Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Ride Reimagining of Splash Mountain: Timeline, Details & Concept Art
Disney has revealed the opening timeline, concept art, and details for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which is the reimagined ride replacing Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. This shares new info, construction permits, project progress, and commentary about the attraction inspired by Princess and the Frog. (Updated March 26, 2023.)
Let’s start with the latest update, which is that speculation is now swirling that Splash Mountain will close at Disneyland in early May 2023. This is based on an article in the Orange County Register, which states the following: “Disneyland will close Splash Mountain on May 7 to begin the transformation of the classic log flume ride into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, according to the Disneyland website [emphasis added].” The paper also indicates that May 6, 2023 will be the last day to experience Splash Mountain.
Some fans are running with this, and somewhat understandably so. Orange County Register often receives exclusives from Disneyland. Such articles are peppered with quotes from Imagineers and details that cannot be found elsewhere. However, this is very clearly not one such instance, as is obvious if you actually read the article in question. The source is simply the Disneyland calendar, with everything else being background and past details released by Disney.
Unfortunately, newspapers have a hit or miss record with original reporting about theme parks when not being fed information directly. This is meant as no offense to OCR; it’s pretty common of mainstream outlets and hardly unique to Disneyland’s hometown paper. Theme parks are complex creatures, and most traditional journalists feel the subject is “beneath” them, so not a lot of effort is put into getting facts right. That’s why stock footage or photos of the wrong castle is such a common occurrence.
In this case, the Orange County Register is probably reading too much into the Disneyland calendar. Nothing at all is scheduled beyond May 7, 2023–that’s when the calendar ends. The Splash Mountain page does not have an updated banner indicating a closing date, or that May 6 is the last day to ride. To the contrary, Splash Mountain now has hours listed for May 7, 2023:
It’s incredibly common for the official calendars to contain incomplete or inaccurate information when they’re first posted. This happens all the time, and it’s why we typically do not rely on newly-released hours when updating our 2023 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar. If we did, we’d be constantly listing incorrect ride closure dates.
This is not to say that Splash Mountain won’t close in or around early May 2023. Now that Indiana Jones Adventure and Toontown have both reopened, it’s easier for Disneyland to take Splash Mountain down. If the date is determined solely on the basis of crowds and ride capacity, closing Splash Mountain on or shortly after April 17, 2023 makes sense. Early May 2023 still fits the bill in that regard. As discussed below, the decision may not be solely on the basis of capacity, though.
There are also credible rumors that the single team working on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is focusing all of its attention on the Walt Disney World of Splash Mountain first, and will then move on to the Disneyland attraction after that. Note that this does not mean that they Imagineering will complete finish the Magic Kingdom ride reimagining and then start at Disneyland once Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is ready to open at Walt Disney World in late 2024. That’s not how this would work.
From what we understand, it would mean working out some issues in the field with what’s being installed in Splash Mountain for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom and using what’s learned there and applying that at Disneyland. Basically, solving certain problems once and using that knowledge to streamline the process at Disneyland. Doing this as opposed to simultaneously figuring out the same solution twice would speed up the project at Disneyland, while also making it less costly (or having to redo work).
Another added wrinkle is that there’s some staging that needs to be accounted for in the Disneyland version that isn’t present at Walt Disney World. I’d stop short of calling this “added scenes,” because it isn’t really. Nevertheless, it’s space that needs to be filled with something different, and it’s my understanding that the plans for this have yet to be finalized.
If these rumors are accurate, the end result is that Disneyland’s version is necessarily going to fall behind the Walt Disney World version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and that’s entirely by design. The expectation is that the reimagining process will move faster on the California incarnation as a result of what’s learned on the Florida project.
(This reminds me a bit of construction on the two copies of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The Disneyland version of the ride was months ahead of the Walt Disney World version at one point. However, they ran into a major issue in California, had to redo a significant amount of work, and ended up falling behind. Florida’s ended up opening almost two months earlier as a result. In the end, both suffered from reliability issues, some of which still exist and potentially could’ve been caught had the construction approach differed.)
Regardless, it’s still uncertain when Splash Mountain will close at Disneyland, and is at least partially dependent on progress on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom. This could mean the ride closes on short notice next month, or stays open several more months–we really don’t know. Again, all of this is rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt.
One thing we do know for certain is that Disney is not reevaluating the decision to reimagine the ride into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The longer Splash Mountain stays open, the stronger those so-called “rumors” are likely to get. They are categorically false–wishful thinking by certain fans, and nothing more. While we don’t know when Splash Mountain will close at Disneyland, we’d be shocked if it makes it past Summer 2023.
