In June 2020, Disney announced that the water-based ride Splash Mountain will close to be rethemed into an attraction inspired by the Disney animated film, The Princess and the Frog. The transformation will take place in both Disneyland park and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

Princess and the Frog attraction Concept Art ©Disney

Disney has shared that the reimagined attraction will pick up the story of The Princess and the Frog “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.” The project will be led by Imagineer Charita Carter. Carter oversaw the creation of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway which debuted in March 2020 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis shared with D23 that “Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman who pursues her dreams while never losing sight of what’s really important. So it’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou.”

Princess Tiana

Weis also noted that Walt Disney opened New Orleans Square in Disneyland park in 1966, “so it feels natural to link the story of The Princess and the Frog to the park.”

The Reimagining of Splash Mountain

Regarding the re-theming of Splash Mountain, Disney shared that the process “begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about.”

Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom

“And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today.”

©Disney

“The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.”

Transformation Timeline

The timing for the transformation is yet to be determined. For now, Magic Kingdom has reopened with the existing Splash Mountain attraction, and Disneyland park is expected to follow suit. However, Disney has shared that the “conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.” And in November 2020, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D’Amaro stated that certain guest facing changes, “like the reimagining of ‘Splash Mountain,’ have been expedited to ensure that all who visit the company’s parks do feel welcome as well.”

We will continue to update this page as new information regarding The Princess and the Frog-themed attraction is revealed! In the meantime…

See all the news about the upcoming Princess and the Frog-themed attraction here!

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