Disney Seemingly Cracks the One Issue Plaguing Its Problematic ‘Tiana’ Thrill Ride

in Disney Parks, Walt Disney World

Logs on Tiana's Bayou Adventure while the ride was only in testing.

Credit: Inside the Magic

Disney has turned things around significantly for one of its newest attractions.

An image of a lush, green landscape with a tall water tower labeled "Tiana's Foods" prominently standing amidst the foliage. The sky is clear with a few scattered clouds, adding to the vibrant and scenic environment.
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney World Schedules Demolition at Two Resort Hotels

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has seemingly turned a corner, with the ride’s reliability improving drastically over the last two months. The reimagined take on Disney’s classic attraction, formerly known as Splash Mountain, suffered extensive downtime in the weeks after its opening, though guests can seemingly start counting on the ride being open on a consistent basis.

Guests and fans alike were incredibly disappointed by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s performance after the ride opened this June, though the writing was already on the wall. While the attraction faced extensive technical issues and downtime after it opened, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s preview window told the same story, resulting in mass evacuations, that is, if the ride even opened that day.

These early preview periods were offered to Walt Disney World cast members and Annual Passholders, allowing them to get a taste of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure before anyone else. They say first impressions are everything, and if that’s the case, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was a major dud.

However, new data suggests things are finally starting to get back on track.

A line graph titled "Attraction Breakdowns/Closures" shows delay times in minutes on the vertical axis and dates on the horizontal axis. Blue dots and dashed lines indicate fluctuations in delay times over a range of dates, highlighting issues often seen with problematic rides.
Credit: thrill-data

Related: Disney Fan Travels Hundreds of Miles To Save Abandoned Character at Park

New information from thrill-data.com shows that reliability for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is trending in the right direction now, with downtime, shutdowns, evacuations, and other technical difficulties being far less common than they once were.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s preview window was shockingly bad, with the ride facing daily downtime of 4.5 hours on average. This number has decreased significantly, though Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is still far from perfect.

According to updated data, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure still has an average breakdown time of 90 minutes a day. The last time the ride had zero breakdowns was in July. On the flip side, the longest downtime the ride faced was in September, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure enduring a whopping 491-minute breakdown.

It’s clear that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is slowly becoming more reliable, though it’s been a long, hard, wet road to get here. Disney is likely banking on this ride being one of Magic Kingdom’s core rides, as the company reportedly spent over $100 million to develop and construct the attraction, meaning no one is probably as unhappy with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s performance as Disney itself.

As time moves on, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will and should hopefully become a more stable experience

A colorful and detailed rock formation resembling a mountain, with rugged terrain, patches of greenery, and a distinct peak. The sky is overcast, adding contrast to the vibrant hues of the rocks. At its base, a wooden structure with a peaked roof hints at the Magic Kingdom's newest attraction launching next month.
Credit: Disney

Related: Mystery Construction Project Revealed for EPCOT in New Leak

Regardless of reliability, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was always destined for controversy. First announced back in 2020, Tianas’s Bayou Adventure left a sour taste in the mouths of many guests for the sole fact that it would replace Disney’s legendary Splash Mountain, an attraction that had entertained and inspired for decades.

Splash Mountain was arguably one of if, not Disney’s most recognizable and famous theme park attractions. The ride has a long and rich history with The Walt Disney Company as a whole.

However, Disney finally ended the thrill ride in 2020, revealing that Splash Mountain would receive a makeover inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009).

Splash Mountain officially closed in 2023, an impressive turnaround time for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, though this tight schedule may have resulted in some of the problems listed above.

Do you enjoy riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?

View Comment (1)