We knew Splash Mountain’s days were numbered at Disneyland. We now know exactly when the beloved attraction will close at the California resort.
Disney Parks revealed Wednesday that the log flume ride will close in May, months after Splash Mountain closed at Walt Disney World in Florida.
They’re shuttering to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a new attraction set to open next year, which will continue the story that began in “The Princess and the Frog.”
Disney also revealed new details about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Wednesday, including the return of an iconic character from the film. Here’s what we know.
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Is Splash Mountain at Disneyland closing?
Yes. It will be closed starting May 31, meaning its last day of operation will be May 30.
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Why is Splash Mountain closing in Disneyland?
Splash Mountain’s Br’er Rabbit story is tied to “Song of the South,” a 1946 Disney film, which has been criticized for its idealized portrayal of plantation life.
At a March 2020 shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, “I’ve felt, as long as I’ve been CEO, that ‘Song of the South’ was – even with a disclaimer – was just not appropriate in today’s world.”
A petition to change Splash Mountain’s theme went viral the same year, and Disney announced plans to do so, noting the change had been in the works since 2019.
How long will Splash Mountain in Disneyland be closed?
The attraction will close for good at both Disneyland and Disney World.
There are, however, currently no plans to change Splash Mountain at Tokyo Disney Resort, which is owned by Oriental Land Company, which licenses from Disney.
What will replace Splash Mountain?
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on an immersive bayou journey culminating in an epic Mardi Gras party for Tiana’s community, which she also helps empower through a new co-op built into a new incarnation of Splash Mountain’s mountain.
Guests will earn more about it all in the ride’s queue, which Disney revealed will smell like beignets.
What’s happening to Splash Mountain?
The mountain will be reimagined as a salt dome, like one Imagineers visited on Louisiana’s Avery Island during one of their many research trips for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Charita Carter, executive creative producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, stressed the importance of preserving authenticity while giving dimension to Tiana’s world.
“She’s fantastical, but she came from a very real place,” Carter said. She hopes guests from Louisiana will ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and say, “Yeah, this feels right.”
As in New Orleans, music will play a big part in the attraction and include both new, original pieces as well as songs from “The Princess and the Frog.”
Will Tiana’s Bayou Adventure have the same characters as the film?
Disney Parks announced Wednesday that “Mama Odie will reprise her role as the catalyst to that magic” in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Jenifer Lewis, who voiced the Bayou fairy godmother in the film, will also reprise her role.
Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis the alligator and several other characters from “The Princess and the Frog” and their original voice actors will also will be featured in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Guests will also meet new friends “with distinct names and personalities,” including an otter, rabbit, raccoon, turtle, beaver and opossum, among dozens of “entirely new audio-animatronics figures.”
