Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Honest Thoughts

[@OffhandDisney]

BE NICE.

[@OscarLangleySoryu]

Best of luck with that 🫡

[@doctormatthattan]

@@OffhandDisney CUT YOUR HAIR HIPPY

[@Dreyfuss_The_Guy]

That didn't last long...

[@feloniousbutterfly]

This says it all tbh...

[@MattMcIrvin]

oh you sweet summer child (Actually much of the discussion is surprisingly nice.)

[@garrettcarter5622]

Everyone’s talking about the lack of Facilier that they overlook the lack of Naveen. He’s the Frog in the movie’s title and he’s barely present in the ride. Did they not want to pay his voice actor?

[@kdusel1991]

I mean he shows up in his human form at the end. I think they got the OG VA back too. They got most of the others!

[@garrettcarter5622]

@@kdusel1991 He should have been in the ride more. Heck, he’s in the concept art, implying he WAS meant to have more presence.

[@happiestplace3754]

There's lots of weird things going on there, and unfortunately the ugly subject of race gets involved.

[@SmartRascalStudios]

They still had his voice actor paid, and he was at the premiere and he rode the ride with all the main cast. It’s just that in the context of the ride, aside from the animatronic of him at the ride’s finale, you can hear him on the radio show as part of the pre show’s audio.

[@keySkullghost]

@@happiestplace3754 hey there! I haven’t ridden it yet… can you elaborate at all? I’m missing this element in footage I’ve seen. 👍

[@kdusel1991]

I think it's cute. But it would've benefited from having the shadow man be a part of it. Not having a scary element like Splash Mountain did just seems weird to me.

[@sock501]

The shadowmän? kzbin.info/www/bejne/laa1qKxvnbNraMUsi=OCiLlclt8CZ0T-Zb

[@PapaMorty-]

110%

[@PapaMorty-]

They could’ve used this ride to transition from Disneyland to future Villiansland just behind it with Disneyland forward project. 🤞

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

Maybe because it’s Florida.

[@PapaMorty-]

@@Poiuytrew.Q ?

[@farandaway123]

I personally wish they added more stakes to rides these days. It's a pretty ride but I think they could make it more immersive and exciting

[@kdusel1991]

Adding in the shadow man would've helped! The original ride had that scary moment before the drop with the vultures. Not having a scary moment during the new ride seems weird.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yes, I think one of the great things about Splash Mountain was that it was great storytelling. There was an actual story and you had those scary bits leading up to the giant drop before getting over that and into a world where everything is even more happy than at the start. There's a reason why the best films tend to touch all of the emotions at some point during the story. You need that in order to really get the most out of any of it.

[@kdusel1991]

​@@SmallSpoonBrigade I do think that the animatronics are amazing though!

[@thebup6850]

Probably biased, but TBA is just a downgrade. It feels dead and empty, the animatronics other than the main cast are rocking horses that are sparse at best, and a slow moving boat ride needs that kind of overstimulation in the set design. There needs to be a lot going on because you *have* the time to look at it. I also would’ve liked the boat weenie they scraped. Dr facilier not being in the ride is a travesty. I hear people say that he’s not in because the ‘ride is set after the movie’, which shows a clear lack in how iterative the ride making process is. They can just change it, make the ride story the movies plot. And if you are so insistent on it being all wrong, just put a mama odie animatronic at the start and have it be like she’s telling the story. Imagine the drop in the dark ride segment, over the hill and into ‘dig a little deeper!’. It’s perfect. And up the lift hill hearing the ‘are you reaaaaady!’ would be unimaginably perfect. Also, they really want you to known everything Tiana is ‘employee owned’ even though we know that those pastries you’re buying from the food cart are made by penny-picking bad-business Disney. It feels incredibly insincere…

[@annellarice730]

This is something that’s been weighing on me a lot too. Why would Disney sacrifice a clear and engaging story for an odd jab at Cast Member Unions?

[@BSGreyM]

I think the lack of peril or conflict is kind of a bummer. Splash Mountain was a kid friendly ride but it had a neat sense of tension that builds up and I'm not seeing it in this version.

[@bobg7649]

exactly

[@AllunaWhispers]

They missed a serious opportunity having "friends on the other side" playing before the drop. I have no idea why they decided not to have Dr. F.

[@OffhandDisney]

It's weird he's featured so heavily during Halloween time in shows and meet-n-greets, but completely absent in the ride. I agree, a big missed opportunity.

[@AllunaWhispers]

@@OffhandDisney imagine how awesome it would have been climbing the drop flanked by dancing voodoo masks with "are you READY!??" Building up before the drop. What a missed opportunity 😩😩😩

[@kdusel1991]

​​@@AllunaWhispers I totally agree!! Not having a scary element seems really weird to me! Splash had one, why not this? It would make the ride so much better!!

[@kdusel1991]

​@@AllunaWhispers maybe they'll refurbish it to add that in the future?? It feels kinda naked without it!

[@Taydar]

Well he's dead

[@maddenmob]

We were in Disney world last week as well. I like the ride but I feel you are right , there is too much dead space, there also feels like there is no build up to the drop, I never realised the heavy lifting those vultures were doing.

[@KetchumKid]

My honest thoughts is that Tiana's is a missed opportunity, as in a "Book Report" style ride would have been a better narrative than the version we have. It could start with Tiana finding Naveen while exploring the old mill she wants to purchase for her restaurant. As you prepare to drop into the indoor portion, Dr. Facilier comes out and "shrinks you to the size of a frog" as you follow the bayou misadventures of Tiana, Naveen and Louis. "Friends on the Other Side" would have been perfect for the big hill, before Mama Odie restores you back to normal size where you see Tiana and Naveen marriage ceremony or open Tiana's Palace. Maybe this is just me thinking Dr. Facilier would have added much to the ride, maybe it's me being critical of Disney rides where you are a part of the story to the detriment of narrative. Either way, I feel the above could have gone well to fixing some of the emptier portions of the current ride, by filling it with scenes directly from the movie itself

[@kdusel1991]

Agreed!!

