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Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion
- Thread starter Californian Elitist
- Start date
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
The fact that they left the comments on for the POV they posted is really interesting. They want that data even though they most likely knew how bad the reviews were going to be. They had to have known right? Or is the problem that they didn’t? Would any company willingly invite so much bad press?
BuzzedPotatoHead89
Well-Known Member
I would suspect the culture of the company would dictate that even those that knew would have to allow this to “run its course” and measure the reaction after the fact.
There’s a level of confirmation bias/groupthink that likely went on during this project, in addition to other factors. Corporate America does not encourage dissenting opinion generally in the interest of making sure everyone is a “team player”.
At some point even if one has suspicions it’s easier not to object and just let the outcomes speak for themselves.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
What?!?!?! It's a celebration of YOU!!!!
We laugh at them in WDI, and they truly deserve to be laughed at for this one, but there's really a big problem here.
We've been throwing around the phrase "HR approved" for a couple years now, since the first official information about this ride started coming out from Disney's various channels. But now it really does seem as though non-creative HR hacks, or those fully re-educated by them, had an outsized hand in this attraction's creative development and direction.
And that's a HUGE problem going forward for all the rides currently under development for the $60 Billion in Parks funding they've got for the next ten years. Going only off of what they just created for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the concepts of villainy and conflict and danger and fear and tension are no longer allowed in Disney theme parks. Only supportive environments can be displayed, only happy thoughts are allowed, only frictionless stories where no danger occurs can be written, and only welcoming communities where everyone is valued and celebrated just for existing as they are can be portrayed in rides now.
Or so it would seem. It's up to Disney to address this, and perhaps say something at D23 Expo this summer to acknowledge the glaring faults of Tiana's Bayou Adventure and tell us that future rides won't follow HR's creative format.
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
Hoo-Boy, I finally have a window of free time at work so I will share my thoughts having seen what I have so far. My entire message should come with the disclaimer that I am reserving final judgement for when I experience the attraction for myself. Still, here are my thoughts throughout the ride:
Initial lift, former Briar Patch, Tiana lift hill and all outdoor portions before first drop: I like them, for the most part. The only things I don't like about these areas are that weird painted wall before WDW's Tiana lift hill and the strange Tiana's Food signage just afterwards. But DL's won't have the former and still no confirmation on the latter (though I assume it will be there). In all, I think it looks real nice, dig the music and Tiana's animatronic gives the riders at least a basic enough understanding about what's about to happen. I think the Louis made of melons is fun. This area was basically just fun music and stuff to look while it was Splash too, so overall I think an improvement since there's a bit more to admire.
Everything up to the "Laughin' Place" drop: So.. the animatronics are nice and the interior sets are pretty. I like them. That said, way too much dead space with not enough happening between these moments. Seriously, I timed WDW's and there's almost a full minute worth of ride time without anything of note going on. Maybe without Splash to compare it to, it wouldn't seem so bad. But we do have Splash to compare it to, so thems the breaks. I sincerely hope that DL's quicker flume (which was previously seen as a detractor when compared to WDW's Splash) will help with these areas but I honestly have no idea.
I do not understand why they didn't just spread the critters out during these moments? It feels odd to me that the critters are already in bands when I thought the point of the ride was supposed to be us gathering them up to create one at the end? Smaller moments showcasing each of the critters as we pass them and their individual musical talents/tendencies, followed by Tiana/Louis explaining they're perfect for the party would have made more sense to me. It breaks up the dead space and feels like we're actually putting together a band, instead of hiring ones that seem to already exist?
The (former) "Laughin' Place": Sue me, hate me, do whatever you want but I think this area is an improvement. The Frogs are broken up in the way I would have liked the other Critters to have been. It's got a new drop effect and the area is super colorful with lots to look at outside the Frogs themselves (dancing fireflies, bottle effect, jumping fountains, etc). I even don't "hate" the giant Tiana and Louis 3D animation on the screen. What they are saying in relation to what's happening came across fine to me. And the weird 3D animation (strange as it is), sort of feels consistent with the style of her animatronic that we've passed like 4 times now so this Tiana feels consistent within the experience, to me.
I will say I am not a fan of the second Mama Odie screen projection just before the lift hill. The first one seemed to have enough of a "set" built around it to make the moment forgivable but the second one feels like a missed opportunity. I also wonder how DL's version will handle this moment because we had the Burrow's Lament space for them to fill out here.
