The new ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens next week at Walt Disney World. It's based on the animated Disney film, The Princess and the Frog, but the story picks up after the film. We were thrilled to be invited to be among the first to try out the ride and to meet the creators, who hinted that a sequel to the film may be in the works.
The new ride is situated where the popular Splash Mountain was located in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, and the route the ride takes offers all the same excitement, but with a new story and new Audio-Animatronic characters.
After passing the lush cypress trees and Spanish moss of a beautiful Louisiana bayou, you'll enter through a cave-type setting, where you can cool off as you wait for your turn. Then you climb into a log boat that holds eight riders, to travel along a river. As you enter the beautifully lit indoor areas, you'll spot talking and singing animatronic characters such as Princess Tiana, Mama Odie and Louis the jazz-loving gator as you float along, then come outside into the light and splash down waterfalls. There's also one spot in the ride that has the log car suddenly descending in complete darkness, which was unexpected and exciting.
Although some people wore rain gear to keep from getting wet, the one time you get splashed is during the highlight of the ride -- an exhilarating 50-foot drop. It's refreshing and will leave you wanting to go on the ride again and again.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure features new, original music alongside favorite tunes from the film, created in collaboration with award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard. Anika Noni Rose, who voiced Tiana in the movie, was on hand to sing the brand new song "Special Spice" for the media at a presentation before we experienced the ride. Other voices from the movie that you'll hear on the ride include Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, and Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis.
Afterwards, there's plenty to look at, including a general store and Critters Co-op, where an assortment of merchandise is available, including specially crafted unique gift items such as jewelry and Tiana-themed mouse ears, plush toys, Louisiana-style treats, clothing and much more.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens to the public on June 28 in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Click here to view our photo gallery with plenty of slides of the new attraction. ~Alexandra Heilbron