This May, Disneyland’s Splash Mountain will be taking guests to their Laughing Place for the last time as the ride closes to be reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The attraction’s last day of operation will be on May 30. This comes after Splash Mountain closed at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in January. The announcement gives guests time to drop in on the attraction for one last splash before it is transformed. Along with announcing the closing date for Splash Mountain, the Disneyland Resort also shared more details about Mama Odie’s appearance and role in the attraction.
The re-imagining of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will introduce guests to a new story with Tiana and company. It takes place after the final kiss between Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog. Tiana and Louis, the jazz-loving alligator will be going on an adventure down on the bayou as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration for Mardi Gras season. This will be a musical adventure that includes songs that are inspired by the movie. Fans of the film will also see some familiar faces throughout the attraction.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in 2024. Work is already well underway at Magic Kingdom on the attraction. At Disneyland, New Orleans Square has already seen a greater presence in the works of Tiana. This includes the opening of Eudora’s Chic Boutique that opened last September. Recently the French Market closed to be transformed into the new Tiana’s Palace. This will be a New Orleans restaurant that will be run by Tiana and inspired by her movie.
The transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was announced initially in 2020. Last year at the D23 Expo, a model was a part of a display for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with Princess Tiana herself showing up to help generate excitement for this new attraction.
Disney recently shared a description of the storyline for the attraction. It can be read here:
At a young age, Tiana developed a deep passion for cooking, and began to dream of one day owning her own business. Her father, James, taught her that good food brings folks together. One of the most exciting parts of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is that we’re going to see where Tiana’s life has taken her following the success of Tiana’s Palace, a restaurant she had dreamed of owning and worked so hard to make come true.
Walt Disney Imagineering is creating an original, next chapter story for Tiana. Within the attraction queue, guests will discover that she continues to grow her business with Tiana’s Foods – an employee-owned cooperative. Combining her talents with those of the local community, Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand.
The endeavor began when Tiana purchased the salt mine and the area surrounding the large salt dome it operated from. With the help of her mother Eudora, Naveen, Louis and fellow owners of the cooperative, Tiana revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land, growing a wide array of vegetables, herbs and spices for her recipes.
This multi-faceted enterprise has turned the aging salt mine into a space that has come alive. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces.
Tiana wants to give a big thanks to her family and friends and the entire community for all the support they’ve given her by throwing an amazing party during Mardi Gras season. When it turns out there’s been a bit of a mix–up with the party preparations, Tiana invites us to meet her at Tiana’s Foods to help with the missing ingredient for the party.
When we arrive, we may see that Tiana spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists. Food for the party is being prepared and beignets are being loaded into crates for the celebration. All kinds of preparations are underway for the journey into the bayou with Tiana, along with new and familiar friends from the animated film.
Picking up where that story left off, Tiana continues bringing people together with Tiana’s Foods, another treasured meeting place to spend time together and celebrate a diverse community. Tiana is also working with cooperative members to teach gardening and cooking to children of all ages, and inspiring other women to run successful businesses as the brand grows nationwide.
Daps Magic will continue to follow this story and provide updates about the transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as they become available. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list and follow along on social media to not miss any of the updates!
