Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
Disneyland doesn't need two attractions with bayou scenes. Especially since the 2024 attraction isn't doing anything meaningfully different than the 1967 attraction.
Disneyland should have gotten an animatronic stage show in the restaurant, and WDW should’ve got an indoor New Orleans area with a boat ride on the other side of ROA.
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
View attachment 790850
See, now, this… THIS is an ADVENTURE. This DESERVES to have the word in its title. With three minutes of fictional peril, this roller coaster spins a simple, effective tale: Hagrid, being Hagrid, did not see the flaw in his lesson plan, and now you’re on a sentient, runaway motorbike.

It’s simultaneously thrilling and funny, perfectly in character, builds satisfyingly to a climactic peril/rescue/escape finale and ends with my favorite closing lines of all time: “I’d be grateful if you didn’t mention any of this to anyone back at Hogwarts. See you next lesson!”

No moral, no lesson (wonderfully ironic because it literally takes place during a lesson) and no forced-smile, hollow self-affirmation party. Just survival and FUN (and a unicorn encounter your teacher has just asked everyone to keep quiet about).

It only features a handful of AAs, but each one is used effectively. The coaster would still be thrilling without the story, but it’s the story—the ADVENTURE—that leaves everyone with huge smiles on their faces and warm fuzzies in their hearts.

Now if they’d just shorten the name… Wait a second—Tiana can have the superfluous words!

Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure
Tiana’s Magical Creatures Bayou

There— Fixed both! 😃
Wonderful attraction. I’d argue it’s better than any of the attractions Disney has seen it out stateside in the 21st century. Much like Splash, I love how Hagrid’s contextualizes a lot of its drops and thrill elements, weaving them into the storyline.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
If this has been posted already, just scroll on by.... Otherwise, here is a 360 of TBA. What strikes me most on this viewing is how un-PATF this ride is. What a missed opportunity. Oh well...



Agreed. I think this type of 360 video also exposes just how barren and oddly paced the WDW version is.

That's why I'm still holding out hope that Disneyland will be an improvement. I'm not expecting radical change for Disneyland's version, but just the fact that we'll be moving much faster through the flume should force them to smoosh the bayou scenes together more and keep the dialogue flowing.

That, plus the rumors of a frantic realization at WDI that this ride needs fixing ASAP, leaves me hopeful for Disneyland.

That said, I'm hopeful this ride can improve from its current C- grade in WDW, to at least a solid B at Disneyland. Do I dare dream for a B+???
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Wanna cringe?



Oh, geez. The interviewer is inane, but her answer started okay, and then fell apart.

Ms. Carter seems genuinely fun and likable, and seems like someone who' be great to sit next to at a dinner party. And her answer here started out fine with the "Tiana is so relatable because she's an American princess, she's a modern 20th century princess...." which is all true and what made her story unique in the Disney pantheon and what made her movie character fun.

But then after that... she could only devolve into describing a ride that has no real plot, no conflict, and no resolution to a conflict that doesn't exist. What's telling is that Ms. Carter shows her hand here that she is fully aware that Tiana's Bayou Adventure is just a ride built around HR talking points and kitchen decorations someone picked up at Home Goods.

81V5j-PuNYL.jpg
 
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mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Oh, geez. This started okay, and then fell apart.

Ms. Carter seems genuinely fun and likable, and seems like someone who' be great to sit next to at a dinner party. And her answer here started out fine with the "Tiana is so relatable because she's an American princess, she's a modern 20th century princess...." which is all true and what made her story unique in the Disney pantheon and what made her movie character fun.

But then after that... she could only devolve into describing a ride that has no plot, no conflict, and no resolution to that conflict. What's telling is that Ms. Carter shows her hand here that she is fully aware that Tiana's Bayou Adventure is just a ride built around HR talking points and kitchen decorations someone picked up at Home Goods.

81V5j-PuNYL.jpg

Agreed on all counts. She seems nice although I don't think she's good at her job if I’m judging by how TBA turned out. The fact that his first question is what it is tells you exactly why this ride ended up this way. There's a reason that's his FIRST question.
 
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TP2000

Well-Known Member
And In case you're forgot, "everyone is invited" guys. Unlike all the other rides at Disney World which were a little more selective with their guest lists and turned people away at the attraction entrance.

Oh, gawd, that's hysterical! I hadn't thought of it like that. 🤣 🤣🤣

I must have forgotten that in the 1960's and 70's, Tomorrowland was still Restricted on county property deeds. Fantasyland was a gated community with a strict HOA. And the lower boiler deck of the Mark Twain was steerage class for Irish and Swedish immigrants; to be allowed up onto the promenade deck you had to be Protestant and have a British sounding surname.

1969 Media Interview With Imagineering Executive:

"Tell me, what's this new Haunted Mansion ride like?"

"Oh, you'll love it! It's awfully fun and terribly spooky, and of course it's completely Restricted!"

 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
What's funny is that because of the height restriction the "everyone is invited" isn't technically true.

Oh, even better!!! :banghead:

Gang, this ride just keeps getting funnier and funnier. But for none of the reasons they intended.

Can you just imagine the customer complaints at height check.... Little "Susie" isn't tall enough and her mother, we'll call her "Karen", demands that the manager explains to little Susie that everyone is welcome except her because Tiana hates Susie! My daughter is the only one not welcome to attend Tiana's party?!? Get Tiana out here immediately to tell Susie that to her face. Go on, get her out here!
 

Ne'er-Do-Well Cad

Well-Known Member
Good grief! 😄 Does that person not realize that Splash Mountain was praised BECAUSE it used its drops to emphasize danger points in the story?

No, because they also cited Small World and the Tiki Room as beloved attractions that do not include conflict.

And even Pooh features the characters facing home-destroying winds, a flood and thieving monsters. TBA is too timid to offer even those kind of mild obstacles to overcome.

You’re right. And the Heffalumps and Woozles scene is genuinely more artistic and challenging than anything in TBA.

Do the defenders really believe TBA’s happy-happy grinfest is a satisfying “ADVENTURE?”

No, they just love the Disney brand and are thrilled to be getting another princess (and all the merch and food that comes with that) into the parks. They never connected with Splash because Song of the South exists so far outside their understanding of the “Disney” film/tv universe.

I’d wager these same people prefer Runaway Railway to Great Movie Ride, Frozen Ever After to Maelstrom, and are genuinely excited for the Country Bear Disney Singalong. They’re not wrong or lesser fans, but they have a very different relationship to Disney and the parks than I do.
 

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