Old Photo Proves That Splash Mountain’s Re-Theme Was Written In the Stars

By now, it’s definitely no longer the latest news to hear that Magic Kingdom’s Splash Mountain is being dismantled.

While Critter Country’s Splash Mountain ride is alive and well at Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort counterpart has had its doors closed for well over a month.

Credit: Disney

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As Walt Disney Imagineering begins working on the new ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Disney fans and Guests watch the progress with mixed reactions. Some fans are devastated by the loss of the classic attraction, others are incredibly excited to get a new ride starring Princess Tiana.

However, some Guests and Disney fans are concerned about whether Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will fit into Frontierland’s theme or not. After all, the wild west and the southern bayou are two entirely different settings, and conflating the two is a dangerous game.

Credit: Disney

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The Princess and the Frog (2009), the film Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is based on, takes place entirely in 1920’s Louisiana.

Whether in the city of New Orleans or the swampy bayous, the setting of The Princess and the Frog is incredibly different than the 1800s Western theme Frontierland has going on.

Credit: Disney

READ MORE: The Dismantling of Disney’s Splash Mountain Continues as the Classic Attraction Is Torn Apart

However, many fans are totally comfortable with ignoring it for the sake of preserving the magic. One photo, in particular, proves that the ride layout for Splash Mountain was always welcoming of a deep south swamp theme.

Just an alligator chilling in Disney World, Florida from WaltDisneyWorld

READ MORE: Progress Made on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as Splash Mountain Is Taken Down Piece by Piece

This old photograph shows that a real-life Florida alligator is chilling out in the Splash Mountain water, probably trying to cool off!

It can be easy to forget that Florida is a part of the south and that gators are all over the place. Walt Disney World is located in Central Florida, and not even Disney magic can entirely remove alligators from their habitat!

If anything, this photo proves that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be right at home in Frontierland.