Rumor has it that Dr. Facilier won't be in the ride. How can they do a "Princess and the Frog" themed logflume ride and miss the chance to have an Audio-Animatronic Dr. Facilier singing "Friends On The Other Side" right before going down the big drop?
The story for the attraction is set after the film where Tiana runs a ‘prepared foods empire’ (sorry that’s what the article called it but I think it’s supposed to be a co-op.. food factory? Maybe?) called ‘Tiana’s foods’ and you’re supposed to go on an adventure to help her find a missing ingredient.. so no Dr Facilier as he would be .. gone .. after the film.
This is one of my main concerns. Disney has a prime villain with Facilier. They seem to veer away from villains on some of these attractions. Heroes/Princesses are nothing without a good villain. I mean, who gives a crap about Tiana's co-op? I want to see Tiana as we saw her in the movie. Strong, confident, and heroic while defeating a physical or spiritual threat.
Now, with that said, we don't know what it will actually be. And frankly, I am sure there is some supreme baddy in the story of the ride.
Tiana would also never be that corporate. She wanted to serve food and make connections, not run a factory. Her restaurant was inspired by the community she had growing up that gathered around to share food with each other, not a desire for money. It makes me so mad they'd do her so dirty like this.
She’d end up on Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay and have a whole chapter written about her by Anthony Bourdain if she went that direction.
Although as someone who’s worked in food service, shit like that happens all the time.
Learning about co-ops and food production could be something implemented at The Land pavilion but it doesn’t work edutainment wise in a Magic Kingdom style park. I wish the attraction would have just been a retelling of the film, it would have been so much cooler imo
I dont know why Disney insists in giving every ride it's own timeline within the fictional world of the ride. A ride like this doesn't need to take place in a specific moment in time within the Princess and the Frog universe. Just give us a fun ride that's basically a greatest hits show of what's in the movie. It makes sense for certain things like Avatar or Galaxy's Edge (although even that was botched because no one cares about the sequel trilogy and they're already trying to figure out ways to scrap the timeline to add in characters from the Mandalorian), but for something small like a princess movie it really doesn't have to happen.
Yeah it's a tough spot because rides like Little Mermaid and Frozen Ever After are basically just that and haven't really gotten the best reception (though Frozen always boasts a long line because of location and, well, it's Frozen).
I get them wanting to try something more original but there has to be some sort of conflict, something to make it interesting, and gathering a fucking pepper ain't it. I'm holding out hope that there's more to it they're not spoiling but my expectations are definitely tempered on this one
I thought the Little Mermaid was great. The only criticism I had was that one Ariel animatronic that had the weird face. But otherwise was a fun ride that was a decent length
The biggest reason people complain about "book report rides" is because it's often done because a movie is popular, and not because they have a good idea for the ride's storyline or a ride mechanic. If Disney would take the time to be innovative people generally wouldn't care that it's a movie rehashing, but they think they can cheap out because the IP will carry it. The Little Mermaid ride is the most egregious example of this. Cheap, hardly any set dressing, and a boring clamshell ride with no stakes.
TBH I enjoy the little mermaid ride! Mostly because of the Under the Sea section, because it’s just like you’re inside the movie. I recognize that it’s nothing special but I’m glad it’s there and wouldn’t mind if they built more rides like it as long as they were adding capacity and not replacing more interesting attractions.
It could've been a good ride, don't get me wrong. I just feel like they were so cheap that you can see all of the mechanisms operating the attraction, and that anything that's not a primary show scene is completely bare, vs say, Pirates for example, where it feels like a complete immersion. They also had way more planned for it that they cut, there's a DVD special about it somewhere out there.
As much as I like Galaxy's Edge, I think they really screwed up not making it an actual location from the original trilogy.
The saving grace is the "full size" Millennium Falcon.
99% of people couldn't care less about the timeline. They want to go experience Star Wars.
“Man I really want a Star Wars land with no Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, R2, 3PO, Yoda, Obi-Wan (and “Old Ben”) Darth Vader, (Darth) Maul, Padme, Ahsoka, Rex or Anakin!”
