We Were Among the First to Preview Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney World—Here’s What to Know About the Newest Attraction
Blue skies and sunshine aren’t always guaranteed in Florida, but you’ll find extra magic in the air at Walt Disney World these days with the Magic Kingdom's newest attraction: Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
The ride, which replaced Splash Mountain, officially opens to the public on June 28. While it has the same track as the previous attraction, Tiana's Bayou Adventure offers guests an entirely new, joyful experience.
The ride takes place about a year after the events of The Princess and the Frog and digs a little deeper into Princess Tiana's story—so, don't expect the storyline from the 2009 Walt Disney Animation Studios movie.
Related: Anika Noni Rose Returning to Voice Princess in Tiana Series: Everything You Need to Know
"We really wanted to expand Tiana's story through the attraction and add another layer in depth of storytelling to Tiana in general," Rebecca Clancy, an Imagineer on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, tells Parade.
Guests who board the log will embark on an enchanting journey through a bayou-tiful Louisiana bayou, decorated with cypress trees and Spanish moss, to help find musicians for Tiana’s party during Mardi Gras season. Ridegoers will get a unique perspective of the bayou after Mama Odie shrinks them down to the size of a frog, before restoring them back to normal size via the attraction's 50-foot drop!
Alexandra Hurtado
With The Princess and the Frog being one of my favorite Disney movies, I was excited to preview Tiana's Bayou Adventure ahead of its grand opening and see characters from the film come to life with audio-animatronics. If you're a fellow Princess and the Frog fan, then the attraction is sure to have you tapping your foot and singing along to tunes from the animated flick, including "Almost There."
The ride also features a catchy new song, titled "Special Spice," that is played during the ride's vibrant finale scene, which features familiar faces from the movie, in addition to new musical critters.
Olga Thompson
Anika Noni Rose, who voiced Tiana in the movie and also lent her voice to the attraction, tells Parade, "I think the fans of Princess and the Frog may love the music the most, but it's also beautiful."
She adds, "I think reacquainting ourselves with the characters and hearing those voices again in a new space is really nice."
Before you go down the bayou, here is everything you need to know about riding Walt Disney World's newest attraction, Tiana's Bayou Adventure:
Walt Disney World
When does Tiana's Bayou Adventure open?
The ride will officially open to the public on June 28 at Magic Kingdom in Florida, and later in 2024 at Disneyland Park over in California.
How to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure
There will be a virtual queue in place for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when it opens. Guests will have to use the My Disney Experience app to join the queue and will be permitted to do so once per day. There will also be a Lightning Lane entrance offered through the Disney Genie+ service.
Alexandra Hurtado
How big is Tiana's Bayou Adventure's drop?
The ride's biggest drop measures 50 feet!
Who can ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure?
Guests must be at least 40-inches tall to ride the attraction.
Disney warns that guests should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, and notes that motion sickness and other conditions could be aggravated by the attraction.
Is Tiana's Bayou Adventure scary?
Not at all! The ride is a fun, musical journey featuring characters from The Princess and the Frog like Tiana and Louis, but it does have multiple drops including the 50-foot plunge at the end, so if you're not a fan of that dropping sensation, then you might want to sit this one out. I'm personally not a fan of steep drops, but this one isn't bad. In fact, the anticipation of the drop is worse than the drop itself.
Where is Tiana's Bayou Adventure located?
You can find Tiana's Bayou Adventure in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom inside Disney World. It is also opening in Disneyland Park later in 2024.
Alexandra Hurtado
Is there Tiana merchandise?
Of course there are an array of products to buy! At Tiana's Bayou General and Critter Co-Op at the Magic Kingdom, guests will find apparel, accessories (yes, there are Tiana’s Bayou Adventure-inspired Mouse ears), plush toys, home decor and more.
So, grab somebody, come on down and experience the magic of Tiana's Bayou Adventure yourself starting June 28, 2024.
