We are getting closer and closer every day to FINALLY seeing the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. As Princess Tiana’s first ever attraction, Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering have been getting fans more and more excited about the grand debut.
This attraction has been almost five years in the making. The film itself, “Princess and the Frog” broke barriers and debuted almost 15 years ago, Nov. 15, 2009. The impact of positive change for the Walt Disney Company’s diversity and inclusion efforts with this ride that it will have for future generations. This attraction will replace the controversial Splash Mountain, which has been a topic of conversation for quite some time. Disney’s first African American Princess will have her own attraction during this anniversary year – well deserved in this author’s opinion.
While most of us are anxiously waiting for the opening date of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, there’s no better time than now to get a better idea of what you should expect and understand in regard to the attraction. We will be touching base on six things you simply must know about the ride before its opening day. This attraction is scheduled to open this summer at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and later this year at Disneyland Resort.
Two Tiana’s Bayou Adventure rides will exist
As with the pattern as of late with domestic Disney Parks attractions, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will have two versions in existence. One version, which opens first, will be located in the former site of Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World. Here you will find it right beside Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. Frontierland itself is rumored to soon be undergoing its own transformation to better fit changes coming with the ride. No opening date as of yet, but there is still a projected time slot of Summer 2024. This could be anytime between Memorial day weekend and early September for Disney’s timeline.
With the second version, we have seen updates via Walt Disney Imagineering’s new YouTube series, “We call it Imagineering.” Work is still progressing on audio animatronics specifically for Disneyland’s version. This tells us that we should expect an opening date for their version later in the year. It has been confirmed that Walt Disney World’s audio animatronics have been installed.
Adding the Bayou to New Orleans Square
Disneyland’s version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also appear where Splash Mountain once was, settled next to the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square. This land is also undergoing its own transformation. New Orleans Square itself is in the process of having changes to better fit the new styles and themes with the attraction’s addition.
Prior to this, New Orleans Square has added Eudora’s Chic Boutique Featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets. Following the phenomenal success of her restaurant, Princess Tiana partnered with her dressmaker mother, Eudora, to open this sublime little shop—a crown jewel of the Crescent City. This shop sells home goods and apparel, and fits within the backstory and theme of the land and Tiana’s story.
The best addition (in my opinion) to New Orleans Square has been what fans have been begging for. That’s the Tiana’s Palace restaurant! Opened in 2023, guests can step inside this beautiful eatery that’s a reminiscent slice of the elegant French Quarter. Tiana’s Palace is a quick-service style eatery built on hard work and a whole lotta love! Soak in the lively culture of New Orleans through new menu items inspired by the flavors of the Crescent City. This includes Southern comfort dishes and plates with a Cajun and Creole twist. You can take a look at my full restaurant review here.
The changes to these areas at Walt Disney World and Disneyland will allow Tiana and her story to truly thrive.
Continuing the Princess Tiana Story
For those of us familiar with Tiana’s story from “Princess and the Frog,” her restaurant was not only her dream, but the dream of her late father’s. We can see at the end of the film and within New Orleans Square in Disneyland, that her dream did in fact come true and is thriving.
Walt Disney Imagineering has come up with a brand new story that builds off of the “Princess and the Frog” film and continues it with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Unfortunately, this means that for those who wanted Dr. Facilier within the ride, most likely he isn’t featured.
Tiana’s Foods
We begin with the attraction queue. Guests will find that Tiana has started to expand her business with Tiana’s Foods, an employee owned cooperative. This builds on the idea that her father stated that food brings everyone together within the community, which I personally love. Her talents, along with the talents of the community, have revitalized an aging salt mine and brought the co-op to life.
The process started when Tiana purchased the salt mine and the area surrounding the large salt dome it operated from. With the help of her mother Eudora, Naveen, Louis and fellow owners of the cooperative, Tiana revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land. They have begun growing a wide array of vegetables, herbs and spices for her recipes. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products – including a line of original hot sauces.
A Mardi Gras celebration party
Tiana being so grateful to her friends, family and community, wants to give a big thanks for all the support they’ve given her by throwing an amazing party during Mardi Gras season. However, it turns out there’s been a bit of a mix-up with the party preparations. Tiana invites us to meet her at Tiana’s Foods to help with the missing ingredient for the party.
