March 26, 2024, 1:13 PM ·
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:Byhalia the Beaver: A percussionist who builds musical instruments from natural materials in the bayou.Gritty the Rabbit: Gritty plays a found-license-plate washboard.Beau the Opossum: Plays an upright bass made from a gourd, using her tail to play some of the notes.Apollo the Raccoon: Plays a squeezebox made from found objects in the bayou.Rufus the Turtle: Apollo’s companion in adventures, Rufus plays the harmonica in this band.Timoléon the Otter: This fiddle player is the oldest member of the band and likes to share stories about the past.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.
Beau, Apollo, and Rufus from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Photo courtesy Disney(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. To keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter. For ticket deals, as well as our reader rankings and advice on visiting Disney and other top theme parks around the world, please visit our our Theme Park visitors guides.
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