UPDATED November 15, 2024

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is NOW OPEN in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland park!

From the story, to the music, to Princess Tiana’s NEW adventure, and more, there’s SO much to share about this dual-coast attraction!

Simply click any of the links below to jump to a specific topic:

• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Story
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — Ride Elements
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — HOW TO RIDE
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — On-ride Attraction Photo and PhotoPass
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — Princess Tiana
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Characters
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Music
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Queue
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Inspiration
• The Re-Imagining of Splash Mountain
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — Stores and Merchandise
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — Inspiring Art
• Ride Specifications and Restrictions

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Story 

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure picks up the story of The Princess and the Frog “after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.” 

So, what exactly DOES happen “after the final kiss”? Well, when the film itself ends, Princess Tiana makes her dream come true when she opens her very own restaurant, Tiana’s Palace (just like the one in Disneyland)!

The story of the attraction is set about a year after the movie and picks up during New Orleans’ Carnival season.

To celebrate, Tiana is hosting a Mardi Gras Party for the people of New Orleans — the community that has supported her successful restaurant.

But Tiana realizes that the party is “missing a key ingredient” and she needs help finding it…

And YOU will join Tiana, too, along with Louis on an adventure to the bayou!

Because you see, as it turns out, that missing “key ingredient” is… A BAND!

That’s right! It’s time to join Tiana and Louis on the search for instrumentalists to form the BEST BAND IN THE BAYOU!

Along the way, riders encounter more characters from the film including Mama Odie who shrinks everyone down in size to join in the search for fireflies.

But don’t you worry…

Mama Odie will bring you back to full-size before everything is finished. Why?

Because, as she says, “The BIGGER YOU ARE…

… the BIGGER THE SPLASH you’ll make!”

And then, at last…

Get ready for a Mardi Gras celebration in Frontierland (in Magic Kingdom) and Bayou Country (in Disneyland)!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — Ride Elements

Ride Type and Duration

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a water flume ride featuring the thrill of a 5-story drop!

The attraction is lengthy, lasting nearly 12 minutes in full!

Oh, and did we mention that… 

… “YOU MAY GET WET!”?

Audio-Animatronics

State of the art audio-animatronics of characters including Tiana (of course), Louis, the “critter band,” and MORE bring the attraction to life!

In fact, in April 2024, thanks to an exclusive invite from Disney to tour Walt Disney Imagineering, we were able to get an in-person look at a new Tiana animatronic (along with some of the OTHER, never-before-seen character animatronics) at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!

We weren’t able to take photos at the event, but we did spot some pretty interesting details on the new animatronics, which also include Tiana’s dear friend Charlotte (Lottie) La Bouff !

There were several different versions of Mama Odie’s animatronic in the workshop, and she  is joined by JuJu, her snake (who may just try to steal a bite of one of Tiana’s famous Beignets… I mean, can you blame him?).

You can find out more about our experience HERE!

Learn some behind-the-scenes SECRETS about the amazing Audio-Animatronics at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure HERE!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — HOW TO RIDE in DISNEY WORLD

In Disney World, there are THREE ways to get a spot in line for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. 

Virtual Queue

Disney World is using a Virtual Queue/Boarding Pass system for the opening phase* of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which is available to join via the My Disney Experience app. This means that a traditional Standby line is NOT currently offered.

*Disney shared, “While a standby queue will not be available during the attraction’s initial opening days, we expect to open a standby queue soon after the attraction’s opening.” 

Guests have 2 daily opportunities to request to join the virtual queue — the first is at 7AM, and the second is at 1PM. Guests trying to request to join the virtual queue at 7AM do not have to be inside Magic Kingdom. If you’re trying to join the 1PM virtual queue, you have to be INSIDE Magic Kingdom.

Click HERE for a STEP BY STEP Guide to getting a Virtual Queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!

