MORE Characters Announced for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

The much anticipated retheme of Splash Mountain, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, is set to open at Walt Disney World this summer and at Disneyland later this year. As we get closer to summer, we continue to get more details on this retheme including ALL the details on the new animal characters inside the attraction.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure is going to be filled with NEW audio-animatronic characters that play an important role in the storytelling of this new theme. This news was tagged as a “Part One” release on the Disney Parks Blog so I anticipate we have more news coming soon.

Keep reading for the full details on the new characters coming to Tiana's Bayou Adventure plus a song reveal for the attraction, full details of the storyline and look at new merchandise! Keep scrolling for MORE character info and audio animatronic preview!

MORE Audio Animatronics Revealed

Disney has revealed MORE characters for Tiana's Bayou Adventure including a sneak peak (above) of these audio animatronics inside the attraction.

Here is a look at the the critters who “bring the jazzy sounds and complex rhythms of Afro-Cuban music to life” inside the new attraction.

Felipe the Frog – Deep among the cypress trees, you’ll hear band leader Felipe making musical magic on the piano! Felipe is also the proprietor of an exclusive bayou night club, where the local fireflies love to dance the night away to a musical recipe of hot rhythms and spicy melodies. He’s an old-school family guy, especially to his “family” in the band.

Mayra the Frog – Have you ever seen a frog play a flower blossom like a trumpet? You will when you meet Mayra; be sure to stick around for one of her toe-tapping solos. Mayra’s the most ambitious of the four frogs and has been practicing her instrument since she was just a tadpole!

Mondo the Frog – Mondo is a natural on the conga drums, which he made as a happy accident when his favorite bottle cap got stuck on his second-favorite acorn. From there, the rhythm in Mondo’s soul took over! He’s very copacetic and accepts what comes, a trait as steady and reliable as his drumbeat.

Isabel the Green Tree Frog – Learning from Mondo’s example, Isabel loves getting lost in the music playing her congas. She’s the youngest member of the group, and there’s nothing she loves more than “going with the flow” and getting to play drums all night long!

Here's a sneak peak (below) of all these new characters inside the new Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Not all these new frogs will be musicians, other characters include Gloria and Delores the frogs who are “best friends who love to observe folks as they float in logs down the bayou.”

Another character reveal includes Lari the armadillo will have a habit of “borrowing things that aren't his” and will pop up throughout the attraction when guests least expect it.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Storyline Revealed

The storyline of Tiana's Bayou Adventure follows Tiana as she prepares to throw a big party to celebrate Mardi Gras. It has been previously released that Tiana is searching for the “missing ingredient” for her party. Well this news reveals that this missing ingredient is music! Since music is an essential part of a Mardi Gras celebration, this fits in nicely with the storyline being crafted by Disney Imagineers.

Guests will follow Princess Tiana and Louis into the bayou as a “last-minute search” takes place for this missing ingredient. This is where the “musical critters” come into the story!

NEW Song Details Released

Guests will first encounter the critters playing a rendition of “Gonna Take You There” from the “Princess and the Frog” film. This Zydeco musical take on this classic song features the fiddle, accordion, washboard, and other instrument voices that guests will enjoy as they float down the river under “dancing fireflies.” This familiar song is played on makeshift instruments constructed from natural materials and some human-made found objects.

We now have official confirmation for at least one of the songs included in the ride!

Meet the NEW Audio-Animatronic Characters

Disney has also released the character bios and images of the new audio-animatronic musical critters coming to Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Byhalia the Beaver – Byhalia doesn’t just build dams; she helps build musical instruments using natural materials from the bayou. As a strong-willed percussionist, it’s safe to say Byhalia is the heartbeat of the band, as well as a natural designer and engineer.

Rufus the Turtle – Rufus may be a turtle, but he’s quick to jump into rhythm with his harmonica. He’s also the first to join in on new adventures! He’s genuine and sincere but may come across as a little sarcastic at times with his habitual sighing. Rufus loves going on adventures with Apollo.

Apollo the Raccoon – Apollo loves transforming abandoned objects into works of musical art – like his squeezebox. He’s full of energy and storytelling, especially about the objects he finds in the bayou. He’s particularly close with Rufus and appreciates Rufus’ calm demeanor.

Gritty the Rabbit – Always willing to dig a little deeper to help others, Gritty plays the washboard (a found automobile license plate) with a high-energy flair. It’s the perfect instrument for someone who’s often overzealous and digs to relieve her nerves.

Timoléon the Otter – He’s the eldest of the band, but Timoléon’s fiddle-playing is inspired by all the ‘kids’ he spends his time around while in the bayou. When he’s not sawing out a jig, he’s famous for telling stories of days long ago about his explorations of every corner of the bayou.

Beau the Opossum – Seeing limitless possibilities, no one finds more wonder in the bayou and the sounds of zydeco music than Beau. All she knows is beauty, especially her own. You can find her plucking out the low notes with her upright gourd bass, which of course, involves some musical dexterity with her tail.

It's not often we see such a large lineup of NEW Disney characters revealed for a ride attraction so this is pretty exciting news. I cannot wait to see all these brand new audio-animatronics in action.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Merchandise Reveal

What new ride would be complete without new merchandise? Guests will have the opportunity to purchase some of these critters like Beau, Apollo and Rufus. These critters will soon be available for purchase as huggable plushies. I imagine we will see this new merchandise available in the rethemed Tiana's Bayou Adventure merchandise shops in Critter Country.

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