Almost there. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens Friday at Disneyland.

It’s Disneyland’s turn to go down the bayou. 
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens on Friday, and excitement is buzzing at the Southern California resort. It’s been months since Walt Disney World’s version of the ride debuted in June and nearly a year and a half since the original Splash Mountain closed in May 2023. 
The new, feel-good flume ride is set after the events of “The Princess and the Frog” and is just plain fun. Plus, during this opening period, guests can get a free Disney PhotoPass download of the attraction.  
Here’s what else guests should know about Disneyland’s newest ride. 
In the queue for the ride, guests learn that Princess Tiana has been giving back to her community through a new employee-owned coop called Tiana’s Foods. She’s preparing a big Mardi Gras party for everyone but is missing a key ingredient. Guests join her and Louis the Alligator in a search through the bayou for a band.
Like “The Princess and the Frog,” Tiana’s Bayou Adventure pays tribute to New Orleans with music and heart. New Orleans music legends PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard worked on the ride’s music. Louisiana artists like Sharika Mahdi and Malaika Favorite inspired its feel. And Tiana herself is inspired by late James Beard award-winning New Orleans chef Leah Chase.
“We wanted to make sure that, since New Orleans is a real place and has this really exciting and interesting history, that we be authentic to that,” Ted Robledo, one of Disney’s creative executives on the attraction, told USA TODAY.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is located in Bayou Country, formerly Critter Country, which is also home to the newly reimagined Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree. 
The attraction is footsteps away from Tiana’s Palace and Eudora’s Chic Boutique in neighboring New Orleans Square. 
The big 50-foot drop isn’t scary, but there’s a shorter drop earlier on into a dark space, which some younger guests may find scary. Note that the ride has a 40-inch height requirement.  
Yes. The only way to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for now is by joining a free virtual queue or buying Lightning Lane access. There will be no standby line during this initial opening phase. 
Guests may join the virtual queue for Tiana’s at 7 a.m., noon or 4 p.m. PT on the day of their park visit. They can only join once per day during regular park hours, but they may join up to two different virtual queues on the same day. Haunted Mansion Holiday and “World of Color” also have virtual queues, which open at 7 a.m. and noon PT. 
Yes. Bring a poncho. Guests can also buy ponchos and towels at neighboring Louis’ Critter Club, which sells other souvenirs. 
Robledo said Imagineers always wanted to tell the same stories on both coasts, with the same key moments and the same characters lead concept designer Laura West created for the ride. However, they made a few adjustments.
For instance, because Magic Kingdom’s ride is a little longer, it allows for a bit more breathing room and interactivity with nature.
“But then .. there’s these beautiful moments that we only get to experience here, like being able to see Tiana’s Palace in the distance, which is super cool,” Robledo said. “When we enter into the bayou, it lights up dramatically here at Disneyland with the fireflies.”
Guests may also notice characters in different places.
“Like Mondo the Frog. At Magic Kingdom, we get up close to him. He’s on our left side when Mama Odie shrinks us down to the size of frogs,” Robledo said. “But what I love about Disneyland is when we get shrunk down to the size of frogs, it’s almost like we’re headed straight to Mondo. And it’s just so cool because here’s this welcoming, cute guy who’s like beckoning us forward. So I love the differences, and it’s fun that we actually have this opportunity to mix it up a bit.”
“Look for the missing typewriter keys … and where they show up in the ride,” West said.
She also suggested looking at the license plate Gritty the Rabbit is playing as a washboard. “Where the license plate has come from.”
That depends on who’s asked, but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is certainly happier and more light-hearted than Splash Mountain. There’s no sense of danger, like with Br’er Fox or Br’er Bear trying to kidnap Br’er Rabbit. The cutting-edge animatronics and addition of screens in some areas make it feel fresher than its predecessor. And the ride smells like beignets.  
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Splash Mountain was tied to “Song of the South,” a 1946 film criticized for its idyllic portrayal of plantation life. 
Disney has never connected that to the ride’s closure, but when CEO Bob Iger was asked at a March 2020 shareholders meeting if the film would be added to Disney+, he said, “I’ve felt, as long as I’ve been CEO, that ‘Song of the South’ was – even with a disclaimer – was just not appropriate in today’s world.” 
A petition to change Splash Mountain went viral that same year. Soon after, Disney announced plans to reimagine the ride but noted the idea had been in the works since 2019.  
There’s only one Splash Mountain left. It’s in Tokyo Disney Resort, which is owned by Oriental Land Company, not Disney.  
Guests visiting Tokyo Disneyland should note the ride will be temporarily closed from Feb. 12 through March 19, 2025.