Lightning Lane Options

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also available a Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Tier 1 option. This means that, from THREE advance Lightning Lane Multi-Pass selections, you can choose one experience from Tier 1 and two experiences (or all three) from Tier 2. You can learn more about how to access Tiana’s Bayou Adventure using Lightning Lane Multi-Pass HERE.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is included with Lightning Lane Premier Pass. Lightning Lane Premier Pass is an inclusive option grants one-time entry into EVERY Lightning Lane entry in a given park for one price. You can learn more about this option here. 

On-ride Attraction Photo

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure offers an on-ride attraction photo! Riders are able to view and purchase their on-ride photos and video through Disney PhotoPass (via the My Disney Experience app) after riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

These moments are primarily captured when guests wear a MagicBand or MagicBand+ while on the ride.

Guests who are not wearing MagicBands can find instructions for on-ride photos posted at the attractions that offer these unique shots! Look for a sign like the one pictured above from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Additionally, guests can pose for a PhotoPass MagicShot — an image enhanced with characters and icons from the attraction!

Simply ask a PhotoPass Photographer stationed near the ride if they have the MagicShot for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure available. After your picture is taken, you can access the images in the My Disney Experience app. 

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — HOW TO RIDE in Disneyland

In Disneyland, there are THREE ways to get a spot in line for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. 

Virtual Queue

Disneyland is using a Virtual Queue/Boarding Pass system for the opening phase of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which is available to join via the Disneyland app. This means that a traditional Standby line is NOT currently offered.

Guests have 3 daily opportunities to request to join the virtual queue — at  7AM, 12PM, or 4PM. Guests trying to request to join the virtual queue at 7AM do not have to be inside Disneyland park. If you’re trying to join the 12PM or 4PM virtual queue, you have to be INSIDE the park.

Click HERE for a STEP BY STEP Guide to getting a Virtual Queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!

Lightning Lane Options

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also available a Lightning Lane Multi-Pass option. You can learn more about how to access Tiana’s Bayou Adventure using Lightning Lane Multi-Pass HERE.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is included with Lightning Lane Premier Pass. Lightning Lane Premier Pass is an inclusive option grants one-time entry into EVERY Lightning Lane entry in a given park for one price. You can learn more about this option here. 

Princess Tiana

President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis shared with D23 that “Tiana is 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.”

Weis also noted that Walt Disney opened New Orleans Square in Disneyland park in 1966, “so it feels natural to link the story of The Princess and the Frog to the park.”

You’ll notice in the new attraction that Tiana is wearing an all-new outfit, which is “connecting who Tiana was in the movie to who she will be in the future.” Costume designer Ida Muldrow from Disney Live Entertainment along with other members of the team talked about their approach to designing Tiana’s new look.

And, in fact, Disney World guests are able to meet Tiana in her Bayou Adventure look at 1900 Park Fare — a Character Meal in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort!

Since the story takes place in the 1920s, designers looked at the trends of the time. They wanted to make sure Tiana’s look was historically accurate, while still being authentic to her character. Muldrow shared, “Tiana was equally at home in the bayou as she was at a banquet…We wanted her look to reflect that, and be a compliment to the story’s setting.” 

The team also worked on developing a unique hairstyle for Tiana. According to Disney, “the team placed emphasis on the versatility of Black women’s hair and its significance to our identity across geographies and generations.”

From hair to hat to outfit, learn about all the questions, details, and research that went into creating Tiana’s look for the attraction HERE!

When Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was announced, Melissa Valiquette, Vice President of Magic Kingdom, shared this sentiment: “we’re going to deliver a wonderful attraction that’s inspiring and beautiful, and worthy of this princess, Princess Tiana. “

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Characters

Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis, Mama Odie are joined by more characters from the original film. Look for Eudora (Tiana’s mom), Charlotte, “Big Daddy,” the King and Queen of Maldonia, and Naveen’s brother Prince Ralphie!

Imagineer Laura West designed some new characters from the ride, including a band of musical critters! In all, Disney shares that seventeen characters are part of the ride!

