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

[Drew the Disney Dude]

Thanks for sharing all this great stuff!!

Happy to! This is the closest I have ever followed a new ride and this is the perfect place to share updates. I was hoping the shirt would bring some good luck tonight, but nothing so far, unfortunately.

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

I just heard an announcement and a log went up the lift hill in the millhouse... I think it's time!

An Imagineer just walked the track to make sure it's clear. Wooo!

 

[TheCoasterNerd]

I just heard an announcement and a log went up the lift hill in the millhouse... I think it's time!

An Imagineer just walked the track to make sure it's clear. Wooo!

what was the announcement? Was it an announcement in the construction site or the park?

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

Mission accomplished! One just went by and I got 2 videos. I'm waiting to see if it goes around again to get different angles.

 

[tparris]

Mission accomplished! One just went by and I got 2 videos. I'm waiting to see if it goes around again to get different angles.

I’m keeping an eye out myself lol

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

 

[TP2000]

It was said "Today at 5:23 PM"!

Meaning it was said by me as I got caught up with the discussion after being absent for the previous 36 hours.

I'm good, but I'm not that good. I have to read the posts in order and get caught up just like any other mortal.

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

what was the announcement? Was it an announcement in the construction site or the park?

Sorry, I just saw this, but it was an announcement for the Imagineers on-site when they sent the log out of the load station. There was someone at the top of the 50-foot drop with a flashlight making sure the track was clear, and another person walking the track at the splashdown area.

 

[EagleScout610]

Do you think the animatronics are testing at this point?

 

[SplashMountainArchives]

By the way, Splash Archive finally uploaded those old test renders of the finale to Twitter. I'll put most of them in a spoiler so that they don't clog up the thread (because goodness knows my posts get long enough already). Hopefully they convey what I stated about them being in a primitive state and why they probably shouldn't be used to make assumptions about the full roster of AA's the end product will contain. Which again I was told should have at least as many as Splash.

View attachment 768090

Three more here showing the major characters being tested out-

Spoiler

View attachment 768091
View attachment 768092
View attachment 768093

This new facade also doesn't resemble the Tiana's Palace restaurant from the film and has a lot of additional staircases and balconies custom built for the ride. It shares a lot of similarities with the old riverboat from Splash in that regard. I suspect these spaces will *probably* contain additional AA's in the final ride, beyond what the renders are showing. Because why build these additional spaces that weren't seen in the film if they'd just be remaining empty. They could have just replicated the restaurant facade from the film (like they did for the actual restaurant at DL) otherwise. And if they don't fill out these spaces, the scene would look really odd. But again, I suspect they will fill it out in the end. These again are far more primitive than the renders they released to the public for BATB or 7DMT.

These renders aren't old, they're from April 2023, I acquired them before they announced that Eudora and the King and Queen would be fully fledged figures. This is what we're getting. I wouldn't get your hopes up about "additional" animatronics.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

These renders aren't old, they're from April 2023, I acquired them before they announced that Eudora and the King and Queen would be fully fledged figures. This is what we're getting. I wouldn't get your hopes up about "additional" animatronics.

I asked my source about your renders the other day and they claimed they aren't accurate to what is being built and that all of those empty spaces will have additional figures that don't appear in what you acquired. They said this scene would have "easily as many" as Splash. That goes for the other scenes as well. Based on allegedly having personally seen full finalized mockups of all the scenes, recent ones as of the past couple months. We'll see.

Disney are going to be in big trouble if they do what you're claiming. It would also mean the imagineers involved are spreading fake renders and information. To multiple people too, as I'm definitely not the only person here who has heard the ride will have a ton of animatronics. I can't fathom why they would do this either given that it would just set everyone up to be disappointed and enraged.

I'll still err on believing my source for now. They've been spot on about a ton, not just regarding Tiana or even just Disney. But if I'm wrong, then I'll apologize when the time comes.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

This is what we're getting. I wouldn't get your hopes up about "additional" animatronics.

I appreciate you for sharing the renders. I must ask however, what makes you so sure this is all we’re getting? Clearly the King, Queen, and Big Daddy aren’t even featured within the renders you’ve shared, as would any additional critters. I’m no expert on what is considered to be a final render, but to me this looks vastly incomplete for something that is meant to be a 1 for 1 replica of a physical space. Did your source explicitly tell you we are getting 9 total figures for the finale?

 

[TP2000]

I just said this over in the Disneyland version of this thread, but since I got dragged over to this WDW thread via a quote earlier today, I might as well say it here just for posterity:

Here's my main concern with this latest batch of Tiana news from WDI...

They are handling the messaging and communication about this project too casually and too amateurishly. That latest TikTok thing or whatever it was showing this expensive signature AA under warehouse lighting was just the latest flub. It's starting to worry me, because they seem to be approaching this whole project with a cavalier attitude.