As is implied from all of the above, Splash Mountain is now closed at Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom Mountain Range icon had its last day of operations in early 2023, after its closure date was announced a little less than two months beforehand. This closing date was actually slightly later than we expected given Disney’s target of having Tiana’s Bayou Adventure open at Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland in California in late 2024.
If you’re curious about progress as of Spring 2023, check out our comprehensive photo report: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction Starts with Splash Mountain Rockwork Removal. Suffice to say, crews are moving fast on the Walt Disney World version of the attraction. A lot has already happened, and we observed construction workers on site after midnight.
With that update out of the way, here’s everything else we know about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, including a recent timeline (of sorts) of announcements about the project…
Let’s start with the biggest and most substantive announcement, which occurred last fall at the D23 Expo when Walt Disney Imagineering shared more details about the reimagined ride, including a model showcasing how Splash Mountain would be transformed. See our Photos & Video of the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Model, which offers a comprehensive look at the changes to the mountain’s exterior, queue, and even on-ride details that’ll be added to the attraction as it becomes Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
In early 2023, Imagineering shared new backstory for the queue of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The set-up to the ride will essentially explain the “next chapter” of the story for Tiana, set after The Princess and the Frog. Within the queue, guests will discover that she continues to grow her business with Tiana’s Foods, which is an employee-owned cooperative. Combining her talents with those of the local community, Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand.
On a more substantive note, Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a permit with Orange County (Florida) to commence construction on the reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World.
The permit is for “Project CY1899” with an address in Magic Kingdom associated with Splash Mountain and an expiration date of June 30, 2024. It lists Balfour Beatty Construction LLC as the contractor on the project. There are a few things worth noting with regard to this permit…
First, the expiration date is not indicative of a completion or opening date for a project or attraction, but it does indicate the latest date when all construction is expected to be finished on that component of the project. We’ve seen some permits needing to be re-filed due to prematurely expiring, but that’s not the norm.
We’ll discuss the likelihood that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open by Summer 2024 in the commentary below.
Finally, it’s common for these construction permits to be assigned to third party contractors. In fact, Imagineering always works with outside teams–and there will be different contractors for the Florida and California versions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. (One of the contractors working on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance actually made a significant mistake in California, causing that version of the attraction–which had been well ahead of schedule previously–to open after its Florida counterpart.)
For its part, Balfour Beatty Construction is highly regarded and has extensive experience with major projects in the Orlando area. They’ve been involved with many components of the EPCOT overhaul, including the currently-paused Play Pavilion. Prior to that, they were responsible for Pandora – World of Avatar, Gran Destino Tower, Reflections Lakeside Lodge, plus Cabana Bay & Loews Sapphire Falls Resorts at Universal Orlando and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
As discussed above, the Disneyland version of Splash Mountain is still open and has no set closing date as of March 2, 2023. Again, we don’t know how long this delay will last, but we would not expect Disney to give considerable notice prior to the closure. It could be as little as a few days or as long as a few weeks–but probably not multiple months.
Given the underlying reasons for the Splash Mountain closure, I would not expect a “long goodbye” or a line of tribute merchandise. At this point, I don’t even expect Disney to announce the closure date in advance to indirectly incentivize unofficial farewell trips. It’s very clear that Disney doesn’t want to draw further attention to Splash Mountain, even if that means forgoing revenue on goodbye trips and souvenirs.
It’s likely that there will be a red-text blurb posted to the current Splash Mountain attraction page indicating it’ll be closing a few weeks before that occurs. Beyond that, we expect the company to only acknowledge the closure of Splash Mountain when discussing the future of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. They definitely are not going to make a big deal about the end of Splash Mountain. This is unprecedented for a marquee attraction, but it is what it is.
This brings us to the feasibility of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening in late 2024.
Many fans are understandably skeptical, especially given that the cloned TRON Lightcycle Run project has been in progress for the better part of 5 years. Nevertheless, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening in late 2024 is reasonable. At least at Walt Disney World.
For one thing, the lethargic pace of TRON Lightcycle run is deliberate. At first, Disney moved at a snail’s pace on that to spread CapEx costs out over multiple fiscal years. Then came the closure and uncertainty about travel thereafter, which resulted in a pause and slow restart.
