With the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure just around the corner, Disney is introducing six new characters who will find a home on the new ride.
The six are animal characters who will provide the teased "missing ingredient" for Tiana's party - a band of musical critters. In details released today by Walt Disney Imagineering, the six characters will make their entrance on the ride by playing "Gonna Take You There" from "The Princess and the Frog," the Disney Animation film that inspired the make-over of the former Splash Mountain log flume ride.
Tiana's musical critters will be:
As one might have guessed, several of the critters also will be appearing in Disney theme park gift shops, in plush form. Disney said today that plush characters of Beau, Apollo, and Rufus will be available for sale.
(Of course, the one I most would want to buy - a violin-playing otter, for goodness' sake - is not on the plushie list. Sigh.)
As previously announced, Tiana's Bayou Adventure takes place after the events of "The Princess and the Frog" but will include many characters from that film, including Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Louis.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is coming to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom this summer and to Disneyland later this year. The Florida installation has begun ride testing, with Imagineers doing live ride-throughs, but the Disneyland version appears to be at least a couple months behind Walt Disney World's.
Keep an eye on Theme Park Insider next week for more news about Tiana's Bayou Adventure, as fans look forward to Disney's announcement of a specific opening date for the new attraction.
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Emmett Otters Jugband Christmas is the single greatest thing ever. Full stop. In the history of Everything. And the songs are phenomenal.
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I would anticipate a number of these characters will play prominent roles on the Disney+ series set to launch later this year. I suspect the success of the series (assuming it debuts around the same time the attraction opens) will play a major role in guests becoming connected to these new characters.
With that said, for those GenX-ers out there, doesn't this sound an awful like Emmett Otter's Jug-band Christmas (minus the holiday reference of course)?