As Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom is transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, elements of the old façade are being removed.
Splash Mountain Flume
Most of the demolition/construction work we have seen so far has been in the flume near the end of the attraction.
Crews have been working under and near the Frontierland bridge, destroying some of the rockwork in this area.
Much of the rockwork on the left has been torn out, and crew members were looking inside during our most recent visit.
Holes have been cut into other sections of the façade nearby.
Beneath the hollow rockwork, steel beams are visible. A tarp is being used to protect the interior supports when crews aren’t actively working on them.
From above, we could see more of the steel and a wood crate.
A wire frame was used to create the shape of the rockwork decades ago.
The scaffolding in the flume creates a walkway so crew members don’t always have to climb down to get across.
Mountain Construction
More and more scaffolding has been added to the actual mountain.
Most of the scaffolding is wrapped in blue scrim to help keep workers safe.
Scaffolding was installed inside the top of the mountain in early February. More scaffolding now juts out of the final drop’s opening, reaching up towards the tree.
Birdhouses were previously removed from the tree on the side of the mountain.
Through the scaffolding, we can see the trough of the ride’s iconic drop.
There have been no major changes to the mountain yet.
The model of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at D23 Expo 2022 showed that the tree on top would be removed — however, plans could change and this model was technically for the Disneyland version of the attraction.
The construction walls reference Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with Tiana’s Foods signs and Southern Dome Salt Company stamps.
Scaffolding wraps around the lift hill of the attraction, too.
Splash Mountain Queue
We saw crew members inside the barn of the queue, leaning out of the window above the doorway.
It looked like this crew member was removing the shutters from the barn window.
Sure enough, the barn shutters were gone by the time we hopped on the Walt Disney World Railroad a little later in the day.
Black curtains block the view of the inside of the barn.
Splash Mountain Crane
When we swung by Splash Mountain a little later, we noticed that the crane was up at the back of the attraction.
We couldn’t see what exactly the crane was doing, although we did see a crew member on the ride track near the top of the mountain.
Splash Mountain closed permanently in January at Walt Disney World and will close at Disneyland later this year. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to replace the attraction in 2024. Read our complete history of Splash Mountain for a look back at the classic log flume ride.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Disney says that in the upcoming attraction, guests will “join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis during Mardi Gras season as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration for the people of New Orleans.”
The attraction takes place after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” Tiana’s Foods is an employee-owned community food co-op established by Tiana in 1927, following the success of her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace. The co-op is housed inside a salt mine, with growers planting crops along the old Splash Mountain waterway. Guests will ascend through a mill house built into the side of the mountain.
Read more details about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure:
- Logo for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Revealed
- First Look at Tiana’s New Outfit for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Model at D23 Expo 2022 Shows Removal of Iconic Splash Mountain Tree
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Backstory and More Information Revealed at D23 Expo 2022
- More Details Revealed for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Story, Original Cast Returning
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