A pressed penny machine has returned to its home in the Frontierland area of Magic Kingdom, albeit without the Splash Mountain designs previously available. We had not expected this machine would return so soon, as this attraction and the entire area around it is being transformed for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Pressed Penny Machine Returns without Splash Mountain Designs

Wedged between drinking fountains and payphones (who still uses these???), this machine is near the restrooms back along Splash Mountain’s former outdoor portion of queue.

In June, this same spot sat empty after it seemed the machine had been permanently removed. A different pressed penny machine featuring Splash Mountain designs was briefly gone, then returned a few days later, before being permanently removed in March. That machine, which sat underneath the Walt Disney World railroad, has not been re-introduced.

Previously, this machine offered two Splash Mountain pressed penny designs and one 50th anniversary pressed penny design. These have now been replaced with more generic offerings, including Minnie Mouse, Chip ‘n Dale, and Mickey paired with Pluto. One might think Disney could come up with some Tiana designs for this machine to pique interest in the upcoming attraction, but alas we are not that lucky.

If you’re a pressed penny collector, we also have a full list with locations of Disney100 pressed pennies throughout Walt Disney World.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

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.

Construction is progressing for this project, most recently with new sod being placed around the flume.

The Tiana’s Foods water tower has also arrived, putting the pace at Magic Kingdom ahead of work over in Disneyland — though their original version of Splash Mountain only recently closed at the end of May, as opposed to late January for Florida. In California, the tree that completed the peak of the original Splash Mountain is now completely gone, as the design transitions to something more attuned to the Louisiana landscape.

Are you happy to see a pressed penny machine return? Will you be lining up for a Bayou Adventure in 2024 when Splash Mountain’s successor is set to open? Let us know in the comments.

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