Walt Disney World has formally introduced the opening season for Tiana’s Bayou Journey at Magic Kingdom! This shares the newest information, plus our predictions for a particular official opening date, transient preview & delicate opening hypothesis, recognition amongst MK mountains, and a primary have a look at the Audio Animatronics!
In case you’re unfamiliar with it, Tiana’s Bayou Journey is a reimagining of Splash Mountain. The brand new-look attraction will use the very same journey system and stay a log flume with an out of doors part, inside present scenes that includes Audio Animatronics critters, and several other smaller drops culminating in a single large drop. Similar thought, completely different story and substance.
Tiana’s Bayou Journey will choose up the story of The Princess and the Frog after the ultimate kiss, becoming a member of Tiana and Louis on a musical journey as they put together for his or her first-ever Mardi Gras efficiency. Throughout this celebration, friends will hear authentic music impressed by songs from the movie. Tiana is main the best way and friends will be capable to encounter previous mates and make new mates alongside the best way as effectively.
In celebration of Mardi Gras, Disney has introduced that Tiana’s Bayou Journey will open in Summer season 2024 in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Tiana’s Bayou Journey at Disneyland in California will open “later in 2024” in response to Disney.
Listed below are extra particulars shared by Disney concerning the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Journey attraction at each Walt Disney World and Disneyland:
Throughout Mardi Gras in New Orleans – dwelling to Princess Tiana and her large goals – they are saying “laissez les bons temps rouler!” And the nice occasions will roll this summer season when Tiana’s Bayou Journey opens in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Oui, cher!
With Princess Tiana on the helm, this new attraction “digs just a little deeper” into her story after the occasions of the Walt Disney Animation Studios movie “The Princess and the Frog.” It’s Mardi Gras season at Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and the bayou will gentle up for a journey stuffed with music, Mama Odie’s magic, and an entire log-full of latest mates, in preparation for a celebration the place everybody’s welcome.
Music is on the coronary heart of New Orleans, and friends shall be tapping their toes all all through the attraction thanks partially to cute critters, who sing and play devices made from pure supplies discovered within the bayou.
Tiana’s new mates embrace an otter, a rabbit, a racoon, a beaver, a turtle and extra. Their spirited stylings will flip the bayou into a celebration with zydeco and different forms of music genuine to the area of New Orleans. There shall be new, authentic music alongside favourite tunes from the movie, created in collaboration with award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard.
Along with musical critters, Tiana’s Bayou Journey welcomes expertise voices from the movie as they reprise their roles, together with Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, Michael Leon Wooley as Louis and the one and solely Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana.
As friends float by means of the cypress bushes and Spanish moss of a lovely Louisiana bayou, they could see some acquainted faces as a part of the handfuls of solely new Audio-Animatronics figures. Together with Princess Tiana, Louis and Mama Odie, maintain a watch out for Eudora, Charlotte, Prince Ralphie, Prince Naveen, and others.
As “The Princess and the Frog” makes its dwelling within the Massive Straightforward, Tiana’s Bayou Journey is extra full of genuine NOLA artistry than Charlotte is with Tiana’s “man-catching” beignets! Art work from Louisiana artist Malaika Favourite will delight friends as a part of the queue, and friends can see an authentic metalwork weathervane from grasp blacksmith, Darryl Reeves and his apprentice, Karina Roca.
New Orleans artist Sharika Mahdi’s paintings has impressed the attraction from the start. For some lagniappe (a “little further”) friends could have a nostril stuffed with the candy scent of beignets frying – paying homage to strolling by means of the French Quarter – as a part of the attraction queue.
Lastly, right here’s a sneak peek at one of many spectacular Tiana Audio Animatronics in motion:
Turning to commentary, this seems to be unbelievable. Proper up there with the most effective of the most effective on our checklist of High 10 Audio Animatronics at Walt Disney World. This shouldn’t come as an enormous shock, nevertheless it’s nonetheless nice to see it truly revealed–I’ve watched that video a dozen occasions already.
Disney had already teased that there can be superior Audio Animatronics figures (plural) in Tiana’s Bayou Journey. We additionally believed the projected faces on Frozen Ever After and Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare that haven’t aged effectively have been in all probability issues of the previous, regardless.
As an alternative of these projected face figures, Imagineering will use Audio Animatronics within the type of the spectacular new Elsa from World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland or the Belle and Beast AAs at Tokyo Disneyland as a part of Enchanted Story of Magnificence and the Beast. These Audio Animatronics actually appear like the animated characters come to life.
Tiana is a complicated Audio Animatronics in that type, and she or he seems to be unbelievable–just like the animated character leaping out of the display screen and into the dimensional units of the attraction. It’s nice to see the home parks investing in these, as they’re completely beautiful, completely melding previous and new know-how to create one thing with wow-factor.
