Do you wish you were back in the Bayou? Well, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride at Disneyland can take you there as it officially opens Friday, November 15. Closed for over a year, it is a reopening and reimagining of the previous Splash Mountain ride.
Disneyland calls it a musical journey “full of twists and festive fun that crescendos with a 50-foot drop – and a swinging soiree, too.”
That 50-foot fall caused the splash at Splash Mountain, which closed in March 2023. The original Splash Mountain opened at Disneyland in 1989. The theme of the ride was based on the 1946 animated film ‘Song of the South’, which attracted criticism. for having racist undertones and stereotypical portrayals of black characters.
Disney officials announced in 2020 that the ride would be renovated and themed after the 2009 film “The Princess and the Frog,” which introduced Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana.
“Tiana is a modern, courageous and empowered woman who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what is truly important,” a Disneyland spokesperson said in 2020 when announcing the planned renovation.
Darcy Accardi, Disneyland’s senior project manager, said it’s a magical, water-filled, fun ride, and it picks up with Tiana a year after “The Princess and the Frog.”
“To me, this is one of our most solid stories, from start to finish. Great characters, beautiful music, you come together to help Tiana and her friends find musicians for her party celebrating her new business, ‘Tiana’s Foods’ “It’s just a really feel-good story from start to finish, and a lot of fun,” said Accardi.
