Yes, I'm a big fan of Splash Mountain. It's iconic, it's Imagineering genius Tony Baxter's, and it is just a good amount of fun. But I'm also open to Tiana's Bayou Adventure. The problem is, I'm just not all that trusting when it comes to current Imagineering projects where Disney gives fans an overlay of something new on top of something old and beloved. Usually, the new is just not better. Don't believe me? Look at this article where I compare and contrast new vs. old and Disney's recent projects. Disney's new math just doesn't add up.
Look at the photograph above. It's Belle in full on Audio-Animatronic form as she appears in Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland. She's a beautifully articulated figure found in an amazingly detailed Fantasyland attraction. Look pause here but look at the concept art of Tiana at the beginning of this article. Anything strike you as interesting? It should. Disney Imagineering is recycling and not in a good way. My hunch is this is only the beginning of Bargain Basement Imagineering.
This year's D23 did not give me much hope that Princess and the Frog will be given its due. Bayou Mist? And now a recycled Belle along with recycled animatronics from Marc Davis' classic America Sings musical show? More screens, more cheap ways to tell the story? Will a cast of Benjamin Franklin from The American Adventure be used to play the role of Prince Naveen? (I'm joking here, but you get the idea.) When will it end?
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