A Review of the Updated Tiana's Bayou Ride at Magic Kingdom

In this week's episode, Jared reviews the recently updated Splash Mountain ride at Magic Kingdom with its re-theming to Princess and the Frog. 

Transcript

0:00

On this week's episode of A Dryer Dose of Disney, Jared tells us about the updates to Splash Mountain. Intro Music Welcome to this week's episode of a Dryer dose of Disney. I'm your host, Jared dryer. And today we are going to be talking about the rebrand of splash mountain, and Tiana's Bayou. The new ride over at magic kingdom and out at Disney land. Now we have only had the privilege of riding the one at magic kingdom in Orlando. So that's all we're going to be talking about today, but due to the way Disney does things, I do imagine them to be very much a like between the two. So I don't think that there'll be much difference in what we talk about over at Disney land compared to magic kingdom in Orlando. But before we get into that, I do want to ask wherever you're listening to us, go ahead and find that pause button and find the subscribe button. So that way you're going to get this content delivered into your inbox each and every week that we release an episode. We do have almost 90 episodes out there. We were releasing them weekly. We do have a few more coming your way before we take another break. But because we have so many episodes out there and have covered so much we are going to have some blank weeks coming up just because we don't have any other topics to really cover at this point in time, which is a good thing. We definitely have a lot of great content out there for you. So we encourage you to go check that all out, but do click that subscribe button. So that way, as we release episodes, you're going to know about it and it's going to go into your inbox. And then in addition to that, if we are saving you any time or money with our podcast, we do ask you to support. The show over through Patreon, you can find the links down below in the description and by being a supporter there you're helping the show keep going and provide all the cool Disney tips and tricks and universal tips and tricks that are out there. But we do want to thank our supporters that are already out there and supporting the show. So thank you so much. And then we do ever biggest Disney tip or trick ever at the top tier there. So that's a really cool one. And then if you like our podcast in the, I can do this all day tip of the day and our gear, which you can see over my shoulder behind me, we do also have an Etsy shop, which is down in the description below now, coming in the next few weeks here, we do have an episode on Teppan Edo, the hibachi restaurant in Japan, over at Epcot, as well as navigating the parks with wheelchairs. We did have the privilege of taking a family member to the parks this summer who utilized a wheelchair. And we've got a lot of cool tips and tricks for that as well. And that can apply to almost anyone out there who may need a seat during the day, or need a mobility device. Maybe they hurt an ankle or broke a leg or something like that. You're definitely going to want to tune into that episode and that's going to be out here in the next couple of weeks as well. So with that, let's hop right on in, we're talking about Tiana's the rebranded splash mountain over at magic kingdom. And we had a chance to ride this just a few weeks ago and absolutely loved the rebrand. They did such a great job about it. And today we have to, I can do this all day tips of the day. So you're definitely going to want to stay tuned to the end of the episode, because we have two big tips for you. That's going to save you time and make your day a little bit easier to navigate. So let's go back in time, when splash mountain first came out at both Disneyland and magic kingdom. But this was a flume base log ride that is based on song of the south. So an old Disney cartoon. And there were a lot of different undertones with that ride. So of course, Disney wanted to swap that out. And wanted to modernize it and update it, and they decided to do it with Tiana. If you've not seen the princess and the frog, it is a story of obviously the princess and the frog where you have a frog prince and. And eventually a princess in that movie, Tiana and their journey together. And that movie's got a lot of great music. It's a lot of fun. And if you've never been down to new Orleans, they do a really good job of talking about the culture and the food in new Orleans, which I absolutely love. I've been there a few different times. And I love all the food down there. So they did a really great job with that now. There is one down point too magic kingdom in Orlando that we're going to talk about here. That's different from Disneyland in just a little bit, but they did a really good job of finding that culture and getting it into the ride as well as getting it into the surrounding area. So it is really cool. It's a great rebrand. So I'm proud of Disney for doing this and it plays really well and it's, and they, like I said, they did a great job with. Re theming it and all the cool technology that they add. Now the ride mechanics themselves. Actually getting on the log flume and riding that through the canals and the drops, none of that has changed. So that is identical to what it was before. So if you've ever ridden splash mountain, It's exactly like it was before. None of that has changed now. They obviously added the animatronic elements to the ride. So you've got now Tiana's while some of the other characters. Throughout the ride, like before you did have our Br'er rabbit and Br'er Fox and Br'er bear all doing their thing, trying to catch the rabbit, getting him thrown into the Briar patch. This one has a different animatronics, obviously more up to date. They are much more technologically advanced, so that's really cool to see them move around and interact in the ride a little bit differently. But they also have some really cool new digital elements. And that's what I think takes this right to the next level. So when you're talking about a rebrand or a re theme of a ride, what you get concerned about, or what I was concerned about is it's going to be the exact same ride with not much difference other than the animatronics that are in it. I will say I was very pleasantly surprised because they added so many digital elements to this, so if you've ever been down to a Disney world in Orlando and you've been to animal kingdom, You may have had a chance to ride the Na'vi river journey, which is over in Pandora land. And if you rode that that they use a lot of digital screens in the backgrounds to expand. That ride a little bit and expand the land. They did something very similar now. With Tiana's Bayou and the river, ride over there at magic kingdom, where they've got digital backgrounds and digital boards throughout the ride. And I thought that was really, cool. It definitely enhanced the ride. It did take it to the next level. It makes the ride feel a little bit bigger than it was before. And it gives you. Some elements that you wouldn't get on other rides with just plain animatronic. So they do some really cool, special effects with it. I don't want to spoil those special effects with you because as you go through this ride, you are on a journey where they. Take you through the princess and the frog story, and you get to experience some of the same things and I'll leave it at that. But they did a really good job with the digital elements in this ride and really helping you understand it. So it was a lot of fun. It's definitely, like I said, an upgrade from where it was before and from my understanding it's exactly the same at both magic kingdom in Orlando and Disney land out in Anaheim. So it's, you should get that same effect everywhere that you go. So it's definitely an upgrade there. Now as you go through this ride, obviously it is a log flume. So there is a really good chance that you're going to get wet on this ride. So one of our tips and tricks is going to