Tianas Bayou Adventure - Disney Releases POV Ride Through

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Seems to be getting a lot of hate all over the internet. ( Hate might be strong, but like disappointment ) I think for me, it just doesn't feel as cool as the old ride. I don't like any screens at all cause they end up looking like crap soon after ( looking at you Navi river journey ) This ride needed to be much better then the previous and by this, I don't see it. A lot of empty time and dead space. Needs more animatronics. Is this why Igor said the ride was boring ( was that confirmed ? ) Where is the scary or tension going up the hill?

Lifeless and dare I say boring? When I see the overlays at the other parks around the world, it amazes me why Disney World can't follow suit. Looks like they didn't want to spend extra money to make things better. Plastic plants

I also can't believe they spoiled the whole ride in video before the ride even opened? As if they wanted to see the reaction of people before it opened.

Meh just not a fan. I will surely ride it but expected much more, esp when getting rid of something iconic.

The comments on the video are pretty universal. Everyone complaining about it and pissed off lol

 

[Nimbus]

1. I kept saying that the lack of Dr. Facilier would be a mistake and unfortunately I was 100% right.

I don’t think there are many people who will skip the ride solely because Facilier is missing. I do, however, think there are a significant number of parents who would keep their kids off the ride if he was present. Given that, I think Disney’s decision to leave him out makes sense.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Did we all ride the same splash mountain or we just now reliving it with rose-tinted glasses? Because that ride was always a bit boring and had lots of “dead spaces” and the end song was only catchy because we’ve been listening to it for decades. It was great for its time. People really want to hate on Disney right now and I get it, they have a lot to prove to parks fans but I truly don’t see how this isn’t an improvement to the look and story of SM. The animatronics are not even comparable; the storyline is cute, if a bit safe; it’s colorful and vibrant; the music is current, lively and actually interesting.

As a 30-something year old, I’ve been to parks dozens of times as an adult and only once as a young kid, so admittedly, I don’t have the same memory-enhanced attachement to Splash. I never found it iconic or all that interesting. But I think that’s the whole point. No one likes change when it alters our childhood memories. And Disney has to grow with its audience, it’s no longer trying to appeal to people who grew up and loved the parks 20 years ago, they need to appeal to the kids of this generation who know Tiana and those characters and music.

I think having Dr. Facilier in this could have been a cool element but I think this allows Disney to maybe do a Halloween overlay in a few years. If they go that route, I think that would be better than having him there the whole time, makes things fresh and exciting when it’s limited.

ETA: maybe it was a mistake to do a pre-open POV because the silence through the film is strange and won’t be the case when we park goers actually experience it. They obviously didn’t want to distract from the talking of the animatronics or the music so it’s oddly silent, not even a peep when they do the big drop. People will be laughing and singing and talking (and probably screaming) through the ride when we actually get to ride it which will make it feel normal and not so eerily quiet.

 

[Nimbus]

Did we all ride the same splash mountain or we just now reliving it with rose-tinted glasses? Because that ride was always a bit boring and had lots of “dead spaces” and the end song was only catchy because we’ve been listening to it for decades…

I agree, 100%. I just don’t think people are being objective in their assessment due to nostalgia and just a desire to hate on Disney. Both are understandable. But if you asked someone who had never been to Disney to ride Splash and then immediately had them ride TBA, and asked them which they preferred, there’s no chance they would pick Splash.

And if it was TBA that had existed the past 2 decades and Disney just unveiled a retheme to be Splash, not a single person on the planet—including those now bemoaning the loss of Splash—would describe it as an upgrade.

I think Tiana’s is objectively better, and the main criticism people seem to be throwing at it—somewhat dead spaces—existed even more so in Splash.

 

[fatmanatee]

I also can't believe they spoiled the whole ride in video before the ride even opened? As if they wanted to see the reaction of people before it opened.

They do this because as soon as it opens for previews you’re going to start seeing *worse* POV vids from bloggers. It happened immediately with Fantasy Springs vids. Might as well post a high quality vid of your own so if people want to see they’re getting a better view (and nobody’s being forced to watch). It also discourages people from recording their own vids. Universal does the same thing.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I agree, 100%. I just don’t think people are being objective in their assessment due to nostalgia and just a desire to hate on Disney. Both are understandable. But if you asked someone who had never been to Disney to ride Splash and then immediately had them ride TBA, and asked them which they preferred, there’s no chance they would pick Splash.