The final lift: The Mama Odie animatronic is nice and I'm sure the bottles will look nice at night but man, what a nothingburger of an area based on ride footage. It would have been great if they had been able to liven this area up with more "visual indicators" that we are growing back to size. The same light effect as before is fine to be present but it would have been nice if maybe like, they'd of hung "giant" glass bottles at the base of the lift and had them get progressively smaller as we ascend. I don't know, that's just a thought. But playing around with some kind of visual that helps sell we're "coming back to size" I feel would have gone a long way.
The Finale: I like it. It's fine. Catchy song, lots of energy/movement going on, Critter bands are now assembled. This is the moment it makes sense for them to have been. It's supposed to be the payoff for our hard work of finding/recruiting them. But since they we've seen them as bands before, it sort of just feels like those scenes have moved in here/the scenes are repeating.
I don't love what I've seen to death but I also don't hate it either. Again, maybe I'll feel different when I ride DL's in person. But right now, overall, I feel like Director Krennic from Rouge One:
Initial lift, former Briar Patch, Tiana lift hill and all outdoor portions before first drop: I like them, for the most part. The only things I don't like about these areas are that weird painted wall before WDW's Tiana lift hill and the strange Tiana's Food signage just afterwards. But DL's won't have the former and still no confirmation on the latter (though I assume it will be there). In all, I think it looks real nice, dig the music and Tiana's animatronic gives the riders at least a basic enough understanding about what's about to happen. I think the Louis made of melons is fun. This area was basically just fun music and stuff to look while it was Splash too, so overall I think an improvement since there's a bit more to admire.
Everything up to the "Laughin' Place" drop: So.. the animatronics are nice and the interior sets are pretty. I like them. That said, way too much dead space with not enough happening between these moments. Seriously, I timed WDW's and there's almost a full minute worth of ride time without anything of note going on. Maybe without Splash to compare it to, it wouldn't seem so bad. But we do have Splash to compare it to, so thems the breaks. I sincerely hope that DL's quicker flume (which was previously seen as a detractor when compared to WDW's Splash) will help with these areas but I honestly have no idea.
I do not understand why they didn't just spread the critters out during these moments? It feels odd to me that the critters are already in bands when I thought the point of the ride was supposed to be us gathering them up to create one at the end? Smaller moments showcasing each of the critters as we pass them and their individual musical talents/tendencies, followed by Tiana/Louis explaining they're perfect for the party would have made more sense to me. It breaks up the dead space and feels like we're actually putting together a band, instead of hiring ones that seem to already exist?
The (former) "Laughin' Place": Sue me, hate me, do whatever you want but I think this area is an improvement. The Frogs are broken up in the way I would have liked the other Critters to have been. It's got a new drop effect and the area is super colorful with lots to look at outside the Frogs themselves (dancing fireflies, bottle effect, jumping fountains, etc). I even don't "hate" the giant Tiana and Louis 3D animation on the screen. What they are saying in relation to what's happening came across fine to me. And the weird 3D animation (strange as it is), sort of feels consistent with the style of her animatronic that we've passed like 4 times now so this Tiana feels consistent within the experience, to me.
I will say I am not a fan of the second Mama Odie screen projection just before the lift hill. The first one seemed to have enough of a "set" built around it to make the moment forgivable but the second one feels like a missed opportunity. I also wonder how DL's version will handle this moment because we had the Burrow's Lament space for them to fill out here.
The final lift: The Mama Odie animatronic is nice and I'm sure the bottles will look nice at night but man, what a nothingburger of an area based on ride footage. It would have been great if they had been able to liven this area up with more "visual indicators" that we are growing back to size. The same light effect as before is fine to be present but it would have been nice if maybe like, they'd of hung "giant" glass bottles at the base of the lift and had them get progressively smaller as we ascend. I don't know, that's just a thought. But playing around with some kind of visual that helps sell we're "coming back to size" I feel would have gone a long way.
The Finale: I like it. It's fine. Catchy song, lots of energy/movement going on, Critter bands are now assembled. This is the moment it makes sense for them to have been. It's supposed to be the payoff for our hard work of finding/recruiting them. But since they we've seen them as bands before, it sort of just feels like those scenes have moved in here/the scenes are repeating.
I don't love what I've seen to death but I also don't hate it either. Again, maybe I'll feel different when I ride DL's in person. But right now, overall, I feel like Director Krennic from Rouge One:
TP2000
Well-Known Member
With WDI leading us into a new $60 Billion era with rides and shows free of drama or plot, feel free to print this list out and put it on your fridge for reference, or tuck it into your bag for your next Disneyland visit to remind yourself what you're getting yourself into with all these dangerous rides that could never get approved by HR today.
