10Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort later this year. Walt Disney Imagineering is hard at work renovating both former Splash Mountain attractions into the New Orleans bayou, occasionally sharing updates on the ride. Last week, fans learned that Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, and other Princess and the Frog (2009) animatronics will be sculpted, not using unpopular facial projection technology.
As Disney Park guests excitedly watch construction on the soon-to-be salt dome, one retired Walt Disney Imagineer made a puzzling claim about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Jim Shull, who helped create Toy Story Land areas in Disney Parks worldwide, has previously come under fire for criticizing Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Last weekend, Disney Parks fans accused him of hypocritically critiquing the Splash Mountain retheme.
After X (formerly known as Twitter) user @AliciaStella shared a photo of faux foliage and glass bottles at the top of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom Park, Shull expressed concern that the decor would turn into flying projectiles during a typical Central Florida storm. (He didn’t mention the Disneyland Park attraction.)
“If this mountain of artificial foliage isn’t securely attached, the bits will be blown all the way to downtown Orlando during a storm. #WDW #Splashmountain #Tiana,” Shull wrote.
If this mountain of artificial foliage isn't securely attached, the bits will be blown all the way to downtown Orlando during a storm. #WDW #Splashmountain #Tiana https://t.co/dB7pS5l8SY
— Jim Shull (@JimShull) January 21, 2024
Fans quickly pointed out that this isn’t the first time Walt Disney Imagineering used faux foliage at Walt Disney World Resort. The Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom features thousands of hand-painted fake leaves. Pandora: The World of Avatar is full of fake plants inspired by Avatar (2009). Just feet from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at Magic Kingdom Park also features prop plant life.
“They’ve been making fake foliage for seventy years Jim, do you think they didn’t consider wind?” @sean_gause asked.
They’ve been making fake foliage for seventy years Jim, do you think they didn’t consider wind? pic.twitter.com/hB2VN36PlL
— Sean Gause (@sean_gause) January 21, 2024
“Wait, are you implying parts of Honey I shrunk the kids play area made their way to downtown Orlando?” @GumShoeGoof quipped.
Wait, are you implying parts of Honey I shrunk the kids play area made their way to downtown Orlando?
— Pete da Park Catastrophist Goof (@GumShoeGoof) January 21, 2024
“Well good thing we haven’t seen the foliage from the flying mountains of Pandora fly away yet!” said @TomorrowVenture. “Maybe WDI knows what they’re doing?!? Just maybe.”
Well good thing we haven’t seen the foliage from the flying mountains of Pandora fly away yet!
Maybe WDI knows what they’re doing?!?
Just maybe.
— CosmicRewind🚀 (@TomorrowVenture) January 21, 2024
Inside the Magic was unable to contact Jim Shull for comment.
Are you excited about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? In the comments, share what you hope to see on the attraction with Inside the Magic!