Should DLP get Splash Mountain?

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by pussnboots

I could see why they would do this in the event of a new ride (and it wouldn't be all that complicated seeing as though this pathway was basically built into the building from day one), but now? Do Casey Jr. and Storybook Land really need more foot traffic? Casey Jr. lines often exceed 30 minutes. Now Pirates of the Caribbean, that's often overlooked...

Or has the Fantasy Festival Stage become so useless that it's not worth circumventing anymore.

I think it's partly to improve guest flow in the area - to provide an "in-and-out" sort of system, a little like at Toon Studio, with the footpath behind Art of Animation.

As for the Fantasy Festival Stage, I heard it did not meet the new, stricter EU fire regulations, so was being closed down permanently. This might not be entirely accurate, of course, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were true.

[nathan detroit]

So closing FFS means the death of Magic Music Days? Or will they be moved elsewhere? And if this is the case, and Splash is placed there - what would the theme be? Would it be rude to have a ride called Pooh Splash?

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by soundtracker

I suspect we'll only get the Song Of The South theme if EDSCA want to cut a few (slight) financial corners - then they can just build from the original plans and dump it on the current site of the Frontierland Railroad Depot/Woody's Roundup Village

Aw. You make Song of the South sound like the less attractive second choice. Hard to believe I'm the only one with an affection for Br'er Rabbit and Dixie music.

This reminds me, by the way, did anyone hear this rumor that the Frontierland Depot is movable? Apparently, when the time comes for it to make way for a new ride, they can pick it up and put it elsewhere. Ironically, this was published in "Tales from the Laughing Place".

[La Rouquine]

Frontierland Depot was planned to be moved "northward" to make place to Splash Mountain... But this plan is from 1995 or 1997.

Anyway, some Cast Members have recently been told that the train station may be moved to make place to an aquatic ride...
Of course they are operational Cast Members. Even if they are most important in guests' experience, they are not always the better informed.

[Hayley B]

Certainly. They deserve a fun ride, like that one.

[Disney_Dad]

I'd like to see Splash at DLRP too and see no problem with the theme. Just take that part of the park out of Frontierland and call it "Critter Country".

I have to say though, with the current Disney obsession with synergy I don't see DLRP in any hurry to build an attraction based on a little-known sixty year old movie. Indiana Jones Adventure would be a better fit to their way of thinking - the franchise has just been revived and a fully enclosed attraction could be popular year-round. It would also be the only EMV ride in Europe (to my knowledge).

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by Disney_Dad

I'd like to see Splash at DLRP too and see no problem with the theme. Just take that part of the park out of Frontierland and call it "Critter Country".

I have to say though, with the current Disney obsession with synergy I don't see DLRP in any hurry to build an attraction based on a little-known sixty year old movie. Indiana Jones Adventure would be a better fit to their way of thinking - the franchise has just been revived and a fully enclosed attraction could be popular year-round. It would also be the only EMV ride in Europe (to my knowledge).

You're obviously right. With Disney's recent track record, I don't see them building anything Song of the South-related in Paris either. Or anywhere for that matter. From a PowerPoint standpoint, it would have to seem insane -- An incredibly expensive ride based on a forgotten film that has been riddled with racial controversies for decades? You'd have a better shot at a Gigli sequel.

But Splash Mountain in so many ways embodies the Disney we all love, the Disney that seems to have been on hiatus since the millennium. It's Walt, it's nonobvious, it's deeply, thoroughly American, it's Audio-Animatronics and old-timey harmonies. It is the ultimate Pressler-era antidote, and therefore seems perfect for a resort that has, for the past six years, had to live with the Walt Disney Studios. Wouldn't you agree?

Also, the Disneyland Park could use another scenery-heavy, mildish-thrills* sort of ride in the Pirates of the Caribbean category. The sort of ride that works for all ages and, while not being Fantasyland tame, has few people seeing their breakfast croissant one time too many.

*Although not everyone would put Splash in that category, haha. Wusses.

[tracestar]

There are no water rides there, it needs splash.
I was there the end of April and the days were nice enough I would have ridden it, I am really sad it wasn't there actually
I looked for it as well, lol

[La Rouquine]

No need to create a Critter Country land.
Frontierland is already including a cowboy section called "Cottonwood Creek" and including a former "Critter Corral".

