‘Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’ to Open in Late 2024, Replacing Splash Mountain

[Jennasis]

Having watched the video, I can easily imagine what some parts of the ride will be, like the airboat ride through the swamp, complete with AA alligators. I look most forward to fireflies (they're my thing) and hope they are in the ride (it seems like that's a 90% certainty, especially given the art released, but you never know...). I feel like this video sets it all up really well (transforming that last scene with the AA animals singing Zip and the riverboat, etc. and making that more like the Cago (?) Square she mentioned. It seems like it's shaping up nicely (the drop is the only thing I can't readily imagine - could it be trying to escape alligators? I can't quite figure it out but trust it'll work).

I love how people say the name is too generic but seem to ignore rides past and present like: Snow White's Scary Adventure, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Swiss Family Treehouse, Dumbo the Flying Elephant. PeopleMover. Frankly things like "Splash" Mountain and "Space" Mountain (or Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion ... there's apparently wisdom in being really clear about what to expect and not much more, lol) are what seem wholly too generic and not indicative of the inner word play we've come to expect (and love, for some of us) from Imagineers. Luckily there are some rides where they attempt to tell the story with the name, too (it's a small world, Soarin', Rise of the Resistance) but so many seem to boil down to "[IP name] adventure/journey" (Remy's Ratatouille Adventure). My sense is that a plurality (if not outright majority) of people call attractions "The Little Mermaid ride", "The Tea Cups", or "Frozen" instead of their fuller names, anyway.

I DID say in my post the name was awful like all the names Disney give its attraction.

 

[lovethesun12]

Another thing: It would be cruel for the little children if the Winnie the Pooh ride at Disneyland Anaheim were to get removed because of Tiana and a "bayou" expansion for New Orleans Square.

I guess the poor little children would have to suffer through their all expense paid trips to Disney if that happens.

 

[NavyDad]

I still wanna believe SM will be saved hence that Disney Parks Blog post with the words "evolving from the reimagining of Splash Mountain", because the word "evolve" is another word for "change", and they might've "changed" plans and will be an attraction completely built from scratch.

Disney World is a magical place but I think you are creating a fantasy world in your head that doesn't match reality.

 

[HopperFan]

It is time for the adults to let go of this attraction. Disney has been clear it is closing down. Disney has picked a wonderful IP to redesign and renovate Splash in to. I'm excited for Tiana's story to get more love and for a new refreshed attraction in the Magic Kingdom. The last new ride MK got was 7DMT in 2014. It's time. Tron will be great but for story telling and the younger Disney guests, Tiana will be a wonderful addition.

Maybe they can retheme Splash Mountain, if "Tiana" ends up being a totally new/original ride, to be "inspired by"/"loosely based on" the Br'er Rabbit stories, basically with the characters not being based off of African-Americans?

There has been NO indication that Tiana will be a newly built attraction, but that it will be a re-theme of the Splash Mountains.

They can NOT use the Br'er characters and it not be reflective of the stories. Those characters are ingrained in the Uncle Remus stories.

I can't BELIEVE all of you support this "girly-fying" revamp of Splash Mountain instead of trying to speak out and save it! It’s disheartening to me. Don’t reminisce!

Yes there are many who enjoyed the ride, it's cute ... if you don't have any knowledge of where the characters and stories came from or of the baggage they bring. At it's simplest form the stories are stolen and Disney doesn't want to be part of it anymore.

And I think most guests enjoy the ride for the fun and thrill of it and will continue to enjoy the ride. Nothing wrong with change, refreshing and new story telling.

I still wanna believe SM will be saved hence that Disney Parks Blog post with the words "evolving from the reimagining of Splash Mountain", because the word "evolve" is another word for "change", and they might've "changed" plans and will be an attraction completely built from scratch.

Again, reading something into nothing. Splash Mountain will evolve into Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Another thing: It would be cruel for the little children if the Winnie the Pooh ride at Disneyland Anaheim were to get removed because of Tiana and a "bayou" expansion for New Orleans Square.

