A new staircase and accompanying railing have been installed in the queue area of the under-construction Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom. Work on “The Princess and the Frog”-inspired retheme of Splash Mountain commenced in February of this year after the former attraction closed in January; the updated ride is expected to open in late 2024.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction

Flume Area

We watched a dramatic change overnight in this area of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Construction workers were present on December 2, 2023, and the flume path that had been covered was revealed.

Additionally, the black scrim-covered rectangular area in the foreground of the picture below, with corners framed in scaffolding, has been deconstructed overnight. You can see the frame lying on the ground in the second image.

We noticed some work on this side of the bridge in the flume both days, but the uncovered flume provides workers access to more than just this small area.

Mountain Construction

Crews are currently working on several areas around the exterior of Tiana’s Bayou Adventureas, as its appearance slowly becomes more cohesive. Fake trees were installed around the façade, particularly near the Tiana’s Foods water tower, in late October; new scaffolding has been constructed around the trees in recent days.

Workers at the top of the attraction were actively installing fake flowers on December 1, and we saw the progress transform the look of the mine’s top when we checked back the next day.

Installation of these flowers continued down the front of the mine on December 2, but the entire dome of the salt mine was covered in a lush carpet.

To the left of the peak, this leafless fake tree is now surrounded by scaffolding.

Queue Area Updates

The staircase here is nearly completed, with high railings for the safety of guests experiencing Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

We saw the handrail getting installed on these steps over the course of both days.

The queue area for the ride continues to receive new brickwork and concrete to help bring the area to life.

The complex project includes a variety of textures and design elements to eventually immerse guests in the story following the events of “The Princess and the Frog.”

Some areas are laid and ready for cobblestone or concrete to be added.

Others are receiving the edging to hold the concrete foundation.

The wire grid is support for the concrete slab foundation, so we can expect to see concrete poured in this area.

Once that is complete, more details can be added above the concrete foundation, or this area may remain finished with concrete when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is completed.

These workers are laying the edging stone on this walkway area.

A metal railing is being installed to border this walkway area.

Cobblestone work continues in this area, with workers laying large stones prior to their binding.

This area has been prepped for more cobblestone work.

Are you looking forward to seeing this project’s completion in 2024? Let us know in the comments.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.