Like it's "good enough" under fluorescents, and aren't we clever and cute for showing you how clever and cute we are?!?

This is the ONLY thing WDI is currently building in all six American theme parks combined. It's all they've got. They need to tighten up the communications and messaging on this project ASAP! Don't show any animatronic or set piece in anything but the most flattering light. Best to show nothing than to show something mediocre or odd. And the next time they have an announcement to make about this ride, fine tune that sucker until it's perfect and pristine! Not a single blade of grass out of alignment, not a single unsmiling face, and filter the crap out of every image you release if you have to.

But enough of the casual "Look What I Can Do!" messaging on this project. Tighten it up and nail it down, and stop with the casual throwaway vids on Social Media. Because right now, they're embarrassing themselves with their ONLY active project in six American theme parks that are now keeping the entire Company afloat.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I asked my source about your renders the other day and they claimed they aren't accurate to what is being built and that all of those empty spaces will have additional figures that don't appear in what you acquired. They said this scene would have "easily as many" as Splash. That goes for the other scenes as well. Based on allegedly having personally seen full finalized mockups of all the scenes, recent ones as of the past couple months. We'll see.

Disney are going to be in big trouble if they do what you're claiming. It would also mean the imagineers involved are spreading fake renders and information. To multiple people too, as I'm definitely not the only person here who has heard the ride will have a ton of animatronics. I can't fathom why they would do this either given that it would just set everyone up to be disappointed and enraged.

I'll still err on believing my source for now. They've been spot on about a ton, not just regarding Tiana or even just Disney. But if I'm wrong, then I'll apologize when the time comes.

Merlin, I trust you and hope you're right. What nags at me as we get closer and closer to opening is... why does EVERY single piece of PR material and so much of the exterior work like the murals seem to reinforce the notion that the creative team simply doesn't get it, that Disney is following in the disappointing patterns its established over more then a decade, and that the fears of the doubters are justified?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I appreciate you for sharing the renders. I must ask however, what makes you so sure this is all we’re getting? Clearly the King, Queen, and Big Daddy aren’t even featured within the renders you’ve shared, as would any additional critters. I’m no expert on what is considered to be a final render, but to me this looks vastly incomplete for something that is meant to be a 1 for 1 replica of a physical space. Did your source explicitly tell you we are getting 9 total figures for the finale?

Even before my source weighed in on the matter with their own claims, it was all of that blatantly empty space in the renders that made me doubt the final scene will be so sparse. The ride's restaurant facade also isn't a copy of the one from the film, it is fully unique with a different design and all of those empty spaces are unique to the ride.

Here's what that facade looks like in the film-

Just the sidewalk and that one smallish balcony on the second floor. Now compare that to the brand new facade from SplashArchive's renders of the ride-

It's a completely different design for starters, which is already odd. And it comes with a lot of very suspicious new "empty" spaces. Assuming the positioning of the figures in the renders is close to final (and I find that to be relatively believable at least, aside from the t-posing which is yet also another indication that these were being used for early tests and don't represent a completed scene), the bottom level would contain Tiana, Louis, Naveen and Ralphie. Then there's a large empty balcony on the second level, larger even than the movie's. But most of all, a bunch of staircases and landings wrapping around the sides that weren't in the film's variant at all and look deliberately designed as platforms to contain animatronics. In fact, these staircases and landings are remarkably similar to the riverboat platforms in Splash Mtn which housed a ton of AA's.

It's just really difficult to imagine why they would go to the trouble to create all of these unique platforms that look deliberately designed to contain AA's, only to leave them empty... Even the structure on the left side (formerly where the Swamp Boys were) is much larger than what was there prior and appears to contain a ton of extra space for additional AA's beyond just Eudora and Charlotte. Plus the space over to the right where the cart and its figures used to be at DL.

 

[ChesireCat11]

Even before my source weighed in on the matter with their own claims, it was all of that blatantly empty space in the renders that made me doubt the final scene will be so sparse. The ride's restaurant facade also isn't a copy of the one from the film, it is fully unique with a different design and all of those empty spaces are unique to the ride.

Here's what that facade looks like in the film-

View attachment 768721

Just the sidewalk and that one smallish balcony on the second floor. Now compare that to the brand new facade from SplashArchive's renders of the ride-

View attachment 768722

It's a completely different design for starters, which is already odd. And it comes with a lot of very suspicious new "empty" spaces. Assuming the positioning of the figures in the renders is close to final (and I find that to be relatively believable at least, aside from the t-posing which is yet also another indication that these may not be final), the bottom level would contain Tiana, Louis, Naveen and Ralphie. Then there's a large empty balcony on the second level, larger even than the movie's. But most of all, a bunch of staircases and landings wrapping around the sides that weren't in the film's variant at all and look deliberately designed to contain animatronics. In fact, these staircases and landings are remarkably similar to the riverboat in Splash Mtn which housed so many AA's.

