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The Princess and the Frog (2009) is coming to the Magic Kingdom with its own unique attraction set to open on the former Splash Mountain spot in Frontierland next year, and work is steadily moving along on the new ride’s construction.
Splash Mountain opened at Walt Disney World in 1992 and remained one of the most popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom until its permanent closure this January, despite its controversial source material being Song of the South (1946). While the attraction is now closed to make way for a new story inspired by the 2009 hit Disney animated film, The Princess and the Frog, the ride’s layout, and notably its 52-foot final drop will remain the same.
Credit: Disney
RELATED:Â Everything We Know So Far About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Disney Parks typically take what fans consider to be far too long to construct (or even to retheme) new attractions, as evidenced by the fact that the Magic Kingdom’s newest ride, TRON Lightcycle / Run, took longer to build than the Magic Kingdom itself; a fact that is made even worse when noting that the roller coaster is a clone from Shanghai Disneyland and not an entirely new attraction.
In contrast to Disney’s usual construction timelines, however, work seems to be moving right along in transforming Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Walls went up around the attraction, and signage and character art related to Splash Mountain were all removed immediately following the ride’s closure in January. And more recent updates show the ride covered in scaffolding as work continues on retheming the attraction’s exterior from the Briar Patch to the bayou:
@parktracker They’re moving fast with this retheme! #splashmountain #disney #disneytiktok #tianasbayouadventure #disneytok #disneyworld #themepark
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Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open next year in 2024, so to keep to that deadline construction will need to move along quickly. It is also worth noting that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will replace Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park as well; however, the West Coast attraction has remained open with no closing date announced so far. Tokyo Disneyland has its own Splash Mountain attraction, and at this time, Disney has not shown any indication of retheming the ride to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
What will Tiana’s Bayou Adventure be like?
We already know that the ride layout itself will remain the same as Splash Mountain, so Guests can expect a log flume-style attraction with multiple small drops and the final 52-ft. plunge (where they will get wet.) As for the ride’s storyline, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will pick up after the kiss between Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen at the end of the animated film.
From there, riders will be treated to the musical stylings of New Orleans, with a jazzy soundtrack inspired by the film and Zydeco, a regional blend of rhythm and blues that is unique to Louisiana. Each show scene will follow Tiana and Louis, the alligator/jazz musician in the film as they plan the ultimate Mardi Gras celebration.
Credit: Disney
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Will anything else change when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens?
As of this writing, the only update to the Magic Kingdom confirmed by Disney is the attraction itself. “Tiana’s Foods” will be part of the storyline for the ride (the logo can be seen on the construction walls in the video above) prompting some Disney fans to wonder if a restaurant or snack kiosk inspired by The Princess and the Frog could be coming next year as well.
Disney has not shared any information about a new dining location in the Magic Kingdom. On the West Coast though, Disney has confirmed that Tiana’s Palace will open as a new restaurant later this year, so we are also curious to see what this corner of Frontierland looks like when we get closer to the Magic Kingdom’s ride opening.
As always, we will continue to monitor updates on Splash Mountain’s transformation and will be back with more information as we have it here on Disney Tips.
