Princess Tiana, her friends and the critters from “The Princess and the Frog” might be coming to Magic Kingdom earlier than expected. Between construction updates seen on social media, and Disney themselves promoting the ride with ABC, it appears this upcoming attraction is nearing completion.
Every week or so, new pieces of artificial foliage are installed at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Scaffolding is coming down and magic is being installed. While Splash Mountain fans still wish it could have been preserved, Tiana fans are ecstatic for this new attraction. Some super fans are also excited that Disney has confirmed we are getting high-end Audio Animatronics for this attraction.
Blending into its environment
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been criticized for being in Frontierland. This bayou experience, based in New Orleans, has been seen as “not thematically correct,” for Magic Kingdom. But, I have to mention, the ride is beginning to blend into its nearby foliage.
Frontierland is definitely western-themed on both sides of this attraction. But the term frontier can be interpreted. The wild frontier did include the bayou as the United States began to expand. The swamplands, the wild animals and environment of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi were not easy to explore for settlers. Is there a large mountain in Louisiana, no.
That being said, you can see the Imagineers working to shorten the mountain. This has been done by taking out the tree atop Chickapin Hill. This can also been seen in the immense new foliage. Unlike the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or Cinderella Castle, Disney is working against forced perspective to bring this mountain into a mole hill – a salt mine to be specific.
Disney isn’t done yet in Frontierland
Alongside building Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Disney is also preparing other areas of Frontierland. The Country Bear Jamboree is being redone, with new Disney inspired songs. There is also a limited-time Tiana beignet offering, happening soon in the park. Some suggest this offering is a test for future food and beverage changes in the future.
Beyond these two changes, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we aren’t sure what else Disney may be working on. Frontierland could be working on a transition to the American expansion from the 13 colonies to reaching California. This would widen the term of Frontierland and would make Tiana’s Louisiana location fit. While that isn’t confirmed, it is one way that we could see Tiana’s ride fit in more as the years went on.
Looking at the image above, we can already see how this ride blends into nature. To make the change from Splash Mountain, Imagineers had to make a shift in the attraction’s exterior. To keep the cartoonish exterior would probably be considered too alike to this upcoming ride’s predecessor. Instead, a shift towards realism, while still keeping the colors of New Orleans, lets this new offering stand out – while keeping the old ride’s track.
Disney’s confusing move forward with DEI and Inclusion Key
Make no mistake, Disney boldly claimed that the change from Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was influenced by Walt Disney World’s new push of inclusion. Their move to leave behind a themed ride, whose movie Disney has hidden away for years, was racially based. Disney announced the change from Splash Mountain admist one of the most influential summers in recent years for pushes towards racial equality and inclusion.
Disney wants to replace an older attraction with a newer face, a princess who has had minimal representation in the Florida parks, Princess Tiana. All of that follows the Walt Disney Company’s initiative for a more welcoming and inclusive company and theme parks.
That is why I am personally so confused as to what was alluded to by Imagineers – throwbacks to Splash Mountain. Nola.com was given special access into the attraction and stated, “although he [Ted Robledo, Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering] hinted there might be a few subtle nods to the old Splash Mountain.” For an attraction that is replacing a ride deemed against Disney’s values, any nods seem to be against the entire idea of this move forward.
It is common for Imagineers to throwback to old shows and attractions in new offerings, but for this specific example it seems odd. For now, we will continue to see how this new attraction upholds Disney’s self-imposed rules of inclusivity.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is opening early
A small change, but a noticeable one. The Walt Disney World website now states that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in 2024, instead of “late 2024.” With the progress ongoing at the park, it makes sense that this attraction could open earlier than expected. This attraction was announced in 2020, and Splash Mountain closed down in Jan. 2023. Now, one year later, we can see a major difference in the exterior of the attraction.
During an ABC special premiere, which you can watch now on Disney+, we were given a sneak peek into the attraction. While it showcased limited views, it does show that Disney wants the ride on our mind. With the speed of construction, we may see this ride opening in Florida’s warmer months instead of its cooler season.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening 2024
We don’t yet know the exact date, but with each week we get closer to the newest Walt Disney World ride. This ride, with as much talk online as it has gotten, will have all eyes on it for the opening date. Will Disney’s four years of news updates, research and Nola trips pan out? As a theme park fan, I am always hoping for the best and am eagerly waiting for my first trip to the bayou.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also getting a new experience this year, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. This re-done show will update the previous “The Little Mermaid” experience that closed in 2020.
