Disneyland Railroad Makes Changes Following Splash Mountain Closure

Splash Mountain at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort is permanently closed to Guests following the company's decision to retheme the attraction into a "Princess and the Frog"-themed attraction to help bring more inclusion to the Parks.

Splash Mountain has been an attraction at Disney Parks for several years and is based on the film “Song of the South,” which is highly controversial as many deem it racist. The 1946 film mixes live-action and animation, featuring 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.

Now that the ride is officially closed, another Disneyland attraction is making changes.

Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park officially closed to Guests on Tuesday, May 31, meaning the last day of operation was Monday, May 30.

Now that the ride is permanently closed, the Disneyland Railroad is making adjustments to its ride audio.

Previously, the audio track mentioned Splash Mountain as the train rode past the iconic attraction, but now that bit has been removed and, instead, the ride mentions Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the new "Princess and the Frog"-themed attraction coming to Disneyland in 2024.

The previous narration, which was provided by Bob Joles, included, "We’re now entering Splash Mountain, rumored to be the location of the one and only Laughin’ Place. If you look real hard, you just might find it. It’s where critters are celebrating a “zip-a-dee-doo-dah” day. Speaking of critters, this place we’re passing over is home to a whole bunch of them.

https://twitter.com/dlnt/status/1663986393557729284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1663986393557729284%7Ctwgr%5E2e1dbd48f86524deb29c5f9411530c01a313314e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwdwnt.com%2F2023%2F05%2Fdisneyland-railroad-splash-narration-gone%2F

Now, the audio is as follows: "We’re now entering the bayou, soon to be home to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Princess Tiana swears there’s magic out here, and wherever there’s magic, there’s bound to be surprises. Blue skies and sunshine guaranteed. Speaking of surprises, this place we’re passing over is chock full of them."

A similar change was made to the Walt Disney World Railroad after Splash Mountain closed at Magic Kingdom earlier this year.

According to Disney, the story for the new "Princess and the Frog" attraction 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.”

Splash Mountain closed at Walt Disney World and Disneyland permanently as the Walt Disney Company pushes for more inclusion.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be taking its place -- a new attraction based on the 2009 animated film, “The Princess and the Frog”, which stars 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), and Oprah Winfrey (Eudora).

Fans can look forward to seeing many beloved characters from the 2009 film, including Tiana, Tiana’s mother, Eudora, Tiana’s love interest, Prince Naveen, and the iconic trumpet-playing alligator, Louis. “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.”

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open at both Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California sometime in 2024.