NEW Behind-the-Scenes Look at Tiana's Bayou Adventure in Disney World!

At this point, we’re just counting down the days. 👑 🐸

©D23

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in both Disneyland park and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom this year! It has been announced that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in Disney World on June 28th, 2024, and in “later in 2024” in Disneyland. We’ve gotten glimpses of ride testing, the characters you’ll meet along the way, and we’ve even gotten a sneak peek of the on-ride photo. As the opening date grows nearer, we get even more updates on the ride — small little details that have us getting even more excited. Now, Disney has released details behind the water tower!

The water tower over at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was one of the very first bigger details that showed up at the site of the ride. It’s already acting as an icon for the ride, and it isn’t even open yet! Disney just shared details behind it. Let’s talk about it!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Disney said, “Topped with a larger-than-life tiara fit for a princess and standing at 32 feet tall, the water tower is an integral part of the next chapter of Tiana’s story. The structure features the Tiana’s Foods co-op logo and special nods to characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Princess and the Frog film. Look closely at the right-hand side of the crown for this starry tribute … Je t’adore! Je t’aime!”

©Disney

Disney Imagineers worked alongside Icarus Exhibits, a local business, to bring the water tower t life. Disney said that the icon fits seamlessly into the story of Tiana’s Foods and is fit for royalty. Icarus is a design and build company located just down the road from Disney World that specializes in “creating intentional, themed designs that bring immersive environments to life.”

They’ve been working alongside Disney since the 1990s!

“Whenever we’re creating new experiences, we frequently work with trusted and valued industry leaders like Icarus,” said Peter Ricci, principal show manager at Walt Disney Imagineering. “That was no different for the construction of the beautiful water tower at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I’ve had the privilege of working with Icarus for more than two decades now, and their work as a longtime collaborator never ceases to amaze me.”

The tower in March 2024

Disney and Icarus collaborated on design mock-ups, paint and material samples, feedback sessions, and of course — the final installation.

“There’s an immense sense of pride to know that you’ve built it,” Icarus co-owner Mark Ireland said when reflecting on the final installation. “First, there’s a little bit of relief that everything turned out and was installed correctly, but mostly there’s pride.”

Tiana’s Foods Water Tower

“Growing up here in Florida, I’ve been going to Magic Kingdom since I was seven years old,” he said. “Any time we work on anything at the park, it’s special. Working on an attraction like Tiana’s is really cool.”

You might recognize other pieces of Icarus’ work around the parks! The Lightcycle shown in the exit of TRON Lightcycle / Run, the super cool speeder in Galaxy’s edge, and the larger-than-life characters in Toy Story Land were all collaborations with Icarus.

Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

It’s so nice to see yet another ride icon that was created by a local business. We can’t wait to see how it ties in with Tiana’s story. Don’t forget, the ride opens on June 28th at Disney World, where it will be available via Virtual Queue and Genie+. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with more Disney news, so make sure to follow along so that you’re always in the loop.

Looking for more on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Click here!

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What do you think of the water tower? Let us know in the comments!