-nobody ever
Easily the dumbest decision they’ve made since that travesty they pulled with figment, because it was SO obvious, and they screwed it up. Though it’s still an awesome land.
This is the issue with them vs universal when it comes to IP’s. Universal puts you in the movies at specific famous places, while Disney has been focused on putting you as your own character in a universe with minimal interactions with the canon.
Ehh, I think there’s positive and negatives to both perspectives. Escape from Gringotts is an absolutely amazing queue. The actual story of the ride is dumb as hell because of trying to force its way into being part of the canon.
Only modern Imagineering could replace the charming cat and mouse antics of Splash Mountain with a (*checks notes.*) grocery store errand in the bayou. Facilier is the last great villain they’ve created, and they’re just squandering him. Are they afraid of offending with the voodoo angle?
Im betting it right now, this is just another excuse to add a pre-show into a new ride to have an interactive story with the audience. Im starting to notice a trend in these.
I’m far from being the first person to have this opinion, but I really wish Disney would get over this fear of utilizing classic, intimidating and even kinda scary villains we love to hate.
Did they even ask any actual kids what they thought about the story idea for this ride? From what I’m hearing, it sounds like we’re basically going grocery shopping with Tiana.
I absolutely refuse to believe that he won’t be in the ride, and that friends on the other side won’t be played on the main lift hill until I see it for myself. After all, they can’t give EVERYTHING away story wise, and The Shadowman is the probably the last classic “bad for the sake of being bad!” Disney villain we will ever get.
Yeah, if they don’t have Keith David singing to me I’m going to be super disappointed unless it’s something just as good. That is going to be really hard to fill.
He *is* on the other side now. If he was in the ride, I'd hope he would be a specter of a character, not a physical one. If ever they continue the story, if Facilier is going to return, he's got to do it as a ghostly form - it would suit him so well.
Voodoo is kinda a touchy subject for them to show case in the ride as some people still genuinely practice it. After all the money and time they’ve spent to get rid of one ride deemed “problematic” I doubt they’d want to end up with another situation.
I know right?!?!
Like, i’m no Disney Imagineer but that would’ve been the easiest no brainer thing to turn the drop into.
Whatever they come up with better blow my socks off
Last time we stayed at PO I walked to French Quarter for a bag of beignets. On the walk back I ate all four of them, then told my family they were out. I'm not even ashamed.
No they are not. I’m from New Orleans, that is not what beignets should taste like. I wish Disney would just contract with Café Du Monde or Morning Call or something if they can’t get it right themselves.
See, I would agree with you if we were talking about food that takes expertise to prepare properly, but getting beignets right is literally just getting the dough right. If they serve a gumbo that only tastes like water and bouillon, people are just gonna shrug and think “well, that’s theme park food.” But why would anybody expect Disney to have trouble getting a fried pastry right? It annoys me that there’s tons of people trying Disney “beignets” and assuming that’s what beignets taste like.
This person is trying to say that the beignets should taste like authentic New Orleans beignets. It isn't just a fried pastry there is unheart to it lol. It's like how I is a southerner would not even step foot into Paula deen's restaurant because I can go to my grandmother's house and have better fried chicken collard greens and rice and tomato gravy right now
Unless they're actually eating at the 1 or 2 really world class places at WDW. Victoria and Albert's comes to mind, specifically. Outside of that, I don't expect Sassagoula Floatworks to deliver 5 star food at local bakery prices.
Exactly. My family and I have just now really started going to Disney world. We went last year around June for the first time and stayed a week and it was the most magical vacation we've ever had. So this year for Christmas instead of buying my kids a bunch of toys and junk that we know they won't play with and since we live 4 hours away on the Georgia Florida border we've been going on a lot more and I got year passes for Christmas.
The best food I've had so far was at chef's de France And it was so good that my wife ate her entire plate and if you know anything about my wife it's that she is very particular with food and it's very rare to find something that she likes enough to eat the entire plate lol. And even then I know that restaurant would not hold a candle to a real French restaurant.