Once we arrive, we see that she spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists. Food for the party is being prepared and beignets are being loaded into crates for the celebration. All kinds of preparations are underway for the journey into the bayou with Tiana, along with new and familiar friends from the animated film.
Picking up where that story left off, Tiana continues bringing people together with Tiana’s Foods, another treasured meeting place to spend time together and celebrate a diverse community. Tiana is also working with cooperative members to teach gardening and cooking to children of all ages, and inspiring other women to run successful businesses as the brand grows nationwide.
Tiana’s New Bayou Friends
Mentioned previously, we will encounter new and familiar friends of Tiana’s. Familiar friends include Prince Naveen, Mama Odie, Charlotte, Eudora, Louis and Prince Ralphie, Naveen’s Brother. But along the way, we will also find some musically inclined critter friends from the bayou.
Disney Parks Blog has recently introduced us to all of them who were specially created by Walt Disney Lead Concept Designer and Imagineer, Laura West in collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios. Upon entering the Bayou, we’ll come across a group of critter musicians playing a rendition of “Gonna Take You There.”
Zydeco music for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Zydeco a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles, using the French accordion and a creole washboard instrument called the frottoir.
Here is the first group of the Zydeco Band Critters:
Byhalia the Beaver – Byhalia doesn’t just build dams; she helps build musical instruments using natural materials from the bayou. As a strong-willed percussionist, it’s safe to say Byhalia is the heartbeat of the band, as well as a natural designer and engineer.
Gritty the Rabbit – Always willing to dig a little deeper to help others, Gritty plays the washboard (a found automobile license plate) with a high-energy flair. It’s the perfect instrument for someone who’s often overzealous and digs to relieve her nerves.
Beau the Opossum – Seeing limitless possibilities, no one finds more wonder in the bayou and the sounds of zydeco music than Beau. All she knows is beauty, especially her own. You can find her plucking out the low notes with her upright gourd bass, which of course, involves some musical dexterity with her tail.
Apollo the Raccoon – Apollo loves transforming abandoned objects into works of musical art – like his squeezebox. He’s full of energy and storytelling, especially about the objects he finds in the bayou. He’s particularly close with Rufus and appreciates Rufus’ calm demeanor.
Rufus the Turtle – Rufus may be a turtle, but he’s quick to jump into rhythm with his harmonica. He’s also the first to join in on new adventures. He’s genuine and sincere but may come across as a little sarcastic at times with his habitual sighing. Rufus loves going on adventures with Apollo.
Timoléon the Otter – He’s the eldest of the band, but Timoléon’s fiddle-playing is inspired by all the kids he spends his time around while in the bayou. When he’s not sawing out a jig, he’s famous for telling stories of days long ago about his explorations of every corner of the bayou.
Rara music in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
As we venture deeper into the Bayou, we will meet our next round of critters, who specialize in Rara music. Often found at festivals and street processions, Rara is a musical tradition from Haiti that’s part of the musical history and melting pot of New Orleans. The genre includes unique instruments with beautiful, distinctive sounds.
Octavia the Bobcat – Octavia plays the vaksin, a single-note horn instrument popular in Rara music. She’s an adventurous bobcat kitten. Octavia loves climbing and hanging out in trees almost as much as she loves performing. This daredevil almost never gets scared.
Pawpaw the Bobcat – Not only is Pawpaw Octavia’s devoted grandfather, but he also taught her how to play the vaksin. Pawpaw lives to make Octavia smile. He has the view that everything has a way of working itself out – he’s seen it all but isn’t jaded.
Claude the Louisiana Black Bear – Claude is a salt of the earth kind of bear (or, as they say in the bayou, “salt of the mound”) who plays his horn along with the other members of his family. He’s a tinkerer who loves to create with things found in the forest. Claude is frequently funny without intending to be, especially when it comes to his home-grown creations.
