Walt Disney Imagineering offered the first look inside the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attractions coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World as the former Splash Mountain rides continue to undergo extensive “Princess and the Frog” makeovers.
The brief peek inside the attraction showed Imagineers working in a scene with an old cabin framed by a magnolia tree and waving fields of tall grass set against a night sky in the background.
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The sneak peek of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure appeared during “Disney 100: A Century of Dreams” on Disney-owned ABC as part of a special edition of the “20/20” news magazine show.
And here are the photos from inside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: pic.twitter.com/q9VH7NqTQ4
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) December 18, 2023
The preview scene from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was reminiscent of the swamp shacks that sit on stilts in the water across from the Blue Bayou restaurant at the beginning of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Disneyland, according to Twitter user Gum Shoe Goof.
“Not trying to throw shade because I’m excited for it,” according to Twitter user Gum Shoe Goof. “But could they have picked a more mediocre view?”
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It was unclear whether the “20/20” footage was filmed at Disneyland in Anaheim or the Magic Kingdom in Florida — but the twin ride makeovers are expected to be identical on both coasts.
Disneyland and Disney World closed the Splash Mountain attractions earlier this year so Imagineering could begin the process of transforming the classic log flume rides. The dueling versions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure are set to debut in late 2024.
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The reimagining of the Splash Mountain rides will remove thematic elements related to “Song of the South” —the controversial 1940s film criticized for perpetuating racist stereotypes that has been disowned by Disney.
The twin Tiana’s Bayou Adventure rides will tell an extension of the “Princess and the Frog” story that picks up after the final kiss between Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. The new backstory for Splash Mountain will follow Tiana and Louis the trumpet-playing alligator as they prepare for their first Mardi Gras performance.
Tiana, Naveen and Louis will be joined in the new Disneyland and Disney World attractions by Mama Odie, Eudora, Charlotte, Big Daddy, the King and Queen of Maldonia and Naveen’s younger brother and aspiring drummer Prince Ralphie.
Tiana’s takeover of New Orleans Square and nearby Critter Country has already begun with the addition of Tiana’s Palace restaurant and Eudora’s Chic Boutique retail store.
