One of the stars from “The Princess and the Frog” has spoken out in support of the Splash Mountain retheme to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Jennifer Cody Supports Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Jennifer Cody, who played Tiana’s best friend Charlotte La Bouff, spoke to TMZ about the changes.
According to TMZ, Cody is “applauding Disney for finally deciding to keep up with the times and replacing Splash Mountain’s animatronics due to its racist themes” and that ” it was about time the hateful and hurtful ride was taken down.”
Charlotte is set to return in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure but neither Disney nor Cody have announced if she is recording new dialogue for the ride. The film cast members confirmed to be returning are Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis), and Jennifer Lewis (Mama Odie).
Splash Mountain Retheme
Splash Mountain closed in 2022 at both Florida’s Magic Kingdom and California’s Disneyland Park to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, an attraction inspired by “The Princess and the Frog” (2009).
Most of the original infrastructure and ride system will be utilized, but many changes are being made to transform the ride from a desert mountain to a Louisiana-inspired salt mine. Walt Disney Imagineering shared a preview of one of the ride’s advanced Tiana animatronics. Tiana has a new adventure outfit for the ride.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open in summer 2024 at the Magic Kingdom and later the same year at Disneyland Park (though no specific time frame has been announced). The attraction takes place after the 2009 animated feature, with Tiana preparing for a Mardi Gras celebration.
A model of the attraction was on display at the 2022 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California. The first merchandise for the ride, a pin, has already debuted at Walt Disney World.
For further reading, take a look back at Splash Mountain’s final day of operation at Magic Kingdom and explore the attraction’s full history.
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