Really? Aside from I don't think there has been anything said about the DL Pooh ride (and the Pooh ride is a whole different kind of animal when it comes to Disney, they guard it well) ... little children just wanna have fun. They don't care if Pooh is a ride, a show, in a parade or character meal. Adults are the ones who are usually hard to accept change. Will Tiana's story expand at MK, maybe, there is possibility, but why is that a bad thing?

 

[Elijah Abrams]

None of the recent press releases for Tiana's Bayou Adventure mention a "you may/will get wet" element, which is an element in Splash Mountain, not even which ride system it will use. Another thing to consider.

Also, Splash Mountain appeals to all genders. Making it Tiana would sound like appealing it mostly to females.

 

[DaviVascaino]

I was at MK this february, splash closed. I will be there again Feb 2023, if it is closed I will riot lol. My kids never experienced splash mountain, they were so upset this february

 

[HopperFan]

None of the recent press releases for Tiana's Bayou Adventure mention a "you may/will get wet" element, which is an element in Splash Mountain, not even which ride system it will use. Another thing to consider.

There is no need to announce the wet element since we already know that, and no reason to announce the ride system since we already know that.

The renderings they released clearly show the SM logs as the ride system.

This could be overlaid on a photo of SM - the building, the mountain, the wood wall on the flume, the big drop, the brambles ... all the same.



Latest rendering just released - still log flumes

 

[Elijah Abrams]

There is no need to announce the wet element since we already know that, and no reason to announce the ride system since we already know that.

The renderings they released clearly show the SM logs as the ride system.

This could be overlaid on a photo of SM - the building, the mountain, the wood wall on the flume, the big drop, the brambles ... all the same.

View attachment 682256

Latest rendering just released - still log flumes

View attachment 682257

Didn’t they just reuse renderings from the 2020 announcement? Things can change between then and now. In fact, people said the renderings looked like a rush job because of the 2020 protests/riots.

 

[mdmost]

I'm hoping Dr. Facilier and the voodoo spirits play a part in the new ride. That's a really fun part of being at Disneyland where you can run into him walking around. I feel like he will be a part of the final lift where the buzzards are now. Then Mama Odie saves you as you go down the final drop. I can only imagine the Mardi Gras portion after the drop will be really incredible. I'm looking forward to more images of what they plan to do. I think it will be a great addition to New Orleans Square at Disneyland.

 

[dunkindonut]

it must be incredibly awkward for Disney that Tokyo Disney is still keeping their Splash. Tokyo definitely was shown the plans and seems like they said no obviously. I don't know what the future holds for Tokyo Disney but I am curious if they will end up with an exclusive ride. As it stands, even in this case Tokyo is now going to have exclusivity.

 

[HopperFan]

Didn’t they just reuse renderings from the 2020 announcement? Things can change between then and now. In fact, people said the renderings looked like a rush job because of the 2020 protests/riots.

The latest rendering is (edited) has been repeatedly used, even last week, a consistent design.

If Disney were to build a brand new ride for Tiana ... it's opening date would be around 2026 at the earliest. At MK probably longer due to logistics. A 2024 date = "refreshing" as they said recently, overlay.

I'm hoping Dr. Facilier and the voodoo spirits play a part in the new ride. That's a really fun part of being at Disneyland where you can run into him walking around. I feel like he will be a part of the final lift where the buzzards are now. Then Mama Odie saves you as you go down the final drop. I can only imagine the Mardi Gras portion after the drop will be really incredible. I'm looking forward to more images of what they plan to do. I think it will be a great addition to New Orleans Square at Disneyland.

ALL OF THIS ^

Honestly SM couldn't be a more perfect existing ride to be able to make it completely Tiana's story. SO MUCH POTENTIAL to be awesome.