[@rey_ispog]

Crazy a single youtube comment had a better script than an entire ride’s plot written by a room of writers.

[@shannonobrien7095]

I have pretty much the same opinion. One of the reasons people like to go Disney is often the rides are information overload. You always see something new every time you ride it. Tiana's felt like a 'one and done' for me... at least for a long queue. The entire ride felt like a wasted opportunity to provide really interesting details. I felt like they decided to retheme Splash Mountain without a budget (or spent all the budget on a few animatronics) and pieced it together on a shoestring. I'm hopeful that Disney actually intentionally did this so they could really improve it for the Disneyland version and then based on their feedback of that ride, rework this one on a short rehab. I also feel like they decided to push all the big stuff onto the one scene that is visible from the Railroad which feels like that was the priority.

[@Tibainium]

Splash Mountain was a ride that was worth doing whenever you visited the park, even when the wait time was crazy long. Tiana's is more like a one-and-done ride that is not worth waiting more than 30 minutes for.

[@z3v..]

ye that sounds about right

[@SovietDictator]

I just deleted a really long nostalgic post to just say simply this: I rode Splash Mountain when it was new, and it was great. I'd been on America Sings before, and all of it still felt new and fresh. This to me feels like a bandaid over something that wasn't broken.

[@BunnyandMoon]

I like Tiana fine but I almost wish we lived in another universe where Disney takes more risks and tries new stories instead of building off what they already have. Big sigh.

[@justintime1234]

@@SovietDictator it was literally my favorite ride from the very first time I rode it in 1990. It was the happiest ride in all of Disneyland. It gave the happiest vibes. It was Disneyland to me. And now that it's gone it feels like Disneyland is gone. Yes I like their other rides also, but when I went to Disneyland I anticipated that ride the most and it has so many amazing memories and good times attached.

[@gridley]

Removing Splash for Tiana's was a very political move. But forget the ideology. From a purely artistic, creative standpoint, Tiana's is very weak, sort of today's version of DCA of 2001.

[@OakForestBoys]

This

[@gr33ngirlsea]

Splash Mountain was breaking down. They were already planning on doing something with it, be it refurb or retheme.

[@denisemcgilvrey3966]

I think it’s a mess. Final scene is the energy the whole attraction should have. There are literal moments of boring darkness. It is not an upgrade from Splash. Sure I get we need change. But let’s make that change for the better.

[@OffhandDisney]

I disagree. It's far from a mess. Superstar Limo was a mess. I'd encourage you to watch the video, because my main complaint lines up with yours, lots of empty space.

[@denisemcgilvrey3966]

@@OffhandDisney it’s boring and the story is weak. Maybe with no past context it would be fine for what it is and I absolutely love the movie so I want an attraction based on it. Change should be for the better. This is not better.

[@denisemcgilvrey3966]

@@OffhandDisney and I will definitely watch as soon as I can! Love your videos!

[@hyperorbit]

@@OffhandDisney It's a mess, c'mon. It's one a done. There's literally nothing drawing me back there ever again. We'll remember the music from the original for a lifetime, do you even remember the new finale song?

[@ChienaAvtzon]

@@OffhandDisney - Sorry but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a mess. The re-theme could have been good, but it is just boring. The storyline does not fit with the ride system, and the music is awful. This is not how you represent such a vibrant place like New Orleans.

[@fredlopez5213]

Its not the worst ride Disney has created, but I disagree that it is a worthy successor to Splash. Its predecessor was a masterpiece in terms of storytelling, perfectly combining plot progression with a ride system and having little details that added to a grander vision. Tiana's has a lot of problems with its story: -There is no need for a big drop in this story. Its now a log flume attraction that really does not want to be a log flume -The "looking for critters" plot feels weak when the only critters in the bayou conveniently hang out in one of three groups -The dialogue is very juvenile. I hate to say this, but the advanced Tiana animatronics feel like a waste because all they do is just stand there and say the same "these critters would be great for the party!" line -The queue and outdoor track have an elaborate Tiana's Foods backstory that quickly get dropped in the first indoor show scene and now add nothing to the ride's narrative At the end of the day, this attraction feels like a great tech showpiece with a poorly executed plot.

[@feloniousbutterfly]

I gotta admit... the new ride and even the resort you are staying at comes off as... how do I put this... 'looks good on paper'. It seems like they designed it entirely digitally to fit the space rather than actually being present in the terrain and designing it around the natural features. Some of the design choices (like the disparate fans instead of providing any kind of shade in the queue seems like something dreamed up by a person sitting in AC instead of standing in the hot florida/california sun at 3 pm. I feel this way about a lot of modern disney stuff. I just get this impression the imagineers are designing everything sitting around a conference table with laptops and a whiteboard for taking down brainstorming ideas. It just doesn't feel tangible, palpable, lived in, real. It's overly designed and way overly monetized. I don't want to be curmudgeonly and say 'back in my day', but it's been a consistent issue and actually keeps me from wanting to visit the parks at all.

[@Junoisverysleepy]

As someone who met one of THE artistic directors at Disney earlier this year, you absolutely hit the nail on the head. They don’t visit the parks anymore when designing stuff. Or at least the main people in charge don’t interact with the guests or staff when they do so.

[@bogdaddy]

i understand your criticisms and i agree in general, but the resort in the video was built in 1991 lol (it's also one of the best mid-tier resorts on property)

[@BeeverSD]

Splash Mountain > Tianas. Just my honest opinion.

[@Camel138]

TBA is a "could've been worse but could've been better" for me. I think Splash had better interior sets and a stronger narrative, but TBA does look gorgeous on the exterior. Plus, with how much of modern WDW projects are screen-based these days, it's nice to see all those animatronics. I feel it's a worthy successor to Splash, but I dunno if it'll be as iconic.