Sufficient although the video is simply a small style, that is precisely what we’ve been wanting from the Tiana’s Bayou Journey advertising for months. For some time, we’ve been listening to “it’s truly going to be actually good!” concerning the attraction from individuals who would know. That confidence in its high quality has made the concentrate on fictional meals firms and climate vanes and murals as we’ve turned the web page into its opening yr all of the extra of an odd selection.
These are the issues to emphasise when there’s no there there and it’s all loads of fluff. However we now have ample cause to imagine that there’s there there with Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and the journey goes to be one thing particular. (Additionally, kudos to Disney on lastly altering the development wall signage. As a prolific wall-tographer, I’ve misplaced depend of what number of occasions I’ve heard friends discussing/debating whether or not the journey was turning into a restaurant as a substitute!)
Anyway, that’s all prior to now–it’s nice to see Disney lastly giving us a small style of the substance of Tiana’s Bayou Journey and the unbelievable next-gen Audio Animatronics inside. This leaves us wanting extra in one of the best ways attainable, which is completely nice since there are nonetheless a number of months to go earlier than opening–however we’re virtually there!
Talking of which, now that Walt Disney World has formally confirmed the season throughout which Tiana’s Bayou Journey will debut, there’s the query of the exact date that Tiana’s Bayou Journey will open. As famous above, the corporate has confirmed the nebulous “Summer season 2024” timeframe. Technically, meaning any time from June 20 by means of September 22, 2024.
That’s not how Walt Disney World’s seasons work, although. Moderately than following the Farmer’s Almanac (or wherever these dates are derived), Disney makes use of the ‘colloquial calendar’ that defines summer season in america as Memorial Day by means of Labor Day.
For the previous few new attraction debuts–Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and TRON Lightcycle Run–we’ve stated that Walt Disney World would open the rides when it’s strategically most advantageous. And that was true with all of these.
The vital distinction is that every of these points of interest was initially slated to debut “in time for” Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary, however was delayed because of the closure and subsequent phased reopening. In all of these instances, Walt Disney World purposefully postponed the openings–it wasn’t merely a matter of staffing shortages or building progress. The opening dates have been slow-rolled for strategic functions.
It’s a completely completely different story with Tiana’s Bayou Journey. Most notably, this attraction’s debut is being moved ahead–from Late 2024 to Summer season 2024–relatively than postponed. In a approach, the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Journey is extra like a race towards the clock, versus ready out the clock, as was the case with the aforementioned points of interest.
Setting that apart for a minute, let’s talk about probably the most logical opening date window. Every time there’s something slated to open in the summertime season, Memorial Day weekend or June take advantage of sense. These are the dates per previous precedent. Of the latest additions with summer season openings at Walt Disney World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Pandora – World of Avatar each debuted on Could 27; Toy Story Land opened on June 30. Earlier than that, the final large journey reimagining was Frozen Ever After, which debuted on June 21.
It’s additionally price noting that each Cosmic Rewind and Pandora had intensive registration-only previews for APs and DVC previous to that in Could. The identical was true for Remy’s Ratatouille Journey and TRON Lightcycle Run. These previews have been a savvy transfer by Disney, because it obtained locals and diehard followers to the parks at a time that was in any other case uncrowded. The lead-up to Memorial Day is equally an attendance lull, so prolonged previews may likewise be strategically advantageous.
An official opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey round Memorial Day or in June makes rather more sense than debuting in July by means of September 2024, which is nearly solely unprecedented. Normally, the primary half of July is robust for bookings regardless and summer season is beginning to wind down deeper into that month, with crowds dropping off in mid-August by means of September as faculties return into session.
With one main exception (see under), Walt Disney World hasn’t opened a serious new attraction in August or September within the trendy period. It’s normally both late Could by means of early July, October 1, or the vacation season. So there’s actually no cause to imagine that Tiana’s Bayou Journey would be the attraction to buck that development.
The one exception to this was the primary part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which was an anomaly. Because of decrease bookings within the first half of 2019, Disney scrambled to debut that new land forward of its flagship attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The considering was that Galaxy’s Edge can be so widespread that it might defy regular traits and trigger individuals to e-book journeys within the low season. That was a large miscalculation and people months have been sluggish regardless of vital park hours extensions; it’s a mistake we’d not anticipate to see Walt Disney World repeat.
Even when Walt Disney World isn’t but 100% assured in when Tiana’s Bayou Journey shall be able to greet friends, they’re seemingly sufficiently assured that date will arrive earlier than August. If not, they’d follow “Late 2024” and purposefully held off debuting it between October 1 and December 5, which is the standard timeframe for late calendar yr openings.
That brings us to an vital level, which is that Walt Disney World in all probability nonetheless isn’t 100% assured concerning the actual date when the journey shall be prepared. We’ve been reporting for months that we’ve been listening to that Tiana’s Bayou Journey is forward of schedule, which is clearly excellent news. This makes full sense for those who spend time within the park watching building progress.
