A host of musical critters will help Princess Tiana throw a Mardi Gras party when Disney’s first Black princess takes over the controversial Splash Mountain ride based on Disney’s 1940s “Song of the South” film criticized for perpetuating racist stereotypes. The new water ride will open to the general public on Nov. 15 with employee previews beginning in late October.
A nearly identical version of the ride debuted in June at Florida’s Magic Kingdom. The new Princess Tiana rides take over the former Splash Mountain attractions on both coasts. Disneyland closed Splash Mountain in May 2023 so Walt Disney Imagineering could begin the 18-month process of transforming the classic log flume ride.
The final days brought long lines and sales of Splash Mountain water on eBay with bids topping $200. Disneyland has not yet announced whether Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will employ a when the attraction opens. The Magic Kingdom used a free virtual queue and an upcharge Lightning Lane line-skipping option when the sister attraction opened earlier this year.
A traditional standby queue was not available during the initial opening of the Florida attraction. The cost of converting Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland and Walt Disney World could be one of the most expensive ride updates in Disney history, according to Forbes. Forbes estimates the total spent on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure over the past four years at .
Disney rarely discloses the costs of creating or .
