Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion

[mickEblu]

This is the same WDI that doesn’t want to play Star Wars music in Star Wars land.

Awkward silence = immersion.

I will say though now that we can hear what they did with the Avengers Campus soundtrack (just playing the Avengers theme over and over and over) perhaps this was a blessing in disguise?

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

I will say as someone who supports the retheme there does seem to be a very vocal negative response that hasn’t died down. And while I agree TWDC’s PR campaign is very poor, it does at time feeling like we’ve been beating the *mourning* dead horse for a really long time here. For example the last press release did leave some enticing information once you get away from the whole “Tiana Foods” forced Co-Op backstory. Even some of the Easter eggs folks are unhappy about are likely nothing more than hidden parts of the queue similar to MMRR and GoTG:MB.

It’s unfortunate Tiana didn’t get her own unique purpose built attraction or even that god forbid Splash Mountain didn’t suffer an accidental fate like Murphy (with no injuries of course) because I actually think if it wasn’t attached to Splash Mountain and fully divorced from a reskin treatment it would be better received all around. Instead regardless of how this ride turns out I really think it’s never going to compare to the nostalgia member berries people have for Splash and Zip a Dee Doo Dah. I also still think removing Zip a Dee Doo Dah and all the Brers from the parks like a snap of the fingers from the parks was disingenuous and did not build a bridge to a consensus around this attraction.

Yep, time to move on. Replacing Splash will always be the worst parks decision TWDC has made in my lifetime, but we've had three years of mourning (and let's be honest, denial) and the rides are gone forever now. No going back.

I count myself lucky to live in the one country where Splash still lives on, at least for now.

 

[Parteecia]

My take is that the restaurant is Tiana's and Tiana's Foods is her way of generously helping others become successful like her.

My other take is that food signs on the walls of a future ride are not helpful.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I don't understand the way they are going about any of this. From the initial announcement to the closing of Splash Mountain on both coasts, something about this whole project has seemed off. I don't want the new ride to fail—I'd like it to knock my socks off (at least until it breaks and goes unfixed), but based on everything I've seen and heard about it, a lot has to go right for that to happen.

 

[TP2000]

If I recall @TP2000 's neighbor who has connections at WDI said that WDI regularly comes up with concepts and Tiana Splash was one of them in 2019 to sell more dresses and food at that side of the park.

Then the online petition to retheme the ride circulated in Summer 2020 and they made the announcement at this time despite only having some concept art done.

I am in no way familiar with how things are being done in WDI now post-Covid (and if the Tiana messaging strategy is any indication, things have definitely changed), but there's a gazillion ideas and proposals sitting around on shelves, or in hard drives, waiting for a chance to see the light of day. Proposals for every land in every theme park on the globe.

TBA was no exception, but the plans were in their infancy. Which is why it took three years from announcement to even close the ride for the redo in the first place. They were only vague ideas and concept sketches based on a modestly successful movie from 2009.

 

[Rich T]

Please remember that the signs on a construction wall and few pieces of concept art and early press releases are cause for concern!

Let me just say I’ve been through six+ decades of being a Disneyland fan. Even some of the greatest rides in Disney park history had strange publicity before opening, and the rides turned out great.

Five Words:

Ernest
Goes
To
Splash
Mountain

(And I say that with all due respect and fondness for the work of the late Mr. Jim Varney.)

 

[mickEblu]

I think Splash had one of the best designed facades of all time. With that said, as I was standing across the southern tip of the ROA looking at Splash the other day from Frontierland I do feel like that uninspired grassy mound for TBA will blend in better with the skyline along ROA. Well, depending on the execution on that water tower and if it doesn’t end up being so visible. There’s something about two big iconic facades shoulder to shoulder that comes across more theme park-y or like a collection of rides and less like a real lived in place. Especially when they’re not necessarily simpatico. It’s my same complaint I have about BTMRR and Splash at MK. Or Tron and Space Mountain. Now this was never an issue for me personally and I think the cypress trees between Splash and HM did an ok enough job but is a thought that’s crossed my mind when I was at the park last week.

 

[CaptinEO]

Im just saying that the concept art isn't concrete proof that Mickey Avenue has nothing to do with the De- Americanizing of Main Street that I mentioned.

I wasn't making that connection at all, just showing how it was wild the concept art was in front of us this whole time and no one noticed.

 

[Rich T]

…Main Street USA is nothing but one big store with a facade that doesn’t match what’s inside…

I gotta disagree with you strongly on this point. Main Street is live interactive theme park theater at its best: full of life, music, train whistles, horseless carriage horns, clip-clopping horses, and an appreciation and love for the wonderful architectural styles, typographies and fashions of turn of the century America. It portrays an idealistic lifestyle that never really existed anywhere but Disneyland. It’s a huge part of Disneyland’s identity.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I gotta disagree with you strongly on this point. Main Street is live interactive theme park theater at its best: full of life, music, train whistles, horseless carriage horns, clip-clopping horses, and an appreciation and love for the wonderful architectural styles, typographies and fashions of turn of the century America. It portrays an idealistic lifestyle that never really existed anywhere but Disneyland. It’s a huge part of Disneyland’s identity.