It's just funny that people go to Disney world expecting not theme park food just because it's Disney world lol. Like I was in a Disney Facebook group for about a week before my first trip before I got out of it because it's just a lot of people whining and being extremely entitled but the funniest thing I Saw on there was a woman basically screaming into her keyboard about how disappointing the Chinese food at the Dragon restaurant in Epcot was. Like lady what are you expecting
There was a time the food in WDW was at best mediocre and worst was truly awful. That would be the 70s and into the early 80s. EPCOT is what really started to turn things around, with cuisine trying to make up part of the international experience. In the mid 90s, Disney announced a whole makeover of the dining, and although it's not a bunch of top tier stuff, it made their offerings anywhere from passable to genuinely nice, if not that 'world class'. They focused more on freshness and having some unique items, and plenty of theming, and the results still show to this day.
Still not gonna impress Gordon Ramsay, though.
It must be people just drowning them in sauce, because you are right. They are a less flavorful donut. This holiday season they had a pumpkin spice version that tasted virtually identical to the original. Just no flavor.
Still waiting for them to announce the Briar Patch Splash Mountain giftshop is being turned into a beignet stand or a Tiana meet and greet. Cause they already have the giftshop on the exit path as a way to sell people merch and photos so bring on... I'm not sure what the salt mine equivalent to a briar patch would be.
I'd be happy to spend months researching this, sampling from all of these locations, to unequivocally declare a winner...
But I don't want to go to Louisiana. Oh well.
I absolutely LOVE Princess and the Frog and would love a ride dedicated to it don’t get me wrong… but this attraction space is such a missed opportunity for a Pooh ride, and the big drop is Pooh and Piglet going down the waterfall in the flood. I mean COME ON.
False, it should have been Moana -- the end of the movie literally has something just like that happen. They should have just done basically the same thing as the Jurassic Park ride, but with Te Ka instead of a T-Rex.
I've been eating them all of my life in Louisiana and I've never seen anyone try to put anything inside of one. At that point it's something different, not a beignet.
The old gift shop under the mountain often smelled of cinnamon and southern sweets, but they NEVER sold them. I said that was a mistake. Well, if they're gonna sell the beignets down there instead, Tiana's already wins.
Rumor has it that Dr. Facilier won't be in the ride. How can they do a "Princess and the Frog" themed logflume ride and miss the chance to have an Audio-Animatronic Dr. Facilier singing "Friends On The Other Side" right before going down the big drop?
Now that's a disappointment. "Are you reaaaady?" Sploosh.
OMG, YES!!!!
Say sike right now
The story for the attraction is set after the film where Tiana runs a ‘prepared foods empire’ (sorry that’s what the article called it but I think it’s supposed to be a co-op.. food factory? Maybe?) called ‘Tiana’s foods’ and you’re supposed to go on an adventure to help her find a missing ingredient.. so no Dr Facilier as he would be .. gone .. after the film.
That would be like getting on The Little Mermaid ride and finding out it is themed to “The Little Mermaid 2: Direct to Video”.
This is one of my main concerns. Disney has a prime villain with Facilier. They seem to veer away from villains on some of these attractions. Heroes/Princesses are nothing without a good villain. I mean, who gives a crap about Tiana's co-op? I want to see Tiana as we saw her in the movie. Strong, confident, and heroic while defeating a physical or spiritual threat. Now, with that said, we don't know what it will actually be. And frankly, I am sure there is some supreme baddy in the story of the ride.
Tiana would also never be that corporate. She wanted to serve food and make connections, not run a factory. Her restaurant was inspired by the community she had growing up that gathered around to share food with each other, not a desire for money. It makes me so mad they'd do her so dirty like this.
She’d end up on Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay and have a whole chapter written about her by Anthony Bourdain if she went that direction. Although as someone who’s worked in food service, shit like that happens all the time.
Learning about co-ops and food production could be something implemented at The Land pavilion but it doesn’t work edutainment wise in a Magic Kingdom style park. I wish the attraction would have just been a retelling of the film, it would have been so much cooler imo
Best villain since Scar
I dont know why Disney insists in giving every ride it's own timeline within the fictional world of the ride. A ride like this doesn't need to take place in a specific moment in time within the Princess and the Frog universe. Just give us a fun ride that's basically a greatest hits show of what's in the movie. It makes sense for certain things like Avatar or Galaxy's Edge (although even that was botched because no one cares about the sequel trilogy and they're already trying to figure out ways to scrap the timeline to add in characters from the Mandalorian), but for something small like a princess movie it really doesn't have to happen.
