Announced today on the Disney Parks Blog, Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World will be “reimagined” to The Princess and the Frog. Splash Mountain at Disneyland in California will also see the retheming.
No specific timeline has been released, but Imagineering has been working on the project since last year. It is expected Splash Mountain will reopen in its current form when the Magic Kingdom opens to guests again in July.
From the Disney Parks Blog:
The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog.” 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.
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. And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, 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.
As part of the creative development process, 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.
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