Tiana’s Bayou Journey at Walt Disney World is virtually there. Building on the reimagined experience is nearing completion earlier than the reimagined experience’s Summer season 2024 debut. This photograph report shares contemporary progress images from this week at Magic Kingdom, together with updates on the renamed present store and why we nonetheless don’t have an official opening date.
The excellent news is that Tiana’s Bayou Journey is coming alongside rapidly…and properly. Within the final couple of weeks, quite a bit has been revealed concerning the substance of the attraction, with the largest replace being a First Take a look at Imagineering’s Revolutionary Audio Animatronics in Tiana’s Bayou Journey. I had the prospect to see these Audio Animatronics of Mama Odie, Louis the Alligator, Eudora, Charlotte, Ralphie, Prince Naveen, Byhalia the Beaver, and Princess Tiana in individual and they’re unimaginable.
Disney has additionally shared particulars concerning the first critter crew and the second critter crew and the third critter crew of musicians inside Tiana’s Bayou Journey. The musical tapestry of New Orleans is woven with traditions and voices from all around the world. That first band of critters have been those who who play Zydeco music. The second group performs Rara, a musical custom from Haiti that’s a part of the musical historical past and melting pot of New Orleans. The ultimate faction brings the jazzy sounds and sophisticated rhythms of Afro-Cuban music to life within the bayou.
When it comes to progress, one very constructive signal is that Walt Disney Imagineering challenge crew members have been noticed in the previous couple of weeks doing take a look at rides of the attraction. This follows the refilling of the flume of the log experience with water and testing of experience autos with dummies. Throughout our days at Walt Disney World, we noticed the the flume crammed and emptied on a number of events. We by no means noticed any precise take a look at riders, however logs have been floating/sitting round.
Maybe probably the most notable side of the take a look at ride-throughs with Imagineers is that they’ve not be carrying exhausting hats. This may occasionally appear insignificant, however what it ought to imply is that set up of Audio Animatronics and present scenes on the within has been accomplished and the attraction has been ‘cleared’ and is not an lively development website.
This isn’t to say that work is completed. There’s a whole lot of programming and ending touches that might should be carried out–each inside and outdoors. The experience may nonetheless be months away from completion even with out ongoing development on the present scenes. Nonetheless, it’s a really constructive signal that all the things has (largely doubtless) been put in inside and Imagineers are engaged on little particulars. That implies that the challenge is within the dwelling stretch–it’s kind of what we need to see forward of the Summer season 2024 opening.
Earlier than we get to the Tiana’s Bayou Journey opening date hypothesis, let’s take a fast take a look at development as of mid-April 2024…
In the case of development, there’s not a lot that’s all that exceptional. The outside queue is coming alongside properly and regardless that work stays to be carried out, that’s the sort of factor that all the time appears to come back collectively in a short time on the final minute.
That was the case with TRON Lightcycle Run and numerous different points of interest earlier than it. Even CommuniCore Corridor, which has been constructed at a glacial tempo, is now coming collectively fairly rapidly because it prepares for its June 10, 2024 opening. (Primarily based on views from the monorail, I wouldn’t be stunned if these partitions largely come down in early Might 2024.)
Most likely the largest shock to me is that there’s nonetheless scaffolding up on the outside of the mountain in any respect. This has been trying prefer it’s 90% completed for the previous couple of months, and I truthfully can’t discern a lot progress because the final time I noticed it. Possibly it’s simply because the facade flew alongside for the primary 9 months of labor and has slowed considerably since, however nonetheless. I’m additionally considerably stunned they don’t need all of that down to begin taking pictures advertising movies and the like.
It’s attainable that work must be redone or they’re awaiting props or different options that also haven’t been put in on the surface of the attraction. It’s additionally attainable that there’s no sense of urgency to take down this scaffolding as a result of there’s nonetheless work inside being carried out.
I point out all of this as a result of I’m starting to have issues that the opening goal for Tiana’s Bayou Journey has been pushed again. Many Walt Disney World followers are questioning why we haven’t gotten an official opening date but…and once we will. In spite of everything, Summer season 2024 is fast-approaching and individuals are making their trip plans–or have already got. There’s a motive Walt Disney World has already launched reductions for dates past July!
Not solely that, however the obvious dates for making a splashy announcement–the D23 Down in New Orleans occasion and the Annual Shareholders assembly–have each come and gone. Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro was noticed recording a video outdoors of Tiana’s Bayou Journey over a month in the past, and the logical conclusion on the time was that it was the official opening date announcement–to be shared at a kind of two occasions.
The entire critters have now been revealed, as have the Audio Animatronics, and the experience is testing. At this level, it looks as if ready to announce is actively counterproductive, and wouldn’t be occurring until there’s doubt concerning the date. Disney simply supplied its weekly replace on Tiana’s Bayou Journey and as soon as once more didn’t announce a gap date.
That submit did finish with the next, which wasn’t precisely reassuring: “We sit up for sharing extra particulars about all of those updates within the coming months, and may’t wait to welcome you to this up to date space and attraction later this 12 months – it’s virtually time to let the nice occasions roll!” Possibly I’m studying an excessive amount of into that, but it surely certain doesn’t make it sound like an official opening date is imminent!
The following massive date on the calendar is the Walt Disney Firm’s quarterly earnings outcomes on Might 7, 2024. These calls have more and more grow to be occasions for dropping massive information, so maybe the opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey will probably be introduced then. I’m nonetheless skeptical and hope that isn’t the case, but it surely’s shocking and considerably regarding that there’s not but an official date.
