As we all probably remember, in June 2020, the theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Disney decided to make an announcement that no one saw coming. The company announced that the iconic Splash Mountain attraction at both resorts would be closing and reopening with a Princess and the Frog (2009) retheme.
The news was met with a lot of backlash from fans, who felt that Disney was closing the ride because of the political climate surrounding race. However, those who looked forward to the new ride supported the fact that the original attraction was themed around a film that contained a lot of racial stereotypes and racial insensitivities.
Related: Magic Kingdom History: Disney Closes Splash Mountain Forever, Opens up New Chapter
While the announcement was made in 2020, Splash Mountain did not close at the Magic Kingdom until January 2023, and did not close at Disneyland Park until May 2023. Both attractions were closed for more than a year before they reopened at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The new Princess and the Frog attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom in June 2024 and at Disneyland in November 2024.
Since opening, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has continued to catch a lot of heat, with guests complaining that certain parts of the ride always seem to be broken. They don’t understand how a new attraction can have so many problems.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure does not seem to be as popular as its predecessor. At Disney World, the new ride used a virtual queue for only eight months, and at Disneyland, a virtual queue was used for less than one month.
Related: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Shuts Down After Teenagers Cause Ride to Stop
Recently, X (formerly Twitter) user Extinct Disney went on the attraction for the first time, and said that they did not understand why so many people hated the ride. They said that they really enjoyed the attraction and asked why so many people disliked it.
After receiving dozens of comments, Extinct Disney surmised that many people took issue with the new attraction’s storyline or lack thereof. But Extinct Disney pointed out that many other Disney attractions, like Dumbo and Space Mountain, did not tell any kind of story, and no one seemed to have an issue with that, and he wanted to know why that was.
Legitimately curious… The responses seem to imply people don’t enjoy it because of lack of story. For those in that boat, do you enjoy the Astro Orbiter? How about Space Mountain? Dumbo? Slinky? It feels like there are a lot of popular non-story driven attractions out there.
Legitimately curious… The responses seem to imply people don’t enjoy it because of lack of story. For those in that boat, do you enjoy the Astro Orbiter? How about Space Mountain? Dumbo? Slinky? It feels like there are a lot of popular non-story driven attractions out there. https://t.co/rkyBjkTq67
— Extinct Disney (@ExtinctDisney) May 13, 2025
Related: Disney World’s Most Controversial Attraction IS NOT Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Some of those who responded admitted that, yes, the ride does technically have a story behind it. However, they didn’t think that the story was as strong as the one told in Splash Mountain. They also felt that, in Splash Mountain, climbing the large hill before the final drop was due to the peril of Br’er Rabbit’s situation. But with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, there’s no danger, no build-up, just a drop that doesn’t really have anything to do with the story the ride tells.
I’m sure it’s a fun attraction, since it didn’t change. Physically, it’s still Splash. To me, it just seems Splash had a better story. The fall means “peril”, but Tiana has no “peril”, it’s just “get to the party quick”. I would never “not” go on it, though. It’s still Splash.
I’m sure it’s a fun attraction, since it didn’t change. Physically, it’s still Splash. To me, it just seems Splash had a better story. The fall means “peril”, but Tiana has no “peril”, it’s just “get to the party quick”. I would never “not” go on it, though. It’s still Splash.
— Rodrigo Barros (@roddybarros) May 13, 2025
Others felt that the story wasn’t complete enough. Unlike Splash Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has several areas that seem a little empty, and guests have noted these gaps. And some felt that Disney tried to force a story into the attraction, and it didn’t really fit with the narrative that the original 2009 animated film told.
According to Disney, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place after the events of the first film. Tiana is throwing a party to celebrate Mardi Gras and to thank all of the employees who work at her salt mine turned food co-op.
Unfortunately, there is no band to play at the party, so Tiana and Louis journey through the bayou, looking for some talented critters who can put everyone in the party mood.
Throughout their journey, guests encounter a ton of new characters, as well as some they loved from the original film, including Mama Odie, Juju (Mama Odie’s pet snake), and Ray the firefly. Once they make it to the party, they see Tiana’s mom, her best friend Charlotte, and all their friends.
Despite the backlash, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure continues to draw crowds, and on a warm and busy day, the attraction frequently sees wait times of more than one hour.
Do you think Tiana’s Bayou Adventure deserves all the hate that it gets? Do you like the ride’s storyline, or do you think Disney could have done better? Would you like to see the ride replaced with something else? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
The post Disney Attractions Called Out in Defense of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure appeared first on Inside the Magic.
