Disney's ‘Princess and the Frog’-Themed Location Dead, Faces Growing Pains After Refurbishment

A recent Disneyland refurbishment is being discussed online.

A whimsical log cabin-style shop called Ray's Beets, with a grassy roof, whimsical decorations, open doors, and display racks filled with colorful merchandise, set amid tall trees. — Credit: Disney

Disneyland recently renovated Rey’s Berets, a souvenir shop found inside the resort’s Bayou Country park area. The storefront specializes in toys, headwear, and other park merchandise and features a rustic cabin feel, though perhaps the location’s most unique feature is its roof. Guests will see real sod at the top of Rey’s Berets, giving the area an organic look and feel.

However, Disneyland is seemingly having trouble keeping the sod looking fresh, as revealed in a recent post shared by TheDisneyScoopGuy on Reddit.

According to the post, the fresh sod is dead less than a week after it was replaced, indicating Disneyland is having trouble maintaining the roof’s lush green color.

Less than a week after fresh sod was added to the roof of Ray’s Beret’s it’s already mostly dead
byu/TheDisneyScoopGuy inDisneyland

Guests have seen a number of new and exciting projects take place at Disneyland over the last decade. In 2017, the resort’s Tower of Terror became Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT. Avengers Campus officially opened in 2021, adding to Disneyland’s collection of Marvel-themed rides and attractions.

In 2023, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened, allowing West Coast guests to hop aboard one of Disney’s most colorful and unique dark rides yet. Perhaps the biggest addition to Disneyland came at the end of 2024 when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opened.

Rey’s Berets opened in Disneyland as part of this overhaul. The store and the ride are in what is now known as Bayou Country (formerly Critter Country).

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Colorful "Bayou Country" sign with cartoon animals stands in front of lush greenery, flowers, and a log flume waterfall at the entrance to a theme park attraction. — Credit: Disney

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is one of the most interesting Disney theme park developments fans have seen. The company announced the attraction back in 2020, revealing that Tiana would replace Disney’s iconic log flume ride, Splash Mountain.

While Splash Mountain had become one of Disney’s most legendary theme park rides, it had a rather problematic history. The ride was inspired by Disney’s ill-fated 1946 film Song of the South, which multiple organizations, including the NAACP, have condemned over its portrayal of African Americans in the Reconstruction-era South.

The film has not been available through official sources in years, though Song of the South‘s problematic history wasn’t enough to keep Disney from using it as the basis for Splash Mountain. As time passed, more people became aware of Splash Mountain’s connection with the film, resulting in increased criticism toward Disney.

Eventually, either from internal or external pressure, Disney decided to pull the plug, announcing it would close Splash Mountain and give the ride a makeover inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009).

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure first opened at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World in summer 2024, followed by Disneyland’s version in November of the same year. The ride has been a big hit among park goers, letting one of Disney’s most unique princesses shine in her own attraction.

Guests itching to experience Splash Mountain one more time can still do so at Tokyo Disneyland, where the original log flume adventure remains open for the foreseeable future.

Have you been to Disneyland recently?