Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion

[EagleScout610]

Looking at VicariousCorpse's picture above it was definitely painted before they repainted it with the solid puke orange (probably left over from Splash). This can be verified through all of the opening weekend videos from prominent YouTubers.

It's not puke orange because they didn't finish painting. It was already painted correctly and they painted the puke orange over it. Also, in my post above it is clear that even with the water on it still looks like crap and doesn't really cover it up.

No. There is a distinct transition from one week (or maybe even day) to another. This was talked about previously and I remember someone pointing it out immediately after it was repainted.

In summary, TBA definitely opened with a correctly painted waterfall, probably left over from the Splash era. It was a couple weeks later after opening that it suddenly got painted the puke orange.

FWIW the paint on the waterfall was flaking off and there was an orange discoloration where the waterfall was on the last day of Splash, but that was clearly from unrepaired water damage as the ride was winding down. This is just incompetence.

 

[chadwpalm]

FWIW the paint on the waterfall was flaking off and there was an orange discoloration where the waterfall was on the last day of Splash, but that was clearly from unrepaired water damage as the ride was winding down. This is just incompetence.
View attachment 884028

Good find! So they did paint it once before TBA opened, and then puked on it!

 

[Disney Analyst]

The only thing I can think is that it’s some sort of sealant applied by ops or maintenance, and they haven’t been given a budget to bring proper scenic painters in?

Maybe waiting for a winter refurb?

 

[mickEblu]

This project is a disaster

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

This project is a disaster

...of their own making.

The result of ignoring both the central themes of The Princess and the Frog and the deeper cultural roots of New Orleans. Voodoo (or Hoodoo, by proxy) might have risked some criticism, but by removing it entirely (or never even attempting at all) Disney stripped away what could have been a rich narrative thread, leaving behind an attraction mostly devoid of conflict, substance, or care. In many ways, the whole thing feels like a parody of bad jazz: exaggerating its surface-level character (Tiana, master of all trades!), built on a messy, non-traditional structure (Here’s a band! And another band! And another!), and filled with atonal noise (too many cooks, no conductor).

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is an accidental, incoherent ride that takes itself way too seriously even with its preschool level narrative. Cosplay Imagineering... by a team that doesn’t understand the soul of what they’re even building. Clearly, no souls were searched on those trips for "authenticity." In my opinion, it was doomed from the start: a designed-by-committee mess, circling the drain of its own 50-foot drop. But I always had hope they would do right by the source material. Boy, was I wrong!

Hyperbole aside: How they managed to bungle this is almost impressive... and I actually liked The Princess and the Frog. Shame.

 

[mickEblu]

...of their own making.

The result of ignoring both the central themes of The Princess and the Frog and the deeper cultural roots of New Orleans. Voodoo (or Hoodoo, by proxy) might have risked some criticism, but by removing it entirely (or never even attempting at all) Disney stripped away what could have been a rich narrative thread, leaving behind an attraction mostly devoid of conflict, substance, or care. In many ways, the whole thing feels like a parody of bad jazz: exaggerating its surface-level character (Tiana, master of all trades!), built on a messy, non-traditional structure (Here’s a band! And another band! And another!), and filled with atonal noise (too many cooks, no conductor).

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is an accidental, incoherent ride that takes itself way too seriously even with its preschool level narrative. Cosplay Imagineering... by a team that doesn’t understand the soul of what they’re even building. Clearly, no souls were searched on those trips for "authenticity." In my opinion, it was doomed from the start: a designed-by-committee mess, circling the drain of its own 50-foot drop. But I always had hope they would do right by the source material. Boy, was I wrong!

Hyperbole aside: How they managed to bungle this is almost impressive... and I actually liked The Princess and the Frog. Shame.

It’s so bad it somehow made me like the movie/ IP less. That might be a first for me.

 

[Tha Realest]

Many of us theme park fans are also entertainment industry people. Entertainment industry tends to work with Disney or have direct contact with friends who do/have. Knowing some of the creatives behind some theme park events/shows; that's how I first heard about Disney trying to walk away from the stickiness of misrepresenting a marginalized religious group due to concerns over optics or further backlash.

I get that, but everyone ignores that Mama Odie is also both a voodoo practitioner AND a pastiche of problematic tropes. Portraying a more benevolent form of voodoo is still problematic, especially given the tropes Odie perpetuates.

 

[D.Silentu]

They are skirting that too, calling what she does “magic” now.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Lol, ok. So can you answer the question since the other two won't?

If these are recent documents are real and recent, and they aren't suppose to be referencing voodoo at all because they are "censoring" the character, then why were zombie walkers, or "dolls", preceding him in the parade even as recent as last year. That would be a direct reference to voodoo. So again doesn't make sense if we are to believe what they are saying is true.

Here you go:

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Here you go:

View attachment 884266

Even Dr. Facilier can't say a negative word about TBA!