Bernadette the Louisiana Black Bear – Bernadette loves to enjoy life, from splashing in the waters of her bayou home with her cub, Sebastián, to playing the horn with her mate, Claude. She’s a clear thinker and is warm and supportive. Bernadette loves to sink into the bayou waters and munch on plants (so long as Sebastián is clearly within sight).
Sebastián the Louisiana Black Bear – Though he’s definitely a mama’s cub, Sebastián charted his own musical course as a drummer, despite his parents being devoted horn players. He’s happy to follow his friend Octavia’s adventurous lead as they explore and play. Sebastián is fascinated with the small details in the bayou, like the insects and mushrooms.
Phina the Gray Fox – Phina’s enthusiasm extends beyond her drumming, as she’s constantly thinking of new ideas with optimism and energy. This imaginative fox is continually starting new projects with excitement, and her friends accept and celebrate her unique thinking.
Jazz and Afro-Cuban music for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
The last round of critters are hopping in to make their debut at Tiana’s Mardi Gras Celebration. These froggy friends will bring the jazzy sounds and complex rhythms of Afro-Cuban music to life in the bayou, perfect for Louis’s band!
Felipe the Frog – Deep among the cypress trees, you’ll hear band leader Felipe making musical magic on the piano! Felipe is also the proprietor of an exclusive bayou night club, where the local fireflies love to dance the night away to a musical recipe of hot rhythms and spicy melodies. He’s an old-school family guy, especially to his family in the band.
Mayra the Frog – Have you ever seen a frog play a flower blossom like a trumpet? You will when you meet Mayra; be sure to stick around for one of her toe-tapping solos. Mayra’s the most ambitious of the four frogs and has been practicing her instrument since she was just a tadpole.
Mondo the Frog – Mondo is a natural on the conga drums, which he made as a happy accident when his favorite bottle cap got stuck on his second-favorite acorn. From there, the rhythm in Mondo’s soul took over. He’s very copacetic and accepts what comes, a trait as steady and reliable as his drumbeat.
Isabel the Green Tree Frog – Learning from Mondo’s example, Isabel loves getting lost in the music playing her congas. She’s the youngest member of the group. There’s nothing she loves more than going with the flow and getting to play drums all night long.
Not everyone you’ll meet in the attraction is a musician – among others are a couple of amphibious friends who love to sit back, relax and catch up on all the gossip from around the bayou. Gloria and Delores the frogs are best friends who love to observe folks as they float in logs down the bayou. Keep an eye out for Lari the armadillo. He is apparently very mischievous. While quiet in nature, he shows up where you least expect it and has a habit of “borrowing” things.
These critters are all naturally native to Louisiana in some way, shape or form. Some will even have their own merchandise featured in stores nearby.
Jaw dropping new Disney Animatronics
During the first episode of “We call it Imagineering,” we got a look at the thoroughly impressive audio animatronics for the upcoming attraction. These particular ones were to be the ones installed into the Disneyland version of the ride. We were shown glimpses of Tiana’s animatronic, which they have confirmed will have several different versions in new outfits. We also saw Eudora, Charlotte, Mama Odie, her snake JuJu, Louis the gator, Prince Ralphie and one of the critters, Byhalia the Beaver, playing alongside Louis and Ralphie. No sign of Prince Naveen as of yet, but he is confirmed.
Internationally, the technology used for these animatronics were first seen in overseas Disney Parks. With the jump in tech for audio animatronics since the debut of World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland and Zootopia at Shanghai Disney Resort, it’s made it possible to give American guests similar experiences with this attraction in 2024.
New levels of design for the domestic Disney Parks
Charita Carter, the first African American woman executive producer for Walt Disney Imagineering and lead on the project stated “Internationally, if you look at like what we just did with Zootopia in Shanghai or Frozen in Hong Kong, you see something comparable. But I think this level of complexity, this will be the first-time guests get to see it domestically.”
The domestic parks have not seen a truly impressive update in audio animatronics since the Shaman of Songs, featured in the Na’vi River Journey ride within Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This animatronic can be called a true marvel. It seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with artistic storytelling. This figure stands nearly 10 feet tall and employs new technologies to assist her every gesture with fluid energy.
