Splash Mountain rides to be rethemed to Princess and the Frog

More gems from the Disney enthusiasts

This is great...

Universal fans are still crying about Jaws and Back to the Future.

I miss Jaws and Back to the Future more than Mr. Toad and 20,000 Leagues.

BrettV said:

More gems from the Disney enthusiasts

Good stuff in there. The guy mourning the loss of Innoventions West and the Fountain of Nations was my favorite.

My only thought is that I like it when old rides get a fresh re-imagining. (except when they end up taking you to Alaska)

I rode Splash Mountain for the first time 5 years ago, and thought it was, hands down, the best log flume ever built. That said, it had nothing to do with whatever soundtrack was playing in the background or what cartoon characters were waiting 'round the bend, and everything to do with the ride length, well-placed multiple drops, and overall pace. It's just a great layout in a cool setting.

Princess and the Frog was (and remains) a huge hit in our home thanks to our daughters. I like it a lot. For me, there's something magical about that classic Disney animation (read: not Tangled/Frozen-type), and the movie has a cool haunting vibe to it. It's got that dark/creepy factor to it that could make for a great dark-ride theme.

Excited to see what they do with it.

There is a youtube video where someone has overlaid the music from PatF with the DL version of SM, and it fits VERY well. Especially the Villain's song up and over the big lift/splash down

it's been mentioned above but most park goers seem to have a positive reaction to SM, and have little to zero knowledge of the source material. Unfortunately there is considerably less merchandise opportunity for the current IP.

PatF suffered the odd marketing fiasco at the time of its release, falling way behind the Chipmunks movie at the box office. People of our age don't "get" the film, as it got wiped at the box office and fell off the radar. But now that it's readily available on streaming, it's certainly more recognizable to today's children, especially children of color. Having just watched the film again last night, I'm even more excited about the overlay, but have a better appreciation for the character, her struggle (even if only a vague reference to "a girl of your, background" in the film, and the love the animators had for New Orleans and it's cultural history. Given New Orleans Square exists in DL, the opportunity to plus the land from Haunted mansion to the gateway to Galaxy's Edge is enormous.

I'm also excited because years ago I was at DL for the opening of "Princess Tiana's Riverboat Jubilee show", a limited run Mardi Gras calendar event that people went wild over. Heavy production values, large cast, music from the film blasting through New Orleans Square. It was infectious (too soon?) and was the highlight of the mid day entertainment offerings. If they spend the energy and money to do this the right way (see Guardians and not Little Mermaid), this could be a huge win.

If SM wasn't already 30 years old and now a fixture for multiple generations, we wouldn't even be having this argument. It would be a slam dunk (argument over a Mountain in the Bayou not withstanding). For DL this is a home run, extends the New Orleans theme into the oddity that is "Critter Country", and amps up the Merchandise opportunities dramatically. and oh, it gets rid of a problem that has been lurking for way too long.

^Tianas show on the riverboat is something I wish they would bring back to Magic Kingdom. People loved that show and it was very well done. I hate that it was only a short offering intended to promote the movie because it really brought something fun to Frontierland and offered a unique show experience with the riverboat.

CreditWh0re said:

Having just watched the film again last night, I'm even more excited about the overlay, but have a better appreciation for the character, her struggle (even if only a vague reference to "a girl of your, background" in the film, and the love the animators had for New Orleans and it's cultural history.

Charlotte La Bouff is also one of the very best comic relief characters in the canon, hands down.

Solid points above but my God I hope that PatF isn't the go to abbreviation for this ride.

Brian Noble said:

Charlotte La Bouff is also one of the very best comic relief characters in the canon, hands down.

"back into the fray" is one of the best lines ever

Here's that video overlaying Princess and the Frog songs onto Splash Mountain

The interesting thing is this was posted two weeks ago.

According to Disney, they have been working on this for more than a year.

and I'm sure they have, as you don't do that concept art in a day and get all of those quotes and etc ready for a press announcement, and get it through Disney legal, etc in a matter of days.

I find it interesting that the fan vid was produced and published 2 weeks ago which was probably when someone inside Disney felt secure enough to start talking out of school.

so two things, either the songs in that vid are the approx placement in the new overlay, with the person who did the video having some sort of inside info, OR...... I can see a potential "Disney stole my ideas and incorporated them into their new ride" lawsuit.

America, F Yeah!

While I don't have any insider information on this project, I will say (from experience) you can get an artist rendering printed, creative story laid out, press release typed up, and get it all cleared through legal within a day if need be. These people are on standby at all hours.

As for the Youtube video...This idea isn't anything new and with the current climate anyone paying attention could have guessed this might happen.

I suppose it's naive to think this hasn't been on the radar for awhile. Splash Mountain is a great ride, but no one gets the story.

I actually saw Song Of The South in the basement of an ex-boyfriend of my mom's. He was a projectionist in a day when that was still a career, and he obtained a projector at some point, as well as a print for the film. We were still living in the near west side of Cleveland, circa 1981, and this guy lived "way out" in the suburbs of Brunswick (where I would ultimately live for high school). I'm surprised at how much I remember, but given the context of growing up in the era of desegregation and "busing," I recall it feeling like a historical relic.

We talking 35mm!? That's a hell of a projector to have in a basement in 1981 and even crazier to score that film print. I mean as a projectionist it isn't hard to get your hands on 35mm prints but something like Song of the South wouldn't exactly be easy to come by.

Mulfinator said:

Solid points above but my God I hope that PatF isn't the go to abbreviation for this ride.

Still better than "Steven."

I have a bootleg copy on DVD I got years ago at, of all places, a horror convention. I haven't watched it in full since college, but I may watch it soon just to refresh myself on it.

This is my only connection. Took some time to remember, but I finally figured it out:

And no, that's not my copy...it's long lost at a garage sale...but as a kid (mid-80s) I had this awesome collection of little records with books, and this is what Disney put out in that line. (turns out it's selling for over 100 bucks on Ebay, damnit). I wonder what my star wars original trilogy would go for?

Anyway, of course it's this "tar baby" that is viewed as one of the most offensive aspects of Song of the South...at least from what I gather from the internets.

All I remember is a fox trying his best to catch a rabbit. Like Wil E. Coyote, this was a "trap" he sets for the rabbit. I'm curious now to watch the film...I honestly don't think I have ever watched it.