UPDATE April 17 – Progress continues on the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom. In a recent construction update posted to YouTube by 4K WDW we get to see the latest developments.
Recent developments include new landscaping around the train station and new signs and theming have been added to the barn. We can also see a whole host of new props have appeared including boxes with lanterns, whiskey, lumber tools and Bucksaws.
Ride testing continues and the only remains which can now be seen of Splash Mountain are a few birdhouses and a restroom sign. Work is certainly progressing well and we look forward to confirmation of its official opening date at the Magic Kingdom this summer.
April 8 – As work continues on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney Imagineering has given us our first look at the array of audio-animatronics which will be used in this new attraction.
A new series of videos posted to YouTube from Walt Disney Imagineering named We Call It Imagineering, aim to showcase the work behind the scenes to bring the Disney attractions to life. In the first video which is embedded below at timestamp 3:48, we get to see the first look at the animatronics which will be used in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
It is certainly interesting to see the extent of time and work that it takes to create the complicated audio-animatronics which will be used in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when it opens at the Magic Kingdom this summer.
March 26 – Those guests who head to check out progress on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom will get a surprise as music has now been activated in the area.
First reactions appear to be generally positive to the addition of the song “Down In New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog, although it is expected that this soundtrack will change to an instrumental version when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opens this summer.
Do you like the choice of song or do you think Disney should use something else? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
March 25 – Progress continues to be made on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom where we can see further theming being completed as well as more log testing.
In the new construction update posted to YouTube by Park Update, we can see further work having been done on the queue line and the mountain appears to be filling out with the flowers and greenery.
In another recent video which was posted to YouTube by Blog Mickey and is embedded below, we can see that further daytime log testing is taking place on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom.
Extensive work is continuing to take place inside this attraction and we are getting very excited to hopefully get a sneek peek in the coming weeks as we head towards its summer opening.
March 4 – With the confirmation from Disney at the end of February that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is now set to open this summer at the Magic Kingdom is it unsurprising that we are seeing further progress being made on this controversial reimagining.
In a recent video posted to YouTube by BigFatPanda we get to see water running and logs are continuing to be tested for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
February 21 – There has been exciting times at the Magic Kingdom this week as testing has begun on Tiana’a Bayou Adventure. In the video which was posted to YouTube on February 14 and is embedded below by Drew In The Moment, we get to see water flowing once again at timestamp 9:25 and then at 9:50 we see a log being tested.
With the recent confirmation that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will now open at the Magic Kingdom in the summer rather than the originally slated “Late 2024”, we expect to see work continue to ramp up over the coming weeks alongside extensive testing being done.
February 14 – Disney has now confirmed the timeline for the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom. Originally expected to open “Late 2024” we now know that Disney is surprisingly ahead of schedule and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is now set to open this summer!
In a recent video posted by Disney to TikTok and embedded below, we get to see a glimpse of the new Tiana animatronic which certainly looks very impressive.
@disneyparks FIRST LOOK ? at one of the new Audio-Animatronics figures coming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ✨? #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #Tiana #TianasBayouAdventure #DisneyNews #MardiGras #Technology ♬ original sound – Disney Parks
For some Disney fans who are still mourning the loss of the original Splash Mountain attraction, this news may not have the same excitement factor as it does for those who are looking forward to the new reimagining.
Although at the Magic Kingdom we will see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening this summer, the current opening timeline for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Park is still set for “Late 2024”.
We will continue to update you with the construction progress over the coming weeks and months as we head towards the summer opening date and we look forward to bringing you a confirmed opening date as soon as Disney announces it.
Are you excited for the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney’s Magic Kingdom? Let us know by voting in our poll and by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
February 4 – Work on the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is progressing well at the Magic Kingdom. Disney fans currently visiting the park will be sure to see that the iconic Splash Mountain is certainly being transformed and is being given a completely different look as it is transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
In a new construction video update posted to YouTube by 4K WDW on January 31 we get to see an extensive look at all the latest progress on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom including:
- More scaffolding has been removed throughout January including the scaffolding from the bottom of the drop
- Mama Odie’s lanterns have been added before the big drop
- You can still see some Splash Mountain theming on the exterior which we assume will be removed very soon
- The playground is still closed
We will continue to update you with progress on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom as we head through the coming weeks and months.
January 26 – In a construction video posted to YouTube by The DIS we get to see the dense foliage and flowers which have been added to the exterior as well as views of the vibrant murals. The stone work is also being updated. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is certainly coming to life and we are getting very excited to see what is being done inside in the coming months.