[@kdusel1991]

It's not gonna be as iconic that's for sure but it's a worthy successor

[@katsukis]

babe wake up off hand disney just posted 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥

[@jsarge3749]

Dude, I look forward to your videos more than you know!!!! You provide a small piece of solace in this world. I appreciate you!

[@JP-1990]

As happy as I am to see more representation for the Princess and the Frog, I do feel that Splash Mountain should have been kept for Disneyland. I feel like Disneyland should have the role of "keeper of the classics", whereas Disney World and the international parks should have all of the wiggle room to experiment and do exciting new things. This isn't to say that Disneyland cannot expand or update, it's just that I wish the classic attractions were allowed to remain. I also think that different parks should have different versions Of the same rides. It's one of the reasons why I greatly enjoy the version of Pirates of the Caribbean at Shanghai or Mystic Manor in Hong Kong.

[@joshthemoviecollector9273]

9 out of 10 is wild. As much as it breaks down and the lack of animatronics.

[@bewarebewear1507]

I really dont like it, I just dont like how cheapened the critter animatronics are. All the human animatronics and Louis are wonderful but I hate how the critters are so simple. I honestly dont think disneylands will be better, disneylands had way more animatronics and the ride moves so much faster, I know this wont happen but I hope they will reuse atleast 1 or 2 of the america sings animatronics for disneyland. It honestly does hurt that none of them were reused.

[@Hallow_the_fur]

Yeah the American sings animatronics aren't even able to be re-used because the "imagineers" dragged them out back and dismantled them with axes because they thought that they were a problem for certain movements

[@bewarebewear1507]

@@Hallow_the_fur yep I heard that they were destoryed, if anything the america sings critters should have been the things to survive, sucks that more than 170 of them got destroyed.

[@CrazyManhog]

Well be honest small world doesn't much animtronic moment either

[@bewarebewear1507]

@@CrazyManhog some of their animatronics are very simple but they make up for it by having so many of them fill one room so that there is always something to look at. Small World has over 300 animatronics with some being standouts like the hula dancers, can can dancers, the hippo, elephant, and many more. Plus for being simple animatronics they still do alot more actions that what the critters at TBA do, they dance, sing, blink, look around, move their arms, etc... some of them have more movement overall with the simple ones having atleast fun gags to look at. TBAs critters shouldnt have been budgeted to be this simple especially since there are 32 of them and they dont even fill the entire ride with the ride having empty rooms. They realistically could have been made to be more complex since these are alot less than the amount of critters splash had.

[@Citizen_88]

“9/10” is soooo viciously generous lmao. It’s gorgeous, but that’s all it feels like it has going for it. I just hope they’re taking the audience feedback to heart for the Disneyland version, that’s all we can really hope for

[@greggmartini1964]

The Avery Island salt mine (just closed due to tragic deaths) is where the Tabasco Sauce company was formed and still remains!

[@marcusjanetatos560]

I honestly hope most people feel the way you do about it. I don’t want people to feel how I do because it’s not healthy and/or fun. Sadly, to me Splash was a top 3 iconic Disney attraction that was beloved and impossible to overlay/replace. It was expertly designed and it hurts to just haphazardly put a story in there that doesn’t fit or make sense while using the bones of Splash. Those of us who rode Splash will never be able to forget it. Maybe this generation of kids will have the same reverence for Tiana’s, and if that’s the case I’ll just be happy I had my time with Splash.

[@JSXSProductions]

When the virtual queue is for the physical queue and not the ride lmao

[@OffhandDisney]

A queue for a queue you could say.

[@JSXSProductions]

@@OffhandDisney It's like a pointer pointer in programming. It's a pointer that points to a pointer.

[@lucasd6880]

I feel like you were REALLY generous with your review on this one. There is so much missed potential here it is unbelievable. Even moving past all the other things people have mentioned with bringing in Dr. Facilier/retelling the original story, let's talk about the story they DID go with. It is some serious Disney Jr level writing. They speak at you as if you are a child. Everywhere you look, corners were cut and things were dumbed down. If we are supposed to be growing back to normal size during the final lifthill, why not have a lot of giant colorful bottles that slowly return to normal size as you get higher up to sell the effect? Why not have a scene with the three frog catcher characters from the movie to fill some of the dead space? Why not visit Mama Odies place for a better change of scenery during the ride? Why are the band members not introduced one by one in fun little scenes where their instrument is the main one you hear (then they all play at the same time in the finale for a more satisfying progression)? Where is Naveen (other than in the finale cameo)? Even with this really basic and boring story they went with, they could have told it in a much better and more engaging way and they didn't even do that properly. So, even disregarding the missed potential, the fact that this replaced Splash Mountain, everything: do you really genuinely think this ride on its own merits is a 9/10? I definitely do not.

[@jp3raptor]

Story-wise this ride is a mess. The lack of navine and the shadow man is just INSANE

[@darthawesome3]

i still remember when i reacted to the ride for the very first time, and mondo was INSTANTLY my favorite part of the whole thing. he is the most perfect being. 10/10. no notes.

[@LeeAnneGomes]

I think the reason that all the dead space on the ride is so maddening is because it reminds us of all the other cost-cutting measures that we have seen at Disneyland the past several years.

[@Orionzeus05]

Maybe they'll do a Halloween overlay with Dr. Fecilier in the future which would be cool, if they renovate it in the future maybe they can add prince Levine in the unused spaces to help the kinetic flow between scenes

[@kdusel1991]

I fully support that idea!!

[@flowerzforsaturn]

I saw a comment say Dr. Facilier should have been the one to turn the riders into frogs and I agree. He’s such an iconic villain it’s almost frustrating that the imagineers didn’t include him. The ride could have been about the riders having to deliver an important ingredient to Tiana but Dr. Facilier turns you into a frog so you have to escape and find Mama Odie to reverse it. Throughout the ride other animals could have helped you which would have helped with the dead space issue. Maybe Tiana and Naveen find you and are the ones that lead you to Mama Odie which would also help give Naveen more screen time since I noticed he wasn’t around much. Overall I don’t think the ride is as bad as people say it is it just seemed a bit unfinished.

