Californian-In-Florida reviews TBA:
Today I rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at MK and… It was an interesting experience.
I tried to go in with an open mind, hoping to view it as an average casual guest might, with no knowledge of the flume’s past and determined to give the ride a fair assessment based on its own merits—and trying to forget my negative reaction to the “story” as viewed via YouTube ride-throughs.
I didn’t ride until late afternoon, which gave me plenty of time to build anticipation and get caught up in the hype and the general feeling of excitement in the ride’s immediate area… And I DID get caught up in the hype.
View attachment 796040
First off, in person, this ride is beautiful to look at. I wasn’t bothered by the lamprey-mouth cave at the top or the abundance of plastic flowers… or even the stupid painted fence/mural near the mill lift. Viewed as a whole, seen from the front and Adventureland-facing side, TBA’s exterior looks amazing, and seeing/hearing log after log of happy screaming riders plunging down the drop turns it into as fine a theme park environment as any fan could hope for. It looked great as Splash Mtn. and it looks great now.
View attachment 796041
Second, the Critter Co-Op shop has opened, and it’s wonderful. Fun details, great staff and some interesting ride merchandise. Everyone seemed to like the new critter characters that I personally despise, and I began doubting my initial reactions. Maybe they’re okay in context? Also, I fell in love with the $200+ resin sculpture of the ride’s characters posing around water tower. I decided if I really loved the ride—and if I warmed up to the new animals—I’d buy the sculpture.
I didn’t buy the sculpture.
* What I liked about TBA:
The music.
The flume layout. Yep, still fun!
The indoor sections of the queue. Charming. Lots of fun faux newspaper clippings and “photographs” that—even if you just glance at the headlines as you pass—quickly and efficiently create a feeling of history and community… and whimsy, as the images of Louis becoming a part of the extended family are wonderful and hilarious.
Every outdoor section of the ride.
Almost all of Louis’s on-ride appearances.
The finale. On its own, it’s an amazing set piece; surely one of the best scenes Disney has ever created on a ride. It certainly would be even better if it served as your reward for completing an exciting adventure…
* What I Disliked:
The “story.” Still. After getting all hyped up. I was ready to give this ride’s narrative a chance… but as soon as the first Tiana AA cheerfully told us we were looking for animal musicians… for her party… (does she not want to pay human musicians?)… my heart sank a bit. And then it just kept getting worse once we entered the show building.
It’s no better in person. This ride’s story is (IMO) bland, repetitive, one-note, unexciting, annoying, and mind-numbingly uncreative.
A summary:
“Let’s all find animal musicians!”
“Here’s some!”
“Here’s Some More!”
“Where’d you go? There you are! You found tiny musicians! Ha-ha!”
“Here’s a big drop for no reason!”
“Yay! You’re special!”
Any given five-minute episode of Peppa Pig has more wit, character conflict and better dialogue than this.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? They started off with a great IP and steered it away from nearly everything fun and entertaining about the world of The Princess and the Frog!
And I still dislike the new cast of sappy, generic-looking “critters.” They just smile sappily and rock back and forth, almost as if they want you to forget that A MUCH BETTER band of AA animals is about to open their new show right next door.
