News Tiana's Bayou Adventure - latest details and construction progress

[TrainsOfDisney]

Gothya covered here:

News - Tiana's Bayou Adventure - latest details and construction progress

There's probably nothing as tall as Splash Mountain in Louisiana anyway... Check out the dumpsters on Bourbon St early Sunday morning.

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That’s a diagram of an underground salt dome that formed an island and lake. The photos of the salt mine in operation show a traditional mine shaft, which led the salt miners to the underground mine.

 

[networkpro]

Wouldn’t romanticized be better way to describe somewhere like Main Street? I’d reserve “hyper real” for places like Galaxies Edge.

I'd reserve Galaxy's Edge description to those who dream of concrete splashes

 

[MisterPenguin]

That’s a diagram of an underground salt dome that formed an island and lake. The photos of the salt mine in operation show a traditional mine shaft, which led the salt miners to the underground mine.

Yes.

Is there an issue of mine shafts?

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Yes.

Is there an issue of mine shafts?

I think his question is "Where's the height?"

 

[Casper Gutman]

Agreed. No matter how good the ride itself is, its biggest flaw will be how they decided to redress the exterior with various bits of ornamentation and props. Less would have been more in this case.

There can be bigger flaws.

 

[MisterPenguin]

You’re missing the point of hyperreality. Yes, there’s a salt dome in Louisiana, but no one’s idea of Louisiana involves mountains or even hills. It’s bayous, New Orleans, etc. If your response to someone saying, “This mountain doesn’t feel like New Orleans,” is “Well, TECHNICALLY…” you’ve already lost. The point is to evoke a time and place, not pick outlying elements and try to legitimize them through pedantry.

So, you're saying, "Well, TECHNICALLY, there's no 50 foot mounds anywhere near New Orleans."

Because the general public has toured the greater bayou area around NOLA and have concluded there couldn't possibly be a salt dome nearby?

I've visited central LA. Drove to NOLA. Did the touristy things. And if someone told me there were several 50-100 foot salt domes out there in the greater bayou, I would've said, "OK."

NOLA itself doesn't have to be known as the flattest place on earth for a hundred miles in order to make such a mound unbelievable.

Especially in the world where magic exists. Not our universe.

Maybe those thoroughly familiar with the extended bayous of NOLA would scoff at the idea of such a mound existing. As someone who grew up on the Jersey Shore, I certainly scoff that the boardwalk at BWI is an Atlantic boardwalk.

 

[LittleBuford]

You’re missing the point of hyperreality. Yes, there’s a salt dome in Louisiana, but no one’s idea of Louisiana involves mountains or even hills. It’s bayous, New Orleans, etc. If your response to someone saying, “This mountain doesn’t feel like New Orleans,” is “Well, TECHNICALLY…” you’ve already lost. The point is to evoke a time and place, not pick outlying elements and try to legitimize them through pedantry.

I personally didn’t need the mountain to have a real-world referent. Who cares if Louisiana doesn’t have hills?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

As someone who grew up on the Jersey Shore, I certainly scoff that the boardwalk at BWI is an Atlantic boardwalk.

But not because the boardwalk or elements of it don’t exist.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I think his question is "Where's the height?"

Read the article. It's twice as tall as Splash ""Mountain.""

Jefferson Island has a bigger and sharper drop now that the lake is gone.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Not me, the way it ruined the skyline and theming of DCA is really bad and I don’t care for the attraction at all. It doesn’t make sense, and feels like a universal ride.

They did do a pretty good job with the que and pre show though.

While I regret the loss of maelstrom, at least it didn’t effect the overall pavilion, although for the money they spent on that meet and greet they could have built a new frozen attraction there and just refreshed maelstrom to have a little frozen nod.

Tower of Terror also stuck out like a sore thumb post Cars Land addition.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Read the article. It's twice as tall as Splash ""Mountain.""

Jefferson Island has a bigger and sharper drop now that the lake is gone.

Are there photos of this?

Tower of Terror also stuck out like a sore thumb post Cars Land addition.

I disagree, it fit the theme of the park and all areas quite well except maybe bugs land, can’t remember if it was visible there or not, I don’t remember it, but wouldn’t go through there a lot.

 

[Casper Gutman]

So, you're saying, "Well, TECHNICALLY, there's no 50 foot mounds anywhere near New Orleans."

Because the general public has toured the greater bayou area around NOLA and have concluded there couldn't possibly be a salt dome nearby?

I've visited central LA. Drove to NOLA. Did the touristy things. And if someone told me there were several 50-100 foot salt domes out there in the greater bayou, I would've said, "OK."

NOLA itself doesn't have to be known as the flattest place on earth for a hundred miles in order to make such a mound unbelievable.

Especially in the world where magic exists. Not our universe.

Maybe those thoroughly familiar with the extended bayous of NOLA would scoff at the idea of such a mound existing. As someone who grew up on the Jersey Shore, I certainly scoff that the boardwalk at BWI is an Atlantic boardwalk.

Reality isn’t the issue! The shared imaginary is the issue!

When you ask someone to think of Iowa, most are going to think of a certain range of images (corn will be involved). If you ask them to think of France, they’re likely to think of something that looks like the World Showcase pavilion. If you ask them to think of a typical American Main Street…

“The Hollywood that never was and always will be.”

