Disney World's Tiana's Bayou Adventure makes an even bigger 'splash' than its predecessor
Editor's Note
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is Disney World's biggest and most exciting new attraction of the year. But it's not new as in built from the ground up; instead, it is a "reimagining" of the Splash Mountain log flume attraction, which opened at Disneyland in 1989 and Disney World in 1992. Splash Mountain was an instant classic with lively music and charming country critters. However, if you went deep enough into the storyline, the ride was not without hurtful stereotypes, caricatures and controversy.
When Disney announced it was closing Splash Mountain and giving it a Princess Tiana makeover, fans of the ride — myself included — were hopeful that its replacement wouldn't lose the elements that made us love one of Disney's classic "mountain" rides so much.
And now, it has received a much-needed upgrade worthy of a Disney princess.
Related: The best rides at Disney World
After experiencing the ride for myself during a media preview event ahead of the ride's official opening June 28, I can say without hesitation that this ride makes an even bigger "splash" than its predecessor ... in more ways than one.
Let's "dig a little deeper" into everything you need to know about Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
The things you love about this classic ride are still there
If you loved Splash Mountain for all its good qualities, there's really nothing to worry about with its successor.
Though Tiana's Bayou Adventure has all-new music, animatronic characters and story elements, the ride track, ride vehicles and 50-foot drop are exactly the same. If your favorite part was singing and dancing to the music, you still can, just with all-new tunes.
If you love the thrill of flying down the ride's main drop, you can do that, too. If you prefer peeking over the top of the lift hill at arguably the best view in Magic Kingdom, it's still there.
If you love adorable critter animatronics, there's a fun, new batch of those, too — 19, to be exact.
And yes, you may still get wet.
Related: First look: Disney's Splash Mountain to get 'The Princess and the Frog' makeover
I think you get my point. The things that made Splash Mountain such a beloved attraction are not missing from Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
They are there, just with a fresh look. Given the three decades of storytelling experience and technological advancements Disney has developed since Splash Mountain opened, I'd argue that Tiana's Bayou Adventure not only matches but improves upon the best parts of the theme that came before it.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure makes better use of Disney's storytelling capabilities
Tiana's Bayou Adventure picks up where 2009's "The Princess and the Frog" film left off: Tiana opens the restaurant she had been working so hard for, and she lives happily ever after (in human form) with Prince Naveen.
Now, it is 1927, and Tiana is an established business owner. In addition to the Tiana's Palace restaurant, she operates a co-op called Tiana's Foods out of an old salt mine. The waters flowing through the salt mine nourish the crops and provide riders with a rollicking river adventure.
The ride follows Tiana as she searches for a cast of musicians to perform at her blowout Mardi Gras celebration. I will say that some of this storyline is initially set up in the queue, and while I was able to follow along pretty easily, some guests I spoke with who rode it outside of the media preview (and all of its backstory and setup) did have a little bit of trouble following along with exactly what was happening at some points within the storyline.
During the ride, you'll encounter dozens of new and familiar characters in the form of state-of-the-art animatronics, like the magical Mama Odie, Prince Naveen, Tiana, Louis and dozens of musical critters.
"We're almost there" after the ride's famous 50-foot drop, but not before you arrive at the Mardi Gras celebration to sing and dance along with Tiana and all her friends for the grand finale.
The storytelling is more authentic
Tiana's Bayou Adventure leans more heavily into authentic storytelling than its predecessor. The team that worked on Tiana's Bayou Adventure strived for authenticity and relatability in every way, from the music to the art and everything in between.
Related: TPG goes behind the scenes as Disney unveils $60 billion toward future of theme parks
When Disney announced the name of the ride in 2022, it also shared that Imagineers made several research trips to New Orleans "to ensure Tiana's Bayou Adventure preserves the heart and soul of the city that inspired Princess Tiana's story;" they worked closely with the family of the woman who inspired Tiana's character in the film, Leah Chase.
