Disney Reveals Opening Date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

The future of Magic Kingdom has nearly arrived, as park officials just announced the opening date for a highly anticipated attraction. Yes, we finally know the opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Let’s talk about the big news!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Has Nearly Arrived

After 15 months of speculation, Disney finally announced the opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Disney will open the new Magic Kingdom attraction to the public on June 28th, 2024, preceded by previews for Cast Members, Annual Passholders, and Disney Vacation Club members. We know no additional details about previews, but there’s an expectation that Disney will reveal more during an American Idol episode tonight.

As a reminder, Imagineers are currently creating two different versions of the ride, one at Magic Kingdom and the other at Disneyland Park. Importantly, the opening date is for Magic Kingdom only. 

While Disney is far along on the Disneyland version as well, it’s not quite as ready. Conversely, Disney fans have spotted many people test-riding the Magic Kingdom version, including Charita Carter, the Imagineer in charge of the project!

Carter’s ride was ceremonial, a celebration of all that she achieved here. You can read some of Carter’s explanations of what the job entailed in this Gizmodo interview. 

Disney had previously confirmed that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would open this summer at Magic Kingdom. Now we know the date, and it’s June 28, 2024. So, you should adjust your travel plans accordingly.

You Should Follow Disney’s Social Media Accounts

We already have a good idea of what to expect at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure because Disney has changed tactics over the past few weeks. After years of hinting and teasing what might come next without offering finite details, theme park executives have recently unleashed the Imagineers to tell their story via social media.

A good example was the Instagram Reel of the Tropical Americas themed land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. That wasn’t the only one, though. In a span of two days, @WaltDisneyImagineering released three new Reels showing sneak previews of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. 

Also, Disney released a new YouTube series entitled We Call It Imagineering. You can watch the first episode here.

This clip displays some Audio-Animatronics you’ll discover when the attraction opens. Imagineers consider them the most advanced robotics in the company’s history, with Louis the Alligator and Tiana herself as the crown jewels. These animatronics perform a deeper range of motion and more realistic movements than anything Disney has ever produced. 

What Should You Expect at the Tiana Ride?

I just named a handful of the many characters you’ll encounter on this ride. Familiar faces from the film, like Ray the Firefly and Mama Odie, will also appear. 

Disney has shown images of many other creatures like Louisiana brown bears, musical bobcats, a raccoon, a turtle, a beaver, a gray fox, and an opossum. In other words, this ride will feature just as many characters as what Splash Mountain did, only they’re more modern in look and style. 

Thankfully, Disney hasn’t forgotten what matters, though. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure promises the same general ride structure that everyone loved about Splash Mountain. And yes, you’ll still splash down toward the end of the ride! 

As with the old ride, the music of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will have you smiling the whole time, too. The Princess and the Frog possesses one of the best Disney soundtracks of the 21st century. Now, Disney will augment it with more New Orleans-appropriate tunes. 

Disney has created a remarkable attraction queue as well. The entire campus for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure establishes a tone. Fans have already taken thousands of photos of the Tiana’s Foods water tower that’s been on display since June 2023. 

More recently, Disney added a Tiana’s Foods sign on the side of the building and a vegetable garden in the attraction queue. Crates and barrels are visible in this area as well. Imagineers want everyone to buy into the illusion that this is a real 1920s restaurant business. 

How Should You Plan for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?

Still, while the name has changed, something will remain the same. During its final years in operation, Splash Mountain averaged a wait of 45-60 minutes, although those numbers ticked up some at the end as fans flocked to the attraction for one last splashdown.

Since Disney is marketing Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as its most important park addition this year, you should expect similar crowds, especially during the early months. Thankfully, this attraction provides plenty of throughput, but you should still plan your day around your first ride. 

Presumably, Disney will offer a Lightning Lane option for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom. Nothing has been officially announced yet, though. Now that we know the opening date, Lightning Lane info remains the only missing piece to the puzzle. 

As an aside, the placement of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will grow in significance over time. Disney just confirmed the What Lies Beyond Big Thunder Mountain expansion. That’s also what lies beyond Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Eventually, you’ll find a lot more in this area than currently exists.