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It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Disneyland Resort, and not just because the holiday festivities have arrived, but also because Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is now open following its debut earlier this year at Walt Disney World.
IGN had the chance to preview Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ahead of its grand opening, and we’re here to break down everything you need to know about this attraction based on The Princess and the Frog. You can read our full thoughts below or jump to a section you’d like to know about!
Enjoy, and let us know below what you thought of the ride!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Is One of Disney Parks’ Best Attractions
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, an attraction that tells the next chapter in Princess Tiana’s story after the events of The Princess and the Frog, opened at Walt Disney World on June 28, 2024, and is now open at Disneyland. For those unfamiliar, this water attraction sees guests helping Tiana and her alligator friend Louis venture into the bayou and find a band for her Mardi Gras celebration.
In our Tiana’s Bayou Adventure review at Walt Disney World, we said, “Full of love, pride, gratitude, thrilling drops, and authentic New Orleans flair, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a worthy replacement for Splash Mountain and has already cemented itself as one of Disney Parks’ best attractions.”
This absolutely holds true for the version at Disneyland, which Walt Disney Imagineer Ted Robledo confirmed was the primary location they were developing Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for. It makes sense, after all, as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the newly rebranded Critter County are just steps away from Disney Parks’ only New Orleans Square.
In our review of Disneyland’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we said, “The version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland is very similar to the one at Walt Disney World, but there are a few differences that stand out. First and foremost, the ride time is shorter and it feels as though you’re moving through the experience at a much faster pace. Fortunately, the pace slows down when it matters most – during the Mardi Gras finale celebration – and that’s a big improvement over its counterpart in Orlando. There’s more time to enjoy the incredible festivities and enjoy everything happening around you.
“Besides a greater chance of getting wet (sit in the middle and lift those legs on the drops!) and a few nice additions like stars representing the characters of Ray and Evangeline and a beautiful Tiana’s Foods sign near the beginning, fans at both Disneyland and Disney World are getting mostly the same next chapter in Princess Tiana’s story – and it’s wonderful in both incarnations. Pair that with the legendary 50-foot drop, music from The Princess and the Frog, and a true love of New Orleans and the people who make it so special, I’m still calling Tiana’s Bayou Adventure one of Disney Parks’ best attractions regardless of location.”
What Is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set in 1927’s New Orleans, which is one year after the events of The Princess and the Frog, and Tiana is gearing up to throw a Mardi Gras party for the ages. She and her new, employee-owned business called Tiana’s Foods are helping bring this party to life, but they are missing a few key band members. This is where we come in.
Tiana and Louis need our help to find this new crew, and we will need to search high and low to do so. During the journey, guests will get to meet 19 new critters/Audio-Animatronics (including a raccoon, bears, a turtle, and more) that will be part of the band, run into Mama Odie and her pet snake Juju as they turn you small to help recruit the smaller musicians, and, of course, experience that legendary 50-foot drop before joining the Mardi Gras celebrations.
However, the story and fun don’t just take place on the attraction, as the queue itself is just as important and gives us a glimpse into the life of Princess Tiana, both before and after the credits rolled on The Princess and the Frog. From letters from her late father as he served overseas to a replica of her actual kitchen where she is cooking up some of her famous beignets, there is so much love and care put into each part of this attraction.
As someone who lost his father a few years ago, there was one letter that literally moved me to tears and I wanted to share it with you here as it shows the power of good world-building and how even a few words can mean so much;
“I’ll be real with you, Baby Girl, it ain’t easy out here, and we both know it ain’t ever been easy.” Tiana’s late father James, who died while serving overseas, wrote. “Yes, I’ve been lucky to make lifelong friends that are like brothers to me, and we joke and laugh and share happy memories, but moments like these are as few and far between as a firefly’s teeth.
“All of this will be worth it, though. I’ve got to believe that. I’ve got to believe that one day soon, I’ll be home with you and your mama, cooking up the best pot of gumbo in New Orleans, right there in our very own restaurant.
“Thanks to you, on those rare occasions when the smoke and clouds clear, I look up at the evening star you were always telling me about. Thanks to you, I look up at that vast night sky, and I believe. I love
you, Baby Cakes, more than you’ll ever know.”
While James never got see his dream come true of opening his own restaurant, Tiana took his hopes and wishes on her back and did it for the both of them, and letters like these, alongside photos and more, show how proud she made her dad.
What also really sets Tiana’s Bayou Adventure apart, in my opinion, is how much it draws from the real world, specifically that world down in New Orleans. For those unfamiliar, the story of Princess Tiana is actually inspired by the real ‘Queen of Creole Cuisine,’ Leah Chase. The late Leah Chase was the former owner and operator of Dooky Chase’s – one of the first African American fine dining establishments in the U.S. – and forever changed New Orleans for the better beyond just her incredible food.
So much of Leah Chase’s legacy and New Orleans is infused into The Princess and the Frog and now Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. As you are walking through the queue, you just might hear a cover of Louis Armstrong’s ‘Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans’ by Leah Chase Jr., the art and music of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is inspired by artisans from Louisiana and beyond like Terence Blanchard, PJ Morton, Sharika Mahdi, and Malakai Favorite, and even the critters themselves honor the musical scene of New Orleans by playing Zydeco, Rara, and Afro-Cuban music.