Yes. MK’s Main Street is full of facades. Ours isn’t. The magic store is actually a magic store, the Main Street Cinema actually plays clips, the Opera House houses Lincoln, etc. One may be able to make a case for the Penny Arcade. That one is a store.

 

[DavidDL]

... One may be able to make a case for the Penny Arcade. That one is a store.

-and even after the store space expanded, there are still the penny arcade and pressed penny machines towards the front of the store. Plus the Pinocchio machine in the back. Even the organ, while no longer controllable, still puts on self-playing shows.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It was the first "mountain" ride I went on as a kid so it holds a special place in my heart. But it was also a terrible experience. The ride is bumpy and not smooth at all.

Yes. I hope these issues are addressed for TBA, especially the excess water. If they’re not, I guess I won’t be riding often.

 

[CaptinEO]

It was the first "mountain" ride I went on as a kid so it holds a special place in my heart. But it was also a terrible experience. The ride is bumpy and not smooth at all.

For some reason they redid the logs at some point, You used to sit in between peoples laps and it was actually not as rough as the newer logs. Same goes for Matterhorn.

 

[D.Silentu]

I think the transition could potentially be jarring. One thing about Splash and Pooh is that they blended well together, in terms of aesthetics. We’ll have to wait and see for TBA, but a New Orleans Mardi Gras mixed with Pooh is off when I picture it.

I hear you there, I'm fond of Critter Country as is. The new story paints the mountain as a salt dome, so the ride or at least the exterior has to be set outside the city. That and the model from D23 give me hope that that they'll keep the outside rural and rustic. Sort of a Haunted Mansion and ghosts situation where it's Mardi Gras, but only on the inside.

 

[The Mom]

Any poster who continues arguing will be given a time out.

Also, please stay on topic. Thank you.

 

[Disstevefan1]

My only concerns for both coasts from the start, were, and still are:
Will they take too long to complete this, resulting in the attraction being closed too long.
Will they cut costs and we end up with only a few animatronics, some screens and strobes and fog machines.

Things we can be sure of are:
It will still be a fun log flume attraction.
It will be MOBBED when it eventually reopens because its NEW!

 

[Rich T]

My only concerns for both coasts from the start, were, and still are:
Will they take too long to complete this, resulting in the attraction being closed too long.
Will they cut costs and we end up with only a few animatronics, some screens and strobes and fog machines.

Things we can be sure of are:
It will still be a fun log flume attraction.
It will be MOBBED when it eventually reopens because its NEW!

Well, they recently announced a pretty hefty slate of new AA figures, so that worry looks mostly put to rest at this point. I have high hopes for this redo. I’m guessing Bob Iger wants this attraction on his track record, and so I don’t think we’ll see any big budget cuts on this project.

 

[BubbaisSleep]

Love your knowledge of New Orleans. Good point about the homes on the bayou fitting in with Critter Country. I also can’t help but think of Pirates when I think of a home sitting on a bayou…and that’s in NOS. I guess it could go either way, but the story of the ride takes place directly in New Orleans. Pooh and Tiana meeting together just seems so off. Maybe they should just rename CC Pooh’s Corner and call it a day. It really is just a corner anyway.

Wow great point, I forgot POTC does a quick transition to bayou as well. I suppose it helps that the exterior is NOLA & you can only see the bayou when you step it. Renaming it Pooh’s Corner as you suggested might be the easiest option for sure. We only would see that corner briefly passing by in the queue anyways. Does Tiana have an established meet & greet currently in NOS? I haven’t been to DL since 2 weeks before covid started lol. If they don’t want to do one in Pooh’s corner, maybe they’ll install a permanent meet & greet where her restaurant is. There needs to be one for sure, I just wonder where they’ll place it.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Wow great point, I forgot POTC does a quick transition to bayou as well. I suppose it helps that the exterior is NOLA & you can only see the bayou when you step it. Renaming it Pooh’s Corner as you suggested might be the easiest option for sure. We only would see that corner briefly passing by in the queue anyways. Does Tiana have an established meet & greet currently in NOS? I haven’t been to DL since 2 weeks before covid started lol. If they don’t want to do one in Pooh’s corner, maybe they’ll install a permanent meet & greet where her restaurant is. There needs to be one for sure, I just wonder where they’ll place it.

I’ve been just twice in the past 3+ years lol. You’re not the only one.

I don’t believe Tiana has a designated M&G in NOS. I’ve seen her there many times, but it’s been random. I forgot about the restaurant. So that will be in NOS, but the ride will potentially be in CC? That would make zero sense. I wish Disney would give us some details that have some meat on their bones.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Does Tiana have an established meet & greet currently in NOS?

No idea how regularly this happens, but last July Tiana was doing M&Gs on the Mark Twain as it went around the river.

My friend and I were both able to get pictures with her on the second floor.