Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion

[NobodyElse]

I’m cool with this name! If it opened today, it’d be called Davy Crockett’s Canoe Adventure. Which sucks.

Good thing it's not in DCA. It'd be "Paddlin' with Davy". ... or a pun.

 

[NobodyElse]

You mean DAVY CROCKETT’S EXPLORER CANOES?

Somebody should do a little video where guests are asking for directions, and CMs ignore them (or claim ignorance) until the guest can come up with the proper attraction name.

 

[Dear Prudence]

Here's the new look for Tiana from the EssenceFest panel this afternoon -

"From researching prevailing trends of the 1920s – the era in which our story takes place – to looking through family archives, the team ensured Tiana’s look was historically accurate and authentic to the character. “Tiana was equally at home in the bayou as she was at a banquet,” Muldrow said. “We wanted her look to reflect that, and be a compliment to the story’s setting.”

Attendees heard about the creative process as well, and the considerations taken in developing a unique hairstyle for Tiana. The team placed emphasis on the versatility of Black women’s hair and its significance to our identity across geographies and generations.

There’s an important story about the Black community that needs to be told, and to be able to do it at ESSENCE Fest is something special. Ida shared in our intention and enthusiasm for revealing this concept at ESSENCE Fest. “Our efforts are a tribute to the beauty and dignity of all the proud Black women who came before us,” Muldrow said. “And to their great-grand daughters joining us on the journey today, we’re celebrating with you.” Our team has spent a great deal of time to ensure our representation of Tiana is authentic, and giving festival goers a first look at that research proves we’re doing something right."

This is cute! This whole thing feels fan fiction-y, which I am not complaining about. I am happy that folks are getting a new song (as I had hoped!, so THERE! ) it's definitely a BOLD move, and as corny as the name (which i am just fine with it not having ENCHANTMENT or IMAGINE or DREAM) and the social media graphics are, it's sort of nice that they are being bold. I wonder if this is the plot of the TV show's pilot episode or something.

But their graphic design team, we gotta talk

 

[Rich T]

Agree, unless I really missed something PatF was considered a somewhat forgotten disappointing flop for years, now all of a sudden it’s treated as this classic. I guess cause it fits the narrative of the times.

PatF was a well-received, moderately successful film on its initial release, far from a “flop.” It was not, however, the smash blockbuster Disney and animation fans hoped for and became a classy last hurrah for big-budget hand-drawn Disney films.

But in the years since, PatF has found a massive fan base through DVD, cable and streaming, becoming a favorite of the under-30 Disney crowd. The live PatF-themed park shows have been well-received, and “Dig a Little Deeper” and ”Friends on the Other Side” are terrific songs that have become very familiar to park goers.

PatF is the perfect choice for the Splash retheme. I just hope it’s well done.

 

[Brer Panther]

PatF was a well-received, moderately successful film on its initial release, far from a “flop.” It was not, however, the smash blockbuster Disney and animation fans hoped for

Yes, and that's all it took for Disney to claim that hand-drawn animated films were dangerous. If it were really successful enough for Disney to give it an attraction, I don't think it would've taken an entire decade. Frozen only took a year to get an attraction.

Side note, why is the attraction called "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" when most of the ride will apparently be taking place in New Orleans if their constant talking about how the ride is a love letter to New Orleans and how they're doing most of their research in the city as opposed to the bayou is any indication?

 

[waltography]

Yes, and that's all it took for Disney to claim that hand-drawn animated films were dangerous. If it were really successful enough for Disney to give it an attraction, I don't think it would've taken an entire decade. Frozen only took a year to get an attraction.

I don't think it's fair to compare PatF to Frozen when Frozen was the turning point in how Disney approached integrating its movies into the parks. Tangled was also successful and we've still yet to get a ride (Rapunzel's actually going to beat Tiana in terms of getting a boat ride when Fantasy Springs opens at TDS in 2023).

 

[Kirby86]

Yes, and that's all it took for Disney to claim that hand-drawn animated films were dangerous. If it were really successful enough for Disney to give it an attraction, I don't think it would've taken an entire decade. Frozen only took a year to get an attraction.

To be fair it wasn't just Princess and the frog Winnie the Pooh also underperformed which are Disney Skittish of hand drawn animation. However yes of they deemed this movie a success they would have already had a ride featuring Tiana.

 

[Rich T]

Yes, and that's all it took for Disney to claim that hand-drawn animated films were dangerous. If it were really successful enough for Disney to give it an attraction, I don't think it would've taken an entire decade. Frozen only took a year to get an attraction.

