For years, Disneyland guests have braved the waters of Splash Mountain attraction. Though it was a beloved ride to many, aspects of it were outdated and offensive. So, like the resort, it got modernized as “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” a whimsical water-based adventure based on The Princess and the Frog for a new generation while retaining the original’s fun spirit.
The whimsical water-based adventure attraction a few weeks back at the Disneyland Resort further expands Tiana’s story after the events of The Princess and The Frog. In it, guests join Princess Tiana and her musically inclined gator pal Louis as they travel down the bayou looking for her party’s missing ingredient during Mardi Gras season: the band! They climb aboard log flumes in search of the perfect band and come to find out the critters that inhabit the bayou have musical talent. While guests will discover that few dips in the water to be refreshing, they will find themselves in New Orleans after one final 50-foot drop.
“Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” features some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronics figures ever seen in an attraction. These animatronics include Princess Tiana, Mama Odie, Louis, and Naveen, and the critters that make up the band. All of it culminates in the finale, which features a new, original song, “Special Spice,” written, produced, and performed by award-winning musician PJ Morton, with vocals by Anika Noni Rose. Music arranged by award-winning Terence Blanchard, a contributor to the original soundtrack of Disney Animation’s The Princess and the Frog, can be heard from the company radio in the attraction queue.
Nineteen critters with distinct names and personalities, including Mondo the Frog and Timoléon the Otter, will play various musical instruments connected to Afro-Cuban music. And to ensure the attraction was authentic artisans from Louisiana such as Sharika Mahdi, the artist of the inspirational artwork used by the Imagineers; Malaika Favorite, the creator of the colorful murals displayed on the queue’s barn; and Darryl Reeves, the master blacksmith responsible for the attraction’s handcrafted weathervane, helped bring Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to life. Leah Chase Kamata, an accomplished singer and daughter of Dooky and Leah Chase, lent her voice to the queue song, “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans.”
Don’t forget to spot those Easter Eggs and hidden gems that could be found throughout the attraction. Guests can smell Tiana’s famous beignets and find newspaper clippings detailing Tiana’s story and the original gumbo recipe from Tiana’s family. Eagle-eyed guests may even find the wooden spoon that Tiana and her dad used in the film.
Guests wanting to climb aboard one of the log flumes will need to use the Disneyland App and join the complimentary virtual queue.