During this morning’s Disney Parks panel at Destination D23, Josh D’Amaro showed off the first look at the Louis animatronic that will be present in the upcoming attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
First Look at Louis Audio-Animatronic
The animatronic is not fully finished, but you can see the top of Louis’ head.
Here’s a wider shot of Louis’ head, where you can see his upper jaw and surrounding back of his head.
He’s all mechanics for now, but it won’t be long until he looks closer to the character we all know.
Louis even has a hidden Mickey cut out of his supports.
A video of the animatronic was also shared on social media, which you can watch below:
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scheduled to open in 2024 at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
The “Princess and the Frog”-inspired retheme of Splash Mountain was first announced in 2020, and the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure name was revealed in 2022.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure picks up after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” In 1927, Tiana founded the Tiana’s Foods co-ops, which is located in a salt mine, where cultivators grow crops along the waters. During Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Tiana and alligator Louis venture into the bayou to find animal friends. They’re preparing a special Mardi Gras celebration for the people of New Orleans.
The scene depicted in the above concept art is “the thrilling moment you first drop into the bayou and encounter some friends both new and familiar.” Louis and a band of animals will be playing zydeco music, a blend of rhythm and blues that was created in Louisiana. The band of animal friends includes an otter, a rabbit, a raccoon, a beaver, and a turtle playing instruments made from natural bayou elements.
This ride will feature 17 new characters, including Prince Naveen’s younger brother, Ralphie. The Splash Mountain track will remain, but the attraction will get new set dressing and a vast range of new audio-animatronics. There will be multiple Tiana audio-animatronics, and she will sport a new adventuring outfit.
The queue and attraction music is being arranged by award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard, who will mix classic songs from the movie with New Orleans classics and original compositions. The scent of beignets is also set to be pumped throughout the queue.
Some of the original cast will be providing their voices to the attraction, including Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis), and Jennifer Lewis (Mama Odie). Concept art shows Mama Odie in the crow’s nest of her crashed ship home, with colorful bottle lights hanging around her.
Are you excited to see Louis in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? What are you most looking forward to experience when the new attraction opens? Let us know in the comments.
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