Side note, why is the attraction called "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" when most of the ride will apparently be taking place in New Orleans if their constant talking about how the ride is a love letter to New Orleans and how they're doing most of their research in the city as opposed to the bayou is any indication?

Why is Tron, an under-performing franchise no one cares about, getting a major roller coaster at WDW? Because it‘s a Disney IP that fits the bill.

And the rest… Are you *really* expecting complete logic to come out of Disney PR and Imagineering? This is the company that presented a relocated kiddie ride as a brand new major attraction for all ages.

At least PatF is a fun movie with great music and strong potential as an attraction. There are soooooooooooooooooo many things wrong with the Disney parks right now; Disney PR acting like Disney PR when promoting a log ride makeover is the least thing to get annoyed about. Three more years of Bob Chapek, everyone!

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

I finally got to watch the video. The salt dome comment/tour is downright weird. Disney trying to justify the 'mountain' being in New Orleans now? So they visited a salt dome? Because it gives some broad elevation to the Tabasco factory (Tabasco as well as a salt mine sit on the Avery Island dome.

Will we/Tiana be sucked into a collapsing salt dome? They're underground structures, miles wide, I just find it so odd that they mentioned a salt dome tour... specifically saying it has elevation...

Maybe they're trying to convey this video into the drop sequence (this was one of my absolute favorite vidoes to show when I taught at uni).



Then we end up inside a flooded salt mine at the end... which would be nice and cheap to decorate... they can line everything with styrofoam and nothing else-

Maybe Tiana is looking for a salt mine to source salt for her restaurant? Maybe she is opening a salt mine or Louis' trumpet got lost in the mine?

What is the deal with the salt dome??????

 

[Rich T]

…they deemed this movie a success they would have already had a ride featuring Tiana.

Well then, by that logic, where’s the Lion King ride? Why did it take 22 years to build a Little Mermaid ride? Why does the U.S still not have a Beauty and the Beast ride? A Tangled ride? A Zootopia ride? These films were all massive hits.

WDW’s relatively quick retheme of Maelstrom to Frozen was a greed-driven exception, not the rule. And that Frozen ride is a pile of shoehorned nonsense. I hope the Tiana ride gets better treatment.

 

[Kirby86]

Well then, by that logic, where’s the Lion King ride? Why did it take 22 years to build a Little Mermaid ride? Why does the U.S still not have a Beauty and the Beast ride? A Tangled ride? A Zootopia ride? These films were all massive hits.

WDW’s relatively quick retheme of Maelstrom to Frozen was a greed-driven exception, not the rule. And that Frozen ride is a pile of shoehorned nonsense. I hope the Tiana ride gets better treatment.

My guesses? Money Lion King and Little Mermaid had their stage shows and Disney was more than happy to draw crowds with relatively cheap (compared to rides not takeing away anything from the actors)offerings that ate up crowds. Plus the time to build rides was starting to end since the Renaissance was hitting its dark ages. And Euro Disney wasn't doing so great.

Beauty and the Beast OLC foot the bill for it that's why we don't have that ride here plus why build a ride when they can make a restaurant with meet and greets. Rides are included in the ticket (genie plus notwithstanding), lunch isn't.

Tangled was released in that weird period at the tale end of the recession where park growth was relatively slow and Bob Iger did start to reinvest into the parks. However he did favor Pixar at that time since a lot of the major expansions pre Star Wars were Pixar properties at that time. I think they snuck her tower into New Fantasy land though.

Zootopia I don't have an answer for. I'm guessing it was all hands on deck for Star Wars around that time.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

I hate everything about this project. The name sucks for one. Just awful. There also was no reason for a trip to New Orleans to re-dsign the inside of show scenes on a log ride. Splash was PERFECT the way it was. Iconic ride with iconic songs. This whole things sounds and feels and is probably going to look tacky and cheap. Thankfully next month I get to ride Splash as it was designed and intended to be one last time.

 

[DLR92]

I am sad to see Splash Mountaintop be gone. It a ironic part of Disneyland. But it inevitable.

If Disney choose to remove Pooh and entirely redevelop that attraction pad, it would really be an open arm for me.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I hate everything about this project. The name sucks for one. Just awful. There also was no reason for a trip to New Orleans to re-dsign the inside of show scenes on a log ride. Splash was PERFECT the way it was. Iconic ride with iconic songs. This whole things sounds and feels and is probably going to look tacky and cheap. Thankfully next month I get to ride Splash as it was designed and intended to be one last time.

