Just weeks after its highly anticipated debut, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Resort is facing mounting technical problems. The Splash Mountain retheme, which opened on November 15, 2024, has already experienced repeated malfunctions, leaving Disney Parks fans questioning the Bayou Country attraction’s reliability.
Animatronic Troubles Continue
For the second time in just a few days, the Princess Tiana animatronic in the ride’s finale has “fallen silent,” as described by Disneyland Park guests. Reports indicate that the character, which is supposed to move and sing alongside other animatronics, was tight-lipped during recent ride-throughs.
Redditor u/Loving_Succy shared a photo of the malfunctioning animatronic, noting that Tiana appeared to be singing “with her mouth shut.”
Tiana can sing with her mouth shut!?
Tiana can sing with her mouth shut!?
byu/Loving_Succy inDisneyland
“Anyone else see Tiana frozen today?” they asked. “Singing without opening her mouth.”
Guests confirmed the issue had persisted since earlier in the week. One guest, u/rr2sweet, commented, “She was like this last night when we went on.”
A Rocky Start for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was designed to bring the beloved characters from The Princess and the Frog (2009) to life in an immersive new ride experience. Featuring advanced audio-animatronics and a storyline centered around Princess Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), and Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), the attraction promised a celebration of New Orleans culture and music.
However, the Disney Princess ride’s early days have been marred by technical setbacks. Walt Disney World Resort’s version opened in June and faced significant operational issues, including multiple breakdowns during previews and its grand opening. Disneyland Resort’s version initially seemed to avoid these pitfalls but is now encountering similar challenges.
Guest Reactions
Disney Parks fans have been vocal about their frustrations with the ride’s recurring issues. Many have pointed to broader maintenance concerns at Disneyland and Walt Disney World as possible causes.
“I guess maintenance has to Dig a little Deeper (in the parts bin),” u/chiangku wrote on Reddit.
Others noted their disappointment after expecting smoother operations in California following lessons learned from the Florida version of the ride.
“I went on the WDW Tiana’s a month after it opened and multiple animatronics were broken (including that one),” said u/DaddyzLuv. “When I rode the Disneyland ride on its 2nd day I was very happy to see that everything was working. I had assumed they worked out all the bugs from what they learned at WDW. I guess I was wrong.”
Have you witnessed a Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort ride malfunction? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