Now at WDW it sits in an extension that was added later BUT (and folks will flip) but there is potential in that area and Tom Sawyer Island for change down the road. There has been rumors FOREVER about something happening to the island that involved a ride. Love for that to happen.

it must be incredibly awkward for Disney that Tokyo Disney is still keeping their Splash. Tokyo definitely was shown the plans and seems like they said no obviously. I don't know what the future holds for Tokyo Disney but I am curious if they will end up with an exclusive ride. As it stands, even in this case Tokyo is now going to have exclusivity.

Disney doesn't own that park so change would be more difficult.

Maybe they hope that Tiana will be such a success that Tokyo will want it as well? But if not that is Tokyo's call and decision is on them.

 

[dunkindonut]

Disney doesn't own that park so change would be more difficult.

Maybe they hope that Tiana will be such a success that Tokyo will want it as well? But if not that is Tokyo's call and decision is on them.

It also could be that the Tokyo Disney Splash is completely different in design. Essentially the entire ride is inside, the queue is inside, the load up is inside. There is a quick service restaurant attached to Tokyo Splash as well so from a retheme standpoint, it would probably be a physical and fiscal nightmare.

 

[Smugpugmug]

it must be incredibly awkward for Disney that Tokyo Disney is still keeping their Splash. Tokyo definitely was shown the plans and seems like they said no obviously. I don't know what the future holds for Tokyo Disney but I am curious if they will end up with an exclusive ride. As it stands, even in this case Tokyo is now going to have exclusivity.

I was reading the thread on WDWmagic discussing the retheme and one user was claiming that Disney wanted to make OLC pay for the retheme and OLC didn't want to. I could see that being true TBH. Princess and the Frog is, if I'm being honest, a movie that is not popular in Japan while the Brer animal characters are VERY popular there. I also agree about your post about the design of the actual ride in Tokyo. It would be a nightmare to actually retheme that as it's not as easy as in Florida and California.

 

[mdmost]

With the popularity and somewhat exclusivity of Duffy and Friends at Tokyo Disney, it wouldn't surprise me that the park would want to keep a ride devoted to animated animal characters.

 

[OppR2nist]

Didn’t they just reuse renderings from the 2020 announcement? Things can change between then and now. In fact, people said the renderings looked like a rush job because of the 2020 protests/riots.

They. Are. Redoing. Splash. Mountain. No amount of wishful posts will change that. There's no new attractions being built to 'save' Splash Mountain.

 

[Smugpugmug]

With popularity and somewhat exclusivity of Duffy and Friends at Tokyo Disney, it wouldn't surprise me that the park would want to keep a ride devoted to animated animal characters.

I agree. When I visited Disneysea, the line to meet Duffy and his entire gaggle of friends was 3 HOURS LONG.

What is also interesting to note is that apparently Song of the South is in public domain in Japan due to their copyright laws being different than in the US. Meaning that OLC does not need to license out the characters from Disney and is free to keep using them in Splash Mountain.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

Also, Splash Mountain appeals to all genders. Making it Tiana would sound like appealing it mostly to females.

Actually, the new name is an effort to make the ride less appealing to anti-adventure enthusiasts

 

[Elijah Abrams]

The latest rendering is new.

The rendering is from 2021. Anything can change between that year and now as well. Adding the ride logo, the opening date, and the park logos don’t make the rendering new.

 

[HopperFan]

The rendering is from 2021. Anything can change between that year and now as well.

Can you provide a link to that second photo posted in 2021?

There were lots of July 2022 news stories releasing it as "Disney Reveals New Look". And I see it from Disney July 1, 2022.

 

[disney-inspired]

ALL OF THIS ^

Honestly SM couldn't be a more perfect existing ride to be able to make it completely Tiana's story. SO MUCH POTENTIAL to be awesome.

Now at WDW it sits in an extension that was added later BUT (and folks will flip) but there is potential in that area and Tom Sawyer Island for change down the road. There has been rumors FOREVER about something happening to the island that involved a ride. Love for that to happen.

Ooo it would be interesting if they expanded New Orleans Square in DL to make the TBA attraction be a part of it. It just makes so much sense.