talk to you about that here later in the podcast, as we give you our, I can do this all day tips of the day. So stay tuned for that. But it is a great ride, especially in Orlando, in the summer to cool off just a little bit, even if you do get a little bit wet, you're typically not going to get soaked. Although I have seen it. And we're going to again, give you some tips on how to avoid that at all costs. If you want to avoid it. But it is a fun ride. It's definitely, when you go back in time, they would always talk about at the Disney parks you want to get in and ride the mountains. First thing in the morning you want to ride. Thunder mountain space, mountain splash mountain. In Disneyland, you want to ride the matter horn and those are all still true. So with this rebrand, it's definitely going to be a popular ride. It's going to have a lot of people wanting to experience it. So we definitely recommend doing it when you can. Now again, part of the, I can do this all day tips of the day coming up here and just a little bit, we're going to highlight how you can do that now. The biggest difference. So this is the downside that I saw. The biggest difference between what happened out in California, in Anaheim and what happened in Orlando? Is in California. They also opened up Tiana's restaurant. In Orlando, they do not have that. So I think that's something that they missed in Orlando. Through the princess and the frog story. If you've seen the movie. Tiana wants to open up her own restaurant. She starts the movie as a waitress. She wants to open up her own restaurant with her family's recipes. And by the end of the movie, she does. And I don't think that's spoiling it for anyone. This movie's been out there a long time. And of course it's Disney. So you know that the they're going to live happily ever after and get what they want. She does that though at the end of the movie. In Disney land, they did open up Tiana's restaurant, which has a lot of great new Orleans flavors from the gumbo to the Beignets. And I love that they absolutely did that. Especially having new Orleans square, not too far away from the ride over there. So they did a fantastic job with, the new menu. Now I have not had a chance to go eat the food yet, but I can tell you, I have eaten at Disneyland at all the different cafes around there in the new Orleans square. And they've got some great foods. So I know that they've done a great job and just brought it over into Tiana's restaurant as well. So I'm very confident that I can say that the food is fantastic. And especially if you love jambalaya and gumbo and the new Orleans style of food. They've definitely got it for you over there at Tiana's now over at magic kingdom, like I said, in Orlando, they did not open up the restaurant and they do have a little bit of space back there. Back behind the ride where, potentially they could have put a restaurant. They do have a store in the back corner where they're going to sell you the ride photos. And they have a couple of photo op spots that we saw. And my thought is Disney needs to scrape all that in the back corner where that little shop is, and they need to build out a restaurant and it doesn't need to be huge. They have plenty of room for outside seating if they wanted to do it, which is very common, actually out new Orleans where you can get a, table outside of the restaurant because they have such small spaces there. So I think that they should re do that back section there. They should throw in a restaurant. They should put the kitchen way in the back and do some outside seating and maybe even some inside to get the AC, if you'd like to do that. But they had an opportunity to do it and they haven't. So I'm a little disappointed in Disney world for not having done that. Hopefully fingers crossed that they do that in the future and they do get that built out. So we're definitely going to be looking forward to that if they do. But in the meantime, if you want to try the food, I recommend go over to Disneyland and try it over there at the new Orleans square in the French quarter restaurant. So again, some great food out there. We've had it a lot of different times, with that's basically the difference in the rides without giving you any spoilers. And, again, this episode is probably going to be a little bit shorter since we're only talking about a single ride today, but like I said, at the top of the episode and throughout, we do have two. I can do this all day tips of the day for you. And these are big ones. These are very important. So let's go ahead and get into those. We talked about at the beginning and throughout the ride that this is going to be a water log flume ride. So you're definitely going to get wet. And there's no guarantees how, wet you're going to get in fact, back in the day. And this was years ago from a friend out of Disney land who has an annual pass. I have heard that they can moderate the amount of water that is flowing through this ride. Meaning that on cooler days they keep the water levels a little bit lower. So you're not going to get a splashed as much. And then on really hot days, they bump it up a little bit. I will say in the dozens of times that I've ridden splash mountain. And like I said, the ride mechanics haven't changed. I will say that there have been times that I've got absolutely soaked in drenched and there's been times that I've walked away dry. So I have to believe that to an extent. That there is a way for them to regulate the levels of the water in the ride, but at the same time, chances are, you're going to get at least a little bit wet and we do have a tip for you on how you can stay dry. And that is if you want to get less wet, when you're getting boarded onto the log or talking to the cast member, we recommend that you sit in the back of the log. The further back you are the less splash you're going to get from the front. Now I will caution you. There is a big difference based on weight distribution of the log. And what I mean by that is you want as much weight in the back of the log as you can. So that ways it goes down Hills or goes through the streams. The front end is lifted just a little bit. So that way it's going over the water and pushing the water down versus nose diving into the water and bringing everything over the top. If you're getting on a log and bigger people in the front of the log, I apologize. Chances are, as you're going to get probably pretty wet versus if you're getting into a log with, let's say a big group of people. So on our next trip in October, we're going with seven of us. So we would fill up one log in, in its entirety with our group. We will put all the kids in the front and we will put all the adults in the back. So that way it is tipped back as much as possible. But if you're in the back, chances are, is you're going to get less wet. Than if you were in the front of the ride. So just a little quick tip there that you can ask the cast member, or if you have a large group, like what we will have in the fall, we will definitely order ourselves that way. So the kids are in the front and the adults are in the back. Now, again, no guarantees. You don't know what the water level is going to be. You can always wear a poncho. Of course, if you want it to. We just don't like ripping out the disposable ponchos and taking them out of their package for one ride. So we just grin and bear it and get a couple drops of water on us. I will say when we rode it just a couple of weeks ago in July, I, at the end of the day, we did not get wet hardly at all. I had a couple of drops, hit me but definitely no water coming in over the sides or spilling into my lap or anything like that. So it was a pleasant ride. We had a great time and there's no promises on what's going to happen, but that is just a best practice. Now, our second tip of the day is probably a bigger one. And that is with it being newly opened. They are doing the virtual queue again. So if you're familiar with the virtual queue a, this is a way you can go

