Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion

[mickEblu]

Was surprised at how big my tweet on this comparison got. It was just one of many dunks I’ve made on this attraction in the last week

Wow and here I was thinking I did something original with my post yesterday. I didn’t see the new “ You May Get Wet” sign until 2 nights ago on Kevin Weimbachs vlog when I took a pic of the image on my TV.

 

[TP2000]

Wait so the on ride photo was only to be shown within the ride? What were they thinking.

They weren't thinking. The whole ride was a trash dumpster on fire rolling down a hill towards a crystal glassware shop, but it was so horribly bad that it was fabulous. Again, like a John Waters movie in dark ride format. The first time I rode it during AP previews in January, 2001 I got right back in line for another ride just to see if I was dreaming. I wasn't.

They snapped your photo without warning, and then showed it to you a couple minutes later at the end of the ride. Everyone always looked confused and baffled, or just bored, in the photos. But they had no ability to print them or sell them, which was infuriating because they were often hilarious family photos.

 

[Jiggsawpuzzle35]

Wait so the on ride photo was only to be shown within the ride? What were they thinking.

If you like awkward photos WDW Pirates and Haunted Mansion take photos at a random part towards the beginning of each ride and everyone's just completely bored and staring away from the camera. There's nothing to even indicate a photo is being taken.

Yeah I noticed that when I downloaded my photos last month. Same thing with the Haunted Mansion. Where the hell were these cameras?

 

[SplashMountainArchives]

@SplashMountainArchives any word on some of the America Sings figures potentially being reused at ours? I know you mentioned a few would be, but now that MK has opened and none were reused it makes me wonder

Unfortunately, no, but I *can't* confirm that fully just yet. I know there was a strong group that basically petitioned to keep a few of the original America Sings figures for the redo but only at Disneyland, because there was such a strong history associated with them. However I believe the Creative Directors won out, due to budgetary and maintenance concerns, and we shouldn't see them when Disneyland's opens later this year. However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

 

[Too Many Hats]

However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

“Guests are concerned that we turned a log flume with a 50-foot plunge into a preschool-level attraction. What should we do?”

“Let’s get rid of the drop.”

 

[BagOfGroceries]

Unfortunately, no, but I *can't* confirm that fully just yet. I know there was a strong group that basically petitioned to keep a few of the original America Sings figures for the redo but only at Disneyland, because there was such a strong history associated with them. However I believe the Creative Directors won out, due to budgetary and maintenance concerns, and we shouldn't see them when Disneyland's opens later this year. However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

My guess is re-spaced animatronics in the bayou scenes, and not already in one full band.

 

[mickEblu]

My guess is re-spaced animatronics in the bayou scenes, and not already in one full band.

The problem with those animatronics (can we really call them that?) is that they are not quality enough to be on their own. They are so limited in their movement and poorly designed that if they were alone they would look even more ridiculous. Part of the reason they are bunched up is so to take attention away from these facts.

 

[Figments Friend]

However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

If this is indeed true, regarding the reassessment, then this is indeed good to hear and much needed.

Too bad my boy Tony is currently out of the country enjoying a much deserved vacation adventure in far away lands.
It would have been wise to have him at this meeting to advise on the topic.

-

 

[Figments Friend]

There are a few things I miss about California. This is right at the top of that list!

TP, you reminded me of one of my first memories of visiting the Disneyland Resort back in 2007.

I remember walking around the property and exploring the less traveled paths.
I was walking alone along a narrow twisting path between DTD and the tram roadway when I saw a sign similar to the one above.

I had to stop and do a double take, as coming from the wilderness of Massachusetts this was an odd sight to behold.
The irony of the statement, and threat of being poisoned at Uncle Walt’s Park, the sunny early afternoon weather, the risk of not being able to produce offspring for the the next generation of Park goers…yeah, it just made an impact on the randomness of it all and created a fun memory.

