It has been two years, to the day, since Disney announced that a Princess and the Frog attraction would be replacing Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. Two years later, Splash Mountain remains open with no identified closing date despite Disney flagging it as problematic.
Disney has been relatively tight-lipped about the project but promised more information at the Essence Festival of Culture next weekend after Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana from Princess and the Frog, let it slip that the attraction will open in 2024.
‘Princess and the Frog’ Overhaul of Splash Mountain To Be Completed in 2024
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Disney’s most recent update on the attraction came during World Princess Week in August 2021 when Disney offered some new concept art for the attraction.
New Concept Art, Backstory Revealed for Princess and the Frog Replacement of Spalsh Mountain
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So, what do we expect to hear from the Essence Festival of Culture next week [June 30 – July 3]. It’s anyone’s guess at this point. As one of the first projects to be announced as part of an inclusion initiative at the company, the fact that Splash Mountain is still operating is a bit of a headscratcher. If Disney decision-makers have deemed that Splash Mountain is inconsistent with company values, why is it still open? We hope that Disney is able to provide a substantive update next week.
We anticipate that we will get a clearer timeline next week, but one that balances the operational challenges of the busiest theme park in the world. It’s likely that Disney will want TRON Lightcycle Run open before closing Splash Mountain. That means that we could see a Splash Mountain closure anywhere from this fall into early 2023.
We also hope to learn more about the storyline for the attraction and how Disney will infuse new life into the Splash Mountain structure that is largely expected to remain in place. It would also be great if we could learn more about the game-changing animatronics and scenic illusions that lead Imagineer Charita Carter previously talked about.
Disney Will Have “Game-Changing” Animatronics and Scenic Illusions in New Princess and the Frog Attraction
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Backstory
We pick up this story after the final kiss, and 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.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
Mike
Mike is the owner and writer for BlogMickey.com. Visiting the parks daily allows him to keep up with the latest Disney news, reviews, and photos from around the Disney Parks. You can reach him at [email protected]