There’s Byalia the Beaver on the drums, Beau the Opossum playing bass, Apollo the Raccoon playing accordion, a Rufus the Turtle with a harmonica, Gritty the Rabbit on the washboard, and Timoleon the Otter playing the fiddle.

You’ll spot Octavia the Bobcat on the vaksin (a single-note horn instrument popular in Rara music), Pawpaw the Bobcat, Claude the Louisiana Black Bear (on his horn), Bernadette the Louisiana Black Bear (on her horn), Sebastián the Louisiana Black Bear (playing those drums), and Phina the Gray Fox (also on drums).

You can check out their biographies, according to Disney, here!

Oh, wait… WHAT? There are MORE MEMBERS of the Critter Band?? You bet there are! You’ll get to see Felipe the Frog (the leader of the band!), Mayra the Frog (she plays a flower blossom like a trumpet), Mondo the Frog (check him out on the conga drums), and Isabel the Green Tree Frog (also on congas).

You can get to know ’em HERE!

You can also keep your eyes peeled for Gloria and Delores; these frogs are best friends who love to observe folks as they float in logs down the bayou!

We’re also warned to keep an eye out for Lari the armadillo, quiet, mischievous fella, who shows up where we least expect him to (and apparently he “borrows” things he’s not supposed to)…

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Music

Music, of course, plays an important role in setting the scene, and the attraction even features original music “inspired by songs from the film.” Jenifer Lewis, the voice behind Mama Odie, is featured in the ride.

Even more of the original voice talents behind the beloved characters from Princess and the Frog have reprised their roles from the film including Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Michael Leon Wooley as Louis, and, of course, Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana.

Riders will hear zydeco music in the attraction (specifically in the bayou). Imagineers expressed that, “Zydeco is a special blend of rhythm and blues that was born in Louisiana.” Disney wanted to include this style of music because it “brings together the sounds and styles of many cultures.” The Imagineers wanted that spirit of inclusion to be reflected throughout the attraction.

Additionally, PJ Morton — a Grammy Award-Winning musician and someone you might recognize as the keyboardist for Maroon 5 — has created a NEW original song for the ride: “Special Spice”!

The full version of the song is NOW AVAILABLE on all streaming platforms — so you can listen before you ride.

 

Specifically, the song, “Special Spice,” plays during the finale scene of the ride, and you can get a TON of looks at the finale room overflowing with animatronics by clicking here! And if you’d like to get an idea of the sentiment of the song, these lines should give you an idea…

“It’s a joyful celebration!
You don’t need an invitation.
It’s joyful; this band just can’t be beat
because your special spice makes us—
because your unique spark makes us—
because your special spice makes us complete.
Because your special spice makes life complete.” 

Disney shared that Morton also performed on and produced songs from ‘The Princess and the Frog’ film. Songs from the film that can be heard within the attraction include: Down in New Orleans, Almost There, Gonna Take You There, and Dig a Little Deeper.

Grammy-Award Winning Artist Terence Blanchard is also helped to make the music of the attraction come to life. Fun fact: Blanchard played all of the trumpet parts for Louis the Alligator in The Princess and the Frog!

According to Disney, “Blanchard [helmed] music arrangement for the attraction’s queue. Terence [helped] us to select songs from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ as well as iconic themes from New Orleans. Just like Tiana’s recipes, the music [combines] a medley of instrumental ingredients to cook up something worth savoring.”

There are more reasons to keep your ears peeled in the queue… Leah Chase is the individual who served as the inspiration for Tiana. And Disney has shared that one of Leah Chase’s daughters – Leah Chase Jr. – recorded a version of the classic Louis Armstrong song “Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” that is featured on a faux-radio station which plays through the attraction’s queue!

Want to hear some of these amazing tunes?

Well, we’ve got some GREAT news: On June 28th, the same day that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened to the general public at Disney World, Walt Disney Records released the ride’s soundtrack across all streaming platforms!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — The Queue

The story of the attraction begins in the ride’s queue, where you’ll discover that Tiana wants to further bring the community together as she continues to grow her business.