Chase, who passed away in 2019, was a legendary chef and former owner of Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans. The restaurant was started by her father-in-law but gained fame as one of the first African American fine dining establishments after Leah took the reins.
Tiana was a dreamer and a doer who had a real story in a real place — and those are all elements that were important to Disney as it looked to bring a new story to life in this attraction.
As a fun connecting line from the ride to the real-life inspiration, the gift shop after the attraction offers Dooky Chase's spices and a cookbook.
It wasn't just the Chase family that was involved. Disney also worked with several New Orleans musicians to develop the ride's signature sounds of zydeco, rara and jazz.
You'll hear a mix of favorite songs from the film and some new tunes, too. The soundtrack was created by Grammy Award-winning New Orleans musicians PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard. Morton also wrote an original song for the ride called "Special Spice," which is performed by Anika Noni Rose, the same singer and actress who voiced the original Tiana in the film.
Much of the artwork throughout the ride was designed by Louisiana natives, again adding to the authenticity.
A colorful mural in the queue depicting Tiana's journey as a business owner was created by Malaika Favorite, an acclaimed artist whose work can also be seen in Louisiana's Baton Rouge Gallery, and the weather vane atop the ride's mill house was handcrafted by third-generation master blacksmith Darryl Reeves.
The new version is joyful and uplifting
But while the details and care that Disney put into bringing the ride to life set the stage and allow you to go deeper into the story, this is also just a fun, magical attraction that kids and adults are likely to enjoy.
The ride is upbeat, positive and appropriate for adults and kids (who are 40 inches and up). The ride's main character, Tiana, doesn't let anything stand in the way of her dreams. She reminds us to be strong, empowered and courageous. This message is just as important for kids as it is for adults like myself, and it's one we all need to be reminded of occasionally.
"I want people to feel a sense of joy, happiness and celebration when they ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Our hope is that they walk away with a sense of inspiration, that no matter what your walk of life, you can be anything you want to be," Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, told TPG during the media event.
"We want people to feel like no matter what their dream, they can do it. At Disney, one of our big mottoes at Walt Disney Imagineering is that we can make the impossible possible, and I think you feel that all the way through this ride."
Tiana's Bayou Adventure doesn't have the sense of danger or a villain the way that Splash Mountain did, but a ride doesn't necessarily need suspense or tension to be fun.
And, without spoiling the ride, I can promise you Disney sets up the big drop and the subsequent grand finale in a way that is as much fun as ever but with its own style and flair. You'll even get a taste of Mama Odie's magic along the way.
Why did Disney open Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
What most Splash Mountain riders — especially kids — didn't realize was that the music, characters and storyline of Splash Mountain drew heavily from a 1946 Disney film called "Song of the South," which some considered outdated and even racist.
In June 2020, Disney announced on the Disney Parks Blog that Splash Mountain would receive a makeover themed to 2009's "The Princess and the Frog." In the announcement, it shared, "It's important that our guests be able to see themselves in the experiences we create. The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year."
Splash Mountain closed in January 2023 at Disney World and May 2023 at Disneyland to make way for Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
How to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure
There are currently three ways to get on Tiana's Bayou Adventure: you can wait in a traditional standby queue, purchase Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass and make a Lightning Lane reservation for the ride or purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass and enter the Lightning Lane at any time during the day.
When will Tiana's Bayou Adventure open at Disneyland?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is scheduled to open Nov. 15 at Disneyland.
Bottom line
Tiana's Bayou Adventure isn't Splash Mountain, but it isn't meant to be. If you go into it looking for the same story beats and sense of danger with vultures lurking about, you won't find it here. But you will find an inspirational Disney princess, a toe-tapping soundtrack, that iconic 50-foot drop and some big surprises that'll likely leave you smiling from ear to ear.
Overall, when you pair authentic, inspirational storytelling with technologically advanced audio-animatronics, special effects and catchy tunes, Tiana's Bayou Adventure has a recipe for success.
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