The "only" things to do are moving the train station and the "pony farm" building located backstage, juste behind the hill.

[fizzog]

"An incredibly expensive ride based on a forgotten film that has been riddled with racial controversies for decades."

Exactly. DLRP needs splash, as someone's already said, I've heard countless people craving a water ride at the park, but for me there are several reasons why SOTS isn't the right direction, namely because that would be just a clone of the original ride in stead of a creative twist on an existing concept (which DLRP has done so well, think SM and PM) though I fear this would not worry the people at Disney. However, what I feel would worry them is the theme. I reckon it's inifnitely easier to market a new ride with a tie-in that people recognize, in fact I bet any money that in advertisements for a SOTS splash, SOTS would not once be mentioned, and since clearly this isn't a matter of 'tying it to a movie just spoils it' since it already is tied, why not change it? There are so many great potential themes that needn't spoil the ride (I generally would consider spoiling it to be shoehorning the movie's title in there), so why not (apart from, of course, money, but that is seldom an issue when dreaming up new things on the MC boards!).

Perhaps my post will lose all integrity with this last sentence, but...Pocahontas!!!

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by fizzog

"An incredibly expensive ride based on a forgotten film that has been riddled with racial controversies for decades."

Exactly. DLRP needs splash, as someone's already said, I've heard countless people craving a water ride at the park, but for me there are several reasons why SOTS isn't the right direction, namely because that would be just a clone of the original ride in stead of a creative twist on an existing concept (which DLRP has done so well, think SM and PM) though I fear this would not worry the people at Disney. However, what I feel would worry them is the theme. I reckon it's inifnitely easier to market a new ride with a tie-in that people recognize, in fact I bet any money that in advertisements for a SOTS splash, SOTS would not once be mentioned, and since clearly this isn't a matter of 'tying it to a movie just spoils it' since it already is tied, why not change it? There are so many great potential themes that needn't spoil the ride (I generally would consider spoiling it to be shoehorning the movie's title in there), so why not (apart from, of course, money, but that is seldom an issue when dreaming up new things on the MC boards!).

Perhaps my post will lose all integrity with this last sentence, but...Pocahontas!!!

First of all, I just realized that what I said didn't necessarily make sense (but does it ever?). The film can't be forgotten and surrounded by controversy at the same time obviously, but it does seem that the controversies are what people remember -- not the plot or the characters. It is by no means a fixture in popular culture like so many other Disney movies have become, it's true.

Okay, one last go at the pro-Uncle Remus argument, haha. I promise I'll throw in the towel and disappear into my laughin' place after this.

The thing is, while all these films (Pocahontas, Tarzan, the Jungle Book) might in theory sound like good substitutes for Song of the South, I would like you all to think of what it is like to be carried downstream to the music of Song of the South, and then what it would be like to hear the music of these other films. Two of them feature schmaltzy, power-ballad-laden, Broadway-meets-pop music by the likes of Phil Collins and Vanessa Williams. The other is an anachronism of beat and jazz references (granted, the better choice). There is no doubt that they are all enjoyable in their own contexts, but do they really match up to the Dixie harmonies of Song of the South? I mean, really, think about this for a second.

Change the ride all you want, but leave Br'er Rabbit be. Europe deserves a look at this wonderful piece of Americana (to take their minds off all the not-so-wonderful Americana).

[nathan detroit]

I knew as soon as I saw Fizzy in this thread that Pocahontas would raise its unfortunately bland head!

As for the comments of Puss - I agree that Tarzan music is generally... well, Phil Collins. And this alone takes it off the list. However, Pocahontas (although being a poor film - sorry Fizzy!) has a great score. Jungle Book on the other hand has both a great, well remembered and loved story and characters and a great score. I don't know if you have watched the film recently or own the soundtrack Puss, but the jazzy numbers often over-shadow the fantastic job that George Bruns did with the background music that perfectly evokes the Indian jungle. His music for this film sets a standard for the incidental music used in parts of Adventureland today.

