Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Universal is constructing Epic Universe and this is all WDW can come up with as the storyline for the re-theming of Splash. A search for a missing food ingredient???

https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/tianas-bayou-adventure/news/03feb2023-disney-reveals-new-storyline-details-for-tianas-bayou-adventure-at-walt-disney-world.htm

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But there will be lighting effects, too. So…you know… totally worth it.

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When we arrive, we may see that Tiana spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists.<

If they do this well, as hinted at in the concept art, then I am here for this. Especially if the music hits too.

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I hope they use the space wisely to create rich and intricate scenes and spaces. I don’t know how I feel about it. I was hoping for something a bit different than searching for a missing ingredient…

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Personally I was hoping they’d just use songs and scenes from the actual movie. But if it’s good, I’ll forgive them.

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image

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Trying to put a “Mountain” into the oh-so-flat Bayou has its perils apparently. Now we get salt mountains so that it all makes sense…

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I agree that the “story line” sounds pretty tedious, but I love the ride system, so I’m sure I’ll ride. But you have to admit that there wasn’t really much of a “story line” in Splash either, except for Brer Rabbit getting thrown into the briar patch at the end. I’m still curious to know how they will work the final splash into the story line…

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Me too.

Agreed. But I also think it is fair to expect a more compelling storyline if WDW is shutting down a ride for 1.5+ years.

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But. But. They will have to change the gift shop too!!!
Themed cupcakes?

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Cupcakes? You wish. It’s going to be a salt themed gift shop. 99 different salt flavors!

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I am at the admittedly extremely small table that never found the Splash theming charming in the slightest and I was so not into it it that the entire ride was tedious other than the drops. I think this new theme sounds great because it fits the definition of “anything else.” Go Tiana.

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It’s all good. I have my own small tables. :+1:

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I think what I liked about the ride (Splash) was the bold colors and it wasn’t all screens. I like the rides with animatronics and actual moving parts. I like the old timey theme. I would love a bayou theme, rich with props and animatronics. What I’m afraid of is a lame story line couples with screens and sparcely decorated physical space. I want in-my-face color and activity. I want there to be so much to look at and see that I can reride many times and find something new to look at. I haven’t been on GotG or Remy but MMRR was just ok to me. It felt a little flat for my liking. I hope they do this ride justice.

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Hopefully the water environment of the ride will make screens impossible to do. Totally agree on your premise that the redesign should be built very similar to Splash animatronic and color wise, but with a refreshed story. While I really like Remy and MMRR and what they have done with screens to make things feel immersive, having a variety of rides and not having everything dependent on screens is a wonderful thing about the parks today. I presume we will keep that tradition alive with the redesign and will get a refresh of Splash and not a totally different ride system that’s dependent on screens.

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I preferred MMRR to Remy mostly due to the fact that the transition between screens and sets is just too jarring. I have the same complaint about Forbidden Journey at Universal. MMRR, however, blends screens and sets nicely due to the 2 1/2 D style.

ROTR does a much better job blending sets with screens.

But when we see technology like Bourne Stuntactular at UOR, where the line between screen and set is so seamless it is hard to tell where one begins and the other ends, I think the expectations are going to be higher going forward. If they use screens in TBA (although, my understanding is it is more relying on lighting effects), we shouldn’t be able to tell screen from set. I doubt we will see that kind of quality. Disney just doesn’t have the skillset any longer with their severely cut Imagineering.

I really have set my expectations low. At best, I think we could see a transformation on par with Frozen Ever After.

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Which - to be fair - is pretty nicely done. It exceeded my expectations.

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Disagree. I find FEA a bit lackluster. I can’t easily articulate what I’d do differently with it, but it’s definitely on my list of attractions that have a disproportional typical wait time compared to the overall quality.

I think expectations will be high for Tiana, and I feel like it’s 2:1 odds that they won’t be met. Screen use similar to NRJ could be done well, but I’m guessing there won’t be enough “real” things of high quality to avoid a sense of underwhelm. I hope I’m wrong.

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Sure. I like FEA. But…the technology is over 7 years old.

Maybe my expectations for FEA were really low?

I find myself staring at the “faces” to see if I can see the screen.
I also love how the arms move so freely. The animatronics are much more advanced than older rides. Smoother.

My point is just that I won’t be expecting a lot.

I don’t even plan to go back to WDW until we do another Traveling Homeschoolers trip in November 2025. And by then Epic Universe will hopefully be open, and maybe we won’t go then either.

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