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

[MrPromey]

one of the things in the marketing that is a pet peeve but they say “season” after Mardi gras every time. As she celebrates “mardi gras season”

In this vein, the party is never described in the dialogue as anything other than a party. What’s the party for and Mardi gras isn’t mentioned at all. Are they afraid of the Mardi Gras connotations?

I don't think it's specifically that.

Mardi Gras is only one day a year but in NOLA, the "season" lasts for roughly over a month.*

The parade schedule, for instance, begins about a month two months ahead* and really ramps up, the week leading into Fat Tuesday.

In addition to the parades, where a single krewe usually sponsors each one, those krewes (social clubs) also have all their own private events that go on at various points through the month and there is a ton of overlap there when it comes to resources and member involvement.

There are a lot of locals events that take place well outside the traveled tourist paths (and where tourists aren't particularly welcomed) that happen for that whole month, too.

It's basically just way too much to cram into a single day or even a single week even though many tourists only come for the final week or final couple of days of activity.


*Edited with a correction from @RenDeVieux for more factually accurate info.

 

[Ice Gator]

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Is that who I think it is on the front of the log for the photo frame?!

The merch designer who slipped this by them is a hero.

 

[RenDeVieux]

I don't think it's specifically that.

Mardi Gras is only one day a year but in NOLA, the "season" lasts for roughly a month.

The parade schedule, for instance, begins about a month ahead and really ramps up, the week leading into Fat Tuesday.

In addition to the parades, where a single krewe usually sponsors each one, those krewes (social clubs) also have all their own private events that go on at various points through the month and there is a ton of overlap there when it comes to resources and member involvement.

There are a lot of locals events that take place well outside the traveled tourist paths (and where tourists aren't particularly welcomed) that happen for that whole month, too.

It's basically just way too much to cram into a single day or even a single week even though many tourists only come for the final week or final couple of days of activity.

Oh im from Nola and lived three blocks from the uptown parade route…technically, the season starts on Twelfth Night. (The Krewe of Joan of Arc rides)

It can be almost two months of parades but yeah January is usually quiet

 

[MrPromey]

Oh im from Nola and lived three blocks from the uptown parade route…technically, the season starts on Twelfth Night. (The Krewe of Joan of Arc rides)

It can be almost two months of parades but yeah January is usually quiet

Thanks for the correction - even more to the point of it being a season than I realized when I wrote that.

 

[_caleb]

Never saw any clips of them out on air boats surveying the landscape and old river buildings or in tall boots mucking across soft land, visiting Avery Island, etc. which, given what they made for the ride feels like where you would have seen someone like Rhode for at least half the trip. (maybe I missed those clips?)

As part of their marketing and social media strategy, Disney invited a variety of YouTubers along on their research trips. These folks make Disney's case for how their research/inspiration trips influenced TBA.

 

[MrPromey]

As part of their marketing and social media strategy, Disney invited a variety of YouTubers along on their research trips. These folks make Disney's case for how their research/inspiration trips influenced TBA.

Okay, I can see where about 8-10% of the influencer videos show those folks looking at some of the natural habitat - thanks for pointing that out.

Still seems a little wonky considering how the majority of the run time trampsing around the French Quarter and listening to people talk about the culture doesn't seem to come through in the ride, itself... although apparently it's prevalent in the queue?

 

[IronRod]

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Is that who I think it is on the front of the log for the photo frame?!

It’s strange that there were rabbits on the logs of the concept model at D23. It makes me wonder if there were changes at the last minute. It just seems bizarre.

 

[_caleb]

Okay, I can see where about 8-10% of the influencer videos show those folks looking at some of the natural habitat - thanks for pointing that out.

Still seems a little wonky considering how the majority of the run time trampsing around the French Quarter and listening to people talk about the culture doesn't seem to come through in the ride, itself... although apparently it's prevalent in the queue?

I'm not sure, as I haven't experienced TBA myself yet. But I think they might say that they draw inspiration from their trips in some key areas:

• The bayou feels bayou-y (–ish? –esque?)
• Flora and fauna (the plants and critters they chose)
• Kitchen, ingredients, beignets, etc. Leah/Dooky Chase
• The materials and colors used in the queue
• All the music, instruments, etc.
• The look/feel of the salt mine section of the queue
• Backstory to explain the setting
• Newspapers and ephemera for queue walls
• Finale scene architecture, costumes, scene elements

Obviously, it's open to interpretation whether these trips were worth it, or how successful WDI was at making TBA feel New-Orleans/Bayou-like. But I think those are some things they'd point to.