Following her was the introduction of the A-1000 figure platform in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with the Hondo Ohnaka animatronic. This latest generation of figures feature significant enhancements in range, speed and overall performance.
When asked about the move, Carter responded “We make our selection as to how we’re going to approach our execution of our characters based on the environment, the look, everything that we’re trying to accomplish. So certainly everything we’ve done, [like] the [Na’vi] Shaman, we have continued to build upon that. If you’ve had the ability or the privilege of going over to Hong Kong and seeing Frozen with Elsa and Anna, we actually took what was done there and continued to just to build upon that platform.”
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Music
One of the most important aspects of a ride surrounding Princess Tiana is the music! Where she comes from, they are known for their lively, rich musical aspects. Disney shared early on that they were collaborating with award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard on the music we will hear as part of this adventure.
Both locals to New Orleans, PJ and Terence will work with Disney to score a lyrical love letter to New Orleans that first inspired the journey with Princess Tiana. We can expect to hear more soon about the progress on a new original song composed by PJ Morton and new renditions of fan favorite music from the movie.
Terence Blanchard is leading creational work on the music arrangement for the attraction’s queue. He’s working with Disney to select songs from “The Princess and the Frog,” as well as iconic themes from New Orleans. According to Disney, the music we hear will be heard in the style of old radio and music played will be done by New Orleans locals chosen by Blanchard.
PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard
Terence also played all of Louis the Alligator’s trumpet parts in “The Princess and the Frog,” so it’s fantastic that he agreed to return for the project. He’s known for his work with Spike Lee and being the first black person to compose an opera at the Met.
Both PJ and Terence are well known across music genres with four-time Grammy-winner PJ celebrating six straight years of Grammy nominations as an independent artist and Terence having won seven Grammy awards for his own discography and trumpeting expertise. PJ has worked with the likes of Maroon 5, India Arie, and has worked alongside Jermaine Dupri. His tiny desk concert can be seen here.
PJ is writing, arranging and producing the original song for the attraction. He is performing on and producing the sessions in New Orleans of all-new arrangements of the song, as well as songs from “The Princess and the Frog” within the attraction.
There will be a mix of music that originated from New Orleans and gives the vibe of the city. This is why Imagineering chose to work as locally as possible with artists from the area. Music featured will include Jazz, RaRa and Zydeco genres. And, as a special treat, it has been confirmed by @DrewtheDisneyDude on X that “Dig a Little Deeper” from the film will be the song that plays on the big drop for the attraction.
New Stores for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
A wise man once said, “All rides end at the gift shop.” And so, for both versions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, there will be a few new merchandise locations. Recently, Disney announced the two new shops for Walt Disney World’s versions, Critter Co-Op and Tiana’s Bayou General. Critter Co-Op replaces the Briar patch gift shop at the front of the ride and will focus on the animal friends within the attraction. Tiana’s Bayou General is mentioned as selling “groceries, housewares, dry goods and more.”
Over at Disneyland, Coming to Critter Country in reimagined merchandise locations are Ray’s Berets and Louis’ Critter Club. The first location, Ray’s Berets (currently The Briar Patch), will be the best place for guests to shop for headwear, apparel, accessories, toys and more with firefly Raymond and his firefly kin in a cozy cabin.
Traveling further into Critter Country, you’ll find Louis’ Critter Club (currently the left-hand side of Pooh Corner) where the friends of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure call this local hot spot their home away from home. Louis’ Critter Club is the place to go for apparel, accessories, home decor and more featuring some of your favorite critters and Tiana too. These locations will temporarily close on May 1st to start the reimagining.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in 2024
As we all eagerly anticipate the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, it’s great to be aware of all the wonderful things that have gone into its inception. From understanding the immersive storytelling to embracing the culinary delights awaiting you, these details will undoubtedly enhance your journey through the bayou.
Remember to embrace the spirit of adventure and let Tiana’s world captivate your senses. With all of this in mind, let’s get ready to embark on a magical journey like no other, where every twist and turn brings you closer to the heart of the bayou.
To learn even more about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, checkout our construction article. With each passing day, more scaffolding comes down as the Louisiana Bayou is being built in Orlando, FL.
