Disney’s iconic Splash Mountain is getting a makeover.
The beloved ride closed down for good on Monday, after Disney announced in 2020 that the ride at both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida would be redesigned to feature characters from its animated movie “The Princess and the Frog.”
The new ride, plans for which the company said were formulated back in 2019, will tell the story of what happens to Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen’s after the end of the film. "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" will feature music from the movie and follow the characters, including Louis the jazz-loving alligator, as they prepare to host a Mardi Gras celebration.
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The new-look ride — highlighting the culture, music, food and everything New Orleans — will open in late 2024, according to the Disney Parks blog.
It was first announced more than two years ago that the ride would close, after renewed calls for Disney to strip away the “Song of the South” theme from Splash Mountain. The source material has been deemed racist by many even though the ride itself does not have any racist elements.
Disney said the project follows the company’s approach to “plussing” or retheming attractions in order to make them more relevant and to elevate the guest experience.
“With this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today,” Disney previously said in a statement. “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.”