Nevertheless, subsequent week is most likely Midway to Halloween, and it doesn’t appear to be Disney would need to have that overshadow the opening date of Tiana’s Bayou Journey or vice-versa. Then once more, possibly a advertising blitz is precisely the intent–to flood the zone with information about Halloween, Tiana’s Bayou Journey, Pixar Fest (at Disneyland), and extra of this summer season’s plans which have yet-to-be-revealed. Disney has been doing extra of this currently, so maybe it’ll grow to be a development.
As ought to be clear from the above, I’ve no clue when the opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey will probably be introduced–your guess is really pretty much as good as mine. At this level, I’d count on the Tiana’s Bayou Journey opening date to be introduced randomly, maybe through a phase on Good Morning America–however possibly simply by a daily ole press launch on some day in late April. Possibly they’ll push again Midway to Halloween and let Tiana’s Bayou Journey have the highlight subsequent week…or possibly they’ll roll with a ‘flood the zone’ strategy.
The underside line is that the announcement may occur actually any day now. As quickly as tomorrow or maybe a couple of week from now to protect this cadence of weekly releases. I anticipated the announcement to happen at the very least 2 weeks in the past, so it’s already not on time from my perspective. Then once more, the whole thing of Tiana’s Bayou Journey is forward of schedule, so it’s not like this can be a regular attraction opening state of affairs.
To that time, this can be a good drawback to have. We went from being skeptical that Tiana’s Bayou Journey would make its Late 2024 opening (and as an alternative slip into 2025) given Disney’s torpid development tempo within the final ~4 years to getting an official Summer season 2024 timeframe. That is the uncommon experience that has had its opening date moved ahead as an alternative of delayed, and we’re nonetheless impatiently wanting extra.
However, with every passing day that Walt Disney World doesn’t announce, the advertising influence on summer season bookings decreases. Remember, Walt Disney World has a number of aggressive particular gives for July that features Free Eating in addition to ticket and room-only reductions, so it’s not like bookings or attendance projections are already sky-high. In addition they are rolling out summer season leisure and are bringing again VIPASSHOLDER Days. All of that’s occurring for a motive–and there’s probability Tiana’s Bayou Journey acquired fast-tracked to Summer season 2024 for that exact same motive!
As for the probably opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey, that’s nonetheless most likely going to be dictated by what’s attainable and never what’s strategically advantageous. In contrast to different current points of interest that have been ‘slow-rolled’ to fulfill a predetermined deadline, this reimagining is extra like a race in opposition to the clock.
At any time when there’s something slated to open in the summertime season, between Memorial Day weekend and late June take advantage of sense. These are the dates in line with previous precedent. Of the current additions with summer season openings at Walt Disney World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Pandora – World of Avatar each debuted on Might 27; Frozen Ever After opened on June 21 and Toy Story Land had its grand opening on June 30.
I by no means thought Memorial Day was lifelike for Tiana’s Bayou Journey’s official opening date, and now I believe that ship has additionally sailed on delicate openings or affiliation previews (AP/DVC/C33/and so forth). Possibly the reimagined experience will probably be prepared for Forged Member previews by then, however I’m skeptical–I believe these slip into early June 2024. Remember the fact that regardless that experience testing is full steam forward, work nonetheless must be carried out, together with Forged Member coaching, take a look at & modify, and extra. That all the time takes extra time than followers anticipate.
My prediction of an official opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey is June 20, 2024. I believe there’s a fairly sturdy chance of the opening date being from June 20-28, 2024. Nevertheless, that’s only a semi-informed guess based mostly on what I do know plus previous precedent with different points of interest at Walt Disney World.
That is the date that I’ve been predicting because the opening season was moved ahead to summer season, and I’m sticking with it regardless that there’s not but an official date. My suspicion is that there have been (or are ongoing) delays which have pushed again an official announcement.
It’s value noting that an article revealed in NOLA.com signifies that the Chase household of the famed Dooky Chase Restaurant will probably be taking a visit to Walt Disney World as a part of an media preview of TBA scheduled for mid-June. Different invited visitors have posted on social media that they are going to preview Tiana’s Bayou Journey June 9/11, 2024. This presents a good timeframe for previews, but it surely’s a reimagining, which means that the experience system (and extra) are all identified portions.
Furthermore, I believe there’s a way of urgency to get this opened earlier than Independence Day, so to the extent that there have been delays, they’ll come on the expense of previews and delicate openings. With a brand-new attraction, that wouldn’t have been attainable–these previews are needed for Forged Member coaching and understanding points. Tiana’s Bayou Journey gained’t want as a lot in the best way of technical rehearsals as TRON Lightcycle Run or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
That additionally makes Frozen Ever After the very best comparability, and that attraction didn’t have any affiliation previews earlier than its June 21, 2016 debut. It was an identical race in opposition to the clock state of affairs, and barely made its opening date (work was nonetheless being accomplished after-hours for weeks/months afterwards and the experience was notoriously unreliable for that first summer season). It’s additionally notable that Frozen Ever After’s opening date wasn’t introduced till Might 20, 2016. So we’d nonetheless have a month to go earlier than an official opening date announcement if Tiana’s Bayou Journey follows that very same sample. Let’s hope that’s not the case!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
When are you anticipating Disney to announce a gap date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey? Stunned one hasn’t been launched but? Ideas on present development progress to Tiana’s Bayou Journey? Agree or disagree with our assessments about this challenge? Preserve the feedback civil, as this isn’t the place for politically-charged arguing, tradition wars, antagonism, private assaults, or low cost pictures.
