How Disneyland’s newest ride proves that ‘progress is impossible without change’

Walt Disney has countless inspirational quotes that I could have used in the headline for this story, but George Bernard Shaw’s words felt more appropriate.

Many Disneyland guests, myself among them, visit partially for the familiar sense of history and nostalgia that the park offers. It was, after all, the only Disney park that Walt himself spent time in. When you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., you are quite literally walking in Walt’s footsteps.

Although Disneyland archetypes like Sleeping Beauty Castle and Dumbo the Flying Elephant look much the same as they did when the park opened in 1955, much of the current Disneyland would be unrecognizable to Walt.

The resort now has two theme parks with several lands and attractions themed to characters and film franchises that hadn’t even been dreamt up when Walt passed in 1966. However, the only way to create the same feelings of nostalgia for the next generation when they grow up is through change.

I guess we aren’t going to escape this story without a quote from Walt himself. “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths,” he said.

Related: 3 ways Disney is becoming a more magical, inclusive place to visit and work

On Nov. 15, that “new path” led to the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland, a ride based on the 2009 Disney animated film “The Princess and the Frog.” This ride wasn’t constructed from the ground up. It is a reimagining of Splash Mountain, an attraction that opened at Disneyland in 1989; however, the Splash Mountain storyline was wrought with insensitive stereotypes and caricatures that have no place in today’s world.

Though there’s always a grumble or two when Disney makes changes to a beloved attraction, this new ride is already proving its worth in more ways than one.

Not only is it a fun-loving, toe-tapping jaunt through the bayou with Princess Tiana and her cast of musical critters, it exemplifies Walt’s vision for Disneyland: that it would be “a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is Disney’s next timeless classic

I was lucky enough to squeeze in several rides on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure during the attraction’s grand opening events at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

For me, experiencing the final product was the culmination of four years following its progress. I heard the initial announcement in 2020 and saw the audio-animatronics up close at Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters earlier this year.

Related: First look: Disney’s Splash Mountain to get ‘The Princess and the Frog’ makeover

I returned from Disneyland nearly a week ago, and I am still happily singing the songs from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — both those from the film and the original music created for the attraction.

As good as the music may be, it’s far from the only evidence of this ride’s inevitable staying power.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure combines Disney’s expert storytelling capabilities with the latest industry technologies to create a ride that draws you into Tiana’s world. Rather than mirroring the events of “The Princess and the Frog,” Tiana’s Bayou Adventure picks up Tiana’s story where the movie left off.

Tiana is now a successful business owner, operating both Tiana’s Palace restaurant and Tiana’s Foods co-op. She is preparing to host a big Mardi Gras party with Prince Naveen, but because of a minor mix-up, nobody booked a band. You can’t have a Mardi Gras party without music, so Tiana and Louis the alligator set out into the bayou in search of a band of musical critters.

As you float through the ride in your log, the animatronics seem to be speaking (or singing) directly to you, which is, of course, by design. Walt Disney Imagineering built these lifelike animatronics to connect with riders and make them part of the story.

When Tiana told me that we needed to “join Louis up ahead and find some musicians for our party,” I knew she was talking to me, and I was more than happy to help.

The attraction also feels authentic to the people and places that inspired its creation. The WDI team that worked on the attraction made several research trips to New Orleans and worked with local artists and musicians to bring the attraction to life. Even the family of the woman who inspired Tiana’s character in the film, Leah Chase, has been heavily involved in the ride’s creation from the start.

The ride layout remains unchanged from the original iteration, but that doesn’t mean it’s too scary for young kids. Whereas Splash Mountain instilled a sense of dread while climbing toward the 50-foot splashdown, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is joyful and upbeat from start to finish.

The lack of tension makes the journey to the drop more exciting and less scary. Kids will come off this ride feeling like they are just as strong and courageous as Tiana.

More important than any bit of technology or storytelling is the character of Tiana herself. The debut of “The Princess and the Frog” made Tiana the first Black Disney princess; with the opening to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, she is now the first Black Disney princess to headline her own attraction.

In a theme park that prioritizes “joy and inspiration” for all, it’s important that all guests feel represented when they visit Disneyland. Seeing someone who looks like you — a Disney princess, no less — matters.