[@Starwars4J]

This was an unnecessary change but it was definitely not the worst thing to happen to the Magic Kingdom. Getting rid of the Rivers of America was the worst thing to happen to the Magic Kingdom.

[@b8conbear330]

One of my cousins who works at Disney as an imagineer said that they were dissapointed. They said they could have done a lot more with the the ride. Which is a real shame because it makes me believe they were restrained by the higher ups at Disney.

[@A_A610]

My theory is that Disney wanted an excuse to retheme the ride, but also wanted to avoid the fallout like they had faced with Tower of Terror. The events of 2020 not only gave them cover for a retheme, it also gave them a way of astroturfing a campaign against the original ride so they could announce the retheme and pretend how inclusive and welcoming they are by supposedly listening to the backlash against the existing ride (that they manufactured). Unfortunately, with the campaign leaning heavily into that messaging while implicitly throwing Splash Mountain under the bus for supposedly not living up to it, they ran into some problems because Princess and the Frog wasn't exactly sinless on the fronts that Splash Mountain/Song of the South were deemed unacceptable for (most notably its depictions of voodoo, as well as downplaying/ignoring Jim Crow). Despite the hypocrisy, Disney tried to cover up the contradictions as best as they could by sanitizing the hell out of the story in a desperate ploy to save face and deliver more on the ideological marketing they handcuffed themselves to rather than delivering a properly fleshed out attraction.

[@johnmccallum2425]

I didn’t know there were mountains in the Bayou?

[@CrazyManhog]

It's a salt mine

[@johnmccallum2425]

@@CrazyManhog Whew! I’m glad you told me!

[@Polyeurythane]

@@CrazyManhogThe salt mine is only included as part of the queue, as anything involving the queue is basically completely dropped from the story as soon as you hop on the log and proceed through to the beginning of the on-ride plot (finding critter friends to play at Tiana’s party). It also quietly assassinates Tiana’s character by its very existence in the story of the ride. Why? Because of the history of slavery involving salt mines in Louisiana. Especially if it’s true that the salt mine was based off of the Avery Island salt mine, which was known to be mined by slaves. And well, there’s no such thing as a good salt mine owner, just as there’s no such thing as a good plantation owner.

[@Syrup-n3t]

Well it makes more sense then splash in frontier land

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

The animatronics are nice, although there should be a few more scattered around, but i still think a Kermit's Swamp Ride with the Muppets would have been better. They could *load* it with all the different characters.

[@OffhandDisney]

Oh you're so right. Anything for more Muppets.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

​@OffhandDisney I even have it all planned out: Kermit's invited everyone over to his "Pad" for a jamboree, we start by floating slowly along to the tune of "Rainbow Connection" as we start seeing Muppets appearing along the river banks (Fozzie recreating the scene with Brer Bear caught in the tree), the music changes to "Movin Right Along" as we pick up speed, more Muppet shenanigans on the side, we go up the big hill, Crazy Harry or Gonzo blow something up, we drop, gliding smoothly up to Kermit sitting on his log with his banjo, as the reprise of Rainbow Connection plays and everyone has a good time partying.

[@Vantastic789]

I'd always take a ride with a whole lot of decent animatronics rather than a ride with a couple of really good animatronics. If one of the pirates on PotC breaks it's not a big deal, if one of the Tiana animatronics breaks on TBA then a huge chunk of the ride is gone, and those super advanced animatronics break down way more often.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

​@Vantastic789 I might be in the minority, but I don't honestly like the super fancy animatronics, they're a bit too uncanny valley in the faces and movements, especially when they're based on 2d animated characters.

[@annellarice730]

THIS WAS AN OPTION?!?! THIS IS A THING?!!! smh we really could have had the drop be Gonzo convincing us that being launched out of his cannon would be okay 😂

[@mushymoss1]

i think the general public would’ve enjoyed it much more if they based it off the movie rather than a story that comes after the movie. the finale scene would’ve hit so much harder if a song that we already know and love was playing. either way, i’m excited for it to come to disneyland !

[@lars7282]

I think it’s really just a ride for parents with toddlers. It’s simply not interesting, cool or exciting for a general audience :-(

[@ttintagel]

Did you mean to say based it on the movie? I'm a little confused.

[@Hallow_the_fur]

Honestly it kinda feels like a waste of potential and is pretty bland As someone else put it, it feels like everything about it was made in a boardroom meeting from the lack of shading to the empty spaces in-between scenes. Which could have been fixed by the re use of a few of the American sings animatronics but they weren't and apparently were scrapped. The music is pretty bland too and the only thing I can remember is the first minute of the instrumentals well zipadee doo da is still going to be remembered for possibly another few generations which is unfortunate because even jazz kitchens are dripping with new Orleans culture well TBA just doesn't feel like it has anything really. I guess that's my thoughts on it really it's too bland to hate on but it's also too bland to like it

[@pinbot76]

Erasing an African folktale and replacing it with a modified German one was callous. Should have made a display in the queue/exit area explaining the origins of the Brer characters and the cultural contributions of enslaved Africans.

[@Hyperyote]

Went on it 3 times this September myself. I give it a 7 out of 10 (Disneyland Splash Mountain was an 8 and Disney World was a 9). I think the lack of content hurts it. But I have a problem with the story, and I complained about Disneyland's Splash Mountain for its story problems. This has its own issues. It doesn't feel cohesive and doesn't give a thrill or a feeling of a real reason to be on the ride. Putting a true villain into the ride would help a bit. Not having a reason for a thrill or anticipation is a problem. If they kept this story they shouldn't have a drop. It would work better without the big drop from a story point of view. But seriously it needs more "stuff," making it less empty. You notice it's just much more empty than most Disney dark rides. So I think they have a base here they need to build on - put more stuff, add a villain to give a reason for the drop, or something to push it up. I just hope they don't just go "Well it's done". 5 years from now how it attracts riders and fans will really be the final judge of this ride.

