Disney Is Completely Reimagining Splash Mountain with a ‘Princess and the Frog’ Theme

According to a press release, "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."

If you're not familiar, The Princess and the Frog centers on Tiana, a modern, courageous and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. 

Disney says the approach to retheming or “plussing” attractions (as Walt Disney referred to it) 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," the release adds.  

Why the change? Disney doesn't explicitly state, but Splash Mountain’s characters and songs are pulled from Song Of The South, a movie so racist that it's notably a piece of the Disney vault not included on Disney+. The press release did state, however, that "the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. 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."

The company says 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.

We can't wait to see how this turns out.