Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined with a new story inspired by 'The Princess and the Frog'.
Guests will join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure, featuring music from the film, as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.
Walt Disney Imagineering has been working on the project since last year and their approach to retheming (or 'plussing' attractions as Walt Disney
referred to it) begins with the Imagineers asking 'How can we
build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story?'.
Disney is already facing criticism for making changes to the original attraction, but it says the new concept is inclusive – one that everyone can connect with and be inspired by:
"Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new 'land' added to Disneyland park, so it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of 'The Princess and the Frog' to our parks."
The voice of Princess Tiana and Tony Award-winning actress, Anika Noni Rose:
“It is really exciting to know that Princess Tiana’s presence in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized! As passionate as I am about what we created, I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us ‘The Princess and the Frog’ Mardi Gras celebration we’ve been waiting for, and I’m here for it!”
Charita Carter, the senior creative producer leading the project at Walt Disney Imagineering:
“Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures. I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”
As part of the creative development process, conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.
We are looking forward to experiencing the reimagined attraction when it comes to life at the parks in California and Florida.