It’s an employee-owned company called Tiana’s Foods.

As a result, she’s bought and transformed an old large salt dome (that’s the “mountain!”) with the help of her mother, Naveen, Louis, and fellow owners of the cooperative where she and her employees work together.

Here, they make food products (like Lousiana Tabasco Sauce!) and help members of the community become business people.

The land around the salt mine has also been renewed and now grows veggies, herbs, and spices for Tiana’s famous recipes.

For further context, one of the murals on the side of the building for Tiana’s Foods was designed by Louisiana native artist Malaika Favorite, and it’s inspired by art found throughout New Orleans.

Carmen Smith, Senior Vice President of Creative Development – Product/Content & Inclusive Strategies, wrote that this art is meant to preserve “the authenticity of Princess Tiana’s experience as a young Black woman striving to achieve her dream in the soulful backdrop of New Orleans”.

Read more about the artwork adorning the attraction HERE!

Disney Imagineering also built upon the story of Tiana’s father, James, inside the queue. James was a veteran of World War I, serving with the 369th Regiment. 

Disney used reference photos of soldiers who served in the 369th Regiment, which was one of the first African American regiments to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

Many members of this unit were awarded the prestigious Croix de Guerre medal by the French government for their valiant service in action and were well known for their bravery. You can read more about the inspiration for this moving backstory here.

Beyond what you’ll see, Imagineers have been focusing on the use of a New Orleans soundscape to make visitors feel like they’re actually there. Outside the barn area, there are speakers playing “reimagined New Orleans classics performed by an assortment of local musicians gathered by multiple Grammy winner Terence Blanchard,” according to Imagineer Ted Robledo.

There is another special surprise in the queue… One of Disney’s goals when putting together Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was to pay homage to New Orleans culture as much as possible. (As Ted Robledo shared: “The city as a place is as important as a character. The story reacts to the place. We’re starting to hint at that in the queue, to try to craft that love letter to New Orleans in every way possible.”)

And what’s more New Orleans than some fresh beignets?!

If the smell of that delicious fried dough is as tempting to you as it is to us, then you’ll be happy to know that the scent is pumped into the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue!

In May 2023, a Disney spokesperson revealed details about the queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, sharing that that there’s “never been a better time to be in a standby line.” And having walked through it ourselves, we have to say that we heartily agree!

We Found EPIC Surprises in the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Queue Line! See them ALL HERE!

The Inspiration for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

In August 2021 Disney shared a video featuring Carmen Smith, Creative Executive, Vice President, Inclusive Strategies for Walt Disney Imagineering; Charita Carter, Senior Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering (who oversaw the creation of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disney’s Hollywood Studios); and Marlon West, VFX Supervisor for Walt Disney Animation Studios.

They were joined by Stella Chase Reese, owner of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant — the New Orleans restaurant which inspired Tiana’s story! (Her mother, founder Leah Chase, also served as inspiration for Princess and the Frog.)

“The two coming together, music and food, brings joy and happiness to all” — Stella Chase Reese

The panel discussion took place during a research trip to New Orleans to further the goal of “digging deep into the culture of New Orleans to tell a story that’s as authentic to the region as it is to the characters’ stories. From the food, music, art and architecture to the diversity of its people and their traditions, there is much from which to draw inspiration.”

You can also see some of the research for the ride in action in this additional video shared by Disney in July 2022:

The Reimagining of Splash Mountain

In June 2020, Disney announced that the water-based ride Splash Mountain would close in both parks to be rethemed into an attraction inspired by the Disney animated film, The Princess and the Frog. (Splash Mountain in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom closed permanently on January 23, 2023, and Splash Mountain closed permanently in Disneyland on May 31st, 2023.

Regarding the re-theming of Splash Mountain, Disney shared that the process “begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about.”

“And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today.”

“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.”

