Credit: DisneyA change to Disney’s new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction has been confirmed with just a few days left until the new ride officially opens in Florida.
This log flume adventure opens in Orlando this June, with a second version set to follow at Disneyland in California.
Related: Disney Company Hits Concerning New Low Following Unpopular Theme Park News
Few Disney attractions have been as exciting to follow along as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Disney first announced the ride in 2020, revealing that the legendary log flume adventure known as Splash Mountain would close forever to make way for this new attraction.
Over the last several decades, Splash Mountain has become synonymous with not just Disney parks but theme parks in general, providing a fun and thrilling adventure that is fun for the whole family.
However, Splash Mountain had also grown to be quite a sharp thorn in Disney’s side, with the ride becoming increasingly more controversial as fans became more aware of the attractions’ rather concerning history.
While Splash Mountain features its own story, most of the ride’s characters, music, and designs were taken directly from Disney’s long-forgotten 1946 film Song of the South. While visually stunning, Song of the South is perhaps Disney’s most offensive and problematic film of all time.
Many have criticized Song of the South for its portrayal of African Americans in the South, with the film seemingly glossing over slavery.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure seeks to rectify this, providing fans with a brand-new adventure set after the events of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog film from 2009.
Two versions of the ride will be featured, one on the East Coast and one on the West. However, despite the two attractions being practically identical, at least one change has been confirmed.
Related: ‘Inside Out 2’ Is a Marvelous Mixed Bag of Emotions
While Walt Disney World’s version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in just a few days, Disneyland’s version still has a ways to go. Construction on California’s version began in 2023 but started several months after Florida’s.
As a result, the two attractions will open at different times. Both versions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure are expected to be the same, though Disney has made at least one notable change to the California ride.
Earlier this year, The Walt Disney Company shared a behind-the-scenes look at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, showing off some of the jaw-dropping animatronics found throughout the new experience.
While this behind-the-scenes look gave fans some very exciting information about the new ride, it also revealed a change to the story of California.
As revealed by the world’s foremost expert on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, DrewDisneyDude (Drew Smith), Disneyland’s version of the new ride features a different Tiana figure than the one in Florida during a certain section. This animatronic is different from the one seen inside Magic Kingdom’s version of the ride, meaning California guests will be getting a slightly different experience.
“The creative vision for this scene is the same, yet at Disneyland Park, the characters will be brought together to tell the story in a unique way,” says Drew. “I’m looking forward to seeing all of the differences for the Disneyland version of the attraction when it officially opens this fall.”
We already have a confirmed story edit for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Park, and I’m surprised nobody has mentioned it yet. 👀
In the first episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” a Princess Tiana Audio-Animatronics figure was revealed, which is different compared to the… pic.twitter.com/8rA5JXipo1
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) June 13, 2024
Related: For the First Time in 47 Years, ‘Star Wars’ Is Crossing Over With the Real World
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opens on June 28, 2024, at the Magic Kingdom. The new attraction is located exactly where Disney’s now-defunct Splash Mountain used to be, nestled in Frontierland between Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
An opening date is yet to be released for Disneyland’s version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but the new ride is expected to open sometime this year.
Are you excited to ride this brand-new Disney attraction?