Disneyland Resort Dark Rides & E Tickets & Theater Shows and their Villains/Danger Elements:
Jungle Cruise: dangerous animals, deadly Piranhas, gorillas with guns, dynamite explosions
Tiki Room: grumpy and angry Gods, inclement weather & lightning strikes
Indiana Jones: evil curses, collapsing roofs, rats, snakes, fire, brimstone, darts, giant stone ball crushing you, etc.
Pirates: evil curses, death, crime, naval warfare, physical torture, drunkenness, looting, arson, unlicensed firearms
Haunted Mansion: death by hanging, ghosts, curses, hauntings, threatening environments, supernatural unknowns
Winnie The Pooh: nightmares with attacking Hefalumps and Whoozles (sp?)
Rise Before Dawn: fascist evil government, Stormtroopers, jail cells, warfare, that bad guy who is not Darth Vader
Millennium Falcon Target Run: illegal smuggling, space battles, laser weaponry, flashing buttons
Big Thunder Mountain: creepy bats, rattlesnakes, dangerous caves, dynamite explosions
Snow White: evil queen, spells & witchcraft, tainted produce
Pinocchio: childhood abduction, forced labor, whale attack
Peter Pan: piracy, sword fighting, hungry crocodile
Mr. Toad: dangerous driving, physical threats, run over dead by locomotive and sentenced to Hell for misdeeds
Alice In Wonderland: alleged drug use, threatening hallucinations, evil queen
Roger Rabbit: physical violence and danger, falling from a skyscraper, acid attack
Runaway Railway: train derailment, high speed traffic & crashes, dangerous waterfall, mandatory dance lessons
Matterhorn: cold and ice, abominable snowman in a very bad mood
Submarines: giant clams, moray eels, shipwrecks, underwater mine warfare, sharks, giant anglerfish, volcanic eruption
Space Mt.: asteroids, dangerous space travel, extremely curt CM's
Buzz Lightyear: evil emperor Zurg, laser warfare, physical assaults from scary aliens
Star Tours: evil fascist government, space warfare, dangerous piloting skills, dangerous aliens, general incompetence
Mr. Lincoln: civil war, an American citizenry who no longer loves and cherishes the nation and threatens it from within
Monsters Inc: lost child, evil lizard, physical threats
Philharmagic: tornado, bullying behavior, violent instruments, physical assaults, emotional trauma
Grizzly River Run: threatened bear attack (or is it a wolf?)
Little Mermaid: moray eels, evil octopus queen, spells & witchcraft, imprisoned souls
Incredicoaster: parents scared due to lost baby, physical and emotional abuse for riders by the lost baby
Cars Racers: dangerous traffic, attacking farm combine, threat of physical dismemberment
Mission Breakout: eternal imprisonment, violent aliens, risk of not getting Pat Benatar or The Jackson 5 song
That leaves two (2) rides in Anaheim that have indoor dark ride portions with no danger or villain whatsoever;
Small World: world peace, cultural diversity, the beauty and innocence of children, our shared humanity
Tiana's Bayou Adventure: animal band willingly plays at your party for free, Employee Owned Food Cooperative
Disneyland Resort Dark Rides & E Tickets & Theater Shows and their Villains/Danger Elements:
Jungle Cruise: dangerous animals, deadly Piranhas, gorillas with guns, dynamite explosions
Tiki Room: grumpy and angry Gods, inclement weather & lightning strikes
Indiana Jones: evil curses, collapsing roofs, rats, snakes, fire, brimstone, darts, giant stone ball crushing you, etc.
Pirates: evil curses, death, crime, naval warfare, physical torture, drunkenness, looting, arson, unlicensed firearms
Haunted Mansion: death by hanging, ghosts, curses, hauntings, threatening environments, supernatural unknowns
Winnie The Pooh: nightmares with attacking Hefalumps and Whoozles (sp?)
