Yesterday, I was invited to “Drop on in” for a preview of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom Park.  Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a re-imagination of a fan-favourite Disney attraction, Splash Mountain – a gentle boat ride that ended with a steep drop and a giant splash.

Splash Mountain was inspired by the 1946 film Song of the South.  It opened in 1989 and 1992 at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom respectively.  It became an instant personal favourite and it had all the pieces that makes for a fantastic * e-ticket attraction; a lengthy experience, adorable characters, a catchy soundtrack, and a 50ft drop at the end.

Flash forward to the year 2016, after I had lost count of how many times I had experienced Splash Mountain.  It was then that I first noticed how poor the condition of the attraction was.  Even after yearly winter refurbishments, the animatronics look tired, the jumping water never jumped, the log flumes would sink, and many other components stopped working altogether. And for the first time – it hit me – what even WAS Song of the South?  I had never seen the movie, but knew the songs, such as Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and Everybody Has a Laughing Place – but only from experiencing Splash Mountain so many times over the years.

So, I was ecstatic when it was announced that Disney was going to completely reimagine one of my most beloved attractions.  Not only did the animatronics and several other aspects of it need some serious love – but has anyone today even seen the movie it was based on?  As Walt Disney once said; “We don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  If we believe in Walt’s vision of the Parks, then it made perfect sense to me that Splash Mountain needed to be reimagined to be enjoyed by an entire new generation and many more generations to come.

The reimagination of Splash Mountain is based on one of Walt Disney Animation’s newer films, The Princess and the Frog.  While admittedly, this isn’t one of my personal favourite Disney movies – without a doubt – I absolutely ADORE the music!  Thanks to my parents, I grew up listening to the soundtrack for the Big Easy on repeat on any given Sunday afternoon – which is more than likely – where my love for the soundtrack for The Princess and the Frog comes from.  If you have never had the pleasure to listen to it; you don’t know what you’re missing.  Dig a Little Deeper and Almost There are just about two of the best songs ever composed for a Disney Animated Feature Film.

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but 1989 was 35 years ago.  And if you know anything about Disney imagineers, it’s that 35 years is 100 lifetimes of innovation!  Which means the original animatronics from Splash Mountain look like VHS tapes compared to the shiny new ones featured on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure follows the storyline of Princess Tiana after the movie, as you join her and the jazz-loving alligator; Louis on a fun and magical adventure through the bayou to help find the essential missing ingredient to a successful Mardi Gras celebration: good New Orleans music!  With the help of Mama Odie’s magic, Guests get to dig a little deeper in the bayou as she shrinks us all down to frog size.

The bayou is full of life and the details are incredible.  From the fireflies twinkling in the foliage to the smell of deep fried beignets.  Along the way, you’ll encounter familiar faces and make some new ones, as you are brought into the next chapter of Tiana’s story.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is what happens when one of Walt Disney World’s best thrill attractions and a fantastic soundtrack with wonderful characters collide.  We sang the songs, smelled the fresh beignets and thoroughly enjoyed our time in the bayou.  This isn’t just a refurbishment; it is now a completely a brand-new attraction.

– Christine Fiorelli

Want to “Drop on In” and visit the Bayou?

Contact Fairytale Dreams & Destinations to begin writing your Fairytale, Today!

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* An E ticket was a type of admission ticket used at the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom theme parks prior to 1982, where it admitted the bearer to the newest, most advanced, or popular rides and attractions.  It is now commonly used to describe a category of top tier and cutting edge theme park attractions.