[@OffhandDisney]

7/10 is an absolutely fair score. It certainly needed a villain.

[@Hyperyote]

@@OffhandDisney I do believe a lot of scoring (even mine ) is reactionary. A lot of people are comparing, which I know is natural. But honestly we are not getting Splash Mountain magically back. I want to give the ride a few years. I think that some of those comparisons/complaints may even go away. It might get fix. Or new riders/visitors may find this a great ride. Time does change perspective and maybe this ride will ripen like a fine wine.

[@purplefern6010]

You said nothing positive about the ride. How is it a 7/10?

[@bradleyh7582]

I liked it, I also like the tangled bathrooms or Dumbo. But I LOVED Splash as much as I LOVE Pirates and Haunted Mansion. I wish Tiana had received the development and details that other rides get. The original Imagineers would not have approved this version of the Tiana ride. It needs to be 'plussed' up way more!

[@catherine8262]

I was keeping an open mind, but this just looks horrible compared to Splash Mountain! Splash Mountain was the cutest ride ever and the songs were so sweet. I mean they replaced an adorable bunny animatronic with a short old lady in sunglasses. That’s just weird.

[@cleio81]

Rip Dr. Facilier. He should have been a part of it for sure. Keith David's performance was absolutely on point. Easily one of my favorite recent Disney villains.

[@TikiKrissy]

Just a quick thank you for recording a voice over during the ride instead of talking during the ride. Some other vloggers Who Shall Not Be Named drive me crazy by filming themselves making comments or commentary during the rides. Enough that I plan to ask to NOT ride with anyone who appears to be filming themselves in a queue. I come to experience an attraction, not someone's annoying voice going "woooo!" or "wheeee!" or talking back to the characters. Again, NOT you, Dallin. Great video! Thank you!

[@SA12String]

Anyone who says that ride is objectively bad never rode Superstar Limo at DCA. That's my scale for a bad ride. I just hope the Disneyland version is good enough to warrant re-theming the French Market. I'm still salty about that.

[@kdusel1991]

As an east coaster I can happily say that I've never gotten to experience that abomination. I do hope they retheme Pecos Bills into the Tiana's restaurant over in Disneyland though!

[@ChienaAvtzon]

Why does the French Market need a re-theme if Tiana lives in New Orleans?

[@pigletsboyfriend]

I feel like rethemes need to be scaled differently from rides built from the ground up. Superstar Limo only needed to live up to subjective expectations whereas Tiana's had a specific bar to hit because it was moving into what most people considered one of WDI's magnum opuses.

[@ToshisGarden]

That's a bit of a straw man arguement. You can have different tiers for what constitutes a "bad ride"--that's why people have rating systems and tier lists, after all. Putting it in perspective, what you said there is kind of the equivalent to a movie fan saying "I don't consider a movie bad unless it's as bad as Tommy Wisseau's 'The Room'", or a gamer saying "I've played E.T. for Atari 2600; a game's not bad unless it's as bad as that game".

[@rh5563]

I agree with you on the lack of energy in those dead spaces. It REALLY takes away from the ride. They could totally do night ops and fill in those dead spaces one at a time, without having to shut it down.

[@JohnS-ki2zf]

Two core issues hindered this ride, the budget, and corporate creative restrictions. Splash did a few things well, fun Gags, detailed scenes, catchy music, and a good story. This ride nails the music, but the rest I feel is compromised by those core issues. You can’t fill the scenes because of the budget. Can’t add a story or tension because corporate says to dumb it down for kids. There can’t be many gags due to a lack of budget, and the ones that do get through like the frog scene, are only 4 frogs standing around because the budget doesn’t allow for more.

[@OffhandDisney]

Disney just needs to learn that if they spend the money and make something GOOD, people will love it and pay for Lightning Lanes, etc and etc. Case in point: Communicore Hall. They cheaped out on it and now it's looking rough.

[@JohnS-ki2zf]

@@OffhandDisney I think it’s strange, Disney corporate knew a lot of eyes were on this project, so imposed a few creative restrictions. Yet even though they were aware of the extra scrutiny this was gonna get, they weren’t willing to give the creatives free rein. The original splash was built in similar conditions, but Eisner basically just told Tony Baxter to go all out. Splash was an important project to prove Disney could be cool because they built a ride with a big drop(classic Eisner move). Tiana was similarly important, to prove Disney still makes quality despite rising competition, and that they are back on track after Chapek and new Epcot. Yet Disney corporate didn’t give them free rein to go all out.

[@kdusel1991]

​@@OffhandDisney I'm so confused and frustrated with communicore hall

[@MatthewChenault]

I’m of the opinion that Tiana should have had her own ride; I liked the film and I found Tiana to be a fleshed out character. She - in the end - deserved her own ride. However, this should never have come at the cost of replacing Splash Mountain, especially with the change being timed right in 2020; a year where many cultural aspects of the South were under attack. Even if this wasn’t intentional, this soured everyone’s enthusiasm for the ride As a result, the stigma around the decisions made will simply never make me like the ride.

[@vernxen3498]

I have such mixed feelings on this ride, personally. For one I’ve been vouching for a Princess and the Frog ride for YEARS, so getting any representation for my favorite movie is like a dream. But what I really don’t get is why they felt the need to make a new story for the ride, instead of using the already established PatF storyline, since it would work wonderfully in the layout of Splash Mountain. I also find it a bit weird how the story is very adamant on it being a “family owned” business. It’s like… a corporation cosplaying something they can’t be. Otherwise I absolutely adore the ride and I find the animatronics to be absolutely stunning. Though I do agree they could have easily filled in some empty space with some of those lower movement animatronics, bundling all the animals together into one scene was a big mistake, I think, and it should’ve been spread out to fill dead space. I know a lot of the space is so two Tiana animatronics aren’t visible at the same time to the riders but with all the characters they have it’s definitely possible!!

