Disney is asking guests to “drop on in” this summer after officially announcing the opening date of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World.
The ride, which was formerly Splash Mountain, will begin taking guests on a “musical adventure” at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom on June 28, Disney announced Sunday.
The new attraction features “dozens of Audio-Animatronics figures, a foot-tapping soundtrack, and a celebration where everyone’s welcome,” according to a press release.
Princess Tiana from the 2009 “Princess and the Frog” movie will be joined by characters Mama Odie, Louis and “adorable critters” playing musical instruments.
“Their spirited stylings will turn the bayou into a party with Zydeco, Rara, and Afro-Cuban music authentic to the region of New Orleans,” Disney said.
Florida-based cast members, annual passholders and eligible Disney Vacation Club members will get to ride the new attraction first. Information regarding previews will start coming out on Tuesday.
Disney has been keeping fans very involved in the reimagination process of the ride while posting updates on the Disney Parks Blog. Disney’s fanatics have been filming ride tests of the logs taking their 50-foot drop.
Splash Mountain broke a Walt Disney World record on its final day of operation in January 2023. Fans waited a staggering 220 minutes – nearly four hours – to take one more ride, according to Thrill Data, which monitors wait times at theme parks.
The famed water ride, which features a steep drop, came under fire on social media because it features characters and music from “Song of the South,” a 1946 animated film that has been accused of employing racist tropes about the post-Civil War South.
Despite backlash, the ride that opened in 1992 was one of Disney’s most recognized landmarks for decades.
