Splash Mountain has been closed at Magic Kingdom for almost two months, and in that point development has began on reworking the attraction into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This photograph replace incorporates a have a look at the progress to this point, affords an official replace from Walt Disney World, and our commentary in regards to the timeline.
For starters, what’s occurring proper now might be higher categorized as demolition or destruction moderately than development. This kind of modification is a crucial prerequisite to ahead progress and precise development commencing, particularly in gentle of how the facade of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure received’t have the identical ‘mountainous’ profile as its predecessor.
However, as with all issues in regards to the Splash Mountain experience reimagining, this can be a charged subject. Using phrases like “demolition” or “destruction” in a headline feels a bit too ominous, clickbaity and inflammatory…even when correct. Suffice to say, that is the awkward portion of the transformation from Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, setting the stage for the brand new attraction to take form.
Speaking of which, Walt Disney World has indicated that we must always begin to see seen ahead progress beginning in Summer 2023. That’s when the tiara-topped water tower emblazoned with the Tiana’s Foods emblem will make its solution to Magic Kingdom and be put in in entrance of the prevailing mountain.
According to the corporate, the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure venture staff of Imagineers not too long ago traveled to New Orleans to seize the essence of the Mardi Gras celebration–power, colours, rhythms of the music, and extra–to infuse into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Here’s a video:
My response to that video, to borrow the smart phrases of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, “…what do you mean?! That’s so vague!”
Then once more, that might describe so lots of the movies about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure that Disney has launched to this point. To every their very own, however I’d love to listen to in regards to the precise attraction reimagining. On a optimistic be aware, this video is the primary time that high quality footage of the day/night time idea loop from the D23 Expo has been shared on-line.
Above is a have a look at the mannequin of the tiara-topped Tiana’s Foods water tower that’ll be put in within the coming months, which was additionally shared again on the D23 Expo.
In case you missed it, right here’s the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Backstory About Tiana’s Foods. This has some followers involved, however I’m personally not one among them. It feels like this will probably be principally relegated to the queue, setting the stage for the journey to return. As with different queue backstories, it’s one thing most friends will most likely miss.
How many common friends “get” that Cosmic Rewind takes place within the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion? That’s additionally ought to stage-setting to transition from EPCOT to the primary journey of that attraction, however paying cautious consideration to the galleries is totally pointless to understanding or having fun with the core of Cosmic Rewind.
That’s simply one among many examples the place the queue rewards astute observers, however is pointless to the primary attraction expertise. I’m completely anticipating one thing related with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But I digress.
Before we get to the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure development (or Splash Mountain destruction dun dun dun) pictures, I needed to share a fast replace on what I’ve been listening to about this venture. In the final replace to our essential Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: Everything You Need to Know submit, I discussed {that a} single staff of Imagineers is engaged on each the Walt Disney World and Disneyland variations of the attraction, and has prioritized the Florida incarnation.
To the most effective of my information, that’s the primary driver of delay in closing Splash Mountain at Disneyland. Park ops there would possibly’ve additionally needed the capability whereas Indiana Jones Adventure and Toontown had been down, and people have since returned. Maybe that model of Splash Mountain will shut after spring break in gentle of that. I really don’t know.
In addition to that, one other factor I’ve talked about (repeatedly) is that the “Late 2024” opening goal for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is extremely aggressive, and that I wouldn’t be in the slightest degree stunned if the precise opening date slips into 2025.
I’ve since obtained pushback, for lack of a greater time period, on this. Supposedly, the timeline is real looking and matches the aggressive tempo of the venture and sources being allotted to it. So lengthy as set up and modifications go easily, the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ought to simply make its goal 2024 date.
Or so I’m informed.
To be truthful, Imagineering has achieved spectacular turnaround instances on previous tasks of considerably related nature. As we’ve talked about earlier than, Frozen Ever After and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout are the massive latest ones. With that mentioned, the transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has a degree of ambitiousness and complexity above these. It’s additionally an outdated attraction with quite a bit that must be executed, and assuming that’ll go easily is kind of daring and presumptuous, in my view.
