PHOTOS: Crews Begin Cutting Down Splash Mountain Tree at Magic Kingdom

Crews have begun cutting into the Splash Mountain tree at Magic Kingdom to remove it as the ride is transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Splash Mountain Tree

Although the tree was originally part of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure concept art, it was later revealed that it would be removed as the ride’s backstory was altered.

Late last month, scaffolding was erected all around the tree for it to be removed.

The large tree can’t be removed in one go, but we saw crew members cutting into the top of it this morning.

Crews had also cut a small hole into the mountain just below the tree roots last month.

The opening of the ride’s famous drop is also completely covered in scaffolding.

There were several crew members on the scaffolding to work on cutting the tree down.

It could take a few days of construction for the tree to be completely removed.

More Splash Mountain Construction

We noticed an orange flag next to another tree near the top of the mountain. Judging by the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure model that was displayed at D23 Expo 2022 (which was specifically for the Disneyland version but also reflects the Magic Kingdom version), this tree and others may be removed.

A week ago, the track going beneath the Frontierland bridge was repainted. We usually see crew members working down here, but not so today.

It looks like more scaffolding has been added around the side of the mountain, near the attraction’s main entrance.

We also saw crew members working here.

Splash Mountain Queue Excavation

From the Walt Disney World Railroad, we saw excavation underway on the ground-level portion of the Splash Mountain queue.

A crew member was shoveling dirt into a giant pile outside the barn façade, although we couldn’t at first see where the dirt was coming from.

Birdhouses were removed from the Splash Mountain queue early on in the construction process.

The shutters of the barn window were removed a few weeks ago and dark curtains block the view of the interior most of the time.

This morning, though, we could see through the doorway of the barn to where the ground has been dug up. Two more crew members were digging inside.

Dark curtains also block the view of the queue on the second level.

Splash Mountain closed permanently in January at Walt Disney World. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to replace the attraction at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in 2024. Read our complete history of Splash Mountain for a look back at the classic log flume ride.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” Tiana’s Foods is an employee-owned community food co-op established by Tiana in 1927, following the success of her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace. The co-op is housed inside a salt mine, with growers planting crops along the old Splash Mountain waterway. Guests will ascend through a mill house built into the side of the mountain.

The attraction will follow Tiana venturing into the bayou to find animal friends. She’s hosting a party for the people of New Orleans, but it’s missing a special ingredient. 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).

Read more details about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure:

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