's also not fair that all representation of black folks at Disneyland has to hinge on this one IP.
Len Testa speculated on this week's Disney Dish that since it's been two years and Disney has made no progress whatsoever on this overlay (they haven't reached out to vendors to redo the logs or build AAs, etc.), perhaps only Disneyland's Splash will (eventually) receive the overlay.
It’s literally the only IP that they have to hinge on.