Park Hoppin’ Rides Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
After a tumultuous rollout that included disastrous previews and an embarrassing first few days following its grand opening, Park Hoppin’ finally got to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Today, Jay and Ivan snagged seats on Disney World’s replacement for Splash Mountain, but it wasn’t easy. To get into the ride, you have to book an appointment on a virtual queue via the Disney World app and hope they call your number. That’s right: you’re not guaranteed a chance to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure; it’s the luck of the draw, and that’s why Krista didn’t get to go on the ride.
They also only have two virtual queues a day, one at 7:00 AM and one at 1:00 PM, so you have to be fast when booking your place in line. Amusingly (though not for people who paid to go to Disney World, I imagine), the ride is being advertised on billboards in Orlando:
Those who don’t get in are not amused by these, even calling them false advertising because they don’t mention that you may not get to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But Jay and Ivan had their numbers called, although at different times, so Jay had to wait even longer; this is apparently causing families to have to ride in shifts instead of all together, which makes navigating the rules around this thing a chore. Jay and Ivan documented their experience in the Park Hoppin’ video below:
As you can see, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ran pretty well this time, aside from one of the Tiana animatronics that couldn’t move its arms properly (you can see it at the 11:50 mark). However, it was closed for two hours, so I guess they had to make some repairs during the day. And I have to say, the design looks good; the waiting area is decked out with pictures from the movie and what looks like a recreation of one of the locations (I’m assuming; I never saw The Princess and the Frog). Waiting in line at a theme park is a pain, so it’s nice when they try to make it as fun as they can – and making it indoors helps in Florida in the summer. The music is lively, and the atmosphere is upbeat, so at least they’re trying to get people to have fun with the ride.
But enough from the guy who wasn’t there. Jay enjoyed the ride, despite the animatronic mishap and the ordeal created by the virtual queue. And, most importantly, the kids on the ride had a lot of fun, singing and dancing along to the songs. If Disney can keep this thing functioning properly and maybe get rid of the virtual queues, it may grow into a popular attraction.
While she missed out on the ride, Krista did get to try the food based on The Princess and the Frog, and her reports are good. She gives the shrimp gumbo a 7/10 and Tiana’s famous beignets a 9/10. Here’s what they look like:
Krista also went shopping for some Pandora jewelry, specifically an exclusive Tiana charm that is only available at the Pandora shop in The Magic Kingdom while supplies last:
And, finally, the gift shop for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, called Critter Co-op, is now open, so you can find all your Tiana merch there instead of having to trek to The Emporium. Despite the many, many… many pitfalls, it looks like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a fun time when you can get to it.
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