Splash Mountain – Brent's Crossroads

Welcome to the Crossroads! Tokyo Disneyland was an interesting trip and experience. The park is beautiful and a throwback to Disney’s bygone era. I think of Tokyo Disneyland as the Ghost of Theme Park Past. So, is Tokyo Disneyland stuck in the past? Not exactly, but the parts that are can be a fun look at what has changed here at the US parks. My first trip to a Disney Park was Disney World in 1987, when I was at the tender age of twelve. I vividly remember the rides, my wonder, and the excitement of being in the Happiest Place on Earth. I carry those memories with me as a full-fledged Disney Adult.

So, what does this have to do with Tokyo Disney? Walt Disney famously said that Disneyland would be an ever-evolving park. Change would be one constant guests could count on in the Disney parks. Yes, Tokyo Disney has new attractions, but it is also home to sights and experiences from the past. Tokyo Disneyland is modeled after the US parks. The Japanese investors at the Oriental Trading Company (OTC) wanted their Tokyo theme park to be a copy of their US counterparts. The Haunted Mansion is a copy of WDW, It’s A Small World mirrors Disneyland, and Pirates of the Caribbean is also modeled on Disneyland. Tokyo Disney has its share of new attractions as well. One of their most popular rides is The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. OTC has recently demolished Space Mountain and is rebuilding it in an exciting new design. So, it isn’t like everything there is stuck in the past.

Tokyo Disneyland is hardly a relic of the past, but it has many holdovers from parts removed or changed in the US parks. I will list my five biggest holdovers from the US parks in Tokyo Disneyland.

Country Bear Jamboree-Tokyo Disney’s show is the same show WDW had until the program and animatronic upgrades in the past few years. Yes, it’s in Japanese, but it’s still fun to hear the original music and watch the bears perform. I will post a video of the Tokyo Disney show on the YouTube channel in the next few weeks, so be looking out for it if you want to see the old version of the show, but in Japanese.
The Jungle Cruise—This one is a little controversial (not as much as one on this list, but close). When the skipper tells us the best Japanese dad jokes on the cruise, you will notice some people in the jungle who are not present in any other version. Tokyo Disney still maintains the dancing tribesmen and the headhunters. The end of the boat tour will take you by the original Trader Sam with his strands of shrunken heads.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean- This one is an interesting mix of old and new. The Tokyo attraction did add Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa, but where the US parks altered the auction scene and the pirates chasing the women, Tokyo did not make the same change. Riding Pirates of the Caribbean in Tokyo allows you to experience the old-school auction and chase scenes with the women for sale and being chased. It is easy to understand why the change was made in the States. Disneyland Paris followed the US lead and changed the auction and chase scenes.

4. The Haunted Mansion- I loved this version. I rode the Orlando version dozens of times on my first Disney World trip. During the Electric Light Parade (also something else old in states that’s still in Tokyo), we rode the Haunted Mansion in a continuous loop for almost an hour because there was no line and the cast members let us stay in the Doom Buggies for repeated trips through the mansion. The Tokyo Haunted Mansion features the spiders and webs, where the staircase room is now, and the OG Beating Heart Bride. Props to OTC for not making her into the Constance Hatchaway attic bride we know and dislike.

5. Splash Mountain- This is the mother of all differences between the Tokyo and US parks. The ride in the States drew criticism because it is based on Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear from the troubled Song of the South film. In the US, Disneyland and Disney World changed Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on the animated Walt Disney Pictures film The Princess and the Frog. Tokyo has fought off all attempts by the Walt Disney Corporation to force OTC to change Splash Mountain. This is one of the most popular attractions in Tokyo Disney, and they aren’t in a hurry to make a change. They see the reaction and issues the US versions have had, and I don’t think they want any part of that action. Riding Splash Mountain again after having the opportunity to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was nice. It allowed me to make a better comparison between the two. I still prefer Splash Mountain, mainly because the story fits the ride better than it does with Tiana. I like Tiana, though; it is the right ride for the US. The Japanese don’t have the same cultural issues with Song of the South, which alters their views on the subject matter of the ride. They see it for the rabbit, fox, and other animals apart from the connotations we have with the film and characters in the US.