Rise Before Dawn: fascist evil government, Stormtroopers, jail cells, warfare, that bad guy who is not Darth Vader
Millennium Falcon Target Run: illegal smuggling, space battles, laser weaponry, flashing buttons
Big Thunder Mountain: creepy bats, rattlesnakes, dangerous caves, dynamite explosions
Snow White: evil queen, spells & witchcraft, tainted produce
Pinocchio: childhood abduction, forced labor, whale attack
Peter Pan: piracy, sword fighting, hungry crocodile
Mr. Toad: dangerous driving, physical threats, run over dead by locomotive and sentenced to Hell for misdeeds
Alice In Wonderland: alleged drug use, threatening hallucinations, evil queen
Roger Rabbit: physical violence and danger, falling from a skyscraper, acid attack
Runaway Railway: train derailment, high speed traffic & crashes, dangerous waterfall, mandatory dance lessons
Matterhorn: cold and ice, abominable snowman in a very bad mood
Submarines: giant clams, moray eels, shipwrecks, underwater mine warfare, sharks, giant anglerfish, volcanic eruption
Space Mt.: asteroids, dangerous space travel, extremely curt CM's
Buzz Lightyear: evil emperor Zurg, laser warfare, physical assaults from scary aliens
Star Tours: evil fascist government, space warfare, dangerous piloting skills, dangerous aliens, general incompetence
Mr. Lincoln: civil war, an American citizenry who no longer loves and cherishes the nation and threatens it from within
Monsters Inc: lost child, evil lizard, physical threats
Philharmagic: tornado, bullying behavior, violent instruments, physical assaults, emotional trauma
Grizzly River Run: threatened bear attack (or is it a wolf?)
Little Mermaid: moray eels, evil octopus queen, spells & witchcraft, imprisoned souls
Incredicoaster: parents scared due to lost baby, physical and emotional abuse for riders by the lost baby
Cars Racers: dangerous traffic, attacking farm combine, threat of physical dismemberment
Mission Breakout: eternal imprisonment, violent aliens, risk of not getting Pat Benatar or The Jackson 5 song
That leaves two (2) rides in Anaheim that have indoor dark ride portions with no danger or villain whatsoever;
Small World: world peace, cultural diversity, the beauty and innocence of children, our shared humanity
Tiana's Bayou Adventure: animal band willingly plays at your party for free, Employee Owned Food Cooperative
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
It's worth noting that when WDI redid Jungle Cruise, they removed the Head Hunter portion where you get 'attacked' by spearmen. And in Snow White, they dramatically toned down the tension when they redid it into 'Enchanted Wish'. And when they redid Mission Breakout, it was far less tense than Tower of Terror. There is a trend here, and it's not a good one.
And there's rumors that Walt is coming to the Lincoln show- who knows what form that is, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Civil war stuff is toned down significantly.
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
Something else I forgot to mention that seemed strange to me.. what's up with the placement of this Lari the Armadillo figure?
Wouldn't it have made more sense to put him beneath the upcoming waterfall on our right? Or at least closer to it? His umbrella would make much more sense and right now he seems a bit too far removed from it.
Wouldn't it have made more sense to put him beneath the upcoming waterfall on our right? Or at least closer to it? His umbrella would make much more sense and right now he seems a bit too far removed from it.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
A fabulous write up! Thank you for that, I agree and you pointed out a few things I hadn't thought of yet (as I've not been on the ride and am mostly going off of Disney's own and heavily edited POV video).
Oh, geez. You're right. That's why these scenes feel so dumb; there's no story building, it's already happened. Tiana and Louis just happen upon groups of animals in the bayou already formed into full bands who have apparently spent weeks rehearsing together and are happy to play Tiana's gig tonight for free.
Next scene! Oh, look, another fully formed animal band with well rehearsed talent!
Agreed. This is an improvement for WDW's Laughing Place, one of the few sets that was inferior to Disneyland's version. The showboat finale' room is the other set that was oddly a downgrade from Disneyland. For WDW, the tiny frog and firefly scene is an improvement.
I am hopeful Disneyland's version is just as good, if not better. And with tweaking to the dialogue, it could improve further.
I agree that the finale' room has a lot of promise. It's the best scene in the whole ride, IMO. But it is let down because it feels (and the song lyrics back that up) completely disconnected from the previous 10 minutes of the ride. The song is catchy and upbeat, but the lyrics make very little sense for what we've just experienced in the previous 10 minutes.
Huh? You were looking for a "special spice all along"? No one mentioned that before, Tiana. Why didn't you say something about needing a special spice, instead of just saying you needed a band for your party? And we are the special spice you were always looking for? Seems like something important to the plot you should have mentioned somewhere, even if just in passing.
But, okay, I guess we're special and Tiana has been looking for us for a long time even though she said hi to us specifically on the second lift hill early in the ride and then kept talking to us throughout her bayou "adventure" that was oddly free of drama or suspense. But we're special! Exit to your left.
