beastfan11 Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 The wait is almost over with the much discussed Splash Mountain replacement opening at the end of the month. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to begin previews this week with the official opening being on June 28th. As such, the Disney Parks YouTube page has posted an official (albeit poorly produced) POV this morning. A few thoughts… I’ll adhere to the TOS and not dwell too much on the controversy surrounding the ride and it’s source material, but as one of those “Disney Adults” who went to the Disney Parks many times as child… I have a lot of love for Splash Mountain and didn’t want to see it go anywhere. But I totally get the complications with the film and understand why the ride had to change. Not to mention it was in dire need of a refurb (which is supposedly the real reason for the update according to some). Regardless, I’ve been looking forward seeing the new experience and have been optimistic about their plans. But after seeing the POV I can’t muster much, if any, excitement. They absolutely gutted the first indoor show scenes. I didn’t have any delusions of grandeur about them matching the number of animatronics like we saw in Splash, but it’s absolutely barren. A lot of dead air. The signage throughout the ride is really tacky and on par with what you’d see in a high school play. The use of screens, though annoying, is commonplace and expected. But the utilization of said screens with already dated-looking CG animation (based on a 2D animated film?) is pretty abysmal looking. The music, when present, is really nice. But there seems to be a lot of dark, silent areas of the ride. Nothing will ever be as catchy as the original soundtrack, but I feel like they did a good job still. The story is a low point for me. Especially given the fact there isn’t one. Not a coherent story, anyway. It doesn’t seem like the Imagineers really fleshed out what they wanted it to be. There is no villain, tension, or “scary”moments throughout the ride and I think the final drop really suffers as a result. The actual finale scene is very cool. It’s obvious that this was where the majority of the budget went. Overall, the experience just feels hollow and rushed. And the inclusion of the beignets at the end of the ride makes it feel like a commercial. There’s just not a lot of character. Pun intended. Any other Disney Parks enthusiasts plan on checking it out? Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 (edited) 2 hours ago, beastfan11 said: I have a lot of love for Splash Mountain and didn’t want to see it go anywhere. But I totally get the complications with the film and understand why the ride had to change. This is my millennial/gen z take on it while not trying to take a side on Splash Mountain. I had no problem with the ride being themed after the stories of Brer Rabbit, Fox, Bear, etc. The film that Disney used as source material for the ride however, was the problem. From a PR standpoint, they should’ve never themed any ride at their parks to characters from Song of the South, it was just bound to create controversy- especially with Disney trying to sweep the film under the rug. With the ride opening in the late 80s/early 90s, there were tons of different IP they could’ve chosen instead of the character designs from Song of the South. Regarding the overhaul and retheme, I think it’s neat. The Princess and the Frog featured Disney’s first African American princess and yet after the film’s release, they didn’t really showcase the characters of the film with sequels, tv shorts, and other treatment that other Disney properties had received. I think there was actually a thread on this site from many many years ago where a princess Tiana costume wasn’t available year round at the Disney store (if I can find the thread I’ll provide it.) Edit: found the thread At the end of the day, these rides are designed catering to families and their children. I don’t think the little kids are going to judge a ride’s theming like adults would. With Song of the South being a nearly 80 year old film and Princess and the Frog film not even being 20 years old yet, it makes sense to retire a film that Disney has been trying to make people forget for some time in favor of a much younger one that doesn’t get enough recognition. Edited June 1 by SonofBaconator Adding a link 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tr0y Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 1 hour ago, SonofBaconator said: This is my millennial/gen z take on it while not trying to take a side on Splash Mountain. I had no problem with the ride being themed after the stories of Brer Rabbit, Fox, Bear, etc. The film that Disney used as source material for the ride however, was the problem. From a PR standpoint, they should’ve never themed any ride at their parks to characters from Song of the South, it was just bound to create controversy- especially with Disney trying to sweep the film under the rug. With the ride opening in the late 80s/early 90s, there were tons of different IP they could’ve chosen instead of the character designs from Song of the South. Regarding the overhaul and retheme, I think it’s neat. The Princess and the Frog featured Disney’s first African American princess and yet after the film’s release, they didn’t really showcase the characters of the film with sequels, tv shorts, and other treatment that other Disney properties had received. I think there was actually a thread on this site from many many years ago where a princess Tiana costume wasn’t available year round at the Disney store (if I can find the thread I’ll provide it.) Edit: found the thread At the end of the day, these rides are designed catering to families and their children. I don’t think the little kids are going to judge a ride’s theming like adults would. With Song of the South being a nearly 80 year old film and Princess and the Frog film not even being 20 years old yet, it makes sense to retire a film that Disney has been trying to make people forget for some time in favor of a much younger one that doesn’t get enough recognition. Did you get to ride it? How was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 Just now, Tr0y said: Did you get to ride it? How was it? I’ve unfortunately never ridden Splash mountain, only seen POVs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnjniehaus Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 So here's my thoughts. I grew up watching Song of the South (my grandparents had a copy of it somewhere in their basement) Yes it has it's issues, but so do Peter Pan, Dumbo, and half of the other Disney movies made during Walt's lifetime. I think that older films should still be accessible because they are a part of history. You can agree or disagree with history and how it was portrayed but the important thing is preserving and learning about and from history and you can't do that when it's not accessible. It's also worth noting that James Baskett who played Uncle Remus was an amazing actor and was given an honorary academy award for his performance. I don't feel like that should be erased from history. I understand that Song of the South is a problematic film and that the ride was bound to change at some point. I enjoyed many good rides on splash mountain and will always have those wonderful memories but I looked forward to seeing what the imagineers had cooked up for us... Then came the POV... it fell short of my expectations. I agree that there seems to be a lot of blank "dead" spaces where animatronics once delighted guests. The ride seemingly was a hodge podge and lacked a real storyline which is what makes so many other Disney rides so good! This is a 10 minute ride literally you could have made the best story ride in the park and you had a good film with great characters to do it...lazy? Rush job? Lack of creativity? Not sure what happened here. Also, when will amusement parks just stop with the screens? Real animatronics are ALWAYS more realistic and better than a screen based ride. So will I ride it and enjoy it never time I'm visiting the magic kingdom? Yes of course, but I do think it could have been so much better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 https://www.facebook.com/share/r/xacEEpSzHSPfnweY/?mibextid=WC7FNe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 The one thing I don’t understand is why the ride wasn’t just based off of the film. Almost every large elaborate attraction at the Disney parks are just ride versions of the hit films. Like you see Ursula in the Little Mermaid ride because the ride itself is just a recap of the film. Not sure why they decided to do a ride “sequel” to the Princess and the Frog because it left out two of the film’s important characters since they’re canonically deceased. Just making the Bayou adventure ride a recap would give the movie full recognition as opposed to doing a sequel. I feel like people who watched the film will be disappointed when they don’t see Dr. Facilier or Ray. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 I have a preview ride scheduled on 6/23. It has honestly been so long since I had ridden Splash Mountain (I tend to skip the water rides—I hate to get wet then walk around the park ) that I really can’t remember any of the detail, so this will almost feel like a completely new ride for me. (Until I watched the POV, I did not recall the original ride time being so long—but it obviously was.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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