Disney Confirms This Beloved Character Will Be Featured in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

After lots of speculation, Disney has confirmed that an iconic character (along with several others) will make appearances in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will pick up after the final kiss shared in the film by Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. The attraction, which will use the same ride system as its predecessor Splash Mountain, will take Guests on a journey alongside Tiana and Louis as they plan the ultimate Mardi Gras celebration.

RELATED: Everything We Know So Far About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

While we already knew the basics of the storyline for the new attraction, Disney had not officially confirmed which characters Guests could expect to see on the ride until today, April 12, 2023. The latest update, fresh from the Disney Parks Blog, shares that Mama Odie will be featured in one of the attraction’s major show scenes, with Jenifer Lewis reprising her role as the voice of the iconic character.

Along with the announcement, Disney shared new concept art (pictured below) that details Mama Odie and her “seeing eye snake, Juju in a fully immersive scene where she will share jokes with Guests as they pass by.

RELATED: Aerial Photos Show Splash Mountain’s Transformation Into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Inspiration for Mama Odie’s portrayal in the attraction came straight from New Orleans via the artistic mind of Sharika Mahdi, a local artist and YAYA Arts Center alumna. In Mahdi’s work, you can see various views that inspired how Imagineers will design Mama Odie’s look throughout the attraction (pictured below).

RELATED: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Likely Preserve Splash Mountain Animatronics

Along with the update on Mama Odie, and the note that the ride will feature both new and original music, Disney also shared a lot of new information on the upcoming attraction. Here’s what we learned in today’s update.

In contrast to many other new theme park attractions (at Disney Parks and beyond), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will use Audio-Animatronics figures. Fans had been worried that the new ride would be heavy on screens, and that it would be especially disappointing given Splash Mountain’s excellent use of Audio-Animatronics, so we are thrilled to learn that dozens of new Animatronics figures are in the works for the new ride.

In addition to Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Michael Leon Wooley as Louis, and the Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana will also reprise their roles from the film. And the attraction will also feature Eudora, Charlotte, “Big Daddy,” the King and Queen of Maldonia and Prince Ralphie.

Finally, we learned that the scent of beignets as they are prepared for the Mardi Gras party will be a part of the attraction’s queue. (So this means the Magic Kingdom will begin serving beignets, right? They can’t tease us like that…)

Splash Mountain has been closed at Walt Disney World since January of this year, and the ride will close at Disneyland this May. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open at both Parks in 2024.