“We always want to make sure what we put out there inspires others, and I think we did that with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” Walt Disney Imagineering executive producer Charita Carter said during the opening event at Disneyland. Carter described Tiana as a princess who works hard and never stops chasing her dreams. “Tiana believes in the universal truth that what lies within us has the potential to make our dreams come true,” she said.

When combined, the elements of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure cement the ride’s status as a classic Disneyland attraction that will provide that sense of nostalgia for the next generation of guests.

How Disney parks stay the same by constantly evolving

If theme parks are just about fun and thrills (and sometimes getting drenched), then why make changes to the parks at all? Why close Splash Mountain and give it a new theme and storyline?

There’s almost always an uproar from some faction of Disney fans when a ride closes to make way for something new, so why not keep the parks frozen in time rather than rocking the boat (or log, as it were)?

Deep down, the main reason people get upset over these changes is because they feel connected to a certain ride or to the way the park felt during the time that the old attraction existed. When a ride closes, it feels like the memories and emotions tied to it are also closing in a way.

But for the next generation of parkgoers to create those same connections and sense of nostalgia when they visit Disneyland, the parks must constantly evolve. This extends not only to the new technologies and characters Disney has developed since its early days but also to making the parks more relevant and inclusive.

Related: Disney’s $60 billion theme park investment will bring change ‘all over,’ says CEO Bob Iger

For people to feel like they are at home when visiting Disneyland, they need to see themselves represented in the parks in an authentic and uplifting way. They need to see the characters and stories they connect with, the ones that matter to them. They need to feel immersed in these worlds — something Disney has always strived to do but is now able to accomplish on levels Walt only dreamed about.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure isn’t the only boat getting rocked at Disneyland in the coming years. Disneyland has several projects in the works that will continue to propel it into the future while staying true to its roots.

What else does Disneyland’s future hold?

At the biannual D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California, earlier this year, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed a slew of new rides, attractions and entertainment coming to Disney parks worldwide.

Just as guests can visit Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom in Florida, they will soon be able to journey through an “Avatar”-themed attraction at Disney California Adventure. Details on where and when it will open are scarce, but the concept art shows it as a slow-moving boat ride through the lush alien planet.

Also, guests will be able to ride the first-ever “Coco”-themed attraction at Disney California Adventure. This boat ride will feature characters and music from the hit film, including a trip through the Land of the Dead. Construction is set to begin in 2026, so it’ll be a few years before you can go “un poco loco” with Miguel and Hector.

At the D23 event in 2022, Disney revealed that a third attraction would join the existing two rides in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, but they surprised us this year by announcing that the land will get two new rides.

Avengers Infinity Defense will find guests jumping through time and space as they face off against King Thanos, while Stark Flight Lab will put riders in two-person pods as they take off on a test flight in Iron Man’s test facility. Construction on both rides will begin in 2025.

I saved this attraction for last because it pays tribute to the man whose thoughts, dreams and ideas made all of the things I’ve discussed here possible: Walt Disney. Next year, Disneyland will open the first-ever attraction to feature an audio-animatronic figure of Walt Disney.

The attraction, called “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” will play in Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House. After the show’s initial run, it will play in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln,” a show that Walt himself debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair before bringing it to Disneyland.

Walt Disney Imagineering’s creation of the original Abraham Lincoln robotic figure pioneered the audio-animatronics industry that made the lifelike characters on rides like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure possible.

Bottom line

I, for one, think that Walt would be disappointed if he visited Disneyland today and it looked the same as it did when it opened nearly 70 years ago. Never one to rest on his laurels, Walt was always dreaming, innovating and encouraging those around him to do the same.

Of course, some things will always be quintessential to the Disneyland experience. For instance, there’s the feeling that you’re really soaring over London on Peter Pan’s Flight, the excitement of walking through Sleeping Beauty Castle or that first bite of a Mickey ice cream bar. But, to stay rooted in being a place of joy and inspiration for the millions of guests who visit every year, the parks cannot remain stagnant. Disneyland must change to stay the same.

For as much as Disneyland has evolved, Walt’s opening day remarks remain relevant today. “To all that come to this happy place, welcome,” he said. “Disneyland is your land.”

Related reading: