The Unfortunate Reason You Might Want To SKIP This Magic Kingdom Ride

Magic Kingdom are you okay? 

There are lots of changes happening in the original Disney World theme park! Big Thunder Mountain is closed for refurbishment, a new nighttime parade is coming soon, and new permits are in the works. Amidst all of these changes, it seems like a popular attraction in this park might need some more help too. 

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is the newest attraction in Magic Kingdom! The rethemed ride opened in June 2024 and while we love Princess Tiana, it’s no secret that this ride hasn’t functioned perfectly.

The ride struggled to operate during previews last summer but thankfully has seemingly improved since the early days when the ride had just opened. However, what hasn’t improved is the animatronics! We went on a ride this week to see how the attraction was holding up, but we were sadly disappointed.

On the attraction, you can spot Princess Tiana several times as you journey through the bayou, but only one of the Tiana animatronic’s mouths was moving during the ride, which was a bit eerie if we’re being honest.

The first time you see Louis, the trumpet-playing gator, the animatronic was frozen from the neck down. It wasn’t exactly what we were hoping for when heading into the bayou.

Finally, before going up the hill for the main ascent, Mama Odie typically makes an appearance. This week though? She was nowhere to be seen! 

When the ride first opened in Magic Kingdom, we were excited to see the new animatronics because of the lack of projection facing which had been previously seen on Frozen Ever After in EPCOT and wasn’t our favorite. While we love that ride, the faces on the animatronics have drawn some criticism over the years. The animatronics were actually changed when the ride opened in Hong Kong Disneyland. 

While we love the lack of facial projections on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, it isn’t as exciting if they don’t operate! We are hoping Mama Odie can work her magic sometime soon and get this ride back to its intended operational status. We are big Princess and the Frog fans in this house and are hoping this is something Imagineers can fix in the future.

Disney Imagineers recently added a nod to Ray and Evangeline from the movie to the ride, so we have a feeling they’re able to give Tiana a little tender love and care. Don’t forget to keep following AllEars for more Disney news and updates.

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Have you been on this ride yet? Tell us in the comments!