Splash Mountain Has Been on Chopping Block for Years, Says Disney

There is quite an extensive history behind Tisna’s Bayou Adventure at Disney.

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In 2020, The Walt Disney Company public revealed that Splash Mountain would permanently close at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This decision came after decades of backlash regarding the iconic log flume ride, which was based on and inspired by Disney’s highly problematic 1946 film Song of the South. The film has been a major point of backlash and criticism for Disney, with critics calling out the film for its portrayal of African Americans. However, in 1989, Disney decided to base a theme park attraction on this film, successfully creating one of the most popular theme park attractions in the world.

This would not last, however, with Splash Mountain closing forever in 2023 on both coasts. A third version of Splash Mountain remains intact at the Tokyo Disney Resort, providing guests with the opportunity to plunge down Chick-A-Pin Hil once more. However, despite this announcement coming in 2020, Disney reportedly started developing the new ride years prior.

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Disney revealed the decision to close Splash Mountain officially in 2020, but work began long before this announcement. Guests are often the last to hear about projects, whether from Disney, Universal Studios, or any other major theme park. This is done to ensure everything is new and exciting for guests. Passionate fans still seek to provide the community with updates on projects, like the ongoing progress made to Epic Universe, but for the most part, a lot of details are kept under wraps for quite a while.

In a new interview with Walt Disney Imagineer SVP Carmen Smith, it is revealed that plans for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure were underway quite some time before the public even knew about it. According to Smith, the development of the new ride began in 2018, despite the popular theory that Disney announced Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as a quick replacement for Splash Mountain in 2020.

“I think we’ve all had an opportunity in our lives to think about something that we’ve always wanted to do,” states Smith. “I’ve followed the Tiana story, working for the Walt Disney Company for over 40 years, and just seeing that come to life – I realized that there was a great story there. We worked on the story probably starting in 2018, and a lot of things happened in our world. Leadership said “Carmen, you’ve got a bucket of projects that you’re working on, what do you have that you want to showcase for us?” And Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was one of them, and [leadership] said yes.”

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is expected to open sometime this summer at the Magic Kingdon in Walt Disney World. The ride will be located exactly where Splash Mountain used to be in Frontierland, and while both rides utilize the same show building and track, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure looks to be quite a different experience than what guests are used to. The second version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open at the Disneyland Resort later this year, though an exact timeframe has not yet been given.

The story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place after the events of The Princess and the Frog (2009), taking guests on a journey led by the titular Princess Tiana. The new adventure will feature a ton of fan-favorite characters from the film, as well as a new storyline and new music. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will reportedly feature several new audio-animatronics as well, something Splash Mountain was famous for. All eyes are on Disney, and it knows it, with pressure mounting ahead of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s opening day. If done right, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure could act as the Disney parks’ next major “E-ticket” attraction for decades to come.

Are you excited to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Will you be visiting the Disney parks soon?