Disney World's Splash Mountain to close in late January for overhaul

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An artist's concept of the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride in the Magic Kingdom.
An artist's concept of the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride in the Magic Kingdom. Photo Credit: Disney

Popular Magic Kingdom attraction Splash Mountain will close on Jan. 23 to begin a redo that will turn it into Tiana's Bayou Adventure, an attraction based on the 2009 film "The Princess and the Frog."

A grand reopening is expected to happen in 2024.

The Splash Mountain redo is part of Disney's larger plan to be a more inclusive company. Splash Mountain is based on the 1946 film "The Song of the South," largely considered a racist movie. The retheming of the attraction was announced in 2020.

Disney on Friday also released details on a new scene of the attraction. Riders will join Princess Tiana and the alligator Louis during Mardi Gras season. The duo is preparing a celebration in New Orleans. 

When they first drop into the bayou, riders will be greeted by Tiana and Louis, zydeco music, fireflies and critters in a band. Louis will explain where the music -- played by an otter, a rabbit, a racoon, a beaver, a turtle and others -- is coming from. 

The band is part of the larger story. Disney hinted in a blog post, "It feels like they may have a bigger role to play in this story … but we'll just have to wait and see on that one."

Disney did not announce a date for Splash Mountain's closure in Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

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