Credit: DisneyWork is well underway on Disney’s exciting new project.
It may seem like just a few months ago, but Disney’s decision to close Splash Mountain permanently at both its American theme park resorts was actually revealed nearly four years ago. In 2020, The Walt Disney Company officially announced its plans to overhaul one of it most iconic attractions, transforming it into a ride based on The Princess and the Frog (2009). This new ride, called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, would quickly become one of the most exciting and controversial projects ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering.
Information regarding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been pretty scarce, with Disney being quite secretive with what they reveal. We know what the exterior will look like thanks to concept art, but the interior portions of the ride have been top secret since the project began. The ride will utilize the same ride systems, layout, and track that Splash Mountain used, so don’t go into this expecting an entirely new experience. This project is more of a reimagining than a total overhaul, much like Frozen Ever After in EPCOT, which took over the place of Maelstrom. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World versions of this ride were closed in 2023, and in the last few months, we’ve seen Disney kick things up a notch in terms of progress, with several new structures being constructed.
At the Disneyland Resort, it seems that part of the original Splash Mountain ride experience will be changed. New photos indicate that the first drop will now be covered, as revealed by Just As Danny (@jus_ask_danny).
Big structural change I noticed at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This used to be the first big drop outside on Splash Mountain. They’re now building a large wall or fence frame around it. Does this mean this drop will now be indoors!?!? 😳🤔 pic.twitter.com/Z1ikbGPtmx
— Just Ask Danny (@just_ask_danny) January 7, 2024
As we said earlier, information regarding the actual on-ride experience of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scarce, but these images suggest that changes are coming to the first drop. A new wall structure has been built where guests take the first plunge, leading us to believe that this section may now be completely covered by a new structure. Of course, this is all speculation, but we would not be surprised to see Disney tinker with the overall structure of Splash Mountain’s show building.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is expected to open in 2024 at both the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort. We could not be more excited about this upcoming ride and will continue to give you updates as more information becomes available.
Are you excited about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?