Disneyland’s new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is soaking preview riders with a wall of water that floods the logs during the final 50-foot-drop and gets riders much wetter than Splash Mountain ever did, according to social media reports and Disney fan websites.
“This ride has always come with a warning that ‘you may get wet,’ but even people who were familiar with Splash Mountain said they were not expecting that much water on the ride,” according to MousePlanet.
Disneyland Magic Keyholders have been previewing Tiana’s Bayou Adventure since late October ahead of the new attraction’s grand opening to the general public on Friday, Nov. 15.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is delightful, thrilling and still plenty wet
Disneyland Magic Key annual passholders take a test ride on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure last month. The revamped ride opens to the general public on Nov. 15. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“Many preview riders have reported getting soaked on the new ride with one describing a ‘wall of water’ that came up and drenched everyone in their boat during the final drop,” according to MousePlanet.
MousePlanet advises Tiana’s Bayou Adventure riders to plan ahead and be prepared.
“A friend thought she was ready with a complete change of clothes, but didn’t think of her feet,” according to MousePlanet. “She spent the rest of her Disneyland day squishing around in soaked socks and shoes.”
ALSO SEE: Why Disneyland is opening a water ride at the start of the winter holiday season
Disney Scoop Guy vlogger Matt Desmond has ridden Tiana’s Bayou Adventure 13 times during Magic Key passholder previews.
“I absolutely love this ride, but it gets me wetter than Splash Mountain ever did,” Desmond wrote on Twitter. “I’m afraid the worst part of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is that I’m going to have to ride a water ride to experience it.”
Riders from the first virtual queue group react on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a log flume ride based on Disney’s 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The ride used to be the Splash Mountain attraction themed to Disney’s 1946 film Song of the South. ..(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Disneyland version of the log ride offers a much wetter experience than the Florida attraction at the Magic Kingdom, according to Screamscape.
“The experience in California is wetter than it ever was when it ran as Splash Mountain with some logs appearing to just absolutely flood with water after the big splash down to the point that your shoes might be totally submerged for a time,” according to Screamscape.
ALSO SEE: The history of Disneyland’s Critter Country from Indian War Canoes to Bayou BBQ
Capacity for each Splash Mountain log was reduced to six riders during a 2005 renovation, according to Screamscape.
“The speed of the water flow was adjusted as well around this time to speed up the logs’ journey through the attraction in an attempt to make up for the lost physical capacity of each log, which had also had the side effect of increasing the amount of ‘splash’ as the more speedy logs crashed through the course,” according to Screamscape.
Riders from the first virtual queue group clog the entrance as they jockey for position to get in line at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Monday, October 21, 2024. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a log flume ride based on Disney’s 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The ride used to be the Splash Mountain attraction themed to Disney’s 1946 film Song of the South.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Disneyland hasn’t announced if it will reduce the splash level on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure during the colder months of the year.
“As the cooler winter season is now arriving in California just as they open their Tiana flume, I’m not sure if some further adjustments could be made to reduce the splash problem if log flooding continues to be a problem,” according to Screamscape.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland distributes all Tiana’s Bayou Adventure virtual queue spots in seconds
Disneyland recommends Tiana’s Bayou Adventure riders rent a locker to keep their belongings dry or leave their stuff with someone in their party who is not riding. Of course, Louis’ Critter Club gift shop in Bayou Country will sell you a rain poncho and waterproof phone pouch before the ride or a souvenir towel after you’re drenched.
You can also swing by the Jungle Cruise before you hop on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to pick up a free Ziploc bag to keep your things dry — or bring your own resealable plastic bag.
Riders from the first virtual queue group react head down the falls on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a log flume ride based on Disney’s 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The ride used to be the Splash Mountain attraction themed to Disney’s 1946 film Song of the South. ..(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ultimately, there may be no amount of protection that will keep you from getting wet on Disneyland’s newest water ride.
“I tried it with a poncho for the first time yesterday and still got drenched,” Desmond wrote on Twitter.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland offers 2 ways to get on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: Virtual queue or Lightning Lane
There will be two ways to get on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland when the new water ride officially opens to the general public — either by joining the free virtual queue or by paying for the Lightning Lane line-cutting service. There will be no standby queue when the ride initially opens.
Starting on Nov. 15, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be part of the $32 Lightning Lane Multi Pass and the $400 Lightning Lane Premier Pass, but will not be offered as a $16 to $28 individual Lightning Lane Single Pass option.
Disneyland visitors will have three chances a day to join the virtual queue — at 7 a.m. before the park opens and again at noon and 4 p.m. You’ll need to have already entered Disneyland to join the afternoon queues later in the day.
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