Disney’s newest ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, has closed temporarily.
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Less than 30 minutes into Magic Kingdom’s day at Walt Disney World, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has closed once again.
Since opening earlier this year, the new ride has suffered a plethora of technical issues and has become one of the resort’s most unreliable attractions, often shutting down hours before the rest of the park closes for the day.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has faced delayed openings all week, with the ride failing to open with the rest of Magic Kingdom Friday morning. The ride faced another delayed opening on Thursday, August 8, as well.
Another day, another breakdown.
Another day, another breakdown. pic.twitter.com/Is5hN71kAL
— Mickey Central (@Mickey_Central) August 8, 2024
In a report from avid Disney park guest disneytipsguy, a total of four animatronics malfunctioned during their time on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
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Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opened on June 28, 2024, ushering in a new era for both the Magic Kingdom and The Walt Disney Company as a whole. Originally announced in 2020, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes guests on their own “adventure” alongside Princess Tiana as she and her friends welcome guests into the wonderful, musical world of the Louisiana Bayou.
The initial reaction to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was quite controversial, as the ride replaced Disney’s legendary log flume experience, Splash Mountain. This ride had become one of the most quintessential theme park rides in history, though Splash Mountain’s questionable origins continued to cause problems for the classic ride.
While the ride itself was a totally new experience for guests when it opened in 1992, Splash Mountain took heavy inspiration from Disney’s ill-fated 1946 film Song of the South, featuring characters, music, and scenery lifted directly from the movie.
Though it debuted decades ago, Song of the South is still one of Disney’s most controversial theatrical releases. Many critics take issue with the film’s portrayal of the South and African Americans.
Splash Mountain continued to operate for years, though a steady stream of controversy always surrounded the attraction due to its ties with this film. Disney finally decided to pull the plug sometime between 2018-2019, officially confirming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2020.
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Disney held a preview event for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in the weeks before the ride’s official opening day. During this preview window, the ride broke down numerous times, forcing guests to evacuate their logs and exit the attraction.
Multiple reports of animatronics remaining motionless emerged as well, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s lighting and sound systems failing to operate as intended.
Reliability has slowly improved compared to this preview window, but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure certainly still has a long way to go before it can be a guaranteed experience for guests visiting Magic Kingdom.
A second version of the ride is being built at the Disneyland Resort. More information is expected to come as Disney hosts its annual D23 event this weekend.
Do you enjoy Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Do you miss Splash Mountain?