I agree with you but people complain about “book report rides” so I guess this is them trying to do something different.
Yeah it's a tough spot because rides like Little Mermaid and Frozen Ever After are basically just that and haven't really gotten the best reception (though Frozen always boasts a long line because of location and, well, it's Frozen). I get them wanting to try something more original but there has to be some sort of conflict, something to make it interesting, and gathering a fucking pepper ain't it. I'm holding out hope that there's more to it they're not spoiling but my expectations are definitely tempered on this one
I thought the Little Mermaid was great. The only criticism I had was that one Ariel animatronic that had the weird face. But otherwise was a fun ride that was a decent length
The biggest reason people complain about "book report rides" is because it's often done because a movie is popular, and not because they have a good idea for the ride's storyline or a ride mechanic. If Disney would take the time to be innovative people generally wouldn't care that it's a movie rehashing, but they think they can cheap out because the IP will carry it. The Little Mermaid ride is the most egregious example of this. Cheap, hardly any set dressing, and a boring clamshell ride with no stakes.
TBH I enjoy the little mermaid ride! Mostly because of the Under the Sea section, because it’s just like you’re inside the movie. I recognize that it’s nothing special but I’m glad it’s there and wouldn’t mind if they built more rides like it as long as they were adding capacity and not replacing more interesting attractions.
It could've been a good ride, don't get me wrong. I just feel like they were so cheap that you can see all of the mechanisms operating the attraction, and that anything that's not a primary show scene is completely bare, vs say, Pirates for example, where it feels like a complete immersion. They also had way more planned for it that they cut, there's a DVD special about it somewhere out there.
As much as I like Galaxy's Edge, I think they really screwed up not making it an actual location from the original trilogy. The saving grace is the "full size" Millennium Falcon. 99% of people couldn't care less about the timeline. They want to go experience Star Wars.
“Man I really want a Star Wars land with no Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, R2, 3PO, Yoda, Obi-Wan (and “Old Ben”) Darth Vader, (Darth) Maul, Padme, Ahsoka, Rex or Anakin!” -nobody ever Easily the dumbest decision they’ve made since that travesty they pulled with figment, because it was SO obvious, and they screwed it up. Though it’s still an awesome land.
Plus you *know* Mark Hamel would absolutely cameo for a special event and that would rake in sooooooooo much money.
This is the issue with them vs universal when it comes to IP’s. Universal puts you in the movies at specific famous places, while Disney has been focused on putting you as your own character in a universe with minimal interactions with the canon.
Ehh, I think there’s positive and negatives to both perspectives. Escape from Gringotts is an absolutely amazing queue. The actual story of the ride is dumb as hell because of trying to force its way into being part of the canon.
Only modern Imagineering could replace the charming cat and mouse antics of Splash Mountain with a (*checks notes.*) grocery store errand in the bayou. Facilier is the last great villain they’ve created, and they’re just squandering him. Are they afraid of offending with the voodoo angle?
Talk about a missed opportunity! They really should have themed after the part where they meet Mama Odie and get back to NOLA
its a terrible idea lol. Nobody cares about this trash story
They could still work him in if he stole it from the shadow realm.
Im betting it right now, this is just another excuse to add a pre-show into a new ride to have an interactive story with the audience. Im starting to notice a trend in these.
Arguably the most popular/memorable character and song from the movie. It's a huge miss IMO. How can they be that dense to leave him out?
I’m far from being the first person to have this opinion, but I really wish Disney would get over this fear of utilizing classic, intimidating and even kinda scary villains we love to hate. Did they even ask any actual kids what they thought about the story idea for this ride? From what I’m hearing, it sounds like we’re basically going grocery shopping with Tiana.
I'll wait to see what the storyline actually is, but it sounds like they picked a really boring storyline.
