We’ve finally taken a trip down the bayou!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

We’ve finally had a chance to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disneyland and there’s one question on the minds of many Disney fans: Is it different than the version in Walt Disney World? After all, while both are refurbishments of Splash Mountain, there were a lot of differences between the respective East and West Coast versions of that attraction.

So, how different are Anaheim and Orlando’s versions of Disney’s newest E-Ticket? Well, there are a few key differences, and the differences start with the queue. Disneyland’s version of the ride takes up a little less space than the ride in Disney World, so the queue in Disneyland seems to have a little less stuff than the queue in Disney World.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue in Disneyland

As far as the ride itself, there is one difference that might make it BETTER in Disneyland. We’ve seen a lot of complaints about empty spaces during the ride in the Disney World version of the ride that affects its pacing. Well, that doesn’t seem to be a problem in Disneyland. Because the ride takes up less space in Disneyland, there are no dark empty rooms and the pacing of the story is tighter in a way that makes the story flow better.

Tiana animatronic

Also, Disneyland’s version of the ride has three drops: two small ones and the big drop. The Disney World version of the ride has five drops total. The ride vehicle is also different (as it was when it was Splash Mountain). Disney World’s riders sit in a flume vehicle that seats two people per row. However, Disneyland’s ride vehicle has guests sitting in a single file with straddle style seating. You’re also sitting lower inside the log than in the Disney World counterpart.

Up the hill

Given the way the ride vehicle is set up, there are a lot of reports (and from our previous experience when this was Splash Mountain) that this ride is going to leave you a lot wetter than its Disney World counterpart. There are countless videos of early preview riders getting off the ride completely soaked. So if you plan on riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disneyland, prepare accordingly (pack a poncho, bring clean, dry socks, wear shoes that will dry quickly — or bring an extra pair). Note that the level of wetness could depend on where you are seated on the ride, but it’s a good idea to be prepared, just in case.

Prepare to get wet

During a different part of the media event, we got to hear from some of the creative minds behind the ride, and we learned about a few other differences between the East Coast and West Coast versions. In the queue, the Disneyland version has murals hand-painted by the artist who designed them, as well as a stunning pergola in an art nouveau style.

Also, the moment where you first arrive in the bayou on the ride is a bit longer than Disney World’s version, so the Imagineers made sure to add in extra music and firefly effects to really dramatize the process. How thoughtful!

Entering the bayou

So there you have it, there are some major differences between the versions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland and Walt Disney World! You can find out for yourself when the ride officially opens on November 15th.

Stay tuned to DFB for further coverage of Disney’s latest attractions.

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Have you ridden either version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure yet? Let us know in the comments below.

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disneyland to attend their media preview of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