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

[ToTBellHop]

So Google tells me there are 109 animatronics in the Haunted Mansion - presumably all or almost all of them are large, full sized people. Ghost people - but size wise the same. Googles says 120 for Pirates - presumably almost all of those are full sized people as well, plus a handful of animals. I don't see an official count for Tiana but from what I can surmise it's somewhere under 30. So I mean think about that - those older rides likely have about 4 times the animatronics of Tiana!

I think that's why the older rides look so "filled in" while it's really hard to get past the "driving by department store windows" effect on the new ones. I actually think Tiana did a pretty good job with what they had - they wrap the scenery around much more completely than Frozen or Little Mermaid, and I actually like the modest use of screens to add in a few extra elements. But imagine if they had legit 120 animatronics on that ride, plus the budget for background scenery.

I agree with you that more moderately priced animatronics probably need to be a focus. In some rides, like FoP or Rise or GotG, there is a big payoff (in terms of rider experience) with all the new technology. For animatronics - I mean super fans love them and they do look a bit better than lower tech ones - but do they add hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of coolness to the experience, when compared to a less costly version? I really don't think so.

Well, we've seen what they can do in the 21st century with the SDL Pirates. It's very impressive and technologically advanced, but there are no where near 120 AAs. They just don't do that any more. The advanced ones cost too much and we complain about animated figures.

They need to develop a middle tier.

 

[Bocabear]

So Google tells me there are 109 animatronics in the Haunted Mansion - presumably all or almost all of them are large, full sized people. Ghost people - but size wise the same. Googles says 120 for Pirates - presumably almost all of those are full sized people as well, plus a handful of animals. I don't see an official count for Tiana but from what I can surmise it's somewhere under 30. So I mean think about that - those older rides likely have about 4 times the animatronics of Tiana!

I think that's why the older rides look so "filled in" while it's really hard to get past the "driving by department store windows" effect on the new ones. I actually think Tiana did a pretty good job with what they had - they wrap the scenery around much more completely than Frozen or Little Mermaid, and I actually like the modest use of screens to add in a few extra elements. But imagine if they had legit 120 animatronics on that ride, plus the budget for background scenery.

I agree with you that more moderately priced animatronics probably need to be a focus. In some rides, like FoP or Rise or GotG, there is a big payoff (in terms of rider experience) with all the new technology. For animatronics - I mean super fans love them and they do look a bit better than lower tech ones - but do they add hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of coolness to the experience, when compared to a less costly version? I really don't think so.

But if TBA had 120 animatronics it would still be the same storyline...It would not make it a better ride, just more crowded.... The mastery of the old rides was in the staging and overall storytelling... the new ones really are, as you said, like driving by department store windows...

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

So Google tells me there are 109 animatronics in the Haunted Mansion - presumably all or almost all of them are large, full sized people. Ghost people - but size wise the same. Googles says 120 for Pirates - presumably almost all of those are full sized people as well, plus a handful of animals. I don't see an official count for Tiana but from what I can surmise it's somewhere under 30. So I mean think about that - those older rides likely have about 4 times the animatronics of Tiana!

I think that's why the older rides look so "filled in" while it's really hard to get past the "driving by department store windows" effect on the new ones. I actually think Tiana did a pretty good job with what they had - they wrap the scenery around much more completely than Frozen or Little Mermaid, and I actually like the modest use of screens to add in a few extra elements. But imagine if they had legit 120 animatronics on that ride, plus the budget for background scenery.

I agree with you that more moderately priced animatronics probably need to be a focus. In some rides, like FoP or Rise or GotG, there is a big payoff (in terms of rider experience) with all the new technology. For animatronics - I mean super fans love them and they do look a bit better than lower tech ones - but do they add hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of coolness to the experience, when compared to a less costly version? I really don't think so.

It's important to be a bit wary of Disney's official animatronic counts, which is what Google sources for their numbers. They heavily inflate their own numbers by counting literally every little prop that has even the tiniest bit of motion. Like how they would tout Splash Mountain as having over 100 AA's, when in reality they were counting a lot of things like the spinning beehives and such. They also tried to claim all barely moving stormtrooper mannequins in Rise of the Resistance were AA's in marketing. In that sense, Disney would likely attempt to classify those okra plants in Tiana's garden as AA's...

