Today, Walt Disney World’s poster for the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction dropped on social media outlets throughout earth’s internet sphere. I love Disney Parks posters. There’s just something about seeing them after you walk past the ticket turnstile and under the railroad and into the tunnel – just before you hit Main Street U.S.A. If you know, you know. The posters herald all of the special events and moments that await you on your trip into the Magic Kingdom. Over the years, Disney has created some fantastic posters for rides and attractions. I spend a good deal of time – when I can – just staring at them and soaking in the atmosphere.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a new ride coming to both Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim this year. It is technically a retheme of Splash Mountain, Disney’s legendary log flume ride that became embroiled in controversy in recent years. When Disney announced their retheme, they knew that there would be questions and have so far done a great job of highlighting the major new animatronics that will employed in the ride and have rethemed the exterior to something beautiful and new that barely resembles the outgoing Splash Mountain. They have also created a completely new storyline along with returning and new characters.
On their website, Disney officially describes Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as thus: “Join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis on their journey through a shimmering bayou as they prepare for a spirited celebration during Mardi Gras season. Along the way, you’ll see familiar faces and make new friends as you’re brought into the next chapter of Tiana’s inspiring story.”
The poster itself features Tiana in her new adventurer’s outfit standing in front of the Salt Dome that features the outgoing Splash Mountain’s legendary drop behind her. On either side of her are new musical instrument playing animals that will be featured in the ride. Some will be part of a jazz ensemble (Byhalia the Beaver, Gritty the Rabbit, Beau the Opossum, Apollo the Raccoon, Rufus the Turtle, and Timoléon the Otter) while others (Octavia the Bobcat, Pawpaw The Bobcat, Claude the Louisiana Black Bear, Bernadette the Louisiana Black Bear, Sebastian the Louisiana Black Bear, and Phina The Gray Fox) will be part of a Rara musical group. From Wikipedia: “Rara is a form of festival music that originated in Haiti that is used for street processions, typically during Easter Week”. I am already loving the potential for a dozen new animatronics for these animas – and seeing them on the poster inspires confidence.
And overall, I think the poster is really great. Sure, Disney has created some wildly ornate posters (see the ones for Pirate of the Caribbean and Big Thunder below). And yes, Tiana’s is simpler and more direct. I’ve seen some on social media derisively label it as “clip art”. But Disney has a history of employing simpler posters that utilize primary colors and invoke the sense of a etched plates. In the past we have seen posters like this for now legendary rides including Haunted Mansion and Tropical Serenade (which became the Enchanted Tiki Room) – where atmosphere takes a key role in the attraction. I’ve set Tiana’s in a row below between other attraction posters (both ornate and minimalist) that you might see in the Magic Kingdom tunnel. Take a look and see how well the poster fits in…
I think it is quite wonderful. It is almost like a minimalistic poster hints at an experience that must be encountered to truly be understood. So using that line of reasoning – I think this style of poster is a good thing.
Also important is Disney highlighting “Frontierland” in the poster – putting to rest, at least for now, of a second New Orleans Square coming to Magic Kingdom. I like this because 1.) Keep New Orleans Square at Disneyland – anything at Magic Kingdom would just be an inferior copy and we already have Liberty Square and 2.) I think this ride fits better in New Orleans Square.
Hear me out, Tiana’s outfit is CLASSIC Walt Disney Frontierland – from head to toe. This is the outfit of an explorer, an expeditioner, and ultimately a Disney character that can take Frontierland from the 20th century into the 21st century. I LOVE Frontierland. When THE LONE RANGER came out a few years ago, I dreamed that the movie might be incorporated into a refreshed and renewed Frontierland – ensuring its survival at the Magic Kingdom for years to come.
Sadly, that did not happen (though I still really love that film and always watch it just before a Disney World vacation – yeah, I know I’m insane). But maybe Tiana’s can anchor this land for a new generation. If Fantasyland represents the stories of dreams and Tomorrowland reps the stories of the future, then for me, Frontierland has always been synonymous with stories of risk and sacrifice in a historical, if fantastical, distinctly American past (again at least for me). And I think Tiana’s Bayou Adventure works well with that theme, considering this ride story is supposed to be about her post-film life where she is forging a new path in her emerging food and restaurant empire.
Also Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is located on the Louisiana frontier, not New Orleans. Avery Island, the geographic area upon which the ride is directly based, is almost 150 miles WEST of New Orleans, far closer to Lafayette, Louisiana and the Texas border. This screams Frontierland to me. I have long said that even in Disneyland, where there is a New Orleans Square, that the ride fits better in Critter Country and not New Orleans Square. Disney knows this, hence the recently announced Critter Country renovation.
The last thing that I noticed on the poster was the prominent silhouette of Tiana’s Palace – and potentially another location that kind of looks like… Pecos Bill. Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe (seen below) is a Frontierland stalwart serving Disney’s version of Mexican food (that I quite like tbh) that is both infamously badmouthed but also inexplicably loved.
It has long been rumored that Pecos may be going away soon to make room for Tiana’s Palace restaurant. Does this mean that the rumored transition of Pecos Bill to this restaurant will happen sooner than expected? I kind of love Disney’s version of American Tall Tales. My father was a history professor so these stories will always hold a very special and personal place in my heart. And Pecos Bill is representative of a forgotten little corner of both our country and Disney history that includes other Disney greats like John Henry and Paul Bunyon. Together these characters were featured in separate shorts and ultimately compiled into the feature “American Legends” – which I’ve watched a bunch. The first time I came to Disney World, I immediately fell in love with Frontierland because it featured a dedicated Pecos Bill/American Legends location in that restaurant.
So I have some mixed feelings about seeing it go. But if it means the survival of Frontierland, and the land as a whole gets to survive for a new generation then I’m all for it. I just hope we keep a Pecos Bill easter egg or two in the new restaurant. In the meantime, take a look at the silhouette below in comparison to the current Pecos Bill restaurant. Uh oh – not looking good – eyeball emoji!
Overall, I cannot wait to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure this summer and this poster has kicked that anticipation to new levels. Come on Disney, just give us that opening date so we can start the countdown! What do you think? Am I crazy to be so excited about this poster? Am I even more crazy to be in love with Pecos Bill restaurant? If you enjoyed this, please give the article a like or a comment. Thanks for reading!
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