Splash Mountain officially closes in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort on January 23. The ride, based on the problematic and widely-bannedSong of the South (1946), will reopen as Princess and the Frog (2009)-themed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024 at both United States Disney Parks. The closing date for Splash Mountain in Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort hasn’t been announced.
At D23 Expo 2022, Walt Disney Imagineers offered a first look at the storyline of the all-new ride. Instead of retelling the animated film, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take Guests on a thrilling adventure through New Orleans that takes place after the film, when both Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen are back in human form.
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Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), Jenifer Lewis (Mama Odie), and Michael Leon Wooley (Louis the Alligator) will return to the Bayou to voice the ride’s characters. Keith David (Dr. Facilier) is missing from that list, meaning that “The Shadow Man” likely won’t have a role in the all-new storyline.
On Sunday, a friend of a Disney Parks Imagineer revealed something else that will be missing from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Many Disney Park fans hoped the new ride would reuse some animal animatronics from Splash Mountain, much like Disneyland Park’s Splash Mountain features animatronics from America Sings. Unfortunately, that dream likely won’t come true.
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Reddit user u/LeanMrfuzzles responded to a comment hoping that Splash Mountain animatronics would be reused, writing:
My imagineer friend working on the retheme told me they’re pretty much scrapping everything. They may reuse a few of them, but that’s it.
“That’s kind of disappointing,” the Splash Mountain fan wrote. “I sort of hoped it would be a minimal retheme and sort of hoped they’d still keep the song at the end.”
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“Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” isn’t likely to make a reappearance either. The song has already been removed from music loops around Disney Parks worldwide, even at Tokyo Disneyland, which isn’t retheming its version of Splash Mountain.
*Editor’s note: We cannot confirm the authenticity of the allegations made by this user. The Walt Disney Company has not officially stated if any Splash Mountain animatronics will be reused in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
More on Splash Mountain
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If you didn’t make it to Frontierland for the final day of Splash Mountain, head on over to Critter Country at Disneyland Park before the ride’s closing date is officially announced. From Disneyland Resort:
Drop into a whimsical world filled with classic characters and songs on this thrilling log-flume adventure.
A Hare-Raising Adventure
Hop inside a hollow log and float through a colorful bayou as you follow happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit to his “laughing place.” But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare.
Glide past over 100 talking, singing, storytelling Audio-Animatronics critters who inhabit Splash Mountain and offer up their own slice of down-home culture. Sing along to classic Disney ditties, including “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”
Then, brace yourself for the big finale—this musical cruise ends in a thrilling 5-story splashdown!
You Will Get Wet!
This attraction includes 950,000 gallons of water, 3 dips and a 5-story drop. Where you’re seated will determine how wet you’ll get. Riders in the back may experience a sudden splash or spray; those who opt for the front can expect to get soaked.
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A Splash of History
Many of the critters in the cast originally made their Disneyland park debut at the classic show America Sings, where they performed patriotic melodies in Tomorrowland from 1974 to 1988.
Would you like to see Splash Mountain animatronics on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
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