Sharon&Susan
Well-Known Member
Maybe they're worried about the bad press that could come from shutting the comment section down?
BuzzedPotatoHead89
Well-Known Member
In defense of the song lyrics (which the song is actually pretty good), I think the “special spice” is the metaphor in that we (the audience) are the “final ingredient” Tiana needed to assemble the perfect celebration.
Because they keep using the various parts of the band/food analogies interchangeably it seems like they’re talking about different things. But the “spice” is just the last thing she needed (US) to complete the celebration.
I still think it would make more sense if there was actual tension like being kidnapped by the ghost of Facilier. Because at no point are we in any danger. Hence the celebration is a bit unearned.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Gee, if a Walt AA IS in the cards, I wonder if the show will have him voicing… y’know… his political views?
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
Gee, if a Walt AA IS in the cards, I wonder if the show will have him voicing… y’know… his political views?
HA! Not in this lifetime- Walt's views were very different than the company today. I mean just imagine what today's Entertainment CM's would have to say about Walt's views on unions. Or what any CM would say about his views on grooming, decorum, and service.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
I’m imagining a preview showing for the media and “Influencer” crowd..
Bob: “What… what did he just say?”
Imagineer: “OH NO!!!! A.I. AA WALT’S GONE OFF-SCRIPT! HE’S ACCESSING BIOGRAPHICAL DATA AND IMPROVISING!!! CUT THE POWER!!”
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I agree with you on the song itself, it's a good one and ranks right up there with other upbeat, fun attraction songs from Disneyland, EPCOT Center, and WDW. I found myself humming it just this afternoon while I watered the plants. If the rest of the attraction had been a home run, this song would have been a great finale' piece of jazzy fun. Icing on the cake.
Unfortunately, it's just some random icing at the end of a cakeless ride. Good thing I like icing.
But if you look at the actual dialogue transcript from Tiana on the ride, including banner usage, that concept was never brought up in any way. Or even hinted at. We need to find a band for the celebration. That's it.
Banner: Tonight Only! - A CELEBRATION OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF NEW ORLEANS - At The Proud Home of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen - Everyone Welcome!
Tiana: Hey, there y'all are! Louis is up ahead. Let's join him and find a band for our celebration!
Banner: TIANA'S FOODS - Employee Owned
Louis: Yoo hoo, calling all musicians! Man, it's hard to find a band in the bayou!
Louis: Look at this y'all, this zydeco band, they sure can play! Hallelujah!
Tiana: They can play, no doubt! We'll ask them to join the band for sure.
Louis: Yeah, this rah-rah band is a triumph!
Tiana: I'm askin' all of them to play at the party, but we've got to keep searching high and low.
Louis: How low can I go?
Mama Odie: Time to think big, and to get tiny!
Louis: Wow, this joint is hoppin'!
Tiana: These tiny musicians you've found really bring the heat!
Mama Odie: Let's get you big again, cause the bigger you are the bigger the splash you'll make at the party!
Mama Odie: Now let's get you to the party! You'll be there in no time!
And then after the drop and a couple more WELCOME banners (naturally), we enter the finale' and Tiana sings us a song about us being the special spice she had been looking for all this time. Huh?
For an organization like WDI that likes to puff their chests up any chance they get to tell us what truly great and talented storytellers they all are, this very vague and drama-free story they wrote makes no sense.
Shh! Don't tell Disney's HR Department that.
They throw big inclusion parties in Glendale conference rooms celebrating anyone that can fix the printer.
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BuzzedPotatoHead89
Well-Known Member
Don’t get me wrong - the “story” is awful as I note numerous times.I agree with you on the song itself, it's a good one and ranks right up there with other upbeat, fun attraction songs from Disneyland, EPCOT Center, and WDW. I found myself humming it just this afternoon while I watered the plants. If the rest of the attraction had been a home run, this song would have been a great finale' piece of jazzy fun. Icing on the cake.
Unfortunately, it's just some random icing at the end of a cakeless ride. Good thing I like icing.
But if you look at the actual dialogue transcript from Tiana of the ride, including banner usage, that concept was never brought up in any way. Or even hinted at. We need to find a band for the celebration. That's it.
Banner: Tonight Only! - A CELEBRATION OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF NEW ORLEANS - At The Proud Home of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen - Everyone Welcome!
Tiana: Hey, there y'all are! Louis is up ahead. Let's join him and find a band for our celebration!
