ORLANDO, Fla. – Disney's Splash Mountain will be undergoing a makeover with Imagineers transforming it into a "Princess and the Frog"-themed attraction.


What You Need To Know

  • Disney is revamping its Splash Mountain attraction at Disney World and Disneyland

  • The attraction will be rethemed to "The Princess and the Frog"

  • Disney has shared more details about the upcoming attraction

Not much has been shared about the revamp since Disney announced the change for Disney World and Disneyland last year. However, the company has revealed new details about the upcoming ride, including the storyline and artwork that will be used as inspiration for Imagineers.

The attraction's story will take place after the events of the 2009 animated film, with Naveen and Louis joining Tiana for a "one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration" featuring original music.

"Tiana actually invites us as a guest to go on an adventure with her in the bayou,” said Charita Carter, senior creative producer for Walt Disney Imagineering in a video released Monday. “And the fun thing about it is we, as guests, we are active participants in this adventure."

The adventure will include characters from the film but also new characters, Carter said. Some of those new characters are featured in newly-released concept art that also shows Naveen and Tiana in a boat as they make their way down the bayou.

The attraction will also take a different approach to storytelling with the animatronics.

"With this particular project, the way that we are approaching our audio-animatronics figures would be an example of how we are looking to advance the storytelling, and really just kind of change the game," Carter said. “As well as the way we are approaching our scenic illusions and our visual effects so that we can create an immersive environment that is seamless for our guests.”

To prepare for the transformation of Splash Mountain into The Princess and the Frog, Imagineers looked to the city of New Orleans for inspiration--even visiting Dooky Chase's Restaurant. The restaurant’s founder Leah Chase was one of the inspirations for Princess Tiana. Disney also commissioned a series of four paintings from visual artist Sharika Mahdi. The paintings will be used to inspire Imagineers working on the attraction.

The new details about the upcoming attraction came from a roundtable discussion led by ABC News correspondent Kenneth Moton with a panel that include Carter; Carmen Smith, Vice President for inclusive strategies for Walt Disney Imagineering; Marlon West, VFX supervisor for Walt Disney Animation Studios; and Stella Chase Reese, owner of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant.

You can view the video below. 

"The Princess and the Frog"-inspired attraction will replace Splash Mountain, which features characters from the controversial 1946 film "The Song of the South." The film has been criticized for racist stereotypes of Black people.

Disney has not yet revealed an opening timeline for the new attraction.

-

Facebook Twitter