And if it was TBA that had existed the past 2 decades and Disney just unveiled a retheme to be Splash, not a single person on the planet—including those now bemoaning the loss of Splash—would describe it as an upgrade.

I think Tiana’s is objectively better, and the main criticism people seem to be throwing at it—somewhat dead spaces—existed even more so in Splash.

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve skipped SM for years but I’m really looking forward to having another ride to do in MK again. Maybe if people don’t like it enough the lines will be shorter…doubt it, but one can dream

 

[brightlined]

I agree, 100%. I just don’t think people are being objective in their assessment due to nostalgia and just a desire to hate on Disney. Both are understandable. But if you asked someone who had never been to Disney to ride Splash and then immediately had them ride TBA, and asked them which they preferred, there’s no chance they would pick Splash.

You're right about the preference, but you're missing the big problem.

Splash was a 32-year-old ride that had only changed for the worse in those 32 years. For example, a typical ride in the last fifteen years would include a bunch of broken elements. Some (older) folks might have argued to keep Splash for nostalgia's sake, but I think most park-goers were ready for something new.

The problem is that the TBA experience doesn't look to be 32-years-newer better. Better? Sure - but it would've been a disaster if it'd been worse. But it's hard to believe it's light-years better - it feels like something that will have identical wait times to Splash by next year.

I'll compare it to Frozen Ever After. There are people who miss Maelstrom and would say that Maelstrom was a better ride. But I doubt the average park-goer would ever agree with that. (Personally, I liked Maelstrom, but I thought the best parts of Maelstrom were the lift hill and the movie afterward, and the latter wasn't really part of the ride.) I would strenuously argue that Frozen is a much, much better use of that ride - even if it's geared more explicitly for kids now. And ride times reflect that - it's significantly more popular than Maelstrom was.

From this video, this doesn't feel close to that kind of upgrade. And I think that's what most of us are thinking.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I don’t think there are many people who will skip the ride solely because Facilier is missing. I do, however, think there are a significant number of parents who would keep their kids off the ride if he was present. Given that, I think Disney’s decision to leave him out makes sense.

Disagree. If you look at the comments on other social media platforms surrounding the attraction, most of them mention that they dislike Dr. Facilier being missing from the attraction. Also didn't say people would skip it. I just find that the ride suffers without him.

 

[dizneedoll]

Here’s a side by side comparison video. I think played next to each other, the updated version does look better. Its not perfect, there are things that could have been improved on for sure.

 

[Nimbus]

Disagree. If you look at the comments on other social media platforms surrounding the attraction, most of them mention that they dislike Dr. Facilier being missing from the attraction. Also didn't say people would skip it. I just find that the ride suffers without him.

Yes, we are in agreement—people may be disappointed that Facilier isn’t in the attraction, but they won’t skip it because he’s not in the attraction. On the other hand, a significant number of guests would actually skip it if he was in it. So from Disney’s perspective of not wanting to alienate guests, the choice is somewhat clear.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Yes, we are in agreement—people may be disappointed that Facilier isn’t in the attraction, but they won’t skip it because he’s not in the attraction. On the other hand, a significant number of guests would actually skip it if he was in it. So from Disney’s perspective of not wanting to alienate guests, the choice is somewhat clear.

The ride takes place after the movie ended so Dr. Facilier is already dead by the time it starts. That's why he's not there. If your reasoning was true, then he wouldn't he present during Disney's Halloween events which he is.

It's just my opinion that the ride suffers without him there and I'm seeing that I'm not alone in that opinion.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Disagree. If you look at the comments on other social media platforms surrounding the attraction, most of them mention that they dislike Dr. Facilier being missing from the attraction. Also didn't say people would skip it. I just find that the ride suffers without him.

Hard to find a good comment on that ride video. Someone said it perfectly on there with a ton of likes

" Ngl, this comment section gives me hope. Glad to see Disney fans are refusing to settle for mediocre trash now and are actually demanding better from the company. "

 

[Smugpugmug]

Hard to find a good comment on that ride video. Someone said it perfectly on there with a ton of likes

" Ngl, this comment section gives me hope. Glad to see Disney fans are refusing to settle for mediocre trash now and are actually demanding better from the company. "

The ride is nowhere near the level of trash. It's certainly an upgrade compared to something like Frozen Ever After.

