Great news! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens June 28 at Magic Kingdom!
It’s been 18 months since long beloved Splash Mountain closed for reimagining. Fan reception was mixed when Disney announced that Splash Mountain would be replaced with an attraction based on The Princess and the Frog. Some fans were thrilled that Princess Tiana was getting her own attraction. Others were very upset that Splash Mountain was going to be changed at all, let alone completely reimagined with a new theme. Still others were happy that the “basic” ride itself wasn’t going to change–Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is still a log ride. It’s still a water ride with a 60′ drop. You will likely still get wet on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens June 28
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been in testing and previews for a few weeks now. Reviews from those that have ridden so far have been mixed: I’ve read reviews from people that absolutely loved the new attraction, and I’ve seen other reviews that have been lukewarm or even negative.
Some of the more negative reviews seem to be that the attraction wasn’t changed enough from Splash Mountain while others seem unhappy that it wasn’t still Splash Mountain. A third subset seem to be disappointed that there wasn’t more done with Audio-Animatronics. Disney has been telling us for months that these are the most sophisticated Audio-Animatronic characters they’ve ever created, and the early video they released of one of the Tiana Audio-Animatronics sure was impressive. See our earlier post here to check out that video. I’ve really been looking forward to seeing these new Audio-Animatronics live and in person, so I can certainly understand if some were disappointed if the new Audio-Animatronics don’t live up to the hype.
Based on the pictures and videos I’ve seen so far, I’m pretty excited about this reimagining. I loved Splash Mountain, but I wasn’t among those that were upset that it was getting an update. I loved The Princess and the Frog, and I think Princess Tiana was a terrific addition to the Disney Princess roster.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: What’s the Queue Like?
The landscaping, pathways and the building exteriors have all been refreshed and revitalized. The main building is now a bright cheery yellow and has a terrific mural on one side.
There’s now great signage for the new attraction, both outside the queue and within.
Spoilers Ahead: Queue Photos for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
If you don’t want more details about what the queue will include, click away now. If you’d to see the queue theming, check out the gallery below.
The queue helps to tell the story of what inspires Tiana to go into the Bayou. This attraction picks up a while after the end of the movie, “The Princess and the Frog”. We learn that after the success of Tiana’s restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, Tiana went on to expand her business. Working with the community, Tiana took over an aging salt mine and created Tiana’s Foods. Tiana’s Foods produces seasonings, hot sauces and other foods.
We soon learn that Tiana is hosting a celebration tonight, and everyone is invited! But before the celebration can begin, Tiana needs our help! Somehow, in all the craziness of planning the party, both Tiana and Prince Naveen forgot to book a band! It’s Mardi Gras time, and there are no available musicians! Tiana thinks of her jazz loving alligator friend, Louis. All of us are going to journey into the Bayou to find Louis and see if he can help us find musicians for the party.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: What will we see on the ride? SPOILERS AHEAD
As Tiana leads us into the Bayou, we are again entering spoiler territory. If you want to be surprised by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, click away now. But if you’d like to see some images from the ride itself, please check out the gallery below.
In a ride experience full of music, we also get to experience some Disney magic as well. The wonderful music we’ll hear throughout the attraction will include a new song, “Special Spice” with vocals from Anika Noni Rose, who was the original voice of Princess Tiana. Mama Odie will shrink us down to an itty bitty size to help us find great Bayou musicians. She’ll also help us get back to normal size so we can experience the joyful Mardi Gras celebration of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen’s celebration.
Audio-Animatronic Characters
As I mentioned above, Disney has been telling us that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will include some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronic figures Imagineers have ever created. Disney also tells us that this new attraction includes “dozens” of Audio-Animatronic figures. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure includes Audio-Animatronic figures of Tiana, Mama Odie and Louis. Disney tells us that Louis is one of the largest and most dynamic Audio-Animatronic figures Disney has ever built!
In addition to these three very familiar characters for fans of The Princess and the Frog, Disney has also created lots of NEW characters, just for this attraction. There are 19 new critters we’ll meet on our Bayou Adventure, each with their own distinctive features and personalities.
I don’t include any video ride-throughs on my page because I like to be at least a little bit surprised, and I’d like to preserve that opportunity for my visitors as well. Nevertheless, if you are interested in a video ride-through, you can find them on both youtube and tiktok.
I think the ride looks like a lot of fun from the pictures, and I’m really looking forward to riding it on our family trip in October.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Open With Virtual Queue
Disney has told us that when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure initially opens, it will use a virtual queue, just like TRON, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. However, my impression from the information Disney has released so far is that the virtual queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will most likely not last very long. I think once everything is going smoothly, Disney will drop the virtual queue and revert to a standby queue. I’m hopeful that the virtual queue will be a distant memory by summer’s end.
What about Lightning Lane?
Disney has told us that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will not be an attraction available for separate purchase as a lightning lane attraction. However, it will be part of Genie+, and guests will be able to reserve lightning lane access via Genie+ if they choose to purchase Genie+ for the day. As with any Genie+ attraction, lightning lane access will depend on availability.
Bottom Line: Are You Excited to Ride?
It’s been a year and a half since Splash Mountain closed. Now that we know Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens June 28 at Disney World, are you excited to ride it? Please let us know below!
