Mosey down the bayou in 1st look at Disney's new 'The Princess and the Frog' ride
Walt Disney World's Tiana's Bayou Adventure is opening June 28 at Magic Kingdom Park, and "Good Morning America" is giving you a first look at the newest attraction.
The attraction is inspired by the 2009 Disney animated movie, "The Princess and the Frog," and set in 1920s New Orleans. Guests are invited to travel along the bayou as Princess Tiana and her friends get ready for a spirited party during Mardi Gras season.
The team at Walt Disney Imagineering traveled to New Orleans to draw inspiration for the ride, studying the Crescent City's art, culture and music.
Here are all your questions answered about Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
When is Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride opening?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park in Florida on June 28.
It will also open later this year at Disneyland Park's Critter Country in California.
What's new with Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure replaces the former Splash Mountain attraction, which was first introduced at Disneyland in 1989. The ride featured characters from "Song of the South," a controversial 1946 film that was criticized for racist and offensive depictions of Black people and for misrepresenting Southern culture from the 1800s.
Disney's Imagineers have created dozens of brand-new audio animatronics for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, featuring both new and returning characters, including Princess Tiana herself, Prince Naveen, Louis the Alligator, Mama Odie, Tiana's mother Eudora, Charlotte and Prince Ralphie.
Riders will also get to meet new critter characters as they travel along the bayou, including Byhalia the Beaver, Gritty the Rabbit, Beau the Opossum, Apollo the Raccoon, Rufus the Turtle, Timoléon the Otter and more. The lively animals will be playing exciting musical instruments, from makeshift fiddles and accordions to washboards.
New murals from renowned Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite and a custom weathervane by New Orleans blacksmith Darryl Reeves and apprentice Karina Roca will also be featured outside the attraction.
What music will be featured on Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure will take riders on an enchanting musical journey and showcase new renditions of classics from the catchy jazz, gospel and zydeco-inspired soundtrack from "The Princess and the Frog," including "Almost There" and "Dig a Little Deeper." The ride will also feature a new, original song, "Special Spice," with vocals by Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Princess Tiana.
Will Tiana's Bayou Adventure have a drop?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure will let riders journey into the New Orleans bayou with thrilling drops, including an exciting 50-foot drop.
Are there height requirements for Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
Guests must be at least 40 inches, or 102 centimeters, or taller to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
What will it feel like riding Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
In the new attraction, riders step into a new chapter set after Tiana's dream restaurant is realized in "The Princess and the Frog." Guests walk through a queue set in a lush and verdant vegetable garden and into an old salt mine Tiana has transformed into a cooperative called Tiana's Foods, complete with family photo decorations and letters between Tiana and her late father James, and a peek inside her beignet-filled kitchen.
Once riders board the eight-seater log flume, guests travel through Tiana's garden and go down the bayou, searching for friendly critter musicians and familiar faces like Louis, the trumpet-playing alligator; Ray the Cajun firefly and Mama Odie. Along the way, there are exhilarating drops before the grand 50-foot drop that will have riders screaming in delight before they emerge into the grand party at Fleur du Bayou, the magical floral home of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen.
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