[5] It has been considered by critics as portraying African Americans as stereotypes, making them appear content with plantation life in the post-Civil War South.

[7] The Disney Imagineers based Splash Mountain on the animated portions of the film, which the company felt at the time would leave them unaffected by these issues.

[10][11][12] Imagineer Carmen Smith, senior vice president of inclusion strategies, later stated, in reference to the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic; "the world changed, [...] Life kind of lets you know when it's time for something to give birth to a concept, and it was without hesitation that leadership came together and said, 'You've been working on it, you've got a good idea.

[14] In July 2022, during the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, Disney announced that the new ride would be called Tiana's Bayou Adventure, setting an opening date of "late 2024" at both parks.

[15][16] At the D23 Expo in September 2022, it was announced that Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, and Jenifer Lewis would be reprising their roles from the film for the attraction.

[18] In April 2023, it was announced that Tiana's Bayou Adventure would include "dozens" of "entirely new audio-animatronics figures" and that the Disneyland version of Splash Mountain would close on May 31, 2023.

[26][27] To prepare for the attraction, the Imagineering team took several research trips to Louisiana, visiting locations such as the French Market and bayous, consulted with cultural institutions, chefs, academics, musicians, and experienced Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

"[23] During D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in August 2024, it was announced that Tiana's Bayou Adventure would open at Disneyland on November 15, 2024.

She realizes that due to a mix-up, her celebration is missing a band and needs the guests' help to find one, as they join her and Louis on a trip to the bayou to search for critter musicians.

The vehicle departs the loading area and proceeds up a lift hill before floating through scenery designed to evoke the feeling of a Louisiana bayou while "Down in New Orleans" plays.

The vehicle ascends up a second lift hill inside of a mill-house where Tiana greets riders and tells them to meet up with Louis to help find musicians for their celebration.

After the short drop down the waterfall, riders enter the indoor portion of the attraction, a nighttime bayou where Tiana and Louis find a Zydeco band consisting of Byhalia the beaver, Gritty the rabbit, Beau the opossum, Apollo the raccoon, Rufus the turtle, and Timoléon the otter[26] playing an instrumental version of "Gonna Take You There".

Dropping into the "Ranitas Verdes Club", riders find an Afro-Cuban jazz band consisting of frogs Mondo, Mayra, Felipe, and Isabel[26] playing "Dig a Little Deeper".

After this, Mama Odie returns the riders to their normal size as they begin their ascent up the final lift hill, and she tells them that they will be at the party in no time.