Splash Mountain closes at Disney World: What to know about New Orleans ride that’s replacing it

Splash Mountain closes Monday at Walt Disney World to make room for a reimagined water attraction with a New Orleans theme.

The ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will star Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” and her animal friends.

Here’s what to know about the renovations at Disneyland and Disney World, along with the story of the real life New Orleans chef who was the inspiration for Princess Tiana.

When does Splash Mountain close?

The last day to ride Splash Mountain is Sunday, Jan. 22, in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It will be closed starting Monday, Jan. 23, officials said.

The attraction is expected to close in Disneyland in Anaheim this year, but officials haven’t released a specific date.

When will the ride reopen?

It will be closed to the public for more than a year.

Disney says the new ride will open in late 2024 in Disney World and Disneyland. 

Why is it closing?

Disney said it has a “longstanding history” of “retheming” or “plussing” attractions. 

Splash Mountain is tied to the 1946 movie, “Song of the South,” which many view as racist. It features Br’er Rabbit traveling through a Southern bayou on his way to his “laughing place.”

The musical cruise features the song,  “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”

“The retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today,” Disney said in the 2020 announcement.

“The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.

What is the new ride?

The revamped ride is inspired by the 2009 Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog,” which features Disney’s first Black princess.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on a musical adventure inspired by the story and characters from movie, Disney said.

The ride is set in the 1920s like the film and will pick up where the movie left off.

“Guests will join Princess Tiana, Naveen and jazz-loving alligator Louis on an adventure through the bayou as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is welcome,” Disney said.

“Along the way, guests will encounter familiar faces, make new friends and travel through the bayou to original music inspired by songs from the film as they are brought into the next chapter of Tiana’s story.”

What will it look like?

Disney has released several renderings and models of the new attraction.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will remain a log-flume water ride, according to Disney. The renderings show familiar elements – guests riding in a log through a mountain, floating through outdoor scenes and ending in five-story drop into a pool of water.

Princess Tiana will be decked out in “bayou-ready adventurewear” as she leads guests on a journey down the bayou, Disney Imagineer Charita Carter previously said.

She’ll be joined by Louis the trumpet-playing alligator and new characters who make up a critter band that plays zydeco music, according to Disney. The zydeco scene is set at “the thrilling moment you first drop into the bayou.”

The briar patch on the outside of the mountain will be replaced with cypress trees, according to renderings released by Disney. A water tower with a logo for “Tiana’s Foods” is also part of the plan. 

The mountain will be lit up for nighttime rides.

Disney said the ride will include some of the music from the movie but it hasn’t said which songs.

Two of the more popular songs from “The Princess and the Frog” are “Dig a Little Deeper” (watch it) and “Almost There” (watch it).

‘Love letter to New Orleans’

Disney said its Imagineers were 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.”

“In many ways, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a love letter to New Orleans,” Carter said in a statement. “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!”

Disney said Imagineers explored the French Market and bayous and consulted with “academics, chefs, musicians and cultural institutions … all over the region” in developing the attraction.

Who is Princess Tiana?

Tiana is the star of “The Princess and the Frog,” which is set in New Orleans and south Louisiana. She was Disney’s first Black princess.

The animated movie came out in 2009 and stars Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Princess Tiana.

In the movie, Tiana is a waitress who dreams of becoming a restaurant owner, according to IMDB. She sets out on a journey to turn a frog prince into a human again but finds her herself in the same situation after she kisses him.

“A fateful kiss leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana … with the villainous voodoo magician Dr. Facilier in hot pursuit,” according to the teaser from Disney.

‘Tribute to beauty of Black women’

Disney costume designers said they researched prevailing trends of the 1920s 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,” said costume designer Ida Muldrow from Disney Live Entertainment at the unveiling at the 2022 Essence Fest. “We wanted her look to reflect that, and be a compliment to the story’s setting.”

Disney said they took special considerations for developing a “unique hairstyle for Tiana” for the ride.

“The team placed emphasis on the versatility of Black women’s hair and its significance to our identity across geographies and generations,” Disney said.

“Our efforts are a tribute to the beauty and dignity of all the proud Black women who came before us,” Muldrow said.

Inspired by a real person

Princess Tiana was inspired by Chef Leah Chase of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans.

Chase, the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” died June 1, 2019, at the age of 96.

Chase was an icon of the civil rights movement and  a patron of the arts. She married Edgar “Dooky” Chase II, a trumpet player, in 1946. His parents opened Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in 1941.

She took on more responsibility and grew it with her family into a destination that was visited by locals, tourists and U.S. presidents. Read more about her legacy.

Will there be other Tiana attractions?

Yes. Earlier this month, Disneyland announced that a new restaurant called Tiana’s Palace will open in New Orleans Square. The restaurant will replace the French Market Restaurant.

Tiana’s Palace is scheduled to open later this year, Disney said. It will have peach-colored walls and “fancy green wrought-iron balconies,” in addition to “elegant fixtures.”

Disneyland recently opened Eudora’s Chic Boutique too, which is the business partnership with Princess Tiana and her dressmaker mother Eudora.

New Orleans Square was the first “land” to be added to Disneyland, opening in 1966. Intended to recreate the Crescent City of the 1850s, it’s home to such attractions as the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the Haunted Mansion. Just outside of it is Splash Mountain.

Writers Mike Scott and Ian McNulty contributed to this story.