Splash Mountain at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is set to shut down on May 31. The ride, based on the controversial Disney live-action/animation hybrid film Song of the South, will be renovated and replaced by a new attraction inspired by The Princess and the Frog, called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
The Splash Mountain ride in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida already closed in January 2023. It will also become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, with a reopening planned in 2024.
The new concept for the rides is a Mardi Gras-inspired adventure hosted by Princess and the Frog characters Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. It will take parkgoers on a ride through a bayou, and its creators describe it as a “love letter to New Orleans.” On Wednesday, additional details on the ride arrived, including the reveal of a new character: Mama Odie, the movie’s 197-year-old voodoo priestess, will appear on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and will be played by Jenifer Lewis, who voiced Mama Odie in the film.
The original Splash Mountain rides are based on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South. The film has been criticized for presenting a glorified view of slavery and a reductive portrayal of Black characters. This renovation has been in the works for years: Disney first announced its plans to reimagine the ride in June 2020.