Speaking of Malakai Favorite, the art you see on the outside of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was painted by this incredible artist in her home in Louisiana, just outside of Baton Rouge. Disney shipped the panels to her studio and she painted them with her own hand, and they were shipped back and built into the attraction.
Beyond all this though, is the absolute magic of having a Black Disney Princess be the star of a Disney Parks’ attraction. We had the chance to speak to Walt Disney Imagineering’s Carmen Smith about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and she summed up this most important part perfectly.
“There was a little boy I met, I don’t know what country he was from, but he was about three,” Carmen said. “He had our Tiana doll and he wouldn’t let it go for the life of him and it was because he found his princess in this little black doll. And to see that happen, it’s like you feel that we’re part of the change, that we’re all part of the change to make the world a better place. And if our ride does that, we’ve accomplished a lot.”
Carmen, it is my absolute pleasure to say that it does, and so much more.
How to Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland and Disney World
You may be thinking to yourself, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure sounds great, but how will I get a chance to ride it? Well, the complimentary virtual queue will be the only way to secure a spot for free during the attraction’s initial opening days at Disneyland. This sadly means there will be no standby queue until further notice.
Guests will need to be logged into the Disneyland app and can try to join the queue at 7am PT, 12pm PT, and 4pm PT, but there is a bit more to know beyond that. The 7am time will be available to anyone with a park reservation for Disneyland Park with either a one-park ticket or Park Hopper. For the 12pm and 4pm times, guests will actually need to be inside Disneyland Park with a valid reservation or inside Disney California Adventure with a Park Hopper ticket.
These virtual queues go by in seconds, so be sure to be ready moments before it opens so you can be refreshing and joining as soon as it opens.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure also features a Lightning Lane entrance for guests who purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass (starts at $32/day), but that is also subject to availability and can go by quickly as well.
At Disney World, guests can try to join the Virtual Queue at both 7am ET and 1pm ET. Guests don’t need to be in Magic Kingdom for the 7am time, but they will need to be for the 1pm time.
It’s also important to note that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure does support the Rider Switch feature, which is good for parties with guests who don’t want to or aren’t able to ride the attraction. All you have to do is talk to a cast member at the entrance of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and they will divide you into two groups. The first group will wait through the standard queue and ride the attraction, and the second group will jump right to the ride itself when the other group is out.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland also has a dedicated queue for guests with disabilities, and the Imagineers took “extra care” to make sure they also get to experience much of the same story and world-building from elsewhere in the queue.
Lastly, if you plan on bringing your children with you on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, it’s good to know they will need to be at least 40 inches tall to ride the ride!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Differences Between Disneyland and Walt Disney World
As we previously mentioned in our review, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland is very similar to the one at Walt Disney World, but there are a few notable differences that make for a bit of a different experience.
First of all, the ride is faster in both runtime and in how fast you move through the scenes. Well, except for one key area – the finale. One of my biggest issues with the ride at Disney World is that you moved through that incredible ending set piece way too fast and couldn’t fully enjoy the Mardi Gras celebration Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen were throwing their community. This time around, I was able to take in all the new and returning characters, critters, and partygoers in a much more enjoyable way.
The ride vehicle is also a bit different as it has five single seats in a single line as opposed to the bench seats that Disney World’s has. Oh, and there is a much higher chance of getting soaked on this ride. I’m not sure what it is, but that’s what everyone told me. I did get some good tips though, make sure you raise your legs on the drops so your socks and shoes don’t get soaked and try to sit in the middle!
The journey itself is also very similar to the one at Disney World, meaning you’ll hit most of the same beats and see all the same characters – albeit in some different places due to the different design of the track. However, there is a very special treat when you enter the Bayou, as you can see Ray and Evangeline’s stars on one of the walls as you go by. There’s also a good-sized Tiana’s Foods sign near the beginning of the ride that’s a nice addition!
Also, guests who are lucky enough to have timing on their side like me may get a treat when they soar down that legendary drop as there is a chance the Mark Twain Riverboat and all of its passengers may greet you! It was amazing and I hope it happens to you!
Overall, both parks are getting a mostly identical experience, but it will be fun for some to compare and go back and forth and notice the small things that make them unique.
Will I Get Wet on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
The answer is yes, but it’s a bit complicated! You will definitely get at least a little wet, but a variety of factors will determine how wet your Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be. First of all, Disney and many of the guests I spoke to claim Disneyland’s version of the ride has a higher chance of soaking you, but I stayed pretty dry. That being said, I was mostly riding by myself and sat in the middle. If you sit in one of the front seats and have a full log, water may be in your future. As I previously said, raise your legs on the drops and hopefully you’ll at least avoid drenched socks and shoes!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Merch and Bayou Country
Fans of The Princess and the Frog and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will have plenty of chances to buy themed merchandise near the attraction and elsewhere, and we’ll share where you can find the best stuff and what to look out for.
