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Magic Kingdom’s latest attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will not be open all day and will bar select guests from experiencing the ride.
Credit: Jeff Krause, Flickr
It was only last spring that Walt Disney World Resort’s leading theme park, Magic Kingdom, launched its e-ticket attraction, TRON Lightcycle / Run. After being locked in development and construction for six years, the sci-fi movie-inspired ride opened in the expanded Tomorrowland location in 2023.
And today, June 28, 2024, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will join the list of attractions available for guests at Magic Kingdom Park.
Credit: Disney
Replacing Splash Mountain–in perhaps Disney’s greatest socio-political battle between itself and its guests–and bringing Frontierland back to life, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure sees characters from the animated The Princess and the Frog (2009) movie take over from the likes of Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Bear, and Br’er Fox.
Splash Mountain debuted at Magic Kingdom in 1992, following the opening of the attraction at Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort in 1989. For over 30 years, Splash Mountain stood as one of the Disney park’s most beloved attractions, but, in an effort to increase its diversity and inclusion practices, the House of Mouse officially announced a retheme of the ride in 2020.
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Splash Mountain is, of course, based on the animated sequences of the highly controversial 1946 movie Song of the South. The adaptation of the Uncle Remus stories proved incredibly problematic for its depictions of Black people and the plantation experience.
As such, Disney announced that its first Black princess, Tiana, would take over the mountain and bring her New Orleans adventure to the Magic Kingdom. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure acts as a sequel story to the events of The Princess and the Frog, following Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) and the jazz musician Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) as they recruit band members for the Carnival season.
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Following cast member and Annual Passholder previews, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open to all guests on June 28. The attraction has not had a smooth preview period, though, with multiple breakdown issues reported throughout the last few weeks.
Now, new information has come to light regarding the accessibility of the new Magic Kingdom attraction and it may just change your Disney vacation.
Credit: Inside the Magic
According to the official Walt Disney World Resort website, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be closed to all guests during the Early Entry period at the Disney park. This closure is not unusual, considering that Frontierland remains unavailable during the Early Entry period anyway, but a confirmation is good nonetheless.
However, along with this update, Disney also shared that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be unavailable to select guests. First, Disney will restrict access to the new attraction during Extended Evening Hours at the park. These hours are a perk for guests staying at a deluxe Disney resort hotel, such as Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Credit: Allen Castillo, Flickr
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For example, the Magic Kingdom Park calendar for July 3 lists Extended Evening Hours from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will close at 11 p.m. Tiana’s neighboring attraction, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, is listed as running during the Extended Evening Hours.
This omission of this Disney experience is unusual, considering the ride’s newness and its anticipated high demand during the regular daytime hours.
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Another group of guests who will be unable to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be those attending the hard-ticketed Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which runs throughout the summer and fall season at Walt Disney World Resort.
The official landing page for the Halloween event shows just Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as being available to ride in Frontierland during the party. Of course, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is not just about the rides. The event offers exclusive entertainment and fireworks, such as Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular and Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade.
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It will be interesting to see if these closures change as the year progresses. Disney likely wants to check in on the operation of the ride during its initial months before committing to opening the attraction for extra time.
When Tiana’s does open this weekend, guests must secure a boarding pass through the virtual queue system. The addition of this ride to the selection means that two attractions at Magic Kingdom will require a virtual queue to access: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and TRON Lightcycle / Run.
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However, on July 24, when Disney unleashes its new “FastPass” offering, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be available as a Tier 1 selection.
As this Splash Mountain replacement finally welcomes guests, Disney World is already refurbishing other notable attractions.
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Over at EPCOT, Test Track is officially shuttered as Walt Disney Imagineering retheme the speedy ride. In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, teams are readying the overhaul of DinoLand, U.S.A., which will be transformed into a new land inspired by the Tropical Americas.
Back in Magic Kingdom, July 8 will see a six-week closure of Peter Pan’s Flight commence. The Fantasyland ride is one of the busiest at the parks, and its significant shutdown during the summer months will likely cause longer wait times at other locations.
Are you disappointed to see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure closed during these key times at Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments down below!