Picture it - a lazy float down the river in a canoe not unlike the one that baby Mowgli is found in. Starting at the man village and eventually finding Baloo where the music moves up a notch to The Bare Necessities. A blast of panic as the monkies appear and then we are in to the big set-piece of I Wanna Be Like You concluding with the destruction of the temple. We can then pass through 'the calm before the storm' in the company of Kaa and possibly the vultures before Shere Kahn makes his big entrance (he will have been subtley concealed in the scenes prior too) with a flash of lightning. The storm and big fight leads to the drop and instead of the briar patch, we find ourselves back at the man village where Mowgli joins Shanti and Baloo dances off with Baghera.

...Not that I've thought much about this of course!

[luke7059]

I would LOVE to see Splash Mountain at DLP, and have done for some time now. There are so many potential areas it could be placed in too. Although I still think it would be best placed in Frontierland with the classic SOTS theme. I was in DL last summer and was lucky enough to go on their Spalsh, and loved every second of it, I kept thinking how well it would fit into our park!

The weather shouldn't be a problem, we have even worse weather in England, however whenever I go to a theme park in this country, like Thorpe Park for example, the first rides me and my friends go for are Tidal Wave and Loggers Leap! and as most of Splash is inside, i think the weather in Marne-La-Vallee needn't be an issue.

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by nathan detroit

I knew as soon as I saw Fizzy in this thread that Pocahontas would raise its unfortunately bland head!

As for the comments of Puss - I agree that Tarzan music is generally... well, Phil Collins. And this alone takes it off the list. However, Pocahontas (although being a poor film - sorry Fizzy!) has a great score. Jungle Book on the other hand has both a great, well remembered and loved story and characters and a great score. I don't know if you have watched the film recently or own the soundtrack Puss, but the jazzy numbers often over-shadow the fantastic job that George Bruns did with the background music that perfectly evokes the Indian jungle. His music for this film sets a standard for the incidental music used in parts of Adventureland today.

Picture it - a lazy float down the river in a canoe not unlike the one that baby Mowgli is found in. Starting at the man village and eventually finding Baloo where the music moves up a notch to The Bare Necessities. A blast of panic as the monkies appear and then we are in to the big set-piece of I Wanna Be Like You concluding with the destruction of the temple. We can then pass through 'the calm before the storm' in the company of Kaa and possibly the vultures before Shere Kahn makes his big entrance (he will have been subtley concealed in the scenes prior too) with a flash of lightning. The storm and big fight leads to the drop and instead of the briar patch, we find ourselves back at the man village where Mowgli joins Shanti and Baloo dances off with Baghera.

...Not that I've thought much about this of course!

Alright, the Jungle Book has a shot in Hell. I watched the film again today, and I see what you mean, the background music is quite... Atmospheric. Resonating. If I had a musical bone in my body I'd give eloquent descriptions of all the individual instruments, but alas, haha. But it almost has a Pirates of the Caribbean-type quality to it in parts, which is not a bad thing at all.

I still don't know if the theme and characters are as interesting as those of Song of the South, and I wonder if the lavish jungles and wide plains of the film could be conveyed well in a dark ride... But it's probably the best contender to replace Uncle Remus.

As for Pocahontas... I honestly don't think it has a very interesting* soundtrack. Disney made this film when they thought they had found a winning formula, and everything in it reeks of it. I could see it work on Broadway, but to build a Splash Mountain for it would be a waste. Sorry, Fizzy.

I wonder where Imagineering is on this project.

Originally Posted by luke7059

I would LOVE to see Splash Mountain at DLP, and have done for some time now. There are so many potential areas it could be placed in too. Although I still think it would be best placed in Frontierland with the classic SOTS theme. I was in DL last summer and was lucky enough to go on their Spalsh, and loved every second of it, I kept thinking how well it would fit into our park!

The weather shouldn't be a problem, we have even worse weather in England, however whenever I go to a theme park in this country, like Thorpe Park for example, the first rides me and my friends go for are Tidal Wave and Loggers Leap! and as most of Splash is inside, i think the weather in Marne-La-Vallee needn't be an issue.

The Magic Kingdom's would fit even better -- it's a little bit country. It's also a little bit longer.


*I know, only Brenda Dickson overused that word more. Sorry.

[malice]

the princess and the frog will have jazzy n'awlins beats...