Tiana's Bayou Adventure Under Attack by Fans

Walt Disney Imagineering revealed exclusive, all-new details about the storyline behind Tiana’s Bayou Adventure last week. The log flume ride opens in 2024, taking over the former Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom.

Related: Popular Attraction Closed for Refurbishment at Disney California Adventure

The Princess and the Frog (2009) themed ride has caused much controversy ahead of its opening. Walt Disney World Resort closed its iteration of Splash Mountain last month, while the final date for the Disneyland Resort version hasn’t been announced. Splash Mountain will not be rethemed to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Tokyo Disneyland.

The ride will take place after the events of the Disney Princess film. Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), Jenifer Lewis (Mama Odie), and Michael Leon Wooley (Louis the Alligator) are all returning to the Bayou to voice their respective characters.

Some fans theorized that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would be as controversial as its Song of the South (1946) themed predecessor, Splash Mountain. Though no longer based on an overtly racist story, the Disney Park ride centers around an employee-owned food co-op run by Princess Tiana on a former New Orleans salt mine. Many fans have called the backstory ironic, given the notoriously bad conditions for Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort Cast Members.

“‘Employee Owned’ at Walt Disney World!??” said Reddit user u/nancytoby of the all-new details. “Irony is truly dead.”

“Trying to sound progressive all while paying their employees crap wages and making them work under terrible conditions,” u/ericgol7 agreed.

“This story ain’t it chief,” u/Nbx13 wrote.

Other Disney Parks fans weren’t necessarily offended by the storyline – they just didn’t like it. “Man that was so boring to read,” u/Muckl3t said. “I hope it was just an over explained back-story and the ride will be more exciting.”

“Super disappointed,” echoed u/Freebirdjessie.

Inside the Magic will continue to report updates on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Construction crews broke ground in Central Florida in late January, with a closing date announcement anticipated imminently for the Southern California version of the ride.

Are you excited about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?