Not solely is it shifting at a brisk tempo, however there are a ton of employees on the location each single day–and sometimes into the night time. It’s a really energetic mission, particularly as contrasted with the EPCOT overhaul or different latest rides. In actual fact, the scaffolding is beginning to come down across the exterior of the attraction and the brand new mountain(ish) facade is now seen–it seems to be beautiful. Not solely that, however they’ve been refilling the flume and testing that, so that they’re in all probability very near completed.
Nonetheless, hiccups can all the time come up on the final minute that derail plans. Tiana’s Bayou Journey clearly is just not achieved but, and anytime work stays to be accomplished, there’s the opportunity of delays. It isn’t unprecedented for tasks to be forward of schedule till unanticipated points throughout the later levels that derail issues and delay the opening by weeks or months.
We’re not suggesting that’ll occur right here–on the contrary, the chances are in all probability fairly low. Tiana’s Bayou Journey is a journey reimagining preserving the earlier system and observe, so it’s rather more of a recognized amount. Nonetheless, there may be the opportunity of delays, nonetheless minor.
This additionally signifies that the entire dialogue about probably the most logical opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey is considerably educational. I’m certain Walt Disney World would love to have it open by late Could or early June 2024 if in any respect attainable. The issue, although, is that is probably not attainable. They’ve already managed to speed up the opening timeframe by a number of months–a couple of extra weeks could also be attainable, or could not.
Accordingly, we can also’t make any assured predictions with regard to AP or DVC previews, or common public delicate openings. It actually all relies upon upon how conservative Walt Disney World is with the official opening date, how easily building goes between from time to time, and if unanticipated points come up.
Tiana’s Bayou Journey may very well be the one Walt Disney World mission that defies all latest traits and is finished rapidly, leaving ample time for affiliation previews and common public delicate openings. Or it may very well be a mad sprint to make no matter opening date is ready, with work persevering with after hours even after the official debut date and delayed openings for months to accommodate. (Anybody keep in mind the rocky first few months of Frozen Ever After?)
Nonetheless, I’ll provide my greatest guess, which is that Tiana’s Bayou Journey will not formally open Memorial Day weekend. If progress have been such that late Could 2024 had already firmed up because the debut, I think that might’ve been introduced for the Mardi Gras celebration as a substitute of the Summer season 2024 season.
My guess is that, a month or so from now when there’s the next diploma of confidence within the particular date, we’ll get one other announcement. If I needed to wager on a date, I’d use the Toy Story Land and Frozen Ever After openings as steering, and predict an official opening date for Tiana’s Bayou journey of June 20 or June 27, 2024.
That’s nonetheless early sufficient in summer season that Tiana’s Bayou Journey would debut earlier than crowds actually begin heating up, and it may very well be conservative sufficient to permit for ample AP and different affiliation previews if the journey reimagining is prepared earlier than then. That’s only a guess, although. Regardless, I’m impressed by the Summer season 2024 opening season–and Disney’s means to satisfy and (to date) preserve an accelerated timeline. Actually places CommuniCore Corridor into perspective!
As for Disneyland opening predictions, I don’t have a lot to supply. I’ve heard subsequent to nothing about progress on that model. Not solely did Splash Mountain shut a couple of months later at Disneyland, nevertheless it’s our understanding that a couple of present scene and staging variations have been proving to make that reimagining “trickier.”
We haven’t heard any credible rumors concerning the Disneyland model since late final yr. My guess is that they’ll need it open by Thanksgiving, however past that, I’ve no clue. (Southern California will get chilly in December by means of February, so having it achieved by early November would in all probability be very best.)
Every time it does open this summer season, Tiana’s Bayou Journey will immediately turn out to be one of many prime 3 hottest points of interest at Magic Kingdom. No matter how anybody may really feel concerning the reimagining of Splash Mountain, that’s pretty plain. The journey was widespread earlier than and it’ll be much more widespread because of advertising and it being new. That all the time occurs, so it’s loopy to anticipate something completely different right here.
The one actual questions are whether or not it may well surpass TRON Lightcycle Run and Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare by way of recognition. Furthermore, whether or not Tiana’s Bayou Journey shall be a daily or a la carte Lightning Line. My early guesses are that it replaces Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare in each regards, turning into one of many longest wait occasions and most coveted Lightning Lane alternatives in all of Walt Disney World.
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Your Ideas
Shocked that Tiana’s Bayou Journey is definitely going to open forward of schedule? Excited for the new-look journey? How a lot of the previous Splash Mountain (e.g. random musical critter AAs) are you anticipating to look within the reimagined model? Expectations for a particular Tiana’s Bayou Journey opening date? Hold the feedback civil, as this isn’t the place for politically-charged arguing, tradition wars, antagonism, private assaults, or low cost pictures. We shall be heavy-handed in deleting any feedback that cross the road, regardless of viewpoint. You aren’t going to alter anybody’s thoughts by way of the feedback part on this weblog, nor are you going to alter Disney’s priorities. If you happen to want to shout your outrage into the web abyss, that’s why Fb was invented.