Now how many people can say the CA Prop 65 sign can elicit warm n’ fuzzy memories of Disneyland?
( raises hand…)




-

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

Unfortunately, no, but I *can't* confirm that fully just yet. I know there was a strong group that basically petitioned to keep a few of the original America Sings figures for the redo but only at Disneyland, because there was such a strong history associated with them. However I believe the Creative Directors won out, due to budgetary and maintenance concerns, and we shouldn't see them when Disneyland's opens later this year. However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

Yeah I figured as so, I was concerned seeing none of MK’s return. I hope all were archived or at least put to some use as spare parts to help other attractions, I’d hate to imagine them in a dumpster. I sure hope that emergency meeting does us a favor here on the west coast, I’d be fine with them delaying the attraction to however much time they need to fix its issues. Have you heard whether they’re considering reassessing aspects of MK’s as well? I appreciate the insight

 

[CaptinEO]

They weren't thinking. The whole ride was a trash dumpster on fire rolling down a hill towards a crystal glassware shop, but it was so horribly bad that it was fabulous. Again, like a John Waters movie in dark ride format. The first time I rode it during AP previews in January, 2001 I got right back in line for another ride just to see if I was dreaming. I wasn't.

They snapped your photo without warning, and then showed it to you a couple minutes later at the end of the ride. Everyone always looked confused and baffled, or just bored, in the photos. But they had no ability to print them or sell them, which was infuriating because they were often hilarious family photos.

View attachment 790346

So funny you had to reride it to make sure it was real.

Oh my gosh. This is so bad. Love the John Waters comparison. My family went opening year during the summer and thought we did everything (by noon), but somehow we didn’t know this one existed.

 

[CaptinEO]

Unfortunately, no, but I *can't* confirm that fully just yet. I know there was a strong group that basically petitioned to keep a few of the original America Sings figures for the redo but only at Disneyland, because there was such a strong history associated with them. However I believe the Creative Directors won out, due to budgetary and maintenance concerns, and we shouldn't see them when Disneyland's opens later this year. However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

Can only hope they utilize the opportunity of CA having no opening date to push it back and make adjustments. But considering WDI takes 5 years to do anything I’m not hopeful.

 

[Ghost93]

However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

They really should bring Dr. Facillier into the Disneyland version. It shouldn't even cost THAT much money for a last minute revision. Since he's a spirit now they can get away with nothaving to build an animatronic. Simply swap out the two Mama Odie screens with Dr. Facilier so that he is the one that shrinks us, add in some projection mapping to reflect Facilier's "Friends on the Other side" and have the lift hill be him trying to kill us. The Mama Odie animatronic at the top of the lift hill can remain, but instead of her merely encouraging us to have fun at the party, she's zapping and defeating Facilier with her magic.

I know have speculated that Facilier has been banned due to the Voodoo connotations, but since Disney has never explicitly stated they findFacilier problematic they can easily backtrack on that. Furthermore, they don't have to reference Voodoo with Faciliier in the same way they never reference Voodoo when it came to Mama Odie in the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction.

 

[Brer Oswald]

My guess is re-spaced animatronics in the bayou scenes, and not already in one full band.

Adjustments can be made, but I don't think this ride is really fixable with a few minor touches. They'll probably have to take the whole thing down in a couple of years, and spend multiple millions to make it better.

 

[Ghost93]

Adjustments can be made, but I don't think this ride is really fixable with a few minor touches. They'll probably have to take the whole thing down in a couple of years, and spend multiple millions to make it better.

The single biggest issue is the lack of any type of tension of variation of emotion. I think that's a bigger issue than the occasional dead space. Some of that could be tweaked with dialogue. But yes, a few million would need to be spent to rework the Dig A Little Deeper/Lift Hill segments to make this happen.

I also think some reworked music could help. We don't get to hear many people actually SING "Going Down the Bayou" or "Dig A Little Deeper," we predominantly hear the instrumentals.

 

[TP2000]

However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

Oh, that's delicious. Delicious!

There's no need to open this ride in early winter at Disneyland. Yes, I know the ride capacity will suffer for the 3 busy weeks of Christmas and New Years. But honestly, a new ride constantly breaks down daily/hourly for the first month or two anyway, so just deal with a Christmas without Tiana's Bayou Adventure. It's not like it would be reliable in December anyway. And it's a water ride and December gets very cold in Anaheim after 4pm and Splash Mountain was always empty then.

