by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
April 14, 2023
Lots of news out of California this week.
Disneyland’s Splash Mountain ride, which opened in 1989, will close for good on May 31, 2023, with its last day to plunge over the 52-foot falls at Chick-a-pin Hill with Br’er Bear, Br’er Fox and Br’er Rabbit taking place on May 30th. Disney World’s Splash Mountain closed in January, with construction chugging ahead toward a projected 2024 reopening.
Both of the Tony Baxter-designed Splash Mountain locations are being re-themed as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on the animated Princess and the Frog movie. The attraction’s storyline takes place after the close of the film, with Tiana opening her own restaurant and setting up an employee-owned company called “Tiana’s Foods,” supported by a new salt mine for the company. Signs at the Florida construction site already advertise “Tiana’s Foods…coming soon!”
The new iteration of the log flume ride will use the same ride track, but offer up a continuing story in Tiana’s tale, and will showcase characters from the original film, including Prince Naveen, Mama Odie, Louis, Eudora, Charlotte, “Big Daddy,” the King and Queen of Maldonia, and Prince Ralphie as they celebrate Mardi Gras. Many of the original actors and actresses will be bringing their voices to the adventure’s sound track, but even more exciting, Disney has said they will be adding the scent of beignets to the ride! The accompanying music for the attraction will feature favorites from the movie, as well as newly created tunes.
Interestingly, while some of the animatronic characters are expected to be repurposed (along with many higher tech ones creating new characters for the ride), this isn’t the first time the critters will be reused. A number of the more than 100 Disneyland ride animatronics were brought in from the original “America Sings” attraction.
If you want to catch one more log to your laughing place, you’d best “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” over there soon! Splash Mountain is also available in Tokyo Disneyland, but it has not been slated for closure or re-theming at this time.
In other Disneyland news this week, Magic Key Passes (Disneyland’s version of an annual pass) went on sale again on April 11, but not for long. As of this morning (April 14), only the Inspire Key ($1,599) was still available for new purchase. (You can still renew at other levels.). At Disney World, guests will get their chance to snap up annual passes on April 20, though Disney Vacation Club members had a shot at it yesterday, April 13, but it was not without its technical difficulties.
In more sad Disneyland “closings” news, Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar & Café are also shutting their doors. But there is good news in there, too, as the eateries will be making way for the new Paseo and Centrico. It should be a welcome addition, as its Mexican cuisine is being brought to the reimagined Downtown Disney area by Michelin Star Chef Carlos Gaytan.
And can we have a drum roll, please? Disney also announced a start date for the highly-anticipated Rogers: The Musical at Disney California Adventure. A short, 30-minute, one-act musical, the limited time show will debut on June 30, 2023, at the Hyperion Theater. Why is this so highly anticipated? Well, if you aren’t familiar with this send-up of Captain America and his gang of heroic Avengers, the performance first caught audiences’ attention at the 2022 D23 convention, and also made an appearance in the Disney+ series, Hawkeye. The show will reportedly include the “Save the City” song from Hawkeye, as well as several new original songs created just for the musical.
If you’re looking to “do this all day,” you can only grab a seat Tuesday-Saturday at the Hyperion. There will, of course, be appropriately themed merch released at a later date.
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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