I've mentioned this before, but I think Disney is using "authenticity" (New Orleans-native artists, research trips, etc.) is a way to pre-empt their treatment of any cultural elements/themes.

 

[MrPromey]

...

I've mentioned this before, but I think Disney is using "authenticity" (New Orleans-native artists, research trips, etc.) is a way to pre-empt their treatment of any cultural elements/themes.

That's likely, true.

If I'm being honest, I'm just envious that I don't get to expense "research" trips like this where I work.

 

[MrPromey]

She looks like a Jungle Cruise skipper.

So she moonlights - cut a princess some slack!

 

[flynnibus]

The cynic in me feels like one of the main reasons for the retheme was to sell food and cooking-related products.

Certainly top selling items for a gift shop in the middle of a theme park... when people can't wait to get their bottle of hot sauce...

 

[SilentWindODoom]

I've mentioned this before, but I think Disney is using "authenticity" (New Orleans-native artists, research trips, etc.) is a way to pre-empt their treatment of any cultural elements/themes.

Sounds like, given... everything, they're taking extra care.

 

[flynnibus]

You're welcome to interpret my comments however you want. They listed a bunch of numbers from most to least. I can't recall the last time a number of something in screens was touted as something to be excited about. They also mentioned the number of feet of the final drop. So? It's the same number of feet as Splash. It's not like that was something new.

They aren't just screens... I'm sure the number was referring to all the lights in the trees/folliage in the ride. But don't let that take the wind out of your sails..

 

[MrPromey]

Years ago I worked the log flume at our local amusement park and it was incredibly popular despite having very basic theming, TBA is going to be popular because it’s a log flume, I agree the vast majority of riders will get off thinking it’s not as good as Splash though.

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My gut reaction is no but I never thought they’d change Harmonious after a year either and they did that.

Hey, they're hiding the fiberglass "river" that's a heck of a lot more theme than I'd expect from any amusement park! (and way more effort than was put into the log flume at Bush Gardens - a genuine theme park of sorts)

The mill water wheel pushes it over the edge in my book.

 

[Rich Brownn]

It's an infantile story concept that's shoehorned into the existing ride system, which it's clearly not designed to take advantage of it, so it just muddles through it.

Developing a Tianna story with its own attraction built from the ground up would have done the character so much more justice, rather than doing what they did.

Except it'd be 5 minutes long, feature screens instead of animatronics, and open in 2045

 

[splah]

Oh im from Nola and lived three blocks from the uptown parade route…technically, the season starts on Twelfth Night. (The Krewe of Joan of Arc rides)

It can be almost two months of parades but yeah January is usually quiet

Would you say you’re throwing a Mardi Gras party or a Mardi Gras Season party?

what bugs me is that if this is supposed to be a Mardi Gras party, Mardi Gras is never mentioned out loud but then all the marketing says it’s happening during Mardi Gras. And none of the visuals are particularly Mardi Gras related.

And I know this is trivial lol.

That extra word “season” doesn’t roll off the tongue and smacks me in the face with clunkiness

 

[DisneyHead123]

what bugs me is that if this is supposed to be a Mardi Gras party, Mardi Gras is never mentioned out loud but then all the marketing says it’s happening during Mardi Gras. And none of the visuals are particularly Mardi Gras related.

To be fair, the visuals may be reminiscent of Mardi Gras in the 20s, when the story takes place. I don’t know that the purple, green and gold color scheme and other common symbols were around at that time.

I agree that the Mardi Gras theme doesn’t seem particularly emphasized though, more like an afterthought.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Seems like a quick fix for the narrative would be to make this a "Grand Opening!" celebration. A tour of Tiana Foods that detours as we're inadvertently diverted into the bayou where with the aid of Mama Odie and the critters of the swamp we're able to rejoin the tour and afterparty.

 

[_caleb]

That's likely, true.

If I'm being honest, I'm just envious that I don't get to expense "research" trips like this where I work.

SAME. I'd love to expense "research" trips to WDW!

 

[JohnD]

Who says it needs to be something new? It's a list of information about the attraction that the public might find interesting and may cause them to want to ride the ride.

Your post comes across like, "Sheesh, now they're pushing how wet the water is!"

You're free to post what you like, but man, it's tiresome reading through post after post like this.

You're telling me. It's a forum where opinions can be offered within reason for the admins, if I'm not mistaken. No one forced you to engage. My opinion stands, thank you.

For those seeing the back and forth my opinion is this: they're bragging. Nay even pushing stats about the number of fireflies, the majority of which are used in screens for empty space. Whoopie. If it helps, I'm beyond the replacement of Splash. The execution of Tiana could have been so much better but fell short.