The Magic Kingdom’s newest attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, has courted controversy in some circles since it was first announced. However, there’s more going on under the surface of this attraction than many realize.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably aware that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a refurbishment of Splash Mountain, the log flume E-Ticket attraction that first opened at the Magic Kingdom in 1992. The change, announced in 2020, was done to eliminate the ride’s connection to the film Song of the South, whose portrayal of race was controversial when the film opened in 1947, and only became more so as the years went on.
When the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure refurbishment was first announced, Disney Imagineer Bob Weiss spoke about the decision to retheme the attraction to Tiana, saying that the character was “a modern, courageous, and empowered woman who pursues her dreams while never losing sight of what’s really important. So it’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new ‘land’ added to Disneyland, so it feels natural to link the story of The Princess and the Frog to the park. And as you know, music is a big part of the story and our attractions, and the incredible songs and score from The Princess and the Frog are often among fan favorites.”
Let’s begin diving underneath the waters of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure by literally going underneath the attraction’s waters! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is constructed out of concrete, with a flume that is nearly a half-mile long and features 28,000 gallons of water per minute flowing past any one point.
Over the course of its approximate 11-minute run time, the attraction features five lifts and three drops, including the climactic 52-foot drop, which is built at a 45-degree angle and reaches a maximum speed of 40 mph.
Beyond the ride’s track, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure features 48 animatronics including several versions of Tiana, Louis the Gator, Mama Odie, and a slew of other characters from the 2009 film.
There’s more going on underneath the waters of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure than many riders realize. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney World’s newest rides!
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What’s your favorite part of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Let us know in the comments below.
I didn’t have a favorite part in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure except for filming Dr facilier and Lawrence action figures in my right hand. I was letdown with the lack of characters absent from the ride including spoonbill birds, lady butterflies, Reggie Darnell two fingers, 2 fenner bros, Buford, a showboat, Lawrence and Dr facilier absent from the ride. The ride itself is very boring and the dropoff has no tension with an a jarring song dig a little deeper not fitting with the dropoff. Also I am reminded of the 1927 Mississippi river flood disaster which was a national disaster in North America with Africa American refugees stuck on levee hills in red cross camps. I hope the creators of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will address the 1927 flood and either make it a memorial ride with 1920s flood songs or else change it to 1928 to avoid the 1927 Mississippi river flood controversy. Or else revise it to the retelling of the princess and the frog to follow the film plot with Dr facilier. But I have no interest in riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with empty dark spaces. If the Disney imagineers adds more animatronic characters to the ride then yes. Otherwise I’ll skip it since I’m reminded of the 1927 Mississippi flood disaster.