The Disney Souvenir That Totally Failed Me

Hi again. It’s Emily AKA AllEars Riker back with yet another story from a recent trip. I used one of our tried and true tips, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me this time…

This particular incident involves unexpected waves, ponchos, 50-degree weather, and a couple of tears. So let’s get into the tale!

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, which means when you click a link and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with Disneyland, so of course, I had a trip booked for this November to see the park with the holiday decor! It also just so happened to line up with the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on November 15th. So naturally, I wanted to see the newest attraction in the park!

During previews and opening weekend, you may recall complaints about the water levels and the splash in the ride. From personal experience, I can confirm the splashes were NUTS. I had been on Splash Mountain many times and while I’m used to a hefty wave after the drop, this was something else.

I knew this going in which is why I stopped at Walmart to get a handy dandy poncho on a budget. Nobody wants to pay for the expensive ponchos inside the Disney parks right? Well, after riding, I regretted that decision.

I donned the poncho, hopped in line, and felt ready. Then the sweet Cast Member put me in row one (if you know, you know this row is notorious) so I got nervous. But my poncho would protect me, right? WRONG.

Since the poncho was so light and thin, the air from the drops not only blew the hood off of my head every time, but the bottom of the poncho also flew up enough so that the water completely flooded my pants and the bottom of my shirt. 🤦‍♀️ I even held down the sides of the poncho during the drops, but the wind still picked up the parts of the poncho I wasn’t holding!

Remember, this is California in mid-November so the nights are CHILLY. It was in the 50s when this all went down!

If you want to get completely soaked on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure too, there are two ways to ride. You can either purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Premier Pass or try to enter the Virtual Queue.

It depends on the day and crowd levels, but on November 17th, I tried for the Virtual Queue two times (you have three chances per day at 7AM, 12PM, and 4PM) and had no luck, even when I hit “Join” right on time. However, I had Lightning Lane Multi Pass and around 1:30PM, after lots of refreshing, I was able to score a 6PM Lightning Lane.

Overall, I wasn’t mad that I rode because the new ride is absolutely adorable. The sets and the animatronics really wowed me. The music was exquisite. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t distracted by the massive waves but it has definitely been added to my must-ride list for future trips.

We constantly advocate for purchasing ponchos elsewhere since they are a bit overpriced in the Disney parks. However, it may be worth it to invest in a rain jacket or a slightly thicker poncho so you can avoid issues like this. The $2 price tag is tempting but it is no match for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Emma swears by the FROGG TOGGS poncho on Amazon and let me tell you, I hit “add to cart” the day after this whole debacle.

Shop the poncho here

Moral of the story — invest in a better poncho if you plan to ride Disney water rides in the fall. Or, if you’re brave, go without a poncho and bring a change of clothes or do something to keep yourself warm!

I’ll see you soon with more Disney lessons, but in the meantime, stay tuned to AllEars for the latest news!