Now, Buford’s right - in isolation the Hill isn’t a big deal. Where it becomes a problem is when every single design choice associated with the attraction fails to evoke what it’s meant to evoke. It also becomes an issue when you justify it with reality and make it fundamental to your rides story, making guests THINK about it instead of just suspending disbelief.

 

[LittleBuford]

Now, Buford’s right - in isolation the Hill isn’t a big deal. Where it becomes a problem is when every single design choice associated with the attraction fails to evoke what it’s meant to evoke. It also becomes an issue when you justify it with reality and make it fundamental to your rides story, making guests THINK about it instead of just suspending disbelief.

This is kind of where I stand. It’s the Imagineers themselves who (regrettably, in my opinion) invited us to view the retheme through the lens of “authenticity”.

 

[SpectroMan93]

Hopefully they won't go with the queue wall they have planned. It looks like it was done for a YMCA and has nothing to do with Princess and the Frog.

Plus 4 years old could have fingerpainted a better mural. Where'd they dig up this no talent? What??? No 4 year olds were available???

There’s voicing discontent and then there’s just complete disrespect and ignorance. The artist’s name is Malaika Favorite. She has her work displayed in several art galleries throughout the country and this specific style is widely seen throughout New Orleans.

Disliking the mural is your prerogative, but calling her a no talent is absolutely classless.

 

[MisterPenguin]

This is kind of where I stand. It’s the Imagineers themselves who (regrettably, in my opinion) invited us to view the retheme through the lens of “authenticity”.

I agree.

After their fact-finding missions and reports, they should have added, "...and we're blending many of these real-world details into the magical world that was presented to us in Princess and the Frog."

 

[LittleBuford]

I agree.

After their fact-finding missions and reports, they should have added, "...and we're blending many of these real-world details into the magical world that was presented to us in Princess and the Frog."

Visiting New Orleans was one thing, but why they felt compelled to find an actual Louisianan hill to justify the ride’s height is beyond me.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Really like how the exterior is coming along.

Perhaps that July/August 2024 aspirational goal I mentioned will actually come to pass? In any event, I would expect them to announce summer or fall soon after the New Year. It would be really nice to have this open for some of the summer heat.

 

[JoeCamel]

I am always amazed by those. I should go to their guest service next visit and pay them a compliment on them.

Tell Skipper Hoss you like his work

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Really like how the exterior is coming along.

Perhaps that July/August 2024 aspirational goal I mentioned will actually come to pass? In any event, I would expect them to announce summer or fall soon after the New Year. It would be really nice to have this open for some of the summer heat.

Seems like we were both told similar information. The most aggressive and aspirational target I was told was also in the July/August ballpark. Though this was quite some while ago now and getting approval to expedite the timeline also seemed contingent on other things. Specifically approval for projects the had for Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Approval that I have to assume did not go through given what we saw at D23. There were still earlier but less extreme dates as well, like September-October. Either way, given that they took out the "late" portion of the 2024 date, that may be evidence that SOME sort of abbreviated construction period was approved.

If they can get the ride open much earlier without compromising quality, then they should do so. Capacity is desperately needed at the park and it's also just stupid to target an end of year opening for a wet ride. Even Florida still gets quite cold in December. Cold enough that a lot of people wouldn't want to subject themselves (or their kids) to being potentially soaked.

Don't take this as being close to an actual opening date, but I expect they will probably be cycling the water and boats sooner than expected while it's still in a very incomplete state. I don't know how much of the interior they have done at the moment, if they've even begun. But I do know they already have a lot of the animatronics already done and much of the greenery purchased (with some very amusing info about the greenery in particular).

 

[ToTBellHop]

Seems like we were both told similar information. The most aggressive and aspirational target I was told was also in the July/August ballpark. Though this was quite some while ago now and getting approval to expedite the timeline also seemed contingent on other things. Specifically approval for projects the had for Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Approval that I have to assume did not go through given what we saw at D23. There were still earlier but less extreme dates as well, like September-October. Either way, given that they took out the "late" portion of the 2024 date, that may be evidence that SOME sort of abbreviated construction period was approved.

If they can get the ride open much earlier without compromising quality, then they should do so. Capacity is desperately needed at the park and it's also just stupid to target an end of year opening for a wet ride. Even Florida still gets quite cold in December. Cold enough that a lot of people wouldn't want to subject themselves (or their kids) to being potentially soaked.

Don't take this as being close to an actual opening date, but I expect they will probably be cycling the water and boats sooner than expected while it's still in a very incomplete state. I don't know how much of the interior they have done at the moment, if they've even begun. But I do know they already have a lot of the animatronics already done and much of the greenery purchased (with some very amusing info about the greenery in particular).

Work has certainly begun on the interior but I don’t know how far along it is, either. They’ve been pretty tight-lipped on this. I also don’t understand how DL’s closed 4 months later and will still finish before next Christmas, but I haven’t really followed the conversion there. Maybe it needs less ride-system work.

I was obviously surprised at the lack of progress on DAK/MK headed into Destination D23 but it sounds like Bob has pushed everything back significantly. What will they talk about at D23 next year? More “ideas”?