By: Disney Destinations
It’s time — laissez les bons temps rouler! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World is gearing up for a big Mardi Gras season celebration. So guests should grab their friends, family, and beignets because it’s time to share what they need to know before riding when the attraction opens on June 28!
As guests might have heard, the biggest soirée on this side of the Mississippi has an exhilarating 50-foot drop. But, guests should also know about the attraction’s story, Audio-Animatronics figures, music, and more. Here’s a special look at it all.
Dreams Do Come True in the Queue
From the minute guests step into the attraction queue, the story begins!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place about a year after the events of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “The Princess and the Frog.” Here, guests will see first-hand where Princess Tiana’s life has taken her following the success of Tiana’s Palace, a restaurant she had dreamed up and worked hard to make a reality.
In the queue, guests discover that Tiana has expanded her business with Tiana’s Foods. She’s combined her talents with those of the local community to transform an aging salt mine and has built a beloved brand of original hot sauces, seasonings, and other food products.
When guests enter the garden area at the start of the queue, they hear a radio broadcast of performances by New Orleans musical acts, and the announcer shares that Tiana is hosting a celebration this very night, and everyone is invited!
He also shares Tiana needs guests’ help with a very important task. There’s been a mix-up in the party preparations between Prince Naveen and Louis … nobody booked a band, and because it’s Mardi Gras season, a last-minute search for a band is proving tricky. So, Tiana needs help finding musicians for tonight’s party!
That’s where guests come in – they’re going to join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis on a fun and magical adventure through the bayou to help find the essential missing ingredient to a successful Mardi Gras celebration: good New Orleans music! After all, Louis is from the bayou, and he’s one of the best musicians around.
In the bayou, guests see familiar faces and make new friends in the next chapter of Tiana’s story – including musical critters playing tunes from The Princess and the Frog in the styles of Zydeco, Rara and Afro-Cuban music.
With the help of Mama Odie’s magic, guests dig a little deeper in the bayou as she shrinks them down to an itty-bitty size for a new perspective in the search for bayou musicians. And as the talent search concludes, it’s Mama Odie who makes guests big again and gets them to the joyful Mardi Gras season celebration at the magnificent home of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen.
Advanced Audio-Animatronics Figures
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure features some of Disney’s most advanced Audio-Animatronics figures, and with this new, advanced technology it makes guests feel like they’re really interacting with them in the attraction.
Oh, and guests can’t miss Louis. He’s one of the largest and most dynamic figures Imagineering has ever built –created with new materials that bring him to life like never before and in a way that only Disney can do.
The attraction’s amazing Audio-Animatronics figures were created by first looking at the attraction’s story todetermine each character’s role. Then, Imagineers used technology in support of the story in true Imagineering fashion. In total, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure includes dozens of Audio-Animatronics figures!
New Critters to See at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Disney attractions are known for incredible Audio-Animatronics figures, but it’s not every day we debut NEW original Disney characters. These new friends play an important role in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Creating original characters for our guests to interact with has long been a part of Walt Disney Imagineering’s legacy. In Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, there are 19 new critters – some are big, some are small, some are older, and some are younger. Each has a distinct name and personality. We hope that every guest has at least one they can make a connection with!
Music Brings Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to Life
Guests will be tapping their toes throughout Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! The music comes to a joyful crescendo as guests approach the party at Tiana and Naveen’s home, where Louis is conducting a jazz band filled with all the critters guests have met on their journey and more. They play an all-new, original song, “Special Spice,” with vocals by Anika Noni Rose, the original voice of Princess Tiana.
Imagineers worked with award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard on the music guests will hear atTiana’s Bayou Adventure.
A priority for creating Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been to represent all aspects of the New Orleans culture throughout the attraction, with an emphasis on the power of the city’s music.
Virtual Queue, Genie+ Service at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Riders should also know that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure uses a virtual queue. Guests will be able to request to join the queue through the My Disney Experience app at either 7 a.m. or 1 p.m.
While a standby queue will not be available during the attraction’s initial opening days, we expect to open a standby queue soon after the attraction’s opening.
And Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also be included as a Lightning Lane entrance in Disney Genie+ service*.
Purchasing this service on the My Disney Experience app helps guests get to some of their favorite attractions faster through Lightning Lane entrances and includes digital downloads of select Disney PhotoPass attraction photos taken in the park on the day of their purchase at no additional charge.
We can’t wait for guests to drop on into the bayou on June 28!
*Attractions with Lightning Lane entrances that are Disney Genie+ are limited in availability, subject to change or closure, may vary by date, are not guaranteed and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection.
Interested in a free, no obligation quote? Contact me at travelkaren@comcast.net for more information and to book today!
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