Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Is Open. Here’s My Honest Opinion.

Many people already have an opinion about Walt Disney World’s updated ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — whether they have been on the ride or not!

Although the name is new, the ride — previously known as Splash Mountain — has been at Walt Disney World since the early ’90s.

While Splash Mountain was immensely popular, Disney decided that a re-theme was in order. After 18 months of renovation, the famous log flume ride reopened at Magic Kingdom as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to much fanfare … and criticism.

I rode it with my family shortly after it reopened; here is my honest opinion of “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.”

What Is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a classic log flume ride at Walt Disney World in Frontierland within the Magic Kingdom. The ride is based on the film “The Princess and the Frog.”

The ride culminates with a 50-foot drop with views of Cinderella’s Castle and a massive splash.

This has been an extremely popular ride since it opened in 1992 as Splash Mountain.

The original theme was based on several Uncle Remus stories and the film “Song of the South.” The film had long received criticism for its racist portrayals of African Americans and plantation life, and it was rumored that Disney had been considering a re-theme for many years.

In 2020, Disney announced that Splash Mountain would close for a re-theme in 2023 to finally give “The Princess and the Frog” a well-deserved ride of its own.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened in June 2024, full of party music, friendly critters, Princess Tiana, and my personal favorite: a frog playing bongos!

How To Book A Ride on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

As you might expect, fans have eagerly awaited the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, adding demand to an already busy Magic Kingdom.

Like Disney’s other high-demand attractions, you’ll need to join a Virtual Queue if you want to drop in on Tiana. That means there is no physical standby line; you must score a Boarding Group in advance.

Guests have 2 chances to score a free Virtual Queue Boarding Group. The first is at 7 a.m. on the day of your park visit, and the second is at 1 p.m. that same day. You must be in the park for the 1 p.m. attempt, but you can be anywhere for the 7 a.m. chance.

If you aren’t lucky or fast enough to snag a Boarding Group, you can pay for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which we recommend doing anyway.

My Honest Opinion of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

I was a big fan of Splash Mountain, and it was one of the first real rides I took my daughter on when she was 4 years old. She doesn’t remember the theming, but the big drop at the end with a view of Cinderella’s Castle is a core memory.

Now, with my 5-year-old son in the log with us, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is my family of 4’s favorite new ride.

The theming is fun (we love “The Princess and the Frog”), the music is great, it’s dark but not too scary inside, and it has an epic finale that leaves everyone screaming and then laughing — a great sign for any ride.

Plus, it’s over 9 minutes long, and you can sit while enjoying some air conditioning. That’s an underrated perk of many rides in Florida!

That said, the ride is not perfect. The story can be hard to follow or even understand if you aren’t paying attention. For many first-timers, it’s probably best to just sit back and enjoy the music and check out the Audio-Animatronics.

Final Thoughts

People were (and still are) upset about the retheming of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and that’s ok. But Tiana is here to stay and is a great addition to Magic Kingdom.

An entire generation never knew Splash Mountain and is only experiencing this epic flume ride for the first time with the “Princess and the Frog” theme.

Personally, I think the ride is excellent, and my wife and kids agree. The music is exceptional, the characters are fun, and the final drop leaves you giggling like, well, a kid at Disney!

This is a top-tier ride that should keep visitors coming back for years. I know I will be.