Disney Shuts Down New Attraction After Spending $142 Million, Hundreds Turned Away

It looks like Disney is gearing up to shutter the gates to their newest $142 million attraction.

While things do not operate perfectly at Disney all of the time, guests typically expect to be able to ride attractions that are not set to be closed when they visit. Disney’s newest attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, does make it difficult to do just that.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the replacement for the long-standing Splash Mountain log flume ride at Disneyland and Disney World, has endured a series of challenges since its debut last month. These hurdles extend far beyond the initial construction and re-theming process, according to a recent report by Forbes.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the newest attraction at Magic Kingdom, invites guests to delve into the next chapter of Princess Tiana’s story. Following her triumph with Tiana’s Palace restaurant, Walt Disney Imagineering presents a captivating narrative showcasing Tiana’s continued entrepreneurial spirit. This narrative centers on her latest venture, Tiana’s Foods, a groundbreaking initiative.

Tiana’s Foods is a unique concept – an employee-owned cooperative. This innovative model merges Tiana’s culinary mastery with the talents of her community. Set within a revitalized old salt mine, Tiana’s Foods fosters a collaborative environment. With the support of her mother, Eudora, along with Naveen, Louis, and other cooperative members, the formerly dormant mine flourishes as a thriving garden. This garden provides fresh, local ingredients for Tiana’s exquisite recipes, further emphasizing the cooperative’s commitment to sustainability.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure holds a significant position within Magic Kingdom’s development. It serves as the park’s first major addition, paving the way for future expansions like the “Beyond Big Thunder” plans and the ambitious $60 billion expansion spearheaded by Bob Iger. The 2022 D23 Parks and Experiences panel also hinted at further enhancements for Disney World, including a “Blue Sky” concept for a “Dark Kingdom” dedicated to Disney villains, potentially located within Magic Kingdom itself.

The financial investment in the transformation across both parks is estimated to be a significant $142 million over the past four years. This figure, derived by Forbes, is based on cost comparisons to similar projects. For instance, a Disney Imagineer’s LinkedIn post revealed the budget for Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris to be $404 million and the Star Tours update at the same location to be $71 million.

While the financial implications are substantial, Forbes highlights additional concerns facing Disney. Negative feedback on the ride-through video, coupled with lower park attendance figures for the recent July 4th holiday weekend, raise questions about the impact of public reception on the media giant.

“The reputational damage of this debacle is incalculable, and that alone could make it one of the most costly theme park rides in Disney’s history,” states Forbes contributor Caroline Reid. Reid further acknowledges potential arguments dismissing criticism as “anti-woke,” but emphasizes the perceived shortcomings of the new attraction compared to its predecessor.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was announced in 2020 amidst controversy surrounding Splash Mountain’s thematic elements. The original attraction, introduced at Disneyland in 1989 and replicated in Orlando in 1992, drew criticism for its ties to the 1946 film Song of the South. The film’s portrayal of Black characters and its idealized view of the post-Civil War South were deemed offensive and outdated.

However, Splash Mountain remained a beloved attraction for many park guests, leading to a significant backlash upon the announcement of its re-theming. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by the 2009 Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog, represents a significant investment for Disney. However, the ride’s rocky debut raises questions about its long-term success and the potential for lasting reputational damage.

Whether or not you were a fan of the change or not, one thing that has been tough to ignore is the constant breakdown of the attraction. During cast member and Annual Passholder previews, guests were constantly evacuated from the attraction, and at times, it just shut down and never reopened.

These issues are not just affecting the ride vehicles and track, but also, the animatronics have been reported to be broken as well.

Yesterday evening, Drew Smith, who had been actively reporting on the attractions for quite some time, shared that the ride shut down hours before park close.

“Disney just closed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the day over 2 hours before park close.

The attraction continues to suffer from heavy technical difficulties nearly a month after its official opening.

Even when the attraction was operating today, many of the Audio-Animatronics…”

Disney just closed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the day over 2 hours before park close.

The attraction continues to suffer from heavy technical difficulties nearly a month after its official opening.

Even when the attraction was operating today, many of the Audio-Animatronics… pic.twitter.com/mCyqeTZRS6

— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) July 23, 2024

Drew replied to many comments on his post about the disappointment that he and other guests have been feeling regarding the state of the attraction. Drew added, “Everyone knows how much I adore this attraction, but when I was walking out of Magic Kingdom tonight, I felt sad after going on it because of the issues, followed by seeing hundreds of Guests turned away because it was closed for the day. It’s genuinely unacceptable.”

The ride opened with issues, but considering that it’s been a month since the ride opened, and longer if you include the weeks of previews, it is a little concerning as to why none of these “kinks” have been solved. Disney has issued a permit for the attraction. However, it is not clear as to what they plan to do or fix, nor is it clear if the attraction will shut down while they implement their plans.

Disney has officially pulled the attraction from extended evening hours.

What do you think Disney should do about the constantly broken Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?