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

[TomboyJanet]

Is it true that Bob Iger found the current updates to be boring? I've been hearing some people on youtube mentioning it. If so I have to decide wether that's good or bad. Good because it could mean he will someday realize the ride needs to change again, but bad because they seemingly botched it. All I have to go by are these images of ratty shacks with zero animatronics. The thing that worries me is how much they are talking about the authenticity of the trees and plants. Is this living with the land part 2 but with fake plants?

 

[JohnD]

I’ve got issues with Disney retheming attractions in general. Maelstrom and Mission Breakout being the worst of the worst.

I think Disney has gone way over the top with the virtue flag waving on this thing. Call
It “Tiana’s Splash Mountain” take the bunny out and put in some extra frogs and cook some beignets so you have an excuse to sell them and call it a day.

I'm of the mind I don't mind the switch up to Tiana. I'm with you. Why couldn't it just be a ride through the Louisiana bayou with Tiana and her friends? That would be enough to make it fun. I'm not so sure about their going all in on this CO-OP/missing ingredient story. They're trying too hard t be relevant.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Is it true that Bob Iger found the current updates to be boring? I've been hearing some people on youtube mentioning it. If so I have to decide wether that's good or bad. Good because it could mean he will someday realize the ride needs to change again, but bad because they seemingly botched it. All I have to go by are these images of ratty shacks with zero animatronics. The thing that worries me is how much they are talking about the authenticity of the trees and plants. Is this living with the land part 2 but with fake plants?

I heard this on YouTube too. I think its fake news. Iger is the king of spin, he would never say it even if he thought it was boring and if he looked at it right now, its empty, it is boring.

I would think Iger would not even bother to look until its close to completion.

Iger owns this re theme and he will say its a success JUST LIKE he said the EPCOT renovation was a success.

 

[TomboyJanet]

I'm of the mind I don't mind the switch up to Tiana. I'm with you. Why couldn't it just be a ride through the Louisiana bayou with Tiana and her friends? That would be enough to make it fun. I'm not so sure about their going all in on this CO-OP/missing ingredient story. They're trying too hard t be relevant.

Why is it food network ride is what I wanna ask.

 

[Tha Realest]

They're trying too hard t be relevant.

the creative lead is the VP of Relevancy Activations.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Why is it food network ride is what I wanna ask.

The needed to erase Splash. It does not matter to Disney what they put there.

I will still enjoy this flume ride.

 

[Bocabear]

Did I hit a nerve? Hit a little close to home? Feel free to discuss what you want when you want, it is your opinion. And my opinion is that bashing (or praising) something before a final product is in place is, in fact, asinine. There are many people on these forums who fancy themselves as experts in any and all aspects of anything that Disney does to a comical degree. Forum posts and discussions at one time used to informative and useful. Now it is simply a wasteland of fanboys bashing any little thing that Disney does. I certainly do not agree with everything that Disney does but they do continue to many things well. If I don't like what is being posted/discussed here, why do I continue to come back you my ask. Besides the comic relief of reading the pages and pages complaints of such minute things as eliminating straws on property (news flash: we just returned Christmas Eve from a four night stay and the absence of straws had zero affect on our trip), if you are able to wade through the mountain of complaints, there is actually some useful information to be found. Thanks for the information on how discussion forums work and have a great New Year.

Always glad to be helpful. Have a wonderful new year!

 

[_caleb]

I didn’t say it was a big revelation. But to answer your question if they continue to put messaging before story, placemaking etc it’s not going to end to well for them unless of course they have enough money reserved to weather this storm until a couple generations die off and everyone gets used to this new way of entertainment.

I don't think they're putting messaging before story. I think that's how you (and others who share your perspective) are viewing it. It's not necessary to view it that way and, to me, it seems unhealthy.

I'm not sure how this could be considered a new way of entertainment. Is it because Black people are telling the story? Because culture and social issues and the drive for authenticity aren't new for Disney, they're at the heart of Epcot (an inspirational, progressivist take on the past, present, and future) and Animal Kingdom (with its emphasis on the environment, conservation, and culture).

 

[mickEblu]

I don't think they're putting messaging before story. I think that's how you (and others who share your perspective) are viewing it. It's not necessary to view it that way and, to me, it seems unhealthy.

I'm not sure how this could be considered a new way of entertainment. Is it because Black people are telling the story? Because culture and social issues and the drive for authenticity aren't new for Disney, they're at the heart of Epcot (an inspirational, progressivist take on the past, present, and future) and Animal Kingdom (with its emphasis on the environment, conservation, and culture).

Ok so Iger came out and said exactly what I’m saying a few weeks ago. What do you make of that?

 

[_caleb]

I'm of the mind I don't mind the switch up to Tiana. I'm with you. Why couldn't it just be a ride through the Louisiana bayou with Tiana and her friends? That would be enough to make it fun. I'm not so sure about their going all in on this CO-OP/missing ingredient story. They're trying too hard t be relevant.

I don't think it's a matter of trying to be relevant so much as a desire to represent African American culture in a way that doesn't exploit, demean, or make fun of it for the entertainment of people who don't know/care the difference.

 

[TomboyJanet]

I heard this on YouTube too. I think its fake news. Iger is the king of spin, he would never say it even if he thought it was boring and if he looked at it right now, its empty, it is boring.

I would think Iger would not even bother to look until its close to completion.

Iger owns this re theme and he will say its a success JUST LIKE he said the EPCOT renovation was a success.

