News Tiana's Bayou Adventure - latest details and construction progress

[Brer Oswald]

I think on paper WDW’s is superior. It’s longer, more polished, better sets, better story, everything is physically larger, etc. However, I think DL has some unique charm that was never replicated because it was the prototype that was a little rougher around the edges. That’s why the DL version has more of a cult following and people prefer it just out of personal taste. I dare say that people liked it BECAUSE it wasn’t as conventionally ‘good’ as WDW

I think there were aspects about the Disneyland version that I preferred. The facade was more well rounded. The soundtrack felt more bombastic and “definitive”. It was filled with the historic AS animatronics. Everything felt more “intimate” too.

MK version was still “my version” overall though. I’m curious how the two versions compare when they open as TBA. Instinct would tell me that the Florida version is automatically better now that a lot of the unique quirks will be gone from California’s (like the animatronics and soundtrack), but I also worry that they’ll have a harder time filling the space in Florida. There’s also the fact that it’s been heavily implied behind the scenes that this overhaul was initially intended for California only before it got the green light, and a lot of their design choices seem to reflect that.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I enjoyed Splash's story but I don't think very many riders understood it so even a bad Bayou Adventure story will be an "improvement" for many, as sad as that is.

I think the general vibe change is what will throw most people off. For many, what “made” the ride was the switch from the delirious laughing place, to the brooding lift-hill (with taunting vultures), back to the happy Doo Dah landing. It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

I would not be shocked to see a revision of TBA within the decade that addresses this based on guest feedback and expectation. At the same time, they’ve left Imagination as is for 22 years. I guess we’ll see, but I think they will have to “plus” this ride eventually.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I think that was more the weight, right? It was cracking the foundation or something?

No. It was a design flaw, not accounting for the G forces the Yeti's motion created. It was tearing itself apart. The foundation is fine.

 

[Trauma]

I think the general vibe change is what will throw most people off. For many, what “made” the ride was the switch from the delirious laughing place, to the brooding lift-hill (with taunting vultures), back to the happy Doo Dah landing. It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

I would not be shocked to see a revision of TBA within the decade that addresses this based on guest feedback and expectation. At the same time, they’ve left Imagination as is for 22 years. I guess we’ll see, but I think they will have to “plus” this ride eventually.

Exactly this.

I don’t want to be on the lift hill and not have tension.

I understand they did that with SDMT but that’s a kiddie coaster.

I don’t want to be singing a song and clapping on the way to the lift hill.

Still very worried about to what we are going to get.

All we can do is wait and see.

 

[mikeymouse]

The hopping Brer Rabbit was also an "impressive AA" at the time of its debut, but look how much downtime it saw, as well as the AA on Navii River Journey. Hoping that won't be the case here. Time will tell.

 

[Ukdisneyguys]

New to the forum and loving the updates, in particular yours Drew so thank you! We are from the UK and currently waiting for Hyperia at Thorpe Park to even start ride testing (massive new rollercoaster) but they announced the opening date as May 24th 2024, only 2 weeks ago. It makes me pray that Tiana would have been open for our vacation in May, having seen this test for months on end but looking so unlikely now! When I read June or July I just think how does it take that long
I know Thorpe Park isn’t quite Disney theming but they haven’t even started ride testing and it’s opening by May 24th haha! Come on Disney we wanna ride in May haha!

Thanks again for your updates guys!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

The animatronics look great.

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

New to the forum and loving the updates, in particular yours Drew so thank you!

Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying them. In terms of when Tiana is going to open, unfortunately it doesn't come down to when the attraction is done, but when it makes the most sense for Disney to open it with the fiscal year. We also usually see at least an 80-day window from when the opening date is announced to opening day itself. It's unfortunate that it probably will be "done" by Memorial Day weekend, but I still can't see the official opening until the very end of June because of said reasons above. I have zero inside information about the opening date, but going off of previous openings and patterns, that's what I'm expecting for this one.

 

[DCBaker]

4K video tour around the area from today.

 

[celluloid]

Implying that thrill rides require dark themes or conflict is a stretch. Tiana's Bayou Adventure will indeed involve some conflict, albeit of a lighter nature. The "dynamic" of Splash Mountain is and can be reworked because it is being RETHEMED. The overall tone of the attraction is shifting, and that's not a bad thing. A "darker tone" isn't necessarily better or worse than a "lighter tone". With that being said, I believe that Magic Kingdom offers a sufficient lineup of attractions with darker tone, although I will admit we have seen a shying away from it.

There you go again. Thinking it is binary. When did I say all thrill rides do? I specifically said Space focuses on psychological thrill of physically dark lighting and effects to increase sensations of thrill and celebrates adventure through space travel. A very abstract but universal theme.