It's just really difficult to imagine why they would go to the trouble to create all of these unique platforms that look deliberately designed to contain AA's, only to leave them empty... Even the large structure on the left side (formerly where the Swamp Boys were) is much larger than what was there prior and appears to contain a ton of extra space for additional AA's beyond just Eudora and Charlotte. Plus the space over to the right where the cart and its figures used to be at DL.

Are we sure that the building is even her restaurant? How come it doesn't have the logo on it?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Are we sure that the building is even her restaurant? How come it doesn't have the logo on it?

I don't know about the sign, there's a chance it's just not present in these renders due to the lack of texture and simplified geometry. The plants present in the water for instance are just flat 2D billboards spliced together, those will be actual detailed fake greenery in the final version.

I call it Tiana's Palace out of habit because that's what SplashArchive claimed it is. But you're right, looking closely it may or may not actually be a restaurant. I'm quite sure this building belongs to Tiana though. The metal railing contains vegetable designs, bell peppers and what looks like onions. So it's almost certainly connected to her farm business.

Could be a plantation mansion, perhaps it's actually her new residence (she only had a tiny low rent apartment in the film prior to becoming successful). Whatever it is though, it wasn't in the film and was something they custom made for the ride.

 

[BrianLo]

Merlin, I trust you and hope you're right. What nags at me as we get closer and closer to opening is... why does EVERY single piece of PR material and so much of the exterior work like the murals seem to reinforce the notion that the creative team simply doesn't get it, that Disney is following in the disappointing patterns its established over more then a decade, and that the fears of the doubters are justified?

This is the trouble with sourcing things, it’s really hard to know if it will actually translate to the end product.

I could literally describe Gringotts to myself (without an opinion) and yammer to you all about how great of a ride it’s going to be. But until I actually got on said ride, I wouldn’t really be able to tell you my final opinion is it’s trash.

I’ve seen the source as it were and Merlin is accurately relaying the game of telephone. I’m optimistic and interpret it with more optimism. He is not, but also interprets it with optimism and the chain in the telephone game is also a usual pessimist. But they like Guardians and I take it you probably don’t?

All of which is to say you may still not like the finished product, even if the facts and figures sound great, it may misconnect. And I don’t think Merlin will be whatsoever at fault if it does, nor the source. So caveat emptor.

But the figures will be expensive and there should be a lot of them.

 

[monothingie]

Wanting to do more for the attraction experience.

There was a cynical sort of way in which this decision was made to be entirely fair, namely that executives were expecting a more unanimous positive reaction to the initial announcement. There was more of a backlash than they expected, and a more lukewarm response even from many of the people who they expected to support the retheme.

So as I understand it, a decision was reached that they can't get away with half-a$$ing this project. At least, as far as rethemes of existing rides go (that should have been from-scratch builds). The budget is apparently safely padded. It's not a cheap project with no effort put into it, regardless of whatever anyone says.

Past history has suggested that every time they do a major attraction on the cheap it is received poorly, but that never stopped them before, so I’m not sure why this became a sudden revelation to them.

I think you’re being very diplomatic and giving people involved with this a lot of leeway. Sadly it seems to indicate to me that Brayden was right about Bob finding it boring which was the catalyst for throwing money at this to fix it.

And there is seemingly passion and talent behind it. So we'll see

I keep coming back to Tony Baxter walking away from this.

 

[GoneForGood]

I don't know about the sign, there's a chance it's just not present in these renders due to the lack of texture and simplified geometry. The plants present in the water for instance are just flat 2D billboards spliced together, those will be actual detailed fake greenery in the final version.

I call it Tiana's Palace out of habit because that's what SplashArchive claimed it is. But you're right, looking closely it may or may not actually be a restaurant. I'm quite sure this building belongs to Tiana though. The metal railing contains vegetable designs, bell peppers and what looks like onions. So it's almost certainly connected to her farm business.

View attachment 768725

Could be a plantation mansion, perhaps it's actually her new residence (she only had a tiny low rent apartment in the film prior to becoming successful). Whatever it is though, it wasn't in the film and was something they custom made for the ride.

Going to put on my tinfoil hat with this.
But I THINK it's supposed to be Tiana's Palace, from the BACK.
That new pin with the concept art on it, featured this artwork:

Now, it isn't exactly how those renders look. But it could have been early concept for it. Who knows. I am in the group of waiting to see what the finished project is. Even if my excitement is little to none.