The main Tiana’s Bayou Adventure gift shop is called Louis’ Critter Club and it is now open and will greet you as you exit the attraction. Before we get to the merch itself, I wanted to talk a bit about the store itself, as it has world building of its own!
When you enter the doors of Louis’ Critter Club, you’ll see the doors of all the animal band members your recruited during the attraction. Mama Odie has a seat across from the registers where she and Juju can watch the band members perform. Even the beloved frogs from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure can be found sipping on their martini glasses.
These fun additions are more than just set dressing, as its also a way to give those who may not be able to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure a chance to meet some of the characters and be part of the story.
“A lot of little guests can’t go on the ride because it has a height restriction or because of the drop, so we wanted to create a place where the little kids, while they’re waiting for their big kids to get off the ride, can actually meet those characters and know who all of those fun musicians were that their other people saw in the attraction,” executive creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering, Kim Irvine, said. “And the idea was to make it the place where they all come when they’re off duty and jam, kind of like their own Whisky a Go Go.”
As for the merch, you can check out some of the best stuff in the slideshow above, but we can share that it includes a spirit jersey, shirts for all ages, plushes of Tiana, a sleeping Louis, and three of the band members (Apollo the Raccoon, Beau the Opossum, and Rufus the Turtle), Tiana’s Cookbook with recipes, a loungefly, Mama Odie’s hot sauce, a Magic Band, and more.
I also wanted to call out a few more items specifically, with the first being Tiana’s Restaurant Fund Can that she used to save money for opening Tiana’s Restaurant. You can now own that can and even write your own dream on it while you collect your own funds. What’s even better is it comes packaged with chocolate coins, and who doesn’t love that?
Second is the Light-Up Firefly accessory that comes in an adorable mason jar, lights up, and can even be worn as a shoulder buddy. The best part, however, is that it will light up and vibrate when you get close to another guest with the toy!
Lastly, you are able to buy Dooky Chase’s seasoning (gumbo, fried chicken, and seafood) so you can cook up some delicious New Orleans dishes and taste the inspiration of this attraction and the film.
Outside of Louis’ Critter Club, guests will be able to find themed merch at Starcade in Tomorrowlad and, beginning on November 21, at Ray’s Berets. Eudora’s Chic Boutique Featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets will also have “a curated assortment of Princess Tiana – and New Orleans-themed treasures.”
At Disney World, guests can find Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merch as the Critter Co-Op!
New Orleans Square, Tiana’s Palace, and The Princess and the Frog-Inspired Food
Disneyland is home to Disney Parks’ only New Orleans Square, and that makes Tiana’s Bayou Adventure a perfect fit for the park. The trifecta of New Orleans Square, Haunted Mansion, and Bayou Country is now complete with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and Kim Irvine shared with us exactly why.
“Well, if you start in New Orleans Square, obviously that’s the town,” Irvine said. “Then, you move out of the city limits into the suburbs where the Haunted Mansion and the Carriage House are. After that, you wander on down into the Bayou Country where there’s more Cypress Trees with dripping Spanish Moss. And the river’s right there alongside the newly opened Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree and, obviously, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.”
As with most things done by Walt Disney Imagineering, everything has a story and a reason for being where it is, and these areas are no different. Bayou Country in particular has a very fun theme – that of a massive party.
“For us, Bayou Country is about celebration,” Walt Disney Imagineering producer, Michele Hobbs, told us. “So, the story of Tiana’s is Bayou Adventure is obvious, right? There’s a party there that’s happening that as the payoff and the end. And then for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, there’s a birthday party going on there. And then the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree? The country bears have their own party taking place that they’re jamming out to, so, no matter where you are, it’s really about community, music, food, and celebration.”
And of course, when you’re finished in the bayou and that spooky mansion, you can head over to Tiana’s Palace to try some New Orleans flavors in the form of “Southern comfort dishes and plates with a Cajun and Creole twist.” This means you can continue living in the world of The Princess and the Frog by chowing down on some House Gumbo, Muffuletta Sandwiches, Jambalaya, Catfish Po’Boys and, of course, Tiana’s famous Beignets.
I was able to try the Gumbo, the Muffuletta, and the Beignets, and they were all wonderful! One of my favorite parts of Tiana’s Palace is they have a little hot sauce bar that let’s you add some more spice to the food, and it was a most welcome addition!
At Disney World, guests can enjoy similar food items inspired by the film and attraction at 1900 Park Fare (guests can also meet Princess Tiana here!) and the Golden Oak Outpost (Beignets!).
The world-building continues inside Tiana’s Palace, as you can read more letters about how Tiana is changing her community for the better and even see the spoon that goes with her and her father’s gumbo pot that can be seen in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue.
Overall, you’ll be getting a wonderful experience no matter where you get the chance to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but those differences will be fun to experience for those who get to go to both Disneyland and Disney World!
We hope this helped answer all your questions, but please let us know if you have any other ones below! We’d also love to hear what you thought of the ride! Thanks for reading, and we truly hope you enjoy Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
