Jenifer Lewis meets version of her 'Princess and the Frog' character for new Disney ride
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Jenifer Lewis had a memorable reaction to seeing the animatronic version of her “Princess and the Frog” character, Mama Odie, for the first time.
“Oh my God. Here it is,” Lewis says in a video posted by Disney Parks, greeting the large figure. The character moves and says, “Tiana sure knows how to make a party special.”
Mama Odie in the flesh — err, machine — then tacks on her signature chuckle to the end of her sentence, which Lewis admires and does back.
“Her movements! Everything is there,” she says.
The video offers a glimpse at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a highly anticipated new attraction opening at both Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort and California’s Disneyland.
Inspired by 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog,” the ride is a reimagining of Disney’s famous log flume ride Splash Mountain. Here’s what to know.
When will Tiana’s Bayou Adventure open?
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is slated to open at Walt Disney World in Florida this summer in its Magic Kingdom park and will be in California’s Disneyland later on in 2024, Disney Parks said in a February blog post.
What to expect from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Splash Mountain’s 50-foot drop is back — but the ride will tell a different story.
“This ride will be all about Tiana after she made her own dreams come true and how we all have the potential to make our dreams a reality,” Sarah Riles, vice president of Magic Kingdom Park, said in the same February blog post.
“In Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, she’s throwing a festive party during Mardi Gras season to thank her family, friends and the entire community for all the support they’ve given her as a successful business owner; it’s incredibly special that we get to celebrate with her.”
Disney has been teasing the dozens of new audio-animatronic figures that will appear in the ride, including Tiana, Mama Odie, JuJu and Lewis.
The ride will feature new original music from PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard and some of the marquee songs from the movie.
Among the movie’s most beloved tracks is “Almost There,” sung by Tiana, who voiced by Anika Noni Rose.
Why did Splash Mountain close?
Disney announced in June 2020 that it planned to reimagine the ride’s interiors, replacing its original theme with “The Princess and the Frog.”
Splash Mountain was based on the controversial 1946 film “Song of the South,” widely criticized for its idyllic depiction of plantation life and Black Americans in the post-Civil War era. For its problematic content, “Song of the South” is not streaming on Disney+.
Splash Mountain closed in 2023, drawing waits up to 200 minutes on its final day.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