 

[lynch34]

The ride is better than Splash Mountain but that’s a low bar. People liked Splash because of the nostalgia but the critters and a lot of was very, very outdated. I keep going back to - what was the time spent on? How could it take so long to update this? This is a low to low moderate update. It’s better than the original but no. Just no. Magic is gone. Between this and the junk that is Tron, no.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

The ride is nowhere near the level of trash. It's certainly an upgrade compared to something like Frozen Ever After.

Yeah, trash was a harsh, but the concept of Disney fans not liking something and saying it, hoping they hear it, is nice.

 

[djmeen]

The ride takes place after the movie ended so Dr. Facilier is already dead by the time it starts. That's why he's not there. If your reasoning was true, then he wouldn't he present during Disney's Halloween events which he is.

It's just my opinion that the ride suffers without him there and I'm seeing that I'm not alone in that opinion.

Far from alone in that opinion. I will admit that I would have been pretty happy with ride-through retelling of the movie.

The decision to tell a new story set after the movie means we have less frogs in a princess and the frog based movie than we had in the old ride, lol.

And it also means I have to wrap my head around this “Intiana Jones” outfit going on which has no connection at all to the character I know from the movie. .


Someone earlier mentioned the opportunity they could have to do a Halloween overlay and I, for one, would LOVE that. Don’t know if Disney would do that… but if they did….

Again - I don’t HATE the ride. I just think they didn’t exactly flex their creative genius or tech chops on the reskin. It’s not terrible. I’ll ride it. I just wish it was…. more.

 

[brightlined]

And it also means I have to wrap my head around this “Intiana Jones” outfit going on which has no connection at all to the character I know from the movie. .

I'm gently suspicious that something happened - like WDI was under edict to having it ready by Memorial Day, and what they did to try to meet the deadline was cut a plotline and the related elements. Like, if we're supposed to be hunting a "spice", per the original synopsis, the Intiana Jones outfit kinda makes sense.

I keep hoping that, with Disneyland not yet announcing an opening date, that their version will be different/better, and maybe respond to some of the criticism. (Depends on how closely the opening of the adjacent changes at DL - HM queue, Critter Country - need to be tied to TIA's opening.) It feels like there's a long history of the "second" version of an attraction (often) being an improvement on the first.

 

[lynch34]

I'm gently suspicious that something happened - like WDI was under edict to having it ready by Memorial Day, and what they did to try to meet the deadline was cut a plotline and the related elements. Like, if we're supposed to be hunting a "spice", per the original synopsis, the Intiana Jones outfit kinda makes sense.

I keep hoping that, with Disneyland not yet announcing an opening date, that their version will be different/better, and maybe respond to some of the criticism. (Depends on how closely the opening of the adjacent changes at DL - HM queue, Critter Country - need to be tied to TIA's opening.) It feels like there's a long history of the "second" version of an attraction (often) being an improvement on the first.

They had years

 

[brightlined]

They had years

True, but I'm not saying that as a complete stab-in-the-dark.

From Disney's July 1, 2022 update:

"Strike up the band because we’ve saved a seat for you on this musical journey with Tiana and friends! The name of the new attraction evolving from the reimagining of Splash Mountain was announced today during ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The all-new adventure which will bring guests into the world of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film 'The Princess and the Frog' like never before is coming to Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland park in California in late 2024."

Like, have we ever had an attraction open four-to-six months ahead of schedule?

 

[SealedSeven]

True, but I'm not saying that as a complete stab-in-the-dark.

From Disney's July 1, 2022 update:

"Strike up the band because we’ve saved a seat for you on this musical journey with Tiana and friends! The name of the new attraction evolving from the reimagining of Splash Mountain was announced today during ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The all-new adventure which will bring guests into the world of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film 'The Princess and the Frog' like never before is coming to Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland park in California in late 2024."

Like, have we ever had an attraction open four-to-six months ahead of schedule?

Could have pushed for an earlier opening by cutting animatronics that fit into the current blank spaces it has......