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Credit: Disney Disney has finally confirmed when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening in Orlando, Florida.
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After months of steady progress in Magic Kingdom, Disney has finally revealed when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening to guests. The official attraction web page was updated this morning, with Disney revealing that the new ride will be opening in “Summer 2024.” For months, the only timeframe given by Disney was “2024,” leaving fans and guests alike wondering when exactly this new attraction would be opening.
As part of the new announcement, Disney also shared a first look at a stunning Tiana animatronic in a new post on the official Disney Parks TikTok account.
@disneyparks FIRST LOOK 👀 at one of the new Audio-Animatronics figures coming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ✨💚 #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #Tiana #TianasBayouAdventure #DisneyNews #MardiGras #Technology
Construction has been progressing nicely on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the last few months at Magic Kingdom, with Splash Mountain permanently closing at the start of 2023. The decision to close Splash Mountain came after decades of controversy surrounding the ride’s original theme, which was heavily inspired by Disney’s problematic film Song of the South (1946).
In 2020, The Walt Disney Company revealed that Splash Mountain would be closing forever, making way for a brand new experience based on Disney’s iconic animated film The Princess and the Frog (2009). Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland’s versions of the legendary log flume attraction closed in 2023, with work quickly starting on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the parks. However, Disneyland’s version is noticeably behind when compared to Walt Disney World’s, with the West Coast version most likely opening at a much later date.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is not totally new, utilizing Splash Mountain’s original ride system, track, and vehicles. The exterior of the ride looks quite different, though Walt Disney Imagineering maintained a large portion of the original Splash Mountain ride structure. However, the inside is what will really surprise guests, with Disney keeping all details regarding the interior sections of the ride under wraps, until now that is.
Stay tuned for more Disney theme park news!