Should DLP get Splash Mountain?

[nathan detroit]

Choose your answer carefully and then join the debate....

With all this talk of Boarin' and such, we are brought back to the big 'no-brainer'. Want crowds at DLP? Then give us Splash Mountain!

I really don't even care about which theme is used. I am not stuck on Song of the South (we all know this originally used to cut costs) so what else can it be? Base it on Jungle Book or Tarzan and it could go in Adventureland. Base it on Bambi and it could go in Fantasyland (a little stretch I admit!).

But how about it putting it into WDS? It could fit! Simply pass the theming over to Timon and Pumbaa and base it on their Virtual Safaris from the Lion King DVDs. If you haven't seen them, then you've missed a treat! The one on the Lion King 3 (or 1 and a Half to give its proper and better title) is particularly good and takes the form of T&P themed spoofs of several classic Disney theme park rides. A classic ride with a new spin? I like it!*

* Whether a new non-Pixar ride will ever be placed in Toon Studios is anyone's guess!

[pussnboots]

Splash Mountain yes, a drastic makeover no. The thing with a ride like Splash Mountain is that it works because of a number of elements working in perfect harmony. Disrupt this, say, by changing the deep, well-crafted theme into something as obvious as a tropical waterfall, or by putting it in a park that will build up to the ride with all the storytelling subtlety of porn, and the whole thing collapses.

The reason why the ride is so good is because of the Song of the South. It can't just be replaced by some snazzy, relatively current, McDonald's Happy Meal toy-driven franchise like Timon and Pumbaa, or a film that lacks the ability to work in cramped, dark spaces, such as The Jungle Book. And as for Tarzan, I don't think anyone is waiting to be whooshed down a flume to the music of Phil Collins, haha. Besides, that film was far too energetic for a mostly lazy ride like Splash.

No, pretty much anything but Song of the South ultimately comes down to shoehorning, I think. And putting it at the WDS would be a tremendous waste.

[Zarniwoop]

Originally Posted by nathan detroit

* Whether a new non-Pixar ride will ever be placed in Toon Studios is anyone's guess!

I can hear evil laughing from Lasseter's office..

[Zarniwoop]

What, no Pooh Mountain based on Piglet's Big Movie??

I want DLP build Splash Mountain with original concept, and the location could be behind Fantasyland Rairoad station. Why? Because the mountain would look good there and Fantasyland lacks of E-ticket ride.

Talking rabbit in Thunder Mesa? Oh yeah, there's already Woody's Roundup Village and Tarzan...

[Craigroy8287]

They should have one. I like the Song of the South theme. I say keep it the way it is.

[tasman]

Build Western River Expedition instead of Splash Mountain. This would fit the theme of Frontierland. It was proposed for DLP during the planning stages but rejected by Eisner at that time. Instead they got a suped-up BTM.

[imagineerthat]

If Disneyland Paris were to get a Splash Mountain I think that it should go in a different direction than Song of the South. With all the parks sharing parades and building the same rides they are loosing their uniqueness, so it would be nice to see a new theme.

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by Zarniwoop

I want DLP build Splash Mountain with original concept, and the location could be behind Fantasyland Rairoad station. Why? Because the mountain would look good there and Fantasyland lacks of E-ticket ride...

Funny you should mention that. Disney are already studying the possibility of removing the Fantasy Festival Stage (positioned directly beneath the Fantasyland Railroad Station) and driving a new pathway beneath the berm.

In the short term, this will just link up with Casey Jr. and Storybook Land in an effort to draw more guests to this often overlooked area of the park. But we all know there's a huge parcel of land behind the Railroad Station that has been earmarked for expansion for years now. And it might just be big enough to accomodate Splash Mountain. (Even if I'd prefer to see Pooh's Hunny Hunt go here instead. But that's an argument for another thread...)

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by soundtracker

Funny you should mention that. Disney are already studying the possibility of removing the Fantasy Festival Stage (positioned directly beneath the Fantasyland Railroad Station) and driving a new pathway beneath the berm.

In the short term, this will just link up with Casey Jr. and Storybook Land in an effort to draw more guests to this often overlooked area of the park. But we all know there's a huge parcel of land behind the Railroad Station that has been earmarked for expansion for years now. And it might just be big enough to accomodate Splash Mountain. (Even if I'd prefer to see Pooh's Hunny Hunt go here instead. But that's an argument for another thread...)

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.

[PeaJay18]

As great a ride as Splash is, is it really suitable for Paris?
Apart from a few weeks at the height of summer, are people really going to queue up to get soaked in the distinctly non-Florida/Cali weather?

I know we can wear ponchos, but when they become required clothing on a ride it's time to reconsider.

[milo_vhw]

Originally Posted by PeaJay18

As great a ride as Splash is, is it really suitable for Paris?
Apart from a few weeks at the height of summer, are people really going to queue up to get soaked in the distinctly non-Florida/Cali weather?

I know we can wear ponchos, but when they become required clothing on a ride it's time to reconsider.

Well, here in the Netherlands apart from the rollercoasters, logflume attractions are the most popular. Though most of our themeparks are only open from april through october, I hate to admit but the weather is terrible in my country. And even when it's cold and rainy, people queue up to ride.
Also, Disney could install the same system they have on the Tokyo-version where they can alter the 'splash'.
I'm all for a DLRP Splash Mountain! Not sure where to place it though...

[pussnboots]

A significant part of Splash is indoors anyway, surely they could cover a bit more? I'm sure no one would mind getting cold and wet for a few seconds during the drops; you're getting cold and wet anyway.

[pussnboots]

Also, with WDW's more Western, banjo-laden soundtrack, would it really be so awful if they put it in the back of Frontierland?

[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.

Imagineering have definitely carried out a study into placing Splash Mountain in Adventureland - in the parcel of land between Colonal Hathi's and Indiana Jones in fact. Perhaps those ideas of a Jungle Book themed ride aren't too far from the (potential) truth after all?

And I agree with milo_vhw: the fact that Splash is a water ride isn't a problem. As pointed out, we could take the Japanese route of reducing the splash during the winter months. (Although, now that I think about it, I've never really got very wet on the WDW version anyway).

And I can't begin to tell you just how many guests complain that DLRP has no flume ride each summer!

[nathan detroit]

I really really want to see The Jungle Book Splash Mountain. The music is memorable and suitable and the final scene before the drop could be Mowgli's showdown with Shere Kahn before we land in the safety of the Man Village. It fits like a glove.