Suffice to say, I stay skeptical that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure goes to open in 2024. However, I needed to make clear that that is my opinion and hypothesis, moderately than a reputable rumor. Perhaps I’m a bit overly cynical because of latest tasks and their torpid paces, however a lot of that was deliberate.
In any case, the precise rumor is that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in 2024. Which, I suppose, isn’t actually a rumor in any respect since that’s what Disney is publicizing, too. So lengthy as the corporate places 2024 in every replace on the attraction’s progress, there’s (persevering with) inside confidence that they’ll meet it. If or when the date is quietly dropped, that will be a purple flag that the venture is delayed. Even with all of that mentioned, I’m nonetheless skeptical.
On that be aware, let’s flip to some new development/destruction pictures of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure/Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom…
To the purpose about this venture having an aggressive timeline however sources to match, above is lively work I noticed throughout the latest Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom. These nighttime pictures had been all taken after midnight.
There had been no less than a dozen staff within the flume, and people had been simply those seen to me–a lot of the attraction is hid by partitions or the mountain itself. Nevertheless, the location was very a lot lively.
Quickly working by different updates, I additionally noticed that the Splash Mountain attraction marquee has now been eliminated.
That was the final signal (actually and figuratively) of Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom. Everything else was already gone.
Adjacent to the flume, there are a few spots the place the rockwork has been minimize into, revealing the metal infrastructure of the mountain behind it.
It’s unclear why that is occurring. One chance is that the development staff must entry what’s behind the rockwork. Another is that the plan is to reshape parts of the mountain to offer it a special look.
My cash could be on the latter clarification, particularly on the prime of the mountain. Based on the idea artwork, we already know that is being rounded as much as reduce the mountainous look of Chick-a-Pin Hill.
As we’ve seen whereas watching Moana’s Journey of Water take form from the monorail, rockwork is now prefabricated in sections and will be put in fairly rapidly as soon as on website. So it’s solely doable that extra of the mountain will probably be torn aside and fairly rapidly changed with new sections to offer the facade a special look.
During the course of consecutive days and nights in Magic Kingdom, I noticed an elevated quantity of scaffolding put in within the flume and across the facade of the mountain. I’d anticipate extra of the rockwork to be eliminated within the coming weeks, revealing the metal body beneath. That’s an particularly protected guess on the prime of Chick-a-Pin Hill.
If you’re in Magic Kingdom, I’d suggest taking a couple of minutes to look at the work from the bridges in Frontierland; there’s plenty of exercise occurring. Could be a superb signal for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening in 2024!
Before we provide some concluding ideas, listed here are a ton extra new development pictures of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure:
Ultimately, it’s heartening to see a lot exercise outdoors the outside of the previous Splash Mountain and future Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. While so many sources dedicated to the surface is sweet, what’s occurring inside is what actually issues. Obviously, we can’t see that, however my hope is that the inside crew is exponentially bigger, with an enormous staff working to remodel the attraction in a radical and significant means.
As I’ve mentioned earlier than, I hope Disney is dumping a ton of sources and a wholesome price range into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Even in the event you had been vehemently against this reimagining, what’s executed is finished. The finest everybody can–and will–hope for now’s that the top result’s an attraction that can exceed expectations and reside as much as the legacy of its predecessor. Both Splash Mountain and Princess and the Frog deserve as a lot, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure being a wonderful attraction with elaborate themed design, particulars, present scenes, and spectacular results is the most effective consequence for all.
Personally, I actually hope Disney shares one thing quickly to bolster precisely that–and instill followers with a way of optimism and pleasure about this transformation. Despite Disney providing plenty of updates on the course of of the attraction’s improvement, they’ve mentioned little or no of substance. I’m prepared to listen to in regards to the tech, see idea artwork of present scenes, footage of Audio Animatronics. Something, something providing reassurance that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure goes to be high-quality and enjoyable.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure development or Splash Mountain destruction? What modifications to the outside are you anticipating to see take form within the coming months? Expectations relating to the Splash Mountain reimagining timeline? Agree or disagree with our assessments about this venture or its development? Keep the feedback civil, as this isn’t the place for politically-charged arguing, tradition wars, antagonism, private assaults, or low cost photographs.