Splash Mountain to become Princess and the Frog ride

[Tonyz]

Maybe take a breather from this thread if this is so emotionally damaging to you?

Nah.

 

[Carol_]

Ya, Tiana deserves her day in the sun.
I just hope they keep it running through the summer months so people can cool off.
That music is GREAT.

 

[BrianR]

Good discussion here with Bob Weis On this change and some other projects

https://d23.com/exclusive-walt-disn...ng-splash-mountain-for-tiana-and-her-friends/

If you read that article it 100% sounds like the plan was to do it in Disneyland and how it would fit in New Orleans Square. I'm wondering if the current climate just made the decision to expand it to WDW as well.

 

[Tonyz]

Best guesses on when it happens? I just hope it's after the 50th.

 

[hertamaniac]

Turn Pecos Bill's into a French Quarter style Cajun and Creole eatery and then it works for me.

 

[wareagle57]

It’s kind of weird to think about an E ticket thrill ride being princess themed.

I really hate this. I’m sure the new ride will be ok. But there is just no way it can eclipse the perfect feeling of being thrown into the briar patch and then turning the corner and hearing zip a dream do dah.

 

[cakebaker]

Love it!

 

[mickey0624]

Tony Baxter is working on it.

I agree...absolute garbage...an embarrassment by Disney doing this

 

[rteetz]

There’s far more water in Moana, and it’s a water ride.

Princess and the Frog has water too. Moana would be much better in Adventureland.

 

[rteetz]

I agree...absolute garbage...an embarrassment by Disney doing this

Did you quote the wrong person?

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Looks like Disney Imagineering has been reading my DIS blogs and took my idea

In all seriousness, I am all for this. Considering, of course, that they do a good job.

I'd also like a firefly cove, maybe in the laughing place. Pitch dark, then the fireflies start to light up.

 

[J-BOY]

I'll join the crowd of people that understand, but are disappointed. It absolutely makes sense that they'd want to update the ride for a number of reasons:
1) Both are very old. The animatronics are hardly functional and everything within the ride needs a significant maintenance overhaul anyways.
2) Character stereotypes, music and the film are all pretty terrible given modern social situations.
3) It's obvious Disney wants to stray away from Song of the South. Replacing it with an under-utilized, but relatively popular IP will likely increase ridership and interest in PatF merch.
4) The theming of a ride through the bayou akin to that portion of the film works pretty well.

It will work flawlessly in Disneyland. I'm not sure how they'll make it work in Florida, but it seems like they have a good team working on it. It'll work out.

Overall, I'm sad but a bit hopeful. I'm bummed to lose the music as I think Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah is as quintessentially Disney as When You Wish Upon a Star, and I can see that song vanishing from the Disney library now. I also really enjoy the theming of Splash Mountain, but I think this could be good as long as they actually invest in this project.

 

[Krandor]

But attractions don't have to be based on movies at all. Many parks fans grow to love the original ideas and songs just as much as those from movies. It really doesn't matter if the movie falls to obscurity. I still say they should turn it around, make an animated film called Spalsh Mountain, tell the story of ride using a more modern sensibility and soem great Aftican American voice actors, update the ride internals as needed, and then you have an instant IP connection.

These days they do. I think the era of seeing rides that are not based on existing IP are over. I hate that face but it is where things are.

 

[FCDub]

How do people deal with real adversity in life if this is the kind of thing that emotionally devastates them?

There’s a pandemic, record unemployment, continued social injustice and ... this is what people are hung up about? Life will move on and be OK.

I love Splash in its current form. But nothing lasts forever, and that’s fine. I’m excited for a new experience!

 

[jamos14]

There’s far more water in Moana, and it’s a water ride.

Princess and Frog has tons of water too. New Orleans is covered by swamp.

 

[rteetz]

Best guesses on when it happens? I just hope it's after the 50th.

They’ve only said the parks will open with it as normal.

 

[csmith1004]

The ride itself will still be there, just theming changes. I’m fine with that as long as they have a good ‘story’ to go with the drop. And as far as fitting in the land, that can be said for a lot of attractions including Tomorrowland Speedway. The name of the land is right there in the title, yet there is nothing futuristic about those gas guzzling air polluting vehicles!

 

[BrianL]

Well, it is what it is - now to figure out how to make it actually work.

At DLR: Lose Critter Country entirely - Tiana ride is part of New Orleans Square. The docks, hungry bear, and Winnie the Pooh can become a sub-land like Storybook Circus is - the outskirts of town or something.

At MK: This is more problematic. There is a lot of space though at the Splash queue area - maybe this whole thing becomes a sub-land, if they can squeeze something else into it, even M&G or eateries. There is some room on the other side I think, but not much. It's a stretch, but possible.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Princess and Frog has tons of water too. New Orleans is covered by swamp.

Well, not really lol.

 

[Carol_]

Turn Pecos Bill's into a French Quarter style Cajun and Creole eatery and then it works for me.

I want muffulettas!!!!