in at 7: 13:48

00 AM and you and your party can get in the queue and get in line and they will call your group back. During the day at some point, which allows you to go back and ride the ride without much of a wait at all, which is nice. So they do have the virtual queue. I'm very glad that they did this, especially since they rebranded it. It's a very popular attraction right now. And this is going to help now your problem and your challenge, at least at magic kingdom in Orlando is you now have two virtual queues to choose from. You have Tron and you have splash mountain. And so the question becomes, what do you do? And how do you get both? Because. Technically, you can't get both at the same time. You are only allowed to have one virtual queue per person in your party. At any point in time. So I do know that. So if you're going to get up at 7:00 AM and select a virtual queue, you can only select one. So our recommendation, my personal recommendation is to select

Tron and do that at 7: 14:43

00 AM. And if you're very quick with your fingers, hopefully you're in an early group and you're going to be selected somewhere between 10 and noon that day. And you're going to get a chance to go ride Tron.

And then know that at 1: 14:55

00 PM, you're allowed to do a second virtual queue.

So that's the trick here is at 1: 15:00

00 PM. You need to have your entire party in the park because only people in the park. Can get access to the virtual queue.

And at 1: 15:09

00 PM, you're going to go back in and you're going to do it again. And you're going to select a then Tiana is you're going to select the other rebrand of splash mountain and get your party queued up for that. I will tell you it worked well for us. We went in right at one and not only did we get a queue that was very close in time. It was a matter of minutes. So within about five minutes after I got us a virtual queue, we recalled back and we were able to go over and ride that right away. And this was at again one in the afternoon. So it was at the peak of the day, the peak heat. And that's why I recommend doing Tron first in the morning, splash mountain at one. So that way you're going to go in the afternoon when it's usually a little bit warmer or maybe it's going to be raining anyways. And so that way you don't mind getting as wet. That's just our personal recommendation do Tron in the morning and Tiana's in the afternoon. Now another thing that we ran into. So another tip or trick when you're doing the virtual queues. Is that day. We had selected our whole party for Tron. And my wife did not ride it that day. So when I went back in just before one to confirm my party she was not available to select because her virtual queue was still hanging out there from Tron. We actually went into her phone and went into her queue and deleted it. And then she was able to be selected for Tiana. So if you're ever in there, you're doing both queues in the same day and somebody in your party skipped a, then you need to make sure you go delete that queue out of there. My Disney experience app or the Disneyland app. And that way, you're going to be able to rebook at 1:00 PM and get your full party on you again, want to be ready right at one. So as soon as it hits you want to get in there and get that virtual queue selected. So that way you can earn it before everyone else takes it. Because I can tell you it's a matter of seconds before they're all gone for the rest of the day. So those are two tips today on how to stay dry and how to get both virtual queues in the same day. And with that. We wish you a magical week as you're planning your next vacation. And definitely wants you to tune in next week, as we talk about Teppan Edo over at Epcot in Japan. And our experience with hibachi over there. So we'll talk to you guys next time. Bye. Bye. Exit Music