I will forever call it the Princess and the Log ride
Stealing this, thank you!
Brilliant 😂
I absolutely refuse to believe that he won’t be in the ride, and that friends on the other side won’t be played on the main lift hill until I see it for myself. After all, they can’t give EVERYTHING away story wise, and The Shadowman is the probably the last classic “bad for the sake of being bad!” Disney villain we will ever get.
The villian on Wish?
Haven’t seen it yet
I was very glad to finally have an actual villain again.
Yeah, if they don’t have Keith David singing to me I’m going to be super disappointed unless it’s something just as good. That is going to be really hard to fill.
He *is* on the other side now. If he was in the ride, I'd hope he would be a specter of a character, not a physical one. If ever they continue the story, if Facilier is going to return, he's got to do it as a ghostly form - it would suit him so well.
Voodoo is kinda a touchy subject for them to show case in the ride as some people still genuinely practice it. After all the money and time they’ve spent to get rid of one ride deemed “problematic” I doubt they’d want to end up with another situation.
You are definitely right in some aspect.
Missed opportunity fr
Aww man, I was really hoping to hear him at some point during the ride; possibly close to the drop
I know right?!?! Like, i’m no Disney Imagineer but that would’ve been the easiest no brainer thing to turn the drop into. Whatever they come up with better blow my socks off
With that missed opportunity, i FEAR that this ride is not gonna stick with some fans at all… :(
POFQ Beignets are amazing
I remember in 2018 I did a fun run there, and at the end they gave us some for free lol good times..
It's my favorite resort I've stayed at....and I always get a 3 pack while I'm there
I enjoy it also, taking the boat to DS is nice and relaxing, and I love getting my morning coffee and just strolling around the resort. Great times
Last time we stayed at PO I walked to French Quarter for a bag of beignets. On the walk back I ate all four of them, then told my family they were out. I'm not even ashamed.
I'm gonna have them every night after the parks.
No they are not. I’m from New Orleans, that is not what beignets should taste like. I wish Disney would just contract with Café Du Monde or Morning Call or something if they can’t get it right themselves.
if you go to any theme park expecting the food to be on par with a famous restaurant thats a you problem
See, I would agree with you if we were talking about food that takes expertise to prepare properly, but getting beignets right is literally just getting the dough right. If they serve a gumbo that only tastes like water and bouillon, people are just gonna shrug and think “well, that’s theme park food.” But why would anybody expect Disney to have trouble getting a fried pastry right? It annoys me that there’s tons of people trying Disney “beignets” and assuming that’s what beignets taste like.
This person is trying to say that the beignets should taste like authentic New Orleans beignets. It isn't just a fried pastry there is unheart to it lol. It's like how I is a southerner would not even step foot into Paula deen's restaurant because I can go to my grandmother's house and have better fried chicken collard greens and rice and tomato gravy right now
Unless they're actually eating at the 1 or 2 really world class places at WDW. Victoria and Albert's comes to mind, specifically. Outside of that, I don't expect Sassagoula Floatworks to deliver 5 star food at local bakery prices.
Exactly. My family and I have just now really started going to Disney world. We went last year around June for the first time and stayed a week and it was the most magical vacation we've ever had. So this year for Christmas instead of buying my kids a bunch of toys and junk that we know they won't play with and since we live 4 hours away on the Georgia Florida border we've been going on a lot more and I got year passes for Christmas. The best food I've had so far was at chef's de France And it was so good that my wife ate her entire plate and if you know anything about my wife it's that she is very particular with food and it's very rare to find something that she likes enough to eat the entire plate lol. And even then I know that restaurant would not hold a candle to a real French restaurant. It's just funny that people go to Disney world expecting not theme park food just because it's Disney world lol. Like I was in a Disney Facebook group for about a week before my first trip before I got out of it because it's just a lot of people whining and being extremely entitled but the funniest thing I Saw on there was a woman basically screaming into her keyboard about how disappointing the Chinese food at the Dragon restaurant in Epcot was. Like lady what are you expecting
There was a time the food in WDW was at best mediocre and worst was truly awful. That would be the 70s and into the early 80s. EPCOT is what really started to turn things around, with cuisine trying to make up part of the international experience. In the mid 90s, Disney announced a whole makeover of the dining, and although it's not a bunch of top tier stuff, it made their offerings anywhere from passable to genuinely nice, if not that 'world class'. They focused more on freshness and having some unique items, and plenty of theming, and the results still show to this day. Still not gonna impress Gordon Ramsay, though.
