Credit: @disneytiktok
Disney is wasting no time turning a beloved yet problematic Magic Kingdom ride into an exciting new adventure.
Related: Disney World Attraction Canceled By Disney, Now Missing From Park
Disney revealed its plan to overhaul both U.S. versions of Splash Mountain a few years ago, which prompted a wide array of responses and reactions. Some rejoiced after hearing that Disney was finally at least admitting the original theming of Splash Mountain was problematic and needed to go.
Other Guests and fans couldn’t believe the news that one of their favorite rides would be permanently closing. Others just took it too far, starting petitions to “Save Splash Mountain.” The decision brought out the worst in some people, shifting the focus away from the classic Disney ride and onto spiteful arguments about Disney being “too woke.”
The new ride, which will be called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will feature Princess Tiana from Disney’s 2009 animated feature film The Princess and the Frog, a property that really should’ve been added to the Disney Parks a long time ago.
This new attraction is set to open sometime in 2024 at the Walt Disney World Resort, with Disneyland’s version opening sometime after. At the time of publishing this article, a closure date for Disneyland’s version has still not been set.
This means that crews have been getting busy, at least in Orlando, Florida. In the last few months, we’ve seen Splash Mountain close and Disney Imagineering cover the ride in tarps, scrims, and scaffolding.
Recently, Guests could see work crews taking sledgehammers to the iconic Splash Mountain facade. Check out a video of the work being done down below:
Progress is in full swing at Frontierland aka Constructionland for the transformation of Splash Mountain
Progress is in full swing at Frontierland aka Constructionland for the transformation of Splash Mountain 👷🏗️🚧 pic.twitter.com/um3Cnwhs0M
— DisneyWorldTom (@disneytiktok) March 10, 2023
This retheme isn’t the only thing exciting happening at the Magic Kingdom, with the Park also receiving a new roller coaster very soon. TRON Lightcycle/Run is Disney World’s newest ride and will be opening in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom this April. Guests will find it sitting right next to the iconic Space Mountain.
This high-tech coaster brings the world of Disney’s TRON franchise into the Walt Disney World Resort for the very first time, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Are you excited about Splash Mountain’s retheme? Stay tuned here for more Disney news stories!