Disney may have just revealed when guests can ride a brand-new attraction.
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Disney announced Tiana’s Bayou Adventure all the way back in 2020, sending a massive shockwave throughout the Disney theme park community. This overhaul meant the permanent closure of Splash Mountain, which was considered one of The Walt Disney Company’s greatest theme park attractions of all time. This log flume adventure opened in 1989 at the original Disneyland Resort and was eventually brought to Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. To say the ride was a crowd-pleaser would be an understatement, with the ride being praised for its incredible theming, memorable music, colorful characters, and its thrilling drop.
Splash Mountain would close forever in 2023 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, marking a new era for the Disney theme parks and Walt Disney Imagineering as a whole.
Disney announced a brand-new experience based on its iconic 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, which would take over the same space, offering guests an immersive new adventure guided by Princess Tiana herself. Fans have been theorizing for months about when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would finally open, with Disney stating that guests would get to experience it sometime this summer. Disney has yet to release an official opening date, but the company may have already revealed when the new ride will debut in Orlando, Florida.
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When looking at the official Walt Disney World Resort website, several dates hint toward a possible opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. While a Memorial Day opening seems a little too soon, signs point toward Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opening just a few weeks later in June. Just like regular guests, cast members are blocked from visiting the Walt Disney World Resort on certain dates. These dates depend on a variety of factors, with Disney attempting to keep Cast Members from visiting the parks on days that are expected to be more crowded.
When taking a closer look at these Cast Member block-out dates, it becomes clear that Disney is expecting crowds to pick up in early June. Employees are blocked from visiting Magic Kingdom starting June 3, and while summertime is an already popular time to visit Walt Disney World, it’s likely this increase in attendance is due to a new ride opening. It’s possible Cast Member previews for this attraction will start in early June, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opening later that same month.
A lot of major events are taking place on June 10 at the Walt Disney World Resort, like the completion of EPCOT’s transformation and the addition of several new experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. All of this information further points toward a potential opening date of early June for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
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The decision to close Splash Mountain followed decades of controversy and backlash surrounding the ride’s source of inspiration, an often-forgotten Disney film from 1946 titled Song of the South. This visually stunning film featured a blend of live-action and animation, similar to Disney’s iconic musical Mary Poppins (1964). However, Song of the South was heavily criticized for its portrayal of African Americans, prompting outrage and protests.
Disney faced backlash for decades until ultimately deciding to stop selling copies of the film altogether. Obtaining a copy of Song of the South became virtually impossible without using third-party sites. Fans won’t find Song of the South streaming on Disney+ either, as Disney has effectively erased the film from its catalog. This controversy surrounding Song of the South posed a lot of problems for Splash Mountain, which used characters, scenery, and music taken directly from the film.
Splash Mountain had become one of Disney’s most beloved theme park rides ever, with thousands of guests taking the plunge down Chick-A-Pin Hill every single day. There are certain Disney rides and attractions that fans consider to be “untouchable” by Disney, with other classics like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and “it’s a small world” making the list. For many, Splash Mountain was on this list. However, all of the backlash and controversy proved too much, with Disney deciding sometime in 2018 that Splash Mountain’s time was up. Disney broke the news in 2020, with Splash Mountain closing forever in 2023 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
A third version of Splash Mountain can be found at Tokyo Disney, with the ride expected to remain open for the foreseeable future.
Are you excited about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.