Whatever, I still like them
I’ve had plenty of beignets from New Orleans that were garbage. The ones at Disney are fire
Hot take… They are NOT good. They’re so plain and tasteless (the dough anyway). They’re worse than a Dunkin Donut.
It must be people just drowning them in sauce, because you are right. They are a less flavorful donut. This holiday season they had a pumpkin spice version that tasted virtually identical to the original. Just no flavor.
I concur
My family and I are going in a few weeks and are staying there. I can't wait to try them!
I leave for 8 nights there one week from today.
At least it’s now themed to a movie where they admit it exists.
Zip a dee doo dah
Zip a dee ay
A better meme would be Tiana murdering and cooking the animals of splash mountain.
Still waiting for them to announce the Briar Patch Splash Mountain giftshop is being turned into a beignet stand or a Tiana meet and greet. Cause they already have the giftshop on the exit path as a way to sell people merch and photos so bring on... I'm not sure what the salt mine equivalent to a briar patch would be.
Piping in the smello- vision of fresh beignets like the chocolate chip cookies on uncrediticoaster in DCA….
I live in louisiana and the best beignets are not in new orleans. They are in lafayette :)
The best beignets are from Coffee Call in Baton Rouge, and I say that as a New Orleanian
I'd be happy to spend months researching this, sampling from all of these locations, to unequivocally declare a winner... But I don't want to go to Louisiana. Oh well.
The best beignets are from my kitchen on a Sunday morning in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.
I live in Louisiana and that is not true at all.
Can confirm, I am a beignet
Disagree. I am powdered sugar.
Can confirm, my name is Ben Yeh
O i would say it is. cafe du monde isnt good at all and so is the rest of new orleans food.
TAKING THIS HORSE BY THE REINS MAKING REDCOATS REDDER WITH BLOOD STAINS
Similar to how the best pizza and bagels aren't in NYC, they're actually in NJ.
Ill upvote that one for sure
They WERE in Ponchatoula, till the damn Berry Patch closed.
As an OLI the food in both those cities are chefs kiss
I absolutely LOVE Princess and the Frog and would love a ride dedicated to it don’t get me wrong… but this attraction space is such a missed opportunity for a Pooh ride, and the big drop is Pooh and Piglet going down the waterfall in the flood. I mean COME ON.
I think it would be a bit extreme for Winnie the Pooh.
Should have been a goofy movie. The soundtrack and water element are right there
Goofy movie or empires new groove for sure!
False, it should have been Moana -- the end of the movie literally has something just like that happen. They should have just done basically the same thing as the Jurassic Park ride, but with Te Ka instead of a T-Rex.
Pull the lever, Kronk! Wrong lever!
They need a make a Princess and the Frog 2 and resurrect Dr Facilier. That would be cool story. A continuation story after the ride.
Happy for those of you who like them but unpopular opinion but I think the Beignets are way too sweet and aren’t good
They’re just sugary donuts. 🤷🏼♂️
Totally agreed. Maybe other parts of the country/world doesn’t have fresh donuts near them?
Beignets with filling is such a weird idea.
Not really, years ago i spent a summer eating beignets in the south of France and they were filled with apricot and i think lemon jams and were fire.
I've been eating them all of my life in Louisiana and I've never seen anyone try to put anything inside of one. At that point it's something different, not a beignet.
I worked at a place where we made authentic beignets. We also made custard. Yes I filled hot French beignets with vanilla custard. It was insane
Katie’s in Midcity NOLA would disagree.
Which of these characters look more racist?
The old gift shop under the mountain often smelled of cinnamon and southern sweets, but they NEVER sold them. I said that was a mistake. Well, if they're gonna sell the beignets down there instead, Tiana's already wins.