Tiana’s Bayou Adventurer: A Magical Transformation of Splash Mountain
Splash Mountain's Re-theme: A Bold Move by Disney
There is always a little controversy when Disney makes any major changes. Heck, even small changes sometimes cause a ripple in the pond, so it was no surprise that when they announced that Splash Mountain would re-theme way back in 2020, folks were up in arms. Now, myself, I love a Disney classic ride, but let’s be honest, a little paint job couldn’t hurt Splash, and now that it’s complete, I was so excited to get a chance to preview it this week! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is ready, beautiful, and welcoming regular guests beginning June 28th.
Simultaneous Queues: Tron, Guardians, and Tiana's
For it’s opening season, Tiana will be offered as a virtual queue at both 7am and 1pm. According to Disney’s website, you will be able to hold multiple virtual queues meaning Tron, Guardians, and Tiana’s at the same time, that is if you're that fast! LOL! And yes, I think I have already figured out a strategy for this! And as the status quo, you will have approximately an hour to return for your VQ window.
Overcoming Ride Downtime and Technical Issues
Luckily, I was here for several days , otherwise I would have not lucked out to ride. I had a park reservation (these are only required for annual pass holders) to Magic Kingdom for the first day of the preview and that morning snagged boarding group 46. However, mechanics had other plans for my day. The ride was down until after 1pm so Disney opted to suspend the 1pm VQ opportunity. Then the ride went down after only boarding a few groups so I was not the lucky one on day one. I just wanted to note this to say, sometimes even the perfectly laid plans go haywire from circumstances beyond our control, so if your heart is set on a ride that requires the VQ, we should always talk about a back up plan as well.
Navigating Lightning Delays and Finally Riding
So day two I was able to snag the VQ for the 1pm! But not out of the woods just yet. The ride ran smoothly all day and our group was called but just a few feet from loading, the ride was paused for lightening! But we decided to tough it out and wait out the pause! After around 40 mins, we were ready to head down the bayou!
Spoiler warnings from here on friends!
Animatronics and Visuals: A Stunning Upgrade
The ride logistics itself are unchanged here. Keeping the same route, drops, etc as our beloved Splash Mountain. So anticipating those “you may get wet” instances is old hat for those of you who have rode the original many times. And I have to remind you that as we go on, I am not a water ride friendly person. In fact, I usually avoid them at all costs. BUT, Tiana’s….I will ride again and again! Of course, first seat still gets the wettest, I opted for seat two and got a little wet but not soaked by any means. Now that the water issue is addressed, let’s talk about the refurb.
Lightning Bug Scene: A Must-See Moment
Predictably, Disney folks hate change. In fact, we loathe it. But I will tell you now, that Tiana’s was just the refreshing upgrade this classic ride needed. The animatronics are SUPERB! I was so impressed. They are much more sophisticated than their counterparts in Frozen Ever After over in Epcot! They do utilize screens as well. I have heard a lot of mixed feelings on those, but in my opinion they are not over done by any means and those animatronics steal the entire show! Although, watch for the lightning bug scene, it is absolute perfection! Mama Odie’s several appearances make a great addition as well and of course JuJu!
Mama Odie and JuJu:
Beloved Characters Make an Appearance
Closing Celebration: A Joyous End to the Ride
The closing scene, with a new celebration song and a combination of screen and animatronics is absolute perfection! So vivid and happy! This song will become one for the Disney ages in my opinion, thank you PJ Morton! And I cannot let this blog end without addressing the real hero here. Charita Carter, you have once again solidified your place as one of Disney’s most talented and treasured imagineers. I will forever have you as a favorite! And if you aren’t familiar with Charita, get familiar! I have a feeling we are going to be seeing much more of her work in the planned expansion of Magic Kingdom and the parks worldwide! She is a Disney jewel! (And she held my hand once!)
Final Thoughts:
So don’t miss out on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! It gets 5 stars from this non water riding park girl! And I can’t wait for you guys to ride and see just how beautiful this facelift on a classic truly is!
