Who’s ready to go on down the bayou with Princess Tiana and friends now that Splash Mountain has officially taken its final plunge?
In June 2020 Disney announced the closure of the popular, yet problematic, water ride at Magic Kingdom, while also announcing it would be reimagined as a Princess and the Frog attraction called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
The updated attraction picks up after the end of the 2009 movie, so guests will follow along with Princess Tiana in human form.
Those on the ride will even get to see as she and jazz-loving alligator Louis go on a musical adventure as they prepare to host a Mardi Gras celebration for the people of New Orleans.
Here is our complete guide to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which is slated to open in late 2024.
Quick Facts
Description: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a slow-moving boat ride that we suspect will be similar in a few ways to Splash Mountain. Stay tuned for more details once we are able to ride it ourselves after it opens in 2024.
Location
You will find Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Frontierland to the left of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Here’s the location on the map.
How to Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
As we receive more details on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we will update this information.
But, while Splash Mountain was open, guests could access the ride by entering the Standby Line or the Lightning Lane (only available with the purchase of Genie+).
We don’t anticipate Tiana’s Bayou Adventure having a Single Rider line (Splash never did).
We’re confident in saying that upon opening, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be very much in high demand. There’s no doubt the ride will accrue long waits.
There’s even a chance the attraction will utilize a virtual queue, just like we’ve seen with other new rides at Disney World when they first opened (TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind).
Do I Need Genie+ to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
While Disney hasn’t confirmed this, we expect that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will most likely have a Lightning Lane (possibly even an Individual Lightning Lane), as we’ve seen with other newly opened attractions.
We will update this section once we have more information.
Rider Switch/Child Swap
Rider Switch was offered for Splash Mountain, allowing guests with small children to take turns riding bigger rides, while another person/people wait with the little one.
What to Expect when you Ride
Queue
Since Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a new attraction, we anticipate it could have a virtual queue as we’ve seen with other newly opened attractions. Disney has not confirmed this.
As for the queue itself, Disney has released the following about the storyline guests can expect to see:
The queue will show how Tiana continues to grow her restaurant business with “Tiana’s Foods,” an employee-owned cooperative.
Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand, along with help from her mom, Eudora, Naveen, Louis, and fellow owners of the cooperative. She revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land, growing vegetables, herbs, and spices for recipes.
As described by Disney, “Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces.”
Enter the reason for the party Tiana is throwing during Mardi Gras, she wants to thank her family and friends and the entire community for all the support they’ve given.
Per Disney, “When it turns out there’s been a bit of a mix-up with the party preparations, Tiana invites us to meet her at Tiana’s Foods to help with the missing ingredient for the party.”
“When we arrive, we may see that Tiana spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists,” Disney notes. “Food for the party is being prepared and beignets are being loaded into crates for the celebration. All kinds of preparations are underway for the journey into the bayou with Tiana, along with new and familiar friends from the animated film.”
Stay tuned for more details!
Ride Vehicles
According to concept art for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, released by Disney late last year, the ride vehicles look to be the same ones used by Splash Mountain.
Each boat has a total of four rows, which could fit two adults or possibly two adults and a small child.
Accessibility Information
Accessibility information for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure hasn’t been released yet, but we assume it will be similar to Splash Mountain, which was as follows:
For those in wheelchairs and ECVs, you could park as close as needed to the boarding area, then transfer to the boat.
Mobility devices were moved to the other side after boarding, and you’d return to the same place when the ride is over, where you could then get back into your wheelchair or ECV.
Service animals were also not allowed on Splash Mountain.
PhotoPass/On-Ride Photos
Since photos were taken during the final drop on Splash Mountain, we expect the same will happen on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
For those with MagicBands or MagicBand+ with a linked Memory Maker account or if you are an Annual Passholder, the photo is uploaded automatically to your My Disney Experience account.
Be sure to read more on PhotoPass and how Memory Maker works.
Motion Sickness
If Tiana’s Bayou Adventure follows the same track as Splash Mountain, it will be a slow-moving boat ride with several little drops and a large drop right at the end that can cause motion sickness.
If you experience motion sickness in general, check out our guide on motion sickness for any Walt Disney attraction.
On the Ride
At the end of last year, Disney released new information about what guests can expect from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Princess Tiana and Louis are preparing to host a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. As you travel through the bayou, meeting Tiana’s other friends, zydeco music, a special Louisiana-born blend of rhythm and blues, brings you further into the world of New Orleans.
This music will play a large part in the ride as Disney said that, “zydeco brings together the sounds and styles of many cultures. We wanted that spirit reflected … throughout the attraction so that all our guests feel welcome to join in the celebration.”
As we learn new details about the experience, we will continue to update this page.
Is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Kid-Friendly?
While Splash Mountain did feature some darker scenes throughout the ride that may have scared smaller children, we do not yet know if the same will be the case for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
The 5-story drop at the end is fast and could easily scare younger audiences. Also, if you or your children do not like getting wet, we recommend avoiding it.
We have a full guide on several other things that might scare little ones at WDW.
Strollers
Strollers are not allowed in most queues at Walt Disney World. Instead, you’ll need to park your stroller in the designated stroller parking area.
For Splash Mountain, strollers could be parked closer to the queue entrance, while also up above near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
History
Disney announced in June 2020 that Splash Mountain would receive a makeover to distance itself from its original subject matter, the 1946 film Song of the South, a problematic and racist text.
At the time of the retheming announcement, Disney stated, “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.”
In July 2022, it was confirmed that Splash Mountain would become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by the 2009 animated film, The Princess and the Frog.
The new attraction is slated to open in late 2024.
Other Fun Details
Once we’re able to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we will share fun details, like Easter Eggs. Stay tuned!
Other Attractions in Frontierland
- Splash Mountain Closing January 2023 at Disney World to Make Way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- The Reimagined Splash Mountain ‘Princess & The Frog’ Attraction Opening In Late 2024
- Tiana’s Palace Replacing French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square at Disneyland
- 2023 Lunar New Year & Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Dates Announced
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue Will Have 3 Drop Times