Here's my advice to WDI, not that they'd listen to me since I haven't been vetted by HR and Latondra Newton, but...

• Abandon any plans to open this at Disneyland in December. Push it back at least six months and aim it for the 70th Anniversary Summer instead.
• Assemble a small and targeted Emergency Response Team (ERT) of no more than a dozen key people. Take 45 days and brainstorm every possible way to upgrade and strengthen the story and its paper thin, pointless plot.
• Do NOT take one single more immersion trip as part of your fix! Keep the ERT in Glendale 5 days per week, focused only on fixing this. Reassign staff to cover the ERT's absence from other projects. Cancel vacations if you have to.
• This fall, plan to rework AA placement and staging. Plan to re-record new dialogue and narration.
• Keep the Special Spice song because it can still work great, and you can't really make out the insipid lyrics anyway. It's a catchy song, keep it!
• Based on what you change in the ride, go back and fix the queue for better set up to the refined and improved plot. Ditch 2022-23 PR campaigns that talked about cringey crap like Employee Owned Cooperatives if you need to (please!), and take this opportunity to upgrade the aesthetics of the signage in the queue. You should probably hire a new design person for signage, someone not involved in your first attempt that fell flat.
• Remember this ride has a 40 inch height requirement, so stop talking to the log passengers like they are toddlers. Aim for at least a 6th grade level of communication for new dialogue, and the 41 inch kids in the log will be fine.
• In September 2025, once it's done and you took your rescheduled vacations, assemble key leaders from the Tiana team and have a week long work session to determine how to never let this happen ever again.

And if you ever post another humblebrag on the Parks Blog about an immersion trip, know we are laughing at you.

 

[PK2]

The single biggest issue is the lack of any type of tension of variation of emotion. I think that's a bigger issue than the occasional dead space. Some of that could be tweaked with dialogue. But yes, a few million would need to be spent to rework the Dig A Little Deeper/Lift Hill segments to make this happen.

I also think some reworked music could help. We don't get to hear many people actually SING "Going Down the Bayou" or "Dig A Little Deeper," we predominantly hear the instrumentals.

I genuinely think that simply mashing up "Dig a Little Deeper" with the bom-bom-bom from Other Side on the lift would go a long, LONG way. Maybe literally one line of dialogue to explain that this spell's gonna be a big one to start the hype up beforehand. But I can literally hear it in my head and it kinda rules, would be a fun celebration still but with a tinge of anticipation and nervousness.

 

[mickEblu]

Unfortunately, no, but I *can't* confirm that fully just yet. I know there was a strong group that basically petitioned to keep a few of the original America Sings figures for the redo but only at Disneyland, because there was such a strong history associated with them. However I believe the Creative Directors won out, due to budgetary and maintenance concerns, and we shouldn't see them when Disneyland's opens later this year. However I can confirm that WDI is reassessing the attraction in Anaheim after seeing the reception online (Yes they are very much aware about what goes on online) an emergency meeting was held with the project team at 1401 a few days ago.

Do you think there is any chance they change their stance on including Dr. Facilier even if just projections of his "friends" and his shadow form? This is all so unprecedented it's hard to predict. I'm hoping changes mean more than just re recorded dialogue and some more low quality rocking figures. That would all be welcomed but I don't think it's enough. They should find a way to at least get 20 of those America Signs AA's back in there. While they re at it, get some clothes on all the other critters except Louis and the frogs. That way the America Sings AA's aren't out of place. If one of the fireflies can have a walker, the animals can have clothes. Those figures they added need to be the fillers, not the focal points.

 

[mlayton144]

Assemble a small and targeted Emergency Response Team (ERT)

LOL - I wonder about people sometimes

 

[TP2000]

LOL - I wonder about people sometimes

I thought that was rather clever of me, actually. I'm thinking of having t-shirts made.

They could even turn this into a Disney+ show. Like one of those home makeover shows on HGTV. Hmm...