Book Report Twist
Instead, the ride that would become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure did a few unexpected things.
- First, it decided – with a confidence usually reserved for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – that it would be committed to realism. For example, early concept art had imagined that Mama Odie’s tree (complete with shipwreck) would top the peak – a seemingly perfect analog to Splash Mountain’s iconic stump. Instead, Imagineers focused on the fact that there are no “mountains” in Louisiana, twisting themselves in knots to describe the structure as a “salt dome” and using forced perspective to make the mountain appear shorter, not taller.
- Likewise, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would become a statement piece on a lot of Disney’s well-intentioned, but sometimes weighty initiatives, like being held up as a demonstration of Disney’s representation and inclusion efforts. Extensive research trips apparently lead WDI to narrow in on things like food, culture, music, and visual art from Black New Orleans artists as the ride’s focus. That’s all positive, but when insiders began to report that, for example, the ride wouldn’t use any music from the film in favor of real New Orleans jazz musicians composing new creations, feathers got ruffled. Though that ended up not being the case, it’s clear that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure became a statement piece for Disney, and that storytelling had to shoulder some of that weight.
- And finally, Disney decided that the new ride would not be a book report. Now usually, that would be a relief to fans. But in the case of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – and compounded by the factors above – it was a sort of troubling development. For example, Dr. Facilier wouldn’t make the cut. (Why? Because realism dictated that the vanquished-villain couldn’t appear, and representation – perhaps appropriately – demanded that this stylized “voodoo” villain be relegated to the vault.) We wouldn’t see an animatronic of Tiana in her Princess dress, nor see any scenes from the film. Instead, we’d be joining along for a semi-sequel just like Frozen Ever After.
The result is that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a great ride, but one that feels like it’s trying to do a lot all at once. Without Dr. Facilier, the ride intentionally omits the sort of “fear” and “anxiety” and “tension” inherent in Splash Mountain, downplaying the ride’s major lift and drop. (It’s the same kind of thing Disney did with Maelstrom becoming Frozen or California Adventure’s Tower of Terror – basically, creating a new context that shifts the ride’s drop from something to be scared of, into something to laugh about.)
There’s no villain at all. In fact, nothing “goes horribly wrong” in that time-honored theme park sense. Instead, we’re merely tasked by Tiana with setting off into the bayou and finding a band to perform at her dinner party.
Set well after the film, the khaki-clad princess merely grooves along as we recruit all manner of critter – big and small – for the party, mostly set to the tune of the film’s “Take Me All The Way” (unfortunately, one of its least compelling or memorable songs). And it all ends not with “Down In New Orleans (Finale)” but with the ride’s original song, “Special Spice.” It’s a good song, but not nearly the emotional conclusion “Down In New Orleans (Finale)” or even a proper reprise of “Dig a Little Deeper” would’ve been in the same “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” spot.
Anyway, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is clearly an exceptional ride, with a whole lot of love, artistry, and imagination mixed in. It’s good, and already, fans are embracing it as a very cool reimagining that’s got its heart in the right place – even if a scene-by-scene comparison to Splash Mountain sometimes reveals that some of Tiana’s scenes are a little threadbare. But now that we’ve all seen the final product, we have to wonder…
Do you think Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would’ve been stronger if Imagineers had just made it a “book report” ride? Do you wish Dr. Facilier was part of it, or that “Friends on the Other Side” was the song underscoring its lift and drop? Tell us in the comments below!