 

[mickEblu]

Here you go:

View attachment 884266

Seems like adding him to the ride is doable. Just play the music and don’t play all the lyrics. All you need is the music, some “are you ready” chants, a Facilier AA or projection of his shadow and projections of all his “shadowy friends.”

 

[Disney Irish]

Here you go:

View attachment 884266

Thank you for providing them, as they add context to the conversation.

This is really about Entertainment though specifically in regards to TBA, as I suspected, rather than some company wide initiative. And it appears that Entertainment wants to lean into the fact that Voodoo is an actual religion and not focus on the negative portrayals that have occurred with the black magic side of it, which isn't a bad thing.

Context is everything. And I agree with @mickEblu there is nothing in here that prevents them from adding Facilier into TBA at any point in the future, either in just a holiday overlay or permanently.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Seems like adding him to the ride is doable. Just play the music and don’t play all the lyrics. All you need is the music, some “are you ready” chants, a Facilier AA or projection of his shadow and projections of all his “shadowy friends.”

Anything is doable. They can reverse their stance on Facilier. They can reverse their stance on Splash Mountain. But will they? It’s very unlikely they will try to polish this turd anytime soon, if at all.

 

[Professortango1]

Thank you for providing them, as they add context to the conversation.

This is really about Entertainment though specifically in regards to TBA, as I suspected, rather than some company wide initiative. And it appears that Entertainment wants to lean into the fact that Voodoo is an actual religion and not focus on the negative portrayals that have occurred with the black magic side of it, which isn't a bad thing.

Context is everything. And I agree with @mickEblu there is nothing in here that prevents them from adding Facilier into TBA at any point in the future, either in just a holiday overlay or permanently.

Move. Those. Goalposts!

A- Why isn't Facilier exist within TBA?
B - Disney was concerned about the problematic racist portrayal of "Voodoo" and put a pause on Facilier-related additions.
A- That doesn't sound true.
B - We know people who work inside and they report this.
A - Prove it. No proof means it was made up. Just a rumor with no credence.
B - Here's an official Disney directive stating they want to steer away from "Voodoo" and demonizing a culture.
A - I mean, that's just entertainment. That has nothing to do with TBA.

Sure, I'm certain the Disney entertainment department exists within a vacuum.

 

[mickEblu]

Anything is doable. They can reverse their stance on Facilier. They can reverse their stance on Splash Mountain. But will they? It’s very unlikely they will try to polish this turd anytime soon, if at all.

Sure. I just meant that if we’re strictly going by the language in those documents there are work arounds. They clearly aren’t trying to get rid of the character. He’s just being handled sensitively.

The question of course is if they care or are interested in investing the resources to update the attraction for a character they re still testing the waters on. Not quite as easy to remove him from an attraction as it would be ending a meet and greet if need be. And as it stands, the attraction has long wait times. Even with the broken AAs and crappy story. I doubt this is a high priority for them. It would have to be a labor of love or something they feel they can monetize like a Halloween overlay.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

No wonder it took a long time for someone to leak this after all the nonstop talk of censorship. Sounds like a very simple concept; they just wanted performers to avoid talking about religion and hell to guests.

 

[Disney Irish]

Move. Those. Goalposts!

A- Why isn't Facilier exist within TBA?
B - Disney was concerned about the problematic racist portrayal of "Voodoo" and put a pause on Facilier-related additions.
A- That doesn't sound true.
B - We know people who work inside and they report this.
A - Prove it. No proof means it was made up. Just a rumor with no credence.
B - Here's an official Disney directive stating they want to steer away from "Voodoo" and demonizing a culture.
A - I mean, that's just entertainment. That has nothing to do with TBA.

Sure, I'm certain the Disney entertainment department exists within a vacuum.

There isn't moving any goalposts. I had an opinion, and some of it changed over the course of the conversation. That is it.

Also you clearly didn't read, as I specifically said this is about TBA. Also nothing happens in a vacuum, but the document is clearly about Entertainment only. This isn't some company wide memo with bullet points for each department on censoring the character.

If you and others want to read more into that is on you. But me I take it at face value.

 

[Disney Irish]

No wonder it took a long time for someone to leak this after all the nonstop talk of censorship. Sounds like a very simple concept; they just wanted performers to avoid talking about religion and hell to guests.

Exactly, if people want to read more into it that is fine. But this isn't some big company wide initiative as was trying to be portrayed initially.

 

[LittleBuford]

Here you go:

View attachment 884266

I would be surprised if this is particularly different in approach from the directions they give to other face characters. Note that the biography for Tiana (visible in one of the tweets you shared) likewise has her avoiding discussion of anything that might be construed as controversial (stuff do with race, Hurricane Katrina, etc.).

 

[Agent H]

Here you go:

View attachment 884266

This has nothing to do with your point but I find this fascinating. I wish more of these character performance sheets were available for public viewing. (I understand why Disney doesn’t let that happen though)