However, if the company wanted that roller coaster finished 2 or even 3 years ago, they could’ve made it happen. They didn’t, so it didn’t. At this point, work has accelerated on TRON Lightcycle Run and the timeline has moved forward. Again, by choice.
The point is that TRON Lightcycle Run is a poor comparison because it’s prolonged timeline was deliberate from the outset, and not a showcase of how slowly construction necessarily occurs at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. (Just look how much faster they hustle when DVC contracts can be sold!)
There are also a slew of recent ride reimaginings that showcase just how quickly Imagineering can move. The best examples here are Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at Disney California Adventure and Frozen Ever After at EPCOT.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout took less than a year in total, with most of the exterior transformation occurring while Tower of Terror was still operational. Once the Hollywood Tower Hotel went vacant, the Collector took up residence in only 5 months. Without question, that’s the fastest turnaround time for Imagineering in recent memory–and the results were shockingly good.
Converting Maelstrom into Frozen Ever After took a bit more time, but still occurred in under two years. That attraction might be the better comparison, as both are boat rides that will require new staging, the replacement of numerous show scenes, and more. (I’d be curious to hear from accountants about the depreciation rules for new builds v. renovations, as I suspect that comes into play with all of these projects.)
As a much lengthier attraction, reimagining Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be a more involved process than those for Mission Breakout or Frozen Ever After. Still, those illustrate what can be accomplished in a couple years or less.
Our expectation with the Princess and the Frog attraction is that a lot of the existing Brer Critter Audio Animatronics will be reused. That makes sense–a lot of those Audio Animatronics themselves are recycled from America Sings at Disneyland and had nothing to do with Splash Mountain’s source material. Going forward, they’ll likely be given new life as part of an “expanded universe” for the Princess and the Frog.
To me, this seems like a savvy move all around. It’ll allow redevelopment costs and budget to be allocated towards other components of the project, potentially shorten the construction timeline, and might blunt some of the fan outrage. Those ‘supporting player’ musical critters are beloved and themselves totally noncontroversial, so that seems like a win all around.
In addition to those, it’s likely that there will be advanced Audio Animatronics and scenic illusions based on the roundtable video above. That instantly calls to mind Na’vi River Journey at Animal Kingdom, which melds Audio Animatronics and practical sets with screens and other effects. Splash Mountain already has dozens of AAs, so it’ll likely avoid all of the pitfalls that make Na’vi River Journey underwhelming in spots.
This is also reminiscent of both Mission Breakout and Frozen Ever After, which use a mix of screens and Audio Animatronics.
All of these things are fabricated and staged off-site, and then installed inside the attraction when the time is right. Imagineers have been doing a ton of work off-site before Splash Mountain even closed. It’s not like they were waiting for that, and then finally go inside for the first time and start building a bunch of AAs and screens with hammers and chisels (or whatever tools are used for making that stuff–I’m not a scientist). In other words, construction crews don’t need to wait before starting work on the Princess and the Frog ride. That work has already begun.
Nevertheless, I am still somewhat skeptical that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in 2024. I’m downright doubtful that it’ll debut by the June 30, 2024 date listed on the above permit. Even though it would make sense to open a log flume ride in the summer, there’s a lot of work to be done here. On top of that, the existing Splash Mountain infrastructure could need more work than is presently known.
Imagineering has had difficulty with delays in recent years, and there’s potential for more of that with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure–especially given the unknowns. It’s possible this project moves faster than expected and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens by June 30, 2024. However, if I had to bet on an earlier or later date, my money would be on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure slipping into 2025. Of course, all of this is speculative–and being posted before work has even started!
With the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening date speculation out of the way, let’s take a look at what Imagineers have been doing behind the scenes to prepare for the ride reimagining…
Walt Disney Imagineers have been frequent travelers to Louisiana while conducting extensive research to ensure Tiana’s Bayou Adventure preserves the heart and soul of the city that inspired Princess Tiana’s story.
From exploring the French Market and the bayou, to consulting with academics, chefs, musicians and cultural institutions, Imagineers have received inspiration from all over the region and learned from local experts along the way.
Imagineering also noted that to ensure Tiana’s Bayou Adventure authentically reflects the real-life inspiration of Tiana’s story, their creative team has consulted and collaborated with a host of academics, musicians, and artists across the New Orleans region.
As far as updates go, this is really of the non-update variety…but it is interesting to compare the art with the current Laughing Place scene in Splash Mountain. This “inspirational” art might serve as a template for how that could be modified to fit Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, swapping out turtles and gophers for frogs and fireflies.