An attraction like Splash, well made has all the tones. Kind of important for a ride between 8 to 12 minutes.

What evidence have we seen so far of this with Tiana's?

Admit to shying away from it was the point. So you come to the same conclusion. So why did you disagree so strongly in the first place?

We have an attraction that would have fit right in Fantasyland given the space, now over in Frontierland. Homogenized.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I give that banner one tropical storm and we will never see it again.

I have the same concern regarding much of the fake foliage that was installed, a lot of which already flutters even in a light breeze.

I am curious whether the banner is made of a material that only LOOKS flimsy but is actually rigid.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s amazing that after seeing it 500 times my eyes still can’t get used to the murals on the yellow barn. It’s jarring every single time. It reads to me like graffiti. I don’t even mind the art. It just doesn’t work on that structure. I’m not sure if it’s the shape of the structure, the fact that it’s a barn, the fact that it’s framed by the brown wood, if it clashes with the yellow or all the above.

When I see the graffiti art in Avengers Campus for example it doesn’t bother me because it doesn’t feel out of place or jarring in an urban setting.

After seeing the exterior nearing completion and the sneak peak at the animatronics this week I’m feeling better about this re-theme everyday, the mural is the one thing I still don’t like.

I think it’s just the square shape that doesn’t work, it’s such a jarring contrast where it ends, I love the murals they’ve done in Epic (at Potter) because they blend into their surroundings so well, Tiana’s mural looks out of place. I hope it’s not done but as more and more time goes by I’m worried this may be the finished product. Not the end of the world if we end up with an out of place mural but it would be disappointing because the rest of the attraction is looking amazing.

 

[MaxDrake79]

Guys good evening, I was surprised by the closure of test tracks in EPCTO, for me, coming from Europe and going to Orlando for the first time in July, I hope that at least Tiana will be open by mid-end of July. What news is there on this? Isn't it worse to have so many crowds and few attractions open in the summer? Is it possible that there isn't an opening date yet?

 

[mickEblu]

After seeing the exterior nearing completion and the sneak peak at the animatronics this week I’m feeling better about this re-theme everyday, the mural is the one thing I still don’t like.

I think it’s just the square shape that doesn’t work, it’s such a jarring contrast where it ends, I love the murals they’ve done in Epic (at Potter) because they blend into their surroundings so well, Tiana’s mural looks out of place. I hope it’s not done but as more and more time goes by I’m worried this may be the finished product. Not the end of the world if we end up with an out of place mural but it would be disappointing because the rest of the attraction is looking amazing.

The good news is they could get rid of it over night. Unfortunately they won’t though. Hahah. My eyes just can’t get used to it in the same way they’ve gotten used to the Tiara water tower for example.

Yeah I don’t think the exterior looks bad aside from the food mural fence, the barn murals and the purple banner. How it blends with the rest of Frontierland? I’m not sure. But I will say as a Disneyland guy I was never crazy about the MKs “red” Splash Mountain with cartoonier features.

 

[Earlie the Pearlie]

Guys good evening, I was surprised by the closure of test tracks in EPCTO, for me, coming from Europe and going to Orlando for the first time in July, I hope that at least Tiana will be open by mid-end of July. What news is there on this? Isn't it worse to have so many crowds and few attractions open in the summer? Is it possible that there isn't an opening date yet?

Tiana’s will almost definitely be open by the time you are there. And Disney’s summer season is not as busy as it once was. Sorry about Test Track, but you aren’t missing a ton.

 

[celluloid]

I can't imagine going on vacation this summer and having 3 headliners unavailable.

Imagine Animal Kingdom from 2025-2027.

 

[wishesnighttimespec]

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I get they're trying to make it look like it's been created in a cheap way to fit the storyline, personally I'd have preferred a hand painted wooden sign like Splash used to have near the beginning.

This is just it: the banner looks like Tiana went online, uploaded her own graphics, and ordered it from a custom printing place. It doesn't look at all like it's from the time period in which the ride is set. Imagineering has become very spotty if not kind of bad in recent years at creating signs and graphics that are time period appropriate.

 

[Greg from Philly]

The fact that they are still logs going thru the bayou is ridiculous and lazy/cheap imagineering. If they are re-imagining the attraction, they should re-imagine the whole thing.

 

[celluloid]

The fact that they are still logs going thru the bayou is ridiculous and lazy/cheap imagineering. If they are re-imagining the attraction, they should re-imagine the whole thing.

Has me nervous about the care for staging the space inside and on the ride path. It is more than just rip out old and place in new things to look at.