[@moirad3895]

Imagine the ride as the original movie. Where Tiana in her blue dress, kisses the frog and then we turn into frogs in the bayou while Dr faciller chases us with his demons! Imagine “are you ready” as you’re going up the hill and dr facillier poofs smoke and his eyes are showing in the dark as you splash down!!!! And then the ending is Tiana and naveens wedding, then a peppers ghost effect of the frogs turning into their human forms. Tiana in her beautiful green dress!!! With mama odie!!!

[@ArynWellspring]

Unfortunately it’s neither, it’s the worst possible outcome. It’s middling. Not good. Not bad. Just there. You experience it once and it never stays with you

[@KLGChaos]

Can't wait to ride it this week. I never rode Splash, so I'll go in with a fresh perspective, which may help, as I won't notice the missing stuff.

[@Yensid951927]

French Quarter is one of my favorite resorts on property. Great memories of going there with family back in 2012.

[@OffhandDisney]

LOVE the French Quarter.

[@sabregunner1]

seems like its not that bad a ride. i do think more of the "hate" was due to the kinks needing to be worked out. the other "hate" is probably coming from people having deep seated memories of splash mountain and they dont like the change

[@groundzerodisney]

I agree! Great and fun ride but I did notice the “emptiness” in the beginning. It looks amazing at night!

[@kdusel1991]

It looks so pretty at night! But yeah it's pretty empty

[@rol2377]

i also rode it for the first time last week. i’ll grant that i was biased going in bc the brer rabbit and the briar patch story was my bedtime story growing up so splash will always have a special place in my heart. but that being said i was genuinely shocked by how bad it was. the ride was so sparse that my generally non-disney-going husband asked me when they were going to finish it. half of the ride was spots where it looked like their should have been animatronics or at the very least more interesting set dressing. i think you kind of minimized how big of an issue that is. add to that how slowly the ride goes because of all the technical issues, and you are genuinely bored half the time on the ride. it was really not a good experience and i was saddened that this was the quality they think they can get away with in 2024. i understand they are putting a huge focus on rides for younger guests (hence no shadow man) but i don’t even think younger guests would be engaged by this ride given all the empty space and time sitting still.

[@xionstevens4955]

It had so much potential but unfortunately it is what it is. Like the lack of Naveen, or mentions of Dr. Facilier is disappointing and it looked empty tbh

[@ConnorCampbell-ch5mk]

Finally he’s back, l thought we weren’t getting a video because we went Saturday and Sunday without offhand Disney

[@kdusel1991]

Me too!

[@OffhandDisney]

Hopefully I'll be able to get 2 videos out this week to make up for it! It was a wild Disney trip.

[@ConnorCampbell-ch5mk]

We’d love that! Your in-park videos are a lot of fun to watch, and a nice change to the normal format, as l know you can’t just drive to the parks

[@danielstevens8610]

I’ve wanted your opinion for ages cuz you’re the only one who gives things a fair opinion, whether negative or not. People seem to hate just because these days.

[@DisneyMarkUK]

Hi there. I’m very happy that the ride still exists, it’s still really fun, the theme is ok, it’s not as good to me as Splash but it’s still a really good ride.

[@burneyboys02]

The ride does look really good. Yeah I agree, there's a lot of dead space and the story maybe isn't that well integrated, but it does look like a lot of fun. And yes, you can't really top it with Splash Mountain, it will be missed but Tiana seems to getting some love so far. Though the best part is definitely the hearing Special Spice. I literally can't get enough of this song and I can't stop singing the backup vocals. (I don't if I'll ride it myself due to my fear of big drops) And one of the greatest things to come out it is during the previews over summer, I did see the Princess and the Frog cast waiting by the sign. I can't explain how excited I was to see Jenifer Lewis in person even the childhood Disney Channel fan in me had my mind blown.

[@Kennyhayes]

I don't like the animatronics. The small critters only rock back and forth with simple movements and the Tiana animatronics are boring and keep saying the same thing. "Boy, these guys Suuuuure can PLAY!"

[@MyNameIsNotPa]

Honestly I’ve ridden this ride three times, and the one time I got lucky enough with the random lines of dialogue where they didn’t just say “they sure can play” every time, the ride felt vastly improved.

[@itswhatitis277]

Because those aren’t even AA’s - they’re barely animated figures. It’s shameful.

[@Dorokill]

As a former Splash Mountain operator, I am GLAD that final drop is no longer scary. Running up that dang hill for every crying kid or person having panic attack is annoying as heck! Don't get me wrong, love the Shadowman, all the more reason for a possible HALLOWEEN overlay!

[@kjones1119]

Your first words as the ride began being “where’s all the stuff” really sums it up

[@Livinfast85]

I haven't been able to go back since they have redone it, but judging by your video, it looks like the final scene should be how the rest of the ride should be as well. And It seems like they half did it when it comes to the queue line. The fresh coat of paint areas appear that not enough time was spent weathering them. All in all, it just seems rushed from what I have seen. Thanks for the great video again! Hopefully Disney can pull their heads from their rectums soon!

[@Luke_Go]

I can see the magic working on your shirt. Red and as soon as you stand in line it's green 😂

[@OffhandDisney]

👀

[@sheepdude7792]

I went to Disney a few days before this ride opened I WAS SO MAD

[@kdusel1991]

I got to ride as part of a special virtual queue when I went in June! It's a super cute ride.

[@sheepdude7792]

@@kdusel1991 aww lucky! I saw it was running when I was there but they wouldn't let anyone in line

[@moonkissed5303]

After watching footage of the ride a few times, I honestly think it's a fun time, but it does need more scenes filled. Tiana is one of my favorite princesses, so I'm glad she got a ride!