Splash was not perfect, hence why it’s going bye-bye.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

Splash was not perfect, hence why it’s going bye-bye.

I disagree. I think the ride was perfect in story, pace, design, music, thrills. A++

 

[Brer Panther]

To be fair it wasn't just Princess and the frog Winnie the Pooh also underperformed which are Disney Skittish of hand drawn animation.

Well, Winnie the Pooh was clearly sabotaged. I think it was The Princess and the Frog's underperforming that made Disney go "People don't like hand-drawn animation anymore. Let's get Pooh released and go back to CGI."

At least PatF is a fun movie with great music and strong potential as an attraction.

No argument there.

Well then, by that logic, where’s the Lion King ride?

It's had attractions, technically (one opened around the same time as the film was released, I think). Just hasn't had a ride yet.

Why did it take 22 years to build a Little Mermaid ride?

They've been trying to do a Little Mermaid ride for years (there were plans for one in Disneyland Paris). And it did at least get a stage show at Hollywood Studios.

A Zootopia ride?

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll eventually shoehorn that film into Animal Kingdom.

My guesses? Money Lion King and Little Mermaid had their stage shows and Disney was more than happy to draw crowds with relatively cheap (compared to rides not takeing away anything from the actors)offerings that ate up crowds.

Yes. This.

 

[Rich T]

I disagree. I think the ride was perfect in story, pace, design, music, thrills. A++

You’re looking at Splash 1.0 through rose-colored nostalgia glasses. The DL ride has been majorly flawed in many ways since the day it opened. During construction, the whole log fleet had to be redesigned because the first batch couldn‘t navigate the flume properly, delaying the ride’s opening by many months. The end result was a ride that has always felt clunky, badly paced (the logs were never supposed to rush through the story scenes that quickly). No other log flume at any major park feels so clumsy and inelegant on the lift hills. Cresting the top of the big drop feels like you‘re on a freaking playground seesaw. The WDW and TD versions fixed all these problems.

And the latest log redesign that added the individual seats turned the ride’s splash factor from “nice, refreshing water spray” to Islands of Adventure-level drenching.

Though I’m looking forward to the Tiana Splash Mtn., I won’t be surprised if all those ride system issues are still very present.

Yet, despite it’s flaws, DL’s Splash Mtn. is an extremely fun ride full of great music and a track layout that brilliantly places drops at important story moments (though the story itself isn’t told very well at DL). And the exterior is a joy to behold.

But no ride is perfect.

 

[Rich T]

…Thankfully next month I get to ride Splash as it was designed and intended to be one last time.

You mean full of broken AAs and nonfunctioning effects? (Seriously, though, I hope your trip goes great and you have a fantastic time!)

It’s just a log flume. It could just have easily been originally designed as a Robin Hood ride, and you would have grown up loving it just as much. This is not the first time Disney has made changes to an existing ride that upset many fans, and it will certainly not be the last.

We cherish rides because of the good memories we associate with them. Say your goodbyes to Splash 1.0 and, later on, make new good memories on Splash 2.0.

 

[Rich T]

Now regarding your comment that, like Frozen Ever After, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure could end up a pile of shoehorned nonsense.… See, here’s something we can all agree is the part that matters. GOOD STORYTELLING and GOOD DESIGN. Splash 1.0 did a terrible job of telling a coherent story, but excelled at building up tension as the big drop drew closer. I was excited when I first heard of the PatF retheme because the movie’s story and music fit the flume layout perfectly. Now we know it’s NOT going to follow the film’s story.

Still, all the elements are there for a great PatF ride: Lovable characters, great music, a scary, dead-but-potentially-undead villain, and a setting full of possibilities. And the fact that they need to incorporate a fifty foot drop into the story tells me that it won’t be without some kind of dramatic tension.

This is Imagineering’s chance to really shine; the whole World’s going to be watching when this one’s unveiled. Fingers crossed they hit a home run.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Somebody should do a little video where guests are asking for directions, and CMs ignore them (or claim ignorance) until the guest can come up with the proper attraction name.

I was once at Epcot by Canada and an EMT asked a CM where the magic eye theatre was.

Splash was not perfect, hence why it’s going bye-bye.

I consider it the perfect Disney attraction. It was Tony Baxter’s best work (Indiana Jones comes in close). It’s completely immersive, tells a story from beginning to end, offers a legit thrill, has a long ride time, and is just 100% fun.

Radiator Springs Racers is another one - could be a little bit longer but it hits the majority of points that I give to Splash.