Banner: TIANA'S FOODS - Employee Owned
Louis: Yoo hoo, calling all musicians! Man, it's hard to find a band in the bayou!
Louis: Look at this y'all, this zydeco band, they sure can play! Hallelujah!
Tiana: They can play, no doubt! We'll ask them to join the band for sure.
Louis: Yeah, this rah-rah band is a triumph!
Tiana: I'm askin' all of them to play at the party, but we've got to keep searching high and low.
Louis: How low can I go?
Mama Odie: Time to think big, and to get tiny!
Louis: Wow, this joint is hoppin'!
Tiana: These tiny musicians you've found really bring the heat!
Mama Odie: Let's get you big again, cause the bigger you are the bigger the splash you'll make at the party!
Mama Odie: Now let's get you to the party! You'll be there in no time!
And then after a couple more WELCOME banners, we enter the finale' and Tiana sings us a song about us being the special spice she had been looking for all this time. Huh?
For an organization that likes to puff their chests up anytime they get to tell us what truly great and talented storytellers they all are, this very vague and drama-free story they wrote makes no sense.
Don't tell HR that. They throw big inclusion parties in the conference room celebrating anyone that can fix the printer.
I’m just trying to understand what I think they might have been trying to go for.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I agree with you on the song itself, it's a good one and ranks right up there with other upbeat, fun attraction songs from Disneyland, EPCOT Center, and WDW. I found myself humming it just this afternoon while I watered the plants. If the rest of the attraction had been a home run, this song would have been a great finale' piece of jazzy fun. Icing on the cake.
Unfortunately, it's just some random icing at the end of a cakeless ride. Good thing I like icing.
But if you look at the actual dialogue transcript from Tiana on the ride, including banner usage, that concept was never brought up in any way. Or even hinted at. We need to find a band for the celebration. That's it.
Banner: Tonight Only! - A CELEBRATION OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF NEW ORLEANS - At The Proud Home of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen - Everyone Welcome!
Tiana: Hey, there y'all are! Louis is up ahead. Let's join him and find a band for our celebration!
Banner: TIANA'S FOODS - Employee Owned
Louis: Yoo hoo, calling all musicians! Man, it's hard to find a band in the bayou!
Louis: Look at this y'all, this zydeco band, they sure can play! Hallelujah!
Tiana: They can play, no doubt! We'll ask them to join the band for sure.
Louis: Yeah, this rah-rah band is a triumph!
Tiana: I'm askin' all of them to play at the party, but we've got to keep searching high and low.
Louis: How low can I go?
Mama Odie: Time to think big, and to get tiny!
Louis: Wow, this joint is hoppin'!
Tiana: These tiny musicians you've found really bring the heat!
Mama Odie: Let's get you big again, cause the bigger you are the bigger the splash you'll make at the party!
Mama Odie: Now let's get you to the party! You'll be there in no time!
And then after the drop and a couple more WELCOME banners (naturally), we enter the finale' and Tiana sings us a song about us being the special spice she had been looking for all this time. Huh?
For an organization like WDI that likes to puff their chests up any chance they get to tell us what truly great and talented storytellers they all are, this very vague and drama-free story they wrote makes no sense.
Shh! Don't tell Disney's HR Department that.
They throw big inclusion parties in Glendale conference rooms celebrating anyone that can fix the printer.
I’m happy to say that it appears they have gotten rid of both of those last two banners. The one inside and just outside the finale.
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Don’t get me wrong - the “story” is awful as I note numerous times.
I’m just trying to understand what I think they might have been trying to go for.
I know, we're all confused over this ride. It's one of the weirdest things I've seen them do since Superstar Limo.
I'm now convinced this ride had a completely different story until at least 2023. And then, for some unknown reason, they had to ditch the original story and plotline and come up with something different.
I'd bet we'll get some leaks on that process eventually. It might take a few years before that WDI story leaks out on a retired Imagineer's blog or something, but there's obviously a story behind why this ride got all the money and talent that it did, and it turned out so oddly boring and pointless.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
You're kidding. Really? That's hysterical.
If true, that means they are paying attention to the backlash, and perhaps a redo or rework of this ride is in the cards sooner rather than later.
At best, it means a thoughtful rework for the ride could get underway by Fiscal '26 or so.
At worst, it only means they realized the cheap and repetitive banners look like they were done by a 10th grader in a graphic design class who has an older brother that works the big color printer at Office Depot.