Splash Mountain To Close Permanently at Disneyland NEXT WEEK

Splash Mountain, located at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, is an attraction based on the film "Song of the South," which is highly controversial as many deem it racist. The movie mixes live-action and animation and features an older African-American plantation laborer named Uncle Remus, who tells stories to a young white boy. Groups, including the NAACP, protested the film's initial release.

As the Walt Disney Company pushed for more inclusion, they decided to close the iconic attraction, Splash Mountain, at both Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and turn it into a "Princess and the Frog" attraction.

Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World is permanently closed to Guests on January 23, 2023, and next week, Disneyland's version of the ride will also take its final splash.

Disney recently announced that Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park would be closed starting May 31, 2023, so the Parks can begin the next development phase for Tiana's Bayou Adventure. That means Guests only have a few days left to experience Splash Mountain before it closes forever.

Within Splash Mountain, Guests can spot many of the characters from Song of the South, including Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. The official Disneyland website describes the ride as follows:

Hop inside a hollow log and float through a colorful bayou as you follow happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit to his “laughing place.” But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare.

Glide past over 100 talking, singing, storytelling Audio-Animatronics critters who inhabit Splash Mountain and offer up their own slice of down-home culture. Sing along to classic Disney ditties, including “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”

Then, brace yourself for the big finale—this musical cruise ends in a thrilling 5-story splashdown!

As expected, the wait time for Splash Mountain has drastically increased over these last few weeks as many are trying to get one last ride in before the ride splashes into history forever.

As the Walt Disney Company pushed for more inclusion, they decided to close the iconic attraction, Splash Mountain, and turn it into a "Princess and the Frog" attraction.

"The Princess and the Frog" was released in 2009 and starred Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Jennifer Cody (Charlotte "Lottie" La Bouff), Jim Cummings (Ray), John Goodman ("Big Daddy" La Bouff), Keith David (Dr. Facilier), Bruno Campos (Prince Naveen), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis), Jenifer Lewis (Mama Odie), Terrence Howard (James), Oprah Winfrey (Eudora).

According to Disney, the story for the new attraction, which will be called Tiana's Bayou Adventure, will pick up after the final kiss in the movie as Guests join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure "featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance."

"Walt Disney Imagineering is creating an original, next chapter story for Tiana," Disney Parks previously reported. "Within the attraction queue, guests will discover that she continues to grow her business with Tiana's Foods – an employee-owned cooperative. Combining her talents with those of the local community, Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand."

Fans will see beloved characters from the film, including Tiana's mother, Eudora, her husband, Prince Naveen, and everyone's favorite trumpet-playing alligator, Louis, who all helped Tiana revive the old salt mine and the surrounding land, allowing them to grow fresh new ingredients such as vegetables, herbs, and spices for her recipes.

The new ride, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, will open at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California sometime in 2024.