Fans Criticize Disney for Leaving a Major Character out of its Newest Attraction

Disney fans become rightfully enamored with their favorite films and the characters who bring them to life. With whimsical princesses, magical godmothers, and iconic villains, Walt Disney’s animated films are impossible to duplicate and hard to top.

With loyal fandom comes high expectations, and the brand-new attraction sweeping Walt Disney World and Disneyland is waiting for the shoe—or log flume—to drop. With plenty of auspicious news from Disney Parks Blog about the inner workings of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, including PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard collaborating on the attraction’s soundtrack, there are still plenty of skeptics about the emblematic ride’s success.

On May 31, the iconic Splash Mountain log flume took its last plunge at Disneyland, with the Walt Disney World version gone for good since January 23, 2023. Despite Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s predecessor leaving the Parks, its ghost was voted Disney fans’ favorite ride according to ​​a study by MagicGuides. Not only does Tiana’s Bayou Adventure have pressure to live up to the banished Splash Mountain, but also to uphold the themes Disney fans fell in love with in The Princess and the Frog (2009).

A Love Letter to New Orleans

With Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially making its stamp on Disney Park maps, Disney fans can almost taste the gumbo—we mean, the new ride. Disney Parks Blog has been releasing details about the Bayou ride, revealing the storyline centering around a “secret” ingredient lost in the Bayou that Guests will help Tiana retrieve.

The ride will also include the following features:

• All-new Disney characters
• Plenty of new Audio-Animatronics figures
• Talented, adorable critters who bring the flavors of gumbo to Guests
• Favorite songs from the film in addition to original music
• The mouth-watering scent of beignets

In addition to the magical makings of the ride, fan-favorite voices will reprise their roles from the film, including Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Michael Leon Wooley as Louis, and the one and only Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana. Guests will see appearances from Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Mama Odie, Louis, Eudora, Charlotte, “Big Daddy,” the King and Queen of Maldonia, and Prince Ralphie.

The storyline of the attraction will serve as a sequel to The Princess and the Frog, with plenty of plot points for Guests to love. That said, the continuation of Tiana’s story leaves no room for a prominent character, especially because he technically died with the animated film’s ending. Not only would it be difficult to bring back Dr. Facilier from the dead for the Bayou Adventure story, but he’s also wrapped up in a controversial element of the Disney film.

Disney Fans Want Friends From the “Other Side”

Weeks before Disneyland Park exiled Splash Mountain, news came out that Disney would leave out any of the controversial voodoo themes from The Princess and the Frog.

The removal of Splash Mountain was sparked by the racist film Song of the South, on which the attraction was based. With backlash from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog for handling the voodoo topic, Disney Imagineers had all the more reason to bypass Dr. Facilier in the coming attraction.

Still, with his friends from the “other side” creating tension in the film’s plot that could be perfect for a pre-drop plot reminiscent of Splash Mountain’s vultures, a Disney fan took to Reddit to gut-check fellow Princess and the Frog fans about the missing Dr. Facilier. In the post, u/Jbash_31 said:

Dr. Facilier in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?

Hey y’all. I’m excited for Tiana’s Bayou adventure! I have heard that Dr. Facilier likely won’t be in the ride, which is a decision I understand, given that he’s technically dead and that ‘evil voodoo’ is a bad look. Nonetheless, I do think it’s a shame ‘friends on the other side’ won’t be utilized in the ride, I think it would be a great fit for the drop. Do y’all think Disney is missing out by not including Dr. Facilier? What do you think the conflict in the ride will be, if there is any, without the iconic villain? Or do you think Disney will end up including him and the song after all? Would love to hear some thoughts.

Dr. Facilier in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
byu/Jbash_31 inDisneyland

One Reddit user, u/Freebirdjessie, responded quickly with a popular comment:

Yeah they missed the mark not staying true to the film in my opinion. They should keep him in it, “are you ready” heading up to the drop, would have been epic.

Another Redditor, u/theFormerRelic agreed that ousting Dr. Facilier is a mistake:

He’s the best thing about that movie, so yeah big L

While many shared the sentiment that the theme leading up to the drop would have been ideal for the friends from the “other side” to make an appearance, u/CosmicGhostHound offered a more optimistic take:

The Guardians retheme taught me to wait and see it first before I whine about a retheme. It’s possible that the drop may have some other completely fitting musical accompaniment. Or it may pale in comparison to the old. We’ll have to see.

While Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has big flumes to fill in the eyes of Disney fans, Disney Imagineers have always been pros at delivering magic, music, and mystical details into Disney rides. All that’s left to do is wait on the Bayou reveal when the new attraction swims into Parks in 2024.