[@thecowgumkid1944]

The first time that I saw the Tiana animatronic I thought that it was Eudora her mother. Just saying , me bad.

[@gringo74]

Tianas is the result of letting an accountant design and be in charge of a ride reskin. She spoke at a Disney fan convention I went to a couple years back. After listening to her speak, I knew this was going to be a mess.

[@starlingwatch3921]

Seems like a missed opportunity to not have Dr. Facilier, the Shadow Man, causing the big drop. -Frank

[@RyderTweet-b5s]

In the words of Mufasa- When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life. I think he predicted the geese 💀

[@chadmcnk]

Except there are no hills or mountains in the bayou region. Bayous are flat and still. They should have made this Moana and could have themed it to the ocean. Tiana could have a flat dark ride and would be able to serve more people.

[@CapeSIX]

I was just at Disney world for 10 days… no desire to even try to get on Tianas bayou adventure. I’ve also boycotted the frozen overlay of Maelstrom to this day by not going on it 😅.

[@trellism]

I was terrified of the drop and was relieved when it kept breaking down. But then I was dragged onto it, and I loved it, went on it twice in the end. I never saw the original. I liked how the drops were playful and magical, and played a part in the story. Not everything needs to be scary!

[@BarkovEnjoyer]

I can’t wait to ride Tiana’s next time I go to MK. I personally think it’s gonna be a blast just like Splash Mountain

[@kdusel1991]

It's so fun!

[@robertporter6641]

The thing that threw me off is they insist that this takes place after the movie. The problem with that is ‘Going Down Da Bayou’ is clearly being sung by Ray, and you see Ray fly up on the screen in the background of the scene where you’re shrunk to the size of a frog. If it’s after the movie, Ray is dead. If Ray’s alive, that means Dr. Facilier is also alive and also, Tiana doesn’t own a restaurant or for that matter a food co-op yet. That singular issue has messed up the timeline. Remove Ray and you’ve fixed the ride.

[@jeremymiller6264]

I am going down next month and I cannot wait to ride Tiana’s. I absolutely loved Splash Mountain as a kid and as an adult. I will always have a slight bias because I loved that ride and atmosphere. I am hoping it will be fun and atmospheric.

[@annellarice730]

I think for me (as a person who enjoys Disneyland a lot) I am hesitant about the ride due to the fact that a lot of ride remodels are taking that thrill or fear factor out of said rides after re-working them. I really miss the OG tower of Terror and even though I do appreciate the Snow White Reno, that creepy grim fairytale feature is gone. I understand that Disneyland is trying to make the park for everyone, however not adding in any thrill or stakes will deprive the story. One of the things I like to do with Disney rides is ask myself, “if this ride was going to be made into a movie, would the majority of audiences enjoy it?” And I do think that for the plot line of the Tiana ride, the answer is ultimately no. If I’m allowed to be frank, the plot of Tiana’s feels like a Disney Jr pitch, watering down one of the main thrill attractions in the west side of the park. I don’t feel a drive to help Tiana find animal friends as much as I would, per say, help Tiana catch and banish rouge shadow people (which was an honestly chilling part of the movie) back to the other side. I feel like Disney is valuing ‘how to market a ride’ rather than ‘how to make a compelling story experience’

[@shoobamocha]

I think with the resources and capabilities of a company like Disney, this could've been absolutely amazing but it's clear they cheaped out on some things and gave us a lame ride story. It was doomed from the concept imo. I know everyone looks for positivies and says it's not absolutely horrible but Disney needs to start putting more effort and investment in these things.

[@magicman205]

I was an avid hater of this ride when I saw the official Disney POV. But after riding it myself, it is really atmospheric and enjoyable in a way video can't capture. I like it a lot!

[@bkstarkey]

Why doesn’t Mama’s mouth move?

[@chrisroberts7860]

Exactly!!!

[@parker4fm]

Tiana’s is meh. Not a good fit for old splash.

[@Mike__B]

So first, I love that resort room location, so relaxing looking with the river there, my wife and I stayed at the Riverside resort some years back (decade+) and I booked (I thought) the plantation style rooms which looked equally relaxing, instead they threw us into the more rustic looking motel room locations, I complained, they told me the other ones cost more money... yeah lesson learned. Second, virtual queue... to wait in a line like you normally would? Luh-Aim! Lastly, my hate for the ride... the fact they allow you in with Lightning Lane, so if you can pay more then guess what you get priority over anyone who got a virtual queue. I seriously hate Disney for doing this to the parks. The ride looked fine too, it was Splash Mountain Tiana's edition.

[@kingx101]

I like it a lot. The scene dressing is good. The pacing starts out slow, but ramps up in a satisfying way. As someone who loves Na'vi River Journey for the vibes, Tiana's scratches that itch, even in the slow parts. The modern, lifelike A-1000 animatronics are stunning. I'm really hoping they go back and upgrade Frozen Ever After to have the fluid expressions we see on this ride. I really have to go to Tokyo haha, but I'll take what I can get in my home park.

[@anaalicia5029]

I was really forward to your take! I always enjoy your videos.

[@SoCaltoCentralFlorida]

For the removal of such a great ride just getting and Epic Universe opening just months away Tiana’s Bayou Adventure needed to knock it out of the park in every possible way 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@OffhandDisney]

Agreed. I made a video a while back saying that Tiana's was Disney's last big "quality statement" before Epic Universe opens.

[@Kaleiope]

they need to fill in the dead space with BIRDS. I wanna sea roseate spoonbills, and great blue herons, and great egrets, and snowy egrets! and definitely some brown pelicans, they're the state bird of Louisiana! I just really like birds ok 😅 edit: definitely don't need to add any white ibis to the ride in Orlando, the parks got plenty of those already 😆

[@theterrarian404]

If I'm honest, Tiana's Bayou adventure is good but not bad. Reason being is due to the many different colors you see throughout the ride and the animatronics (when they work) have a really nice look and movement to them. I did notice that Mama Odie's mouth wasn't moving at the end of the ride in this video. I really hope that Tiana's at Anaheim will deliver more space and less malfunctions.

