Disney announced the name, arrival date and more details about its reimagined Splash Mountain ride on Friday during a special Essence Fest panel held at the New Orleans Conservatory.
A revamped attraction called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, It will debut at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in late 2024, according to the Disney Parks Blog. A new attraction that celebrates the real characters and environment of Louisiana The princess and the Frogis a musical adventure inspired by the 2009 film and Disney’s first animated feature film starring the Black Princess.
The experience picks up where the film left off, with the pilots joining the film’s main characters Princess Tiana, Naveen and jazz-loving alligator Louis Bayou on an adventure where the trio hosts a Mardi Gras celebration. Disney promises that the attraction will feature new and familiar faces from the world of New Orleans, as well as original music inspired by songs from the film.
In a video introducing the attraction, Walt Disney Imagineering executive producer Charita Carter shares that the team at Imagineering and the parks have turned to a variety of sources to help bring about the Tiana’s Bayou adventure. Professors and experts at Xavier University, an HBCU institution, also consulted with the Imagineering team on “every aspect of New Orleans culture,” says Carter.
The crew working on the attraction also toured the swamp, noting details such as flora and fauna, and went to Avery Island to see a salt dome to help them develop the parameters of the ride. In addition, they visited Congo Square, where Carter says “many free people of color, as well as slaves, gathered and played music”, and saw a series of exhibits with sets and props to help them create a journey “authentic”. experience.
Carter was among the voices featured on an Essence Fest panel, along with Ted Robledo, executive creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering, and Stella Chase, daughter of the late chef Leah Chase, who inspired Tiana’s story.
It’s one of the first big teasers for the upcoming ride, which was first announced in 2020 amid a year of protests against racism and racial justice, as well as ongoing petitions to replace the ride. The decision to revamp Splash Mountain, which has been criticized for its racist imagery, is tied to the 1946 film Song of the South, a film that Disney president and former CEO Bob Iger previously indicated would not be available for viewing. purchase or transmission. .
Splash Mountain debuted in 1989 and starred the character Br’er Rabbit, whose story follows the character Song of the South Uncle Remus, a black man on a Reconstruction-era southern plantation, on an adventure to escape the clutches of Br’. er Fox and Br’er Bear. Remus, written by white author Joel Chandler Harris, was at the time of the film’s release and by 2020 was considered an example of racist caricature.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
