Though all eyes are currently on the 2023 opening of TRON Lightcycle / Run at the Magic Kingdom, this park will be getting another new addition (along with Disneyland park) in 2024 with the opening Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This upcoming attraction was announced several years ago and though it took some time to get this project off the ground, Disney has finally released some information about what fans can expect from this Disney Princess-inspired ride when it opens in just two years. While some questions still remain about this upcoming replacement for Splash Mountain, here is everything we know so far about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure:
The ride system will be the same, but expect plenty of exciting new audio-animatronics
Fans of the Splash Mountain log flume experience needn’t worry too much about things changing that much with the ride system, as concept art and models show Tiana’s Bayou Adventure still using the same log flume associated with the Splash Mountain attraction as well as the iconic 49-foot drop that has become synonymous with the ride.
Though guests will still be floating down a flume in a log towards a big drop, the attraction’s insides will be totally reworked inside this new attraction with advanced audio-animatronics of Tiana and her friends that will feature the latest technology, bringing the world of New Orleans to life. Tiana will also be wearing some brand-new outfits (as you can see above) that reflect her growth since the end of the Princess and the Frog film.
Though unconfirmed, some have speculated that some of the old Splash Mountain animal animatronics might be spruced up a little and used inside this new ride as an homage to the former attraction.
The story will act as a sequel the events of the film, but will have familiar songs
It has recently been confirmed that instead of being a “book report” like Ariel’s Undersea Adventure or The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh that simply details the events of the film, this attraction will actually be a follow-up the events of the Princess and the Frog movie, acting like a sequel of sorts. After the movie’s ending, Tiana is preparing to host a large party for Mardi Gras but is missing a key ingredient. To find it, guests will join Tiana on an adventure deep into the bayou, meeting new and familiar faces along the way as they search for this important ingredient and rush to make it to the party.
During the ride, guests can expect to hear familiar tunes from the film as well as voiceovers from the original voice actors from the film, including film including Bruno Campos (Naveen), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis), and Jennifer Lewis (Mama Odie) and, of course, Anika Noni Rose who voiced Princess Tiana, who will all be returning to record new dialogue for the ride.
As with the film, the city and culture of Louisiana will figure prominently in the attraction, which Disney has previously described as “a love letter to New Orleans.”
Splash Mountain’s exterior is getting some updates
Recent attraction re-themes like Frozen Ever After and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway have largely kept the exterior facades of their previous attractions (Maelstrom and the Great Movie Ride) more or less intact. However, it looks like Disney is making some big changes to the outside of the former Chickapin Hill for Splash Mountain’s transformation into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, with a recent model of the attraction showing off a tall water tower right next to the big drop that showcases the logo for “Tiana’s Foods,” a co-op Tiana established in 1927 according to the ride backstory’s timeline.
Also visible in the model are crops that growers have planted along the waterway, presumably for the aforementioned co-op. Eagle-eyed fans will also notice that the model shows the top of the attraction looking a little flatter than that of its predecessor, with the big tree stump having been removed. Early concept art showed a ship on top of this hill, but it looks like that part of the exterior redevelopment has been cut.
The ride will open in late 2024
Ever since Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was first announced back in 2020, fans have been wondering when they could check out this updated attraction, and Disney confirmed earlier this year that the wait won’t be too long, as this new ride will open in just about two years. Though that might seem like a fast turnaround time (especially since Splash Mountain hasn’t closed yet) work is likely being done off-site so that when the attraction does close, construction workers and Imagineers can move quickly to install all the new components of this ride to get it ready for its 2024 debut.
Splash Mountain will be closing very soon
Disney has not yet announced a closing date for Splash Mountain but given the now-confirmed opening timetable, we’d imagine that this attraction is definitely in its final days. Though Disney will probably want to keep Splash Mountain open in its current form through the holidays to help out with crowds, once the weather in Florida gets colder in January, this attraction will probably close for good so that Imagineers can get to work on making sure Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is ready for its debut. Though no date has been listed, a notice of commencement was filed several weeks ago for this attraction, which also is another good indicator that there are likely only a few weeks left for fans of the original Splash Mountain to ride it one last time.
While some may be sad to see Splash Mountain go, it is definitely exciting to see that progress is ramping up on bringing this new attraction to life at the Magic Kingdom, and hopefully we will learn more about what to expect from this ride as we get closer to the closure of Splash Mountain early next year and the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure the year after that!