[@kdusel1991]

Yeah it's good but it could be better.

[@TheCottonCandyQueen]

I feel like for the outdoor scenes, we could’ve had some showing of Tiana’s Foods like food trucks delivering ingredients as it transitions to the garden scene. I would have loved to see Naveen and Lottie animatronics in one of the scenes helping look for animals to play for the band, they don’t even have to speak, they can just be there. Overall, I’d say 7/10

[@patrickmcsherry6038]

Port Orleans! Our favorite! Sooo many good memories! Thanks!

[@kdusel1991]

I stayed there when I first started coming to Disney as a little kid! That waterslide is so fun! Now we stay at Old Key West!!

[@ttintagel]

I think POFQ is the jewel of the moderate resorts. Atmosphere out the wazoo, all the convenience of a small resort, and if you want the amenities of a big resort it's easy to hop over to Riverside. And the boat to Disney Springs is a big plus.

[@kdusel1991]

​@@ttintagelyeah. We're actually staying at Saratoga for the second half of our trip in November! The fact that you can just walk right into Disney Springs from there is awesome!!

[@happiestplace3754]

Using the original ticket system of A through E tickets as an example, a Disney park needs all these levels of attractions to work. Not every attraction can be an E Ticket, and I think today's audiences expect everything new to be an E Ticket. Tiana is at least a solid D Ticket. Was Splash Mountain an E Ticket? Most would say yes, and I think this "downgrade" from E to D is what makes most people upset. So now it's a D, oh well. As I said, Disney parks need A,B,C, and D attractions (and of course E) to make them work. I would never spend my time waiting for a "spinner" attraction like Dumbo or Tea Cups, yet there is always a line for them. Everyone has different likes and tastes, that's why there needs to be all levels in the parks. If I sound like I'm defending Tiana, I'm not. I don't think it should have been changed, but what's done is done. We just have to move on.

[@Lhaffinatu]

Every video of Tiana's Bayou Adventure has seemed empty as you've pointed out. I was sort of surprised at how empty the beginning part of the ride seems to be. It's weirdly empty compared to other Disney rides.

[@hamiltoncox7651]

Mama Odie the ventriloquist. Why is it that Home Depot animatronics can move their mouths but Disney animatronics cannot? Are flailing arms like a car dealer's tube man and frozen jaws the best we can expect from Imagineering?

[@AdventureswithHannahandMichael]

The ride is decent and the animatronics too. Looks wise it’s stunning especially at night. However, why oh why would Disney not include Dr Facilier. Such a poor decision to leave him out as he was the highlight of the movie. Even a wee tease. Shot themselves in the foot again, like they did with Galaxy’s edge for so long.

[@kdusel1991]

Agreed!

[@TrentonBlessWrestlemania489]

Can’t wait for the Disneyland version just so we can compare and contrast between the two. I went on the Magic Kingdom version last month and I thought it was a great ride.

[@princessleahofficial4529]

I wish they stuck to their original story they were going to do. The story they went with is confusing and a bit silly but the animatronics are really cool

[@josephbrown9685]

This version of Splash Mountain never had any America Sings animatronics, only Disneyland. If I could describe Tianna’s ride in one word, I’d say bland. Not terrible but not great either. The empty space mentioned is a problem as is the lack of certain songs from the movie. I realize it’s set after Dr. Facilier is dead but that is a missed opportunity as others have said, so I question the decision to set it after the movie’s storyline. The narrative is also muddled and confusing, and doesn’t have the excitement nor the amazing narrative that Splash Mountain had. I’ve ridden this twice, and I’m not in any hurry to ride it again. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself but to me this is largely a disappointment. I think the reason many people are annoyed is because they replaced one of the best attractions with only a pretty good one. I’d say this is a 7/10 if what it replaced is ignored and a 6/10 relative to Splash Mountain’s 10/10. P.S. that scene at the end of the Bayou Adventure looks good, but that song can’t even remotely approach the legendary excellence of “Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah.”

[@novalinnhe]

Hi Offhand Disney! I always enjoy your videos as you'll often have a more positive slant on things, and it was really fun getting to see the ride from a first hand perspective. It's sad to hear this ride has not been received well, but hopefully as more casual parkgoers attend, things might balance out somewhat. I also agree with the comments about the Shadow Man being missing, but he's so iconic that I wonder if he will simply have his own ride in the newly announced Villains world?

[@kurtthompson1289]

Yes, be nice, everyone! That said, thank you very much for your review. I love your videos, and for this one you summarized the 'issue' perfectly: a lot of us grew up with Splash Mountain and now we're grown ups. We even took our own kids on Splash when they were little. Of course there's a feeling of loss and that's to be expected. I don't know if you watch Hey Brickey!, but he said something that really drove it home for me when he said to imagine that little black girl going on Tiana's for the first time and feeling so proud that there's a ride where she's represented. That's invaluable. I'm going to enjoy riding it when me and my grown up children go on it at Magic Kingdom in November. We live in CA and have only ever gone to DL - too many times to count. We've never been to WDW, so it's gonna be great fun. If there's only one criticism I've ever had with this is why didn't they make a brand new ride for Tiana from the ground up? It seems like that would have been the highest compliment. The entire mountain and log flume ride was made specifically for a different story and I still can't help but feel like they had to shove Tiana's story into the mountain like a round peg into a square hole. Maybe I and others would have felt better if they just demolished Splash so at least we'd have full closure. This way, and as you pointed out, there's reminders of Splash everywhere. Also, that end scene: have you seen the words to the song written out? How is anyone gonna remember all that compared to Zipidee doo dah?! LOL Keep up the great work.