Prior to this, Disney also revealed a new look for Tiana, with character costume art pictured above.
This is based upon researching prevailing trends of the 1920s and looking through family archives to ensure Tiana’s look was historically accurate and authentic to the character. Tiana was equally at home in the bayou as she was at a banquet, and Imagineers wanted her look to reflect that, and be a compliment to the setting of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
According to Disney, guests are in for a true treat with local flavor when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in late 2024. As Charita Carter shared that “in many ways, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a love letter to New Orleans.”
Carter continued, “like the musical city that inspired this attraction, Tiana’s second act is about a community working in harmony to achieve something extraordinary. She reminds us of an immutable truth we can all relate to: ‘if you do your best each and every day, good things are sure to come your way.’ And that’s a melody we can all sing along to!”
Previously, Disney announced that Splash Mountain will be rethemed to the Princess and the Frog at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This announcement was made in June 2020–almost two years ago–and not much was revealed at that time. There was a single piece of concept art, a vague premise of the attraction, and quotes from Imagineers and other involved parties.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure — featuring some of the powerful music from the film — as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance. During this celebration, guests will hear original music inspired by songs from the film. Tiana is leading the way and guests will be able to encounter old friends and make new ones along the way as well.
Last summer, the company shared more details on the Disney Parks Blog. That update included a ~30 minute roundtable video included numerous individuals, including Charita Carter, Senior Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering. You can watch it in full for yourself below:
During that roundtable, Imagineer Charita Carter stated that Disney will “advance the storytelling and really just kind of change the game” when it comes to the advance Audio Animatronics and scenic visuals utilized in the reimagined ride.
Despite its duration, that was the only tidbit about the actual attraction that came from the roundtable. The rest was about Tiana’s cultural impact, the creative process behind the upcoming attraction, and Imagineers efforts to research New Orleans to tell a story that’s as authentic to the region as it is to the characters’ stories. There wasn’t much substance about the proposed ride.
Ultimately, that’s our perspective on the feasibility of this overhaul timeline for Splash Mountain to be transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Personally, I hope Imagineering is given as much time as necessary to produce a high-quality attraction, and not just a quick and superficial redo.
Both Splash Mountain and Princess and the Frog deserve better than that. This reimagining NEEDS the very best creative talent, budget, time, and all other resources. I hope Disney is cognizant of the fact that the Splash Mountain reimagining is going to be under a microscope, both from fans and in the mainstream.
If the end result of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure feels rushed, sloppy, or phoned-in, it’s going to attract criticism from a diverse array of people. As the company has been getting a lot of social backlash recently, hopefully they realize the importance of avoiding that for once. Here’s hoping that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure delivers an exceptional experience that effectively silences critics and wins over skeptics.
Oh, and as for the name…I’m of two minds about that. As I’ve said before, I was really hoping for “Splash Mountain ~ Voyage of the Log with Princess and the Frog: New Adventures with Princess Tiana!” That was mostly in jest, poking fun at Disney’s comically-long attraction names (although I think incorporating “log” and “frog” into the name would’ve been a solid move).
With that said, I’m pleased that this ride name doesn’t have any punctuation. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is short and sweet, and easy to remember. I personally would’ve preferred “Tiana’s Bayou Blast,” but maybe that sounds too much like a royal flavor of Mountain Dew. (Maybe Tiana’s Bayou Bash?)
I do think a lot of Walt Disney World fans and even regular guests will still just refer to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as “Splash Mountain.” That’s such an iconic and memorable name, with strong brand recognition. Given that, I’m sort of surprised that name isn’t living on.
However, I also get the desire to make a clean break from the past. Disney wants this to be perceived as entirely new (even if it’s not) and a fresh start for the ride. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds. We’ll keep you posted if and when there are more updates this weekend!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the Splash Mountain reimagining? How much of the current attraction (e.g. random musical critter AAs) are you expecting to appear in the reimagined version? Excited for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, or do you wish it were called “Splash Mountain ~ Voyage of the Log with Princess and the Frog: New Adventures with Princess Tiana!“? Expectations regarding the Splash Mountain reimagining timeline? Keep the comments civil, as this is not the place for politically-charged arguing, culture wars, antagonism, personal attacks, or cheap shots. We will be heavy-handed in deleting any comments that cross the line, irrespective of viewpoint. You are not going to change anyone’s mind via the comments section on this blog, nor are you going to change Disney’s priorities. If you wish to shout your outrage into the internet abyss, that’s why Facebook was invented.
