November 2024 – present
Bayou Country – When you first arrive in Bayou Country from New Orleans Square, you will see the mountain on your left. The entrance is tucked away on the right side of the structure, just across the walkway from Winnie the Pooh.
BACKGROUND
Originally, this mountain was famously Splash Mountain, themed after the controversial 1946 film The Song of the South. The attraction opened in 1989, and critics frequently called for a re-theming of the attraction. In 2020, Disney announced it would finally overhaul the attraction – though they claim the project began in 2019 before the George Floyd protests saw a spike in petitions calling for the ride’s removal.
Led by Imagineer Charita Carter, the reimagined ride would instead focus on The Princess and the Frog, finally giving the franchise its first theme park attraction. The new version of the mountain would feature 48 Audio-Animatronics, original music by New Orleans musicians PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard, and new characters inspired by Louisiana culture. Imagineers collaborated with local artists, chefs, and cultural experts. Splash Mountain officially closed in 2023, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened roughly a year and a half later.
EXPERIENCE
Single Rider Line – yes
Fast Pass – yes
Height Requirement – 40″ (102 cm)
Duration – 9:20
Guests board onto logs after winding through the offices of Tiana’s Foods and some of the mountain’s caverns. The river bends around the marshes of the mountain’s base, and then the logs ascend the first hill of the journey. Riders take a scenic tour of the mountainside, and see Tiana, who urges them to hurry and help gather musicians for the day’s celebrations.
Inside the mountain, riders pass animatronic characters and watch the bayou come alive, with animals breaking out instruments to perform songs along the way. Finally, Mama Odie emerges, ushering them to the party…which just happens to be at the bottom of a 53-foot drop.
Finally, the journey ends at the highly anticipated party, where Tiana, Naveen, and their animal friends perform and send guests off into the night.
MY RATING – ★★★★★
Even as someone that is afraid of heights, I truly love this ride. If you haven’t experienced it, the ride has many smaller drops throughout – so honestly, by the time you get to the big one you’re adrenaline is already pumping. The interiors are also really fun, and I love the jazz music throughout.
Let me be clear: the final drop is HUGE, fast, and steep. But take it from a serious chicken: it’s every bit as fun as it is scary. The other drops are small, and mostly dark, so the final drop is the only one that is at all daunting or intimidating. Trust me when I say the big drop is over before you know it, and you’ll be so glad you gave this ride a chance.
VISITING TIPS
Since Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is still fairly new, this ride doesn’t really have much of an “off” season yet. That being said, your best chances to ride without much of a line are first thing in the morning, toward the end of the night (minus the summertime), or most days between early January and early March.
If you are visiting during the summer, on a weekend, or during a more crowded day, you have a few options. You can grab a lightning lane, use the single rider line, or visit later. But other than that, you just have to tough out the lines, unfortunately.
And this may seem obvious, but you WILL get wet. In my personal opinion, they turned the soaking up a notch with this version of the ride; I’ve gotten far more drenched more consistently than I ever did on Splash Mountain. If you’re not okay with dripping for a bit after you ride, skip this one.
TRIVIA
This is the fastest ride in Disneyland Park, with a peak speed of 40 mph.
Does the line smell good to you? It’s not just you – they use smellitizers to pump in the smell of beignets.
Several voice actors from the original film reprised their roles for the attraction, including Anika Noni Rose (Princess Tiana), Bruno Campos (Prince Naveen), and Michael Leon Wooley (Louis).
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also one of the longest rides in the park, with a ride time of roughly nine and a half minutes.
Though the Disney World version in Florida runs about a minute longer, the Disneyland version has one additional drop!
Note: I receive an onslaught of vile, racist messages and comments every single time I post anything about this attraction. As a result, I’m closing comments on this post preemptively. If you came here to make such a comment, I suggest you use that energy to try and be a better human.