The Disneyland version of Splash Mountain will have its last day of operation on May 30, following the closure of its Florida clone in January.
Disney made the announcement in a post on the official Disney Parks Blog that focused on the ride’s replacement, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Themed around “The Princess and the Frog,” the new ride will feature “dozens of new” animatronic figures, new music alongside favorites from the original soundtrack and the return of several voice actors from the original 2009 film.
The blog post featured new concept art showing a scene with Mama Odie, the film’s Bayou fairy godmother character. Voice actress Juliette Lewis will return to the role to record new audio for the attraction.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure concept art (Disney)
Splash Mountain’s redo into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was first announced in summer 2020 amid nationwide protests against racism that followed the murder of George Floyd. Splash Mountain is based on portions of the 1946 “Song of the South,” which was criticized as racist by the NAACP even upon its release, saying the film “unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts.”
While Splash Mountain focuses only on the film’s animated sequences, Disney has been uncomfortable enough with the film that it has never been released for home viewing in the U.S.
Dedicated fans of the attraction can still see it at Tokyo Disneyland, which is not yet adopting the “The Princess and the Frog” overhaul. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scheduled to debut at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in late 2024.