We will continue to follow the progress of Splash Mountain’s extensive reimagining to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as we head closer towards the official opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure which is expected in the fall of this year at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park.
January 6 – 2024 has just begun and that means that the controversial Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park later this year.
In a new construction video update which has been posted to YouTube by 4K WDW we get to see how Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is currently looking at the Magic Kingdom.
The key developments include:
- A new section of the queue appears to have opened temporarily to reach the restrooms
- The playground area gets reimagined
- Further theming elements have been added to the exterior
- Some of the scaffolding at the very top of the mountain has been removed
October 19, 2023 – This week, Disney revealed the new colorful and vibrant mural which is coming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park in 2024. The mural which can be seen below in the Instagram post will be added to the entrance building of the main queue for the former Splash Mountain.
The mural was created by visual artist, Malaika Favorite who created the design on canvas and then this was shipped to Florida for the team to use to complete this piece of art work. It is inspired by Tiana’s story and the where her foods come from as well as the people who worked with her and her fans.
Now, for many Disney fans who are still mourning the loss of the iconic Splash Mountain, seeing this bright and colorful mural celebrating Tiana may not be the best sight but in the video embedded above, Malaika Favorite said that the aim of the painting was to make you feel good. Do you think this has been achieved? Let us know your thoughts by voting in our poll or by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom officially closed at the end of the day on Sunday, January 22, 2023 in order to begin its extensive transformation to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure which is slated to open late 2024. In a new video construction update from 4K WDW we get to see footage from July 26, of the construction site of the reimagining of Tiana Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom.
It appears that although the mountain is covered in scaffolding, progress on the exterior seems fairly minimal. It looks like the former entrance/queue area is being worked on and the barn is also looking a little different with the Br’er Rabbit weather vane continuing to sit on the top of it. There looks to be some green splattered areas on parts of the mountain, and also on the bottom of the water tower which is suggested could be for moss to be added as has been the case at Disneyland Park.
We will continue to follow the progress of this somewhat contentious reimagining of the iconic Splash Mountain here at Theme Park Tourist.
At the beginning of July, Disney revealed a first look at Tiana’s new costume at the ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans which will be used in the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction.
NEW: Disney has shared a first look at Tiana’s new costume – which matches Tiana’s look that will be featured in the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction opening at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park in 2024.
The costume was revealed at ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/mJxYeCmr7W
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) June 30, 2023
Here is a reminder of the original concept art.
Here is a full length look at Tiana’s new costume.
Although this new costume has been officially revealed, according to an Instagram post it still looks like Tiana will continue to wear her royal gown in the Disney parks at the moment.
We have also seen this week that the new Tiana’s Foods water tower had been successfully installed, topped with a golden tiara.
Overnight, the “tiara-topped” Tiana’s Foods water tower was installed at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World. The attraction will open in 2024. https://t.co/iQWDnbeOAC pic.twitter.com/46wmzgHAXy
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) June 27, 2023
In mid-October 2022 we saw reports online that a notice of commencement has been filed for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The decision made by Disney to close the iconic Splash Mountain at both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park has certainly been a contentious one with some Disney fans very happy with the upcoming change and others the complete opposite.
Disney has filed a permit to begin construction on Bayou Adventure in Walt Disney World. It is listed as “Project CY1899”. The contractor Disney has chosen is Balfour Beatty Construction. Permit expires June 30, 2024 (All info coming from WDWMAGIC) #SplashMountain #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/Mc6cYp44OB
— SplashMountainArchives (@SplashMtn1989) October 14, 2022
We are bringing you a construction update from current reports online of the progress so far. The video footage posted to YouTube by Attractions Plus was filmed on May 21. You can see a range of views of what Splash Mountain currently looks like including more scaffolding which has been erected around the mountain and the tree has gone from the outside theme. New rockwork is now in place near the splash down lane and paint testing is being done.
The plain brown construction walls have a couple of small Tiana’s Foods posters in places. The water has been completely drained and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of work going on in the outside sections of the ride at the moment. The large hole which was at the bottom of the drop has been completely filled back up and repainted. The queue area currently appears untouched.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is slated to open in late 2024. To check out all of the latest announcements which were made during the D23 Expo regarding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure head to our news article, More Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Details Revealed At Disney’s D23 Expo and Everything We Know About Tiana’a Bayou Adventure.
Are you sad that Splash Mountain has permanently closed at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and is set to close for good at Disneyland Park at the end of the day on May 30? If you are feeling nostalgic about Splash Mountain, be sure to check out our featured article, YOU MAY GET WET: An Ode To Splash Mountain.
Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page. We will keep you up to date on all the latest news on the reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure here at Theme Park Tourist.
