LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The countdown is on. In less than three weeks, guests at Disney’s Magic Kingdom will be able to enjoy a brand new ride.
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The Tiana Bayou Adventure will officially open at the end of the month.
The Princess and the Frog character is a fan favorite.
For this new journey, Tiana is looking for some help with a special Mardi Gras dinner, and she’s inviting everyone for the party. “Princess Tiana story about teaching people that they can dream up whatever dream they have, and they have the power within themselves to make that dream come true, said Corey Clancy, project coordinator at Walt Disney.
Read: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom: What to know before you go
The ride brings us straight to Tiana’s hometown of New Orleans, with music, dance, and even the smells of Tiana’s delicious food.
It’s about ten minutes long, ending with a splash.
Speaking of splash, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is replacing Disney’s Splash Mountain, which was shut down in 2023 and is now rebranded. “In this story, we’re out there looking all in the foliage and everywhere to see if we can find some critters to join her band,” said Clancy.
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Because the culture of Louisiana is so important to Tiana, creators say they wanted to make sure the state was properly represented, so they researched and traveled to experience it all first hand. “When the project first started, the team went out to New Orleans to really immerse themselves in the culture and go out there visits there,” said Clancy.
Channel 9 got a first inside look at the ride.
Throughout the adventure, there are references to Tiana’s heritage and characters viewers know and love, like Louis the alligator and Mama Odie.
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There are also artistic pieces crafted by local Louisiana artists specifically for the ride. “I wanted to portray the concept of music,” said Malaika Favorite, the artist who painted a massive mural outside the ride. “I wanted to show that music flows through the painting.”
The ride opens officially on June 28th, but this is not the only news involving Tiana. The character also got a new animated series, “Tiana,” coming to Disney+ later in 2024.
Another beloved character is also getting a new attraction. Disney also announced on Monday “Little Mermaid, a Musical Adventure,” coming to Hollywood Studios also in 2024.
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