The only ride i'm aware of that genuinely has well over 100 legitimate animatronics is Tokyo Disneysea's Sinbad ride. I forget my count, but I think I came up with something over 130 or so. Not including simpler props either, these were only the more intricate and dynamic human and animal figures.

I don't think Haunted Mansion has close to 100 genuine AA's, nor Pirates. They have a lot no doubt, but probably closer to something like 60-70 for POTC, less for Mansion. To arrive at the 100+, they again would be counting basic props such as the floating candelabra, 13-hour clock, bulging door etc. Or in POTC's case, stuff like the skeleton drinking endless amounts of rum, cannons and such. I was checking out some of Royce Alcoser's videos where he described some of his experience touching up some of the old Fantasyland dark rides. And he said that they indeed do classify any sort of moving prop as an animatronic. Even something like a crate danging from a rope in Mr Toad, which has a slight bit of motion to it.

I'll have to do a count sometime of my own for POTC and Haunted Mansion to see what the true count really is. Excluding these simple props.

 

[DisneyHead123]

But if TBA had 120 animatronics it would still be the same storyline...It would not make it a better ride, just more crowded.... The mastery of the old rides was in the staging and overall storytelling... the new ones really are, as you said, like driving by department store windows...

That I'm not sure about. Potentially it would have been a different storyline if they knew they had the cash for a Mardi Gras parade scene that wrapped around on both sides, with 20 full sized animatronic dancers, still with about 100 animatronics to spare after that. And even if they had kept the same story - riding through a forest of 20 frogs jumping and playing instruments is different than seeing 4 or 5.

 

[DisneyHead123]

It's important to be a bit wary of Disney's official animatronic counts, which is what Google sources for their numbers. They heavily inflate their own numbers by counting literally every little prop that has even the tiniest bit of motion. Like how they would tout Splash Mountain as having over 100 AA's, when in reality they were counting a lot of things like the spinning beehives and such. They also tried to claim all barely moving stormtrooper mannequins in Rise of the Resistance were AA's in marketing. In that sense, Disney would likely attempt to classify those okra plants in Tiana's garden as AA's...

The only ride i'm aware of that genuinely has well over 100 legitimate animatronics is Tokyo Disneysea's Sinbad ride. I forget my count, but I think I came up with something over 130 or so. Not including simpler props either, these were only the more intricate and dynamic human and animal figures.

I don't think Haunted Mansion has close to 100 genuine AA's, nor Pirates. They have a lot no doubt, but probably closer to something like 60-70 for POTC, less for Mansion. To arrive at the 100+, they again would be counting basic props such as the floating candelabra, 13-hour clock, bulging door etc. Or in POTC's case, stuff like the skeleton drinking endless amounts of rum, cannons and such. I was checking out some of Royce Alcoser's videos where he described some of his experience touching up some of the old Fantasyland dark rides. And he said that they indeed do classify any sort of moving prop as an animatronic. Even something like a crate danging from a rope in Mr Toad, which has a slight bit of motion to it.

I'll have to do a count sometime of my own for POTC and Haunted Mansion to see what the true count really is. Excluding these simple props.

Ok, fair point. But even then, Google claims there are 75 people (animatronics) in Disneyland's Pirates. Plus some animal animatronics. So again, not even in the same ballpark as what Imagineers today have to work with.

 

[IronRod]

I don’t think the number of animatronics is the issue. Is anyone actually counting? I think it needs more environment and detail. That’s where splash excelled. Not everything has to move.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I don’t think the number of animatronics is the issue. Is anyone actually counting? I think it needs more environment and detail. That’s where splash excelled. Not everything has to move.

I didn't specifically count them the first time I watched it, but it was exceedingly clear just by casual viewing that the ride was considerably more empty than Splash. And that outside of the 14 PATF figures from the film, the rest of the new critters have significantly more limited and repetitive motion than a great many in Splash. I did count them on subsequent videos just to have a precise number that I could cite in evidence.

And yeah it matters to some of us. Splash excelled in BOTH cartoonish environmental detail (key detail being cartoonish as most of TBA's scenery has a realistic appearance) AND animatronic quality/quantity. Some of us value classic rides above more modern ones for that reason.

It is obviously far from the ONLY issue with the ride though. There's just a whole lot wrong with it across the board.