That wraps up this trip down memory lane to Disney’s past. We can still visit parts of the past in Tokyo Disneyland like we were time travelers. I’ve visited Disneyland, Disney World, Paris Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland. Only two parks are left, and I hope to get to them in the next couple of years.

Thanks for meeting me here at the Crossroads, and I hope to see you out on the road or in a Disney park!

Later,

Brent

Greetings and welcome to the Crossroads! Welcome back, and I’m happy we crossed paths again. Today, I want to look at what happens when Disney rethemes a ride instead of building a new one. They are about to make the same mistake with the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to construct the new Cars attractions in the Magic Kingdom (or Muppet*Vision 3D, The Great Movie Ride, and Rocking Roller Coaster, to name a few others), but that’s a discussion for another day. We are here to discuss another Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom ride.

When the news first broke that Disney World was closing the Splash Mountain flume ride and replacing it with a new version based on The Princess and the Frog, I was a little upset. The first time I visited Walt Disney World as a kid, Splash Mountain was still under construction. Seeing the partially constructed mountain top was jaw-dropping to a kid, and I couldn’t wait to return and ride it when it was finished. Once we returned, it was open, and I rode it multiple times that trip. I wanted to ride so much that the rest of our group was sick of it. The only ride I go on more than I did Splash Mountain then is the Haunted Mansion anytime I set foot in a Disney Park.

I never had much of an attachment to Song of the South. Growing up, I watched the classic animated movies, but it was one we never owned or rented. Not knowing the story of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox made the ride a whole new experience. The Laughing Place and the briar patch became new places I could explore on the journey and get wet in the end on the hot Florida days. Once I got older, I viewed the movie more out of curiosity than anything else. I was more offended by Disney taking Pecos Bill’s cigarette than Song of the South being removed from the shelves. So, the change to a movie I had seen multiple times and enjoyed didn’t bother me, but I still had a connection to the original version I grew up with.

The outcry was loud online when the announcement that Splash Mountain was closing came out. I was upset because it was one of my top five favorite rides at Walt Disney World, but I would wait and judge it once I could ride the Tiana version. I’ve ridden it twice in the past few months, and I must say it surprised me.

I first rode Bayou Adventure at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year. Before I rode, I was afraid it would break down or wouldn’t even run at all during the party because of all the issues Disney was having keeping the ride operational. We rode it without any problems, and I must admit, I liked it a lot. The animatronics were a significant upgrade, and some areas seemed to have more figures and action than Splash Mountain. The story isn’t very good by comparison, though.

Splash Mountain had a linear story you followed as you rode and featured antagonists like Brer Fox and Brer Bear. You knew you were in danger of being thrown into the Laughing Place, and tension ratcheted up on you during the ride. The new story lacks any tension or fear of danger. The original story for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was about finding a special spice, and the final story is about finding a critter band for a big party Tiana wants to throw. Not something filling riders with dread. I miss the buzzards mocking you before you make the drop because the new ride lacks the same soul as the original.

The story could have been based on the film and not been an original concept. I believe the weakness is the missing villain, Dr. Facilier. By removing him from the story, it removes any sense of danger from a fifty-foot drop in a log. The original music is also better. The final scene is better on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but Zip-a-dee-doo-dah is a far superior closing tune.

Overall, I do like and enjoy Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I wanted to ride it again before forming my feelings on the reskin. I rode it a second time and still had a fun time at the attraction. It does creep in slightly above Splash Mountain, but not by much. I can’t wait to ride it again in Tokyo Disneyland. The rumor is that it is the best version of Splash Mountain, and I’m ready to test that theory. Don’t ignore Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It may not be Splash Mountain, but you’ll have fun if you give it a chance.

If you’ve been on Splash Mountain and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which do you like better? Drop a comment below, and we’ll discuss it.

Well, back to planning the next trip! Take care, and I hope we’ll meet again out on the crossroads!

Brent