That said, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure features a few “subtle nods” (also known as Easter Eggs) to Splash Mountain throughout the ride. 

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Stores and Merchandise

In Disney World, two new stores — Critter Co-Op and Tiana’s Bayou General — are now open in the attraction’s area.

In Disney World, guests enter Tiana’s Bayou General as they exit the attraction itself. Along with attraction merchandise, on-ride photos can be found here.

You can also visit the Critter Co-op for a HUGE array of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise!

Truly unique pieces include a few versions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Minnie Ears and even jewelry pieces!

And classic souvenirs include clothing such as this Spirit Jersey.

Collectible Disney pins, a Loungefly mini backpack, plush and other toys, water bottles, and MUCH MORE are available.

One of our personal favorites? The all-new FIREFLY TOY! It looks just like Raymond, and comes in a little lantern. And guess what?

It’s INTERACTIVE! You press the button on your firefly’s back to make it interact with other fireflies. You can take a closer look here.

And if Tiana has inspired you to whip up some Beignets or other goodies of your own, there’s a LOT of new kitchen merchandise, including a Dooky Chase cookbook, new apron, oven mitts, and more. 

What you see above is just a GLIMPSE… Click HERE to see ALL of the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise!

Click HERE to see MUCH MORE new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise!

In Disney World, we can also confirm the arrival of a few souvenirs that are truly fit for FOODIES! EXCLUSIVE hot sauces and food seasonings are available at Main Street Confectionery and Critter Co-Op. Be on the lookout for Mama Odie’s Hot Sauce. 

In addition to this new movie-inspired sauce, you can purchase assorted Dooky Chase’s Seasonings at the two shops. (As mentioned on this page, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant is the restaurant that was owned and operated by the legendary chef Leah Chase, who was one of the inspirations for Princess Tiana as a character).

This is the first time you can buy Dooky Chase’s Gumbo Base, Seafood Seasoning, Meat Seasoning, and Fried Chicken Seasoning outside of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant.

In Disneyland, a spot called Ray’s Berets has replaced The Briar Patch. Here, you’ll find headwear, apparel, accessories, toys, and more. And the left-hand side of Pooh Corner is now Louis’ Critter Club.

This shop has apparel, accessories, and home decor featuring “some of your favorite critters” and Princess Tiana. Take a peek inside here!

Inspiring Art

Sharika Mahdi — a visual artist, art educator, and alumna of the YAWA (Young Aspirations Young Artists) Arts Center in New Orleans — was commissioned to create a series of four original paintings to inspire the Disney Imagineers working on the attraction!

The first painting (above) inspires the attraction’s final scene, described as a “Mardi Gras party!”

A second painting by Mahdi was shared in August 2022.

It depicts a scene of jazz-playing frog musicians that “lovingly illustrates the jubilance and liveliness of this musical city.”

Mahdi has shared that her artwork is inspired by how the city makes “a big deal about everything and celebrat[es] everything. I want to show this is what it’s about, being a part of New Orleans and being a part of the culture.”

In August 2021, Disney also shared the following: “To celebrate all of these developments, our love and appreciation for New Orleans, and our commitment to arts education, Disney announced a $50,000 donation to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a regional, pre-professional arts training center that offers students intensive instruction in culinary arts, dance, media arts, classical instrumental music, jazz instrumental music, classical vocal music, drama, musical theatre, theatre design, visual arts and creative writing.”

Additional Specifications for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Height Requirement: 40 inches (or 102 cm) minimum height required to ride

Ages: Kids, Pre-teens/Teenagers, and Adults

Access in Disney World: Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Tier 1 option. Click either link to find out more!

Access in Disneyland: Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane Multi-Pass option. Click either link to find out more!

Restrictions: Riders must transfer from a Wheelchair or ECV; Disney also states that “Due to the nature of the experience, service animals are not permitted in some areas of this attraction. Please see a Cast Member for additional information.”

On-ride Attraction Photo by Disney PhotoPass: YES

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