 

[Ice Gator]

I’ve been thinking, and it’s kind of wild how the figures found in the Justice League ride at Six Flags and some of the Cedar Fair parks have better moving animatronics than the Bayou critters.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I don’t think the number of animatronics is the issue. Is anyone actually counting? I think it needs more environment and detail. That’s where splash excelled. Not everything has to move.

Yes. Someone is counting. I am certain someone on this website has a spreadsheet quantifying the number of eyes that don’t blink on “it’s a small world” each day.

I’m watching, Disney.

 

[Trauma]

Seems like people who have experienced the ride end up liking it more than those who formed their opinions only by watching the fixed-view POV video.

The people who have experienced the ride work for Disney or are lifestylers.

Shocking they would say positive things.

 

[monothingie]

Yes. Someone is counting. I am certain someone on this website has a spreadsheet quantifying the number of eyes that don’t blink on “it’s a small world” each day.

First I was counting the empty parking spots at the resort parking lots.
Then I was counting the empty parking spots at the park parking lots.
Then I was counting the number of popcorn lightbulbs out at the Grand Floridian.
Now this? Do you know what brown brominized water does to my skin?

I'm already surviving on discarded half empty bottles of Desani water and remnants of popcorn from special limited time popcorn buckets left by guests before getting in the cars.

Please have mercy!

 

[ToTBellHop]

First I was counting the empty parking spots at the resort parking lots.
Then I was counting the empty parking spots at the park parking lots.
Then I was counting the number of popcorn lightbulbs out at the Grand Floridian.
Now this? Do you know what brown brominized water does to my skin?

I'm already surviving on discarded half empty bottles of Desani water and remnants of popcorn from special limited time popcorn buckets left by guests before getting in the cars.

Please have mercy!

Talk less, smile more.

 

[monothingie]

Talk less, smile more.

Well I'm almost there to start working on this, because I've got some friends on the other side of the parking lot, working the tram.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I don’t think the number of animatronics is the issue. Is anyone actually counting? I think it needs more environment and detail. That’s where splash excelled. Not everything has to move.

That was my initial reaction as well. But I thought the video (can’t remember which one, apologies) I saw made a good point that what’s missing is not necessarily the tension of a traditional story arc. I had not heard of Walt Disney’s “Cocktail Party Theory” before but looking at the old dark rides it’s pretty compelling. And for rides like that you need emotion, you need atmosphere, you need music, but you also need stuff. Animatronics. Sets. Costumes. Details. Physical things that cost money.

 

[Incomudro]

Seems like people who have experienced the ride end up liking it more than those who formed their opinions only by watching the fixed-view POV video.

Of course a person is going to like it better actually physically riding it than watching it on screen.
Just like being at an actual concert and seeing the band live gives you a better experience than watching the performance on video.
Still - this ride could have been extraordinary.

 

[HairyLegPirate]

That was my initial reaction as well. But I thought the video (can’t remember which one, apologies) I saw made a good point that what’s missing is not necessarily the tension of a traditional story arc. I had not heard of Walt Disney’s “Cocktail Party Theory” before but looking at the old dark rides it’s pretty compelling. And for rides like that you need emotion, you need atmosphere, you need music, but you also need stuff. Animatronics. Sets. Costumes. Details. Physical things that cost money.

Physical things that cost money? Well then Lord knows we ain't gettin' em...

 

[ToTBellHop]

Physical things that cost money? Well then Lord knows we ain't gettin' em...

Perhaps a guided meditation in the queue that prepares each guest to visualize the ride they wish to experience. Then everyone’s happy!

 

[Tha Realest]

Okay, it's definitely fixable.



Quick and easy fixes for a more entertaining ride imo.

I’m sorry, but in what universe does Imagineering override and revise the creative decisions of its company’s Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Development Product/Content & Inclusive Strategies for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP)?

 

[ToTBellHop]

I’m sorry, but in what universe does Imagineering override and revise the creative decisions of its company’s Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Development Product/Content & Inclusive Strategies for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP)?

WDI still gets to make the final call on floor tiles. If others tried to demand more inclusive bathroom tiles, Bruce can and would put his foot down.

 

[mightynine]

Well, when it comes to floor tiles, everyone is putting their foot down.