Epcot was a staple of the world that should have been left alone just updated. Just like this ride. with the problems I always mention (Demographic too young for thrill rides, Not enough anticipation of drop, zero conflict dull story) It will also have the look of a stale tourist trap ride like the dinosaur ride in Tennessee (No offense to that its charm is to be cheesy). I do not consider screens as anything that plus's a ride, I think they should only be used for background animations if at all, and otherwise I would just stay home and watch tv. Its flat, cheaply made, unrealistic and sucks you out of the story and puts you as a disassociated observer.

So how is this ride going to age? poorly. Splash Mountain was one of the greatest theme park rides ever made, it was a big draw for people to the parks, now it's like replacing space mountain with the spiderman ride or the small world with a toy story mania clone.

 

[JohnD]

The needed to erase Splash. It does not matter to Disney what they put there.

Oh, yes it does. It had to be Tiana. Fair enough. And then they doubled down on the CO-OP, ingredient story just to underline the point. If it didn't matter what went there, it could have been, oh I don't know, Goofy and Humphrey's national park flume ride (watch out for that ranger!) which would have fit very comfortably in Frontierland.

 

[plutofan15]

I’ve got issues with Disney retheming attractions in general. Maelstrom and Mission Breakout being the worst of the worst.

I think Disney has gone way over the top with the virtue flag waving on this thing. Call
It “Tiana’s Splash Mountain” take the bunny out and put in some extra frogs and cook some beignets so you have an excuse to sell them and call it a day.

So attractions need to stay the same forever? Maybe update them with new technology perhaps?

Both Maelstrom and the Energy Pavilion needed to updated/upgraded. Especially the Energy Pavilion. By the end it was a good place to cool off, get off your feet and grab a quick power nap in my opinion. It didn't even appeal to chilren once they outgrew their dinosaur stage. As my then 9 year old daughter said " That was boring. I don't need a science lesson from two people I don't even know and then some cheesy dinosaurs. The theatre turning into a ride was pretty cool though." You can certainly argue what the upgrade/update should have been or whether what was built belongs in Epcot in your opinion. But I believe what replaced those two rides is better than what was there.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Oh, yes it does. It had to be Tiana. Fair enough. And then they doubled down on the CO-OP, ingredient story just to underline the point. If it didn't matter what went there, it could have been, oh I don't know, Goofy and Humphrey's national park flume ride (watch out for that ranger!) which would have fit very comfortably in Frontierland.

Goofy and Humphrey's national park flume ride - I LOVE THAT IDEA ! ..... Too bad....

 

[JohnD]

Goofy and Humphrey's national park flume ride - I LOVE THAT IDEA ! ..... Too bad....

Yeah. Just thought of it. Base it around that crazy cartoon with picking up trash, etc. Would have been lots of fun.

 

[mickEblu]

I don't think they're putting messaging before story. I think that's how you (and others who share your perspective) are viewing it. It's not necessary to view it that way and, to me, it seems unhealthy.

I'm not sure how this could be considered a new way of entertainment. Is it because Black people are telling the story? Because culture and social issues and the drive for authenticity aren't new for Disney, they're at the heart of Epcot (an inspirational, progressivist take on the past, present, and future) and Animal Kingdom (with its emphasis on the environment, conservation, and culture).

New meaning where story takes a backseat to inclusion/ messaging.

Nope nothing to do with it being Black. One of my favorite movies of all time is Coming to America. That’s from 1988. Black people telling stories is nothing new.

 

[_caleb]

Ok so Iger came out and said exactly what I’m saying a few weeks ago. What do you make of that?

I haven't seen where Iger was speaking specifically about Tiana's Bayou Adventure, but I think he was acknowledging that by putting so much emphasis on the cultural and representational aspect of the stories Disney's been telling, it crossed a big and vocal chunk of fans who don't care about all that and see it as indicative of societal decline.

But I also know Disney has another big chunk of fans who scrutinize their every move for appropriation, exclusion, and bad representation.

I don't think Disney anticipated that the first group would respond so vehemently to their attempts to be inclusive of the second.

ETA: I don't think storytelling is taking a backseat to messaging. I think it might seem this way to people who are used to being the target demographic for everything Disney did.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

So attractions need to stay the same forever? Maybe update them with new technology perhaps?

Both Maelstrom and the Energy Pavilion needed to updated/upgraded. Especially the Energy Pavilion.

updates are great. Snow White at Disneyland (along with the other dark rides there) are great examples of updating classic attractions.

Maelstrom and the Energy pavilion both needed updates, yes. They did not need complete rethemes that ruin the pavilions connection with the park.

And I was referring to Mission Breakout at California Adventure, although Cosmic Rewind isn’t much better but in a few years it can be re-themed back to universe of energy since it’s all screens anyways, haha.

 

[Bocabear]

A National Parks flume would have been brilliant...Then it could have actually been themed to something more frontier-like...a Goofy version of the ill-fated Western River Expedition.... Super fun idea and on-brand!!

 

[mickEblu]

I haven't seen where Iger was speaking specifically about Tiana's Bayou Adventure, but I think he was acknowledging that by putting so much emphasis on the cultural and representational aspect of the stories Disney's been telling, it crossed a big and vocal chunk of fans who don't care about all that and see it as indicative of societal decline.

But I also know Disney has another big chunk of fans who scrutinize their every move for appropriation, exclusion, and bad representation.

I don't think Disney anticipated that the first group would respond so vehemently to their attempts to be inclusive of the second.

Meaning… that they view it as an issue that needs to be corrected or they’ll continue losing money.