The reimagined Disney Ever After store has opened at Disney Springs, bringing with it the Walt Disney World debut of the popular Create Your Own Headband offering. What’s Happening: Replacing the former Ever After Jewelry Co. & Accessories, this one-of-a-kind store features fun collections with your favorite characters, Instagrammable photo spots, and the popular Create Your Own […]
After years of construction and weeks of previews that prooobably could have gone better, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is FINALLY open to the public! The highly-anticipated Magic Kingdom attraction opened on June 28th to massive virtual queue demand and a crowded park. Like any other major Disney World opening, Tiana’s is being accompanied by a new merchandise collection, and our focus today: SNACKS.
One is more of a savory mix, while the other one is sugary and sweet! So, are these unique creations worth a try? Let’s find out!
Tiana’s Bayou Crunch
This mix is made up of cheddar cheese popcorn, pretzels, Mickey-shaped Goldfish, and peanut butter M&Ms with a white chocolate drizzle.
Tiana’s Bayou Crunch
We found that the flavor mixture of the sweet ingredients and the popcorn and Goldfish worked well enough, producing a sweet and savory combo. We also noticed a low heat in the dish, which likely indicated some spices used here.
Tiana’s Bayou Crunch
Overall, we’d recommend the Bayou Crunch mix to anyone looking for a different spin on popcorn or simply wanting a savory treat. That said, we’d probably recommend steering clear if you’re simply in the mood for popcorn on its own and don’t feel like digging through so many layers.
Tiana’s Sweet Popcorn Serenade
This second popcorn mix is made up of caramel popcorn drizzled with milk chocolate, peanut M&Ms, and pretzels.
Tiana’s Sweet Popcorn Serenade
If that description didn’t make it clear, this mix drops any pretense of savory and goes for FULL-ON sweet. It’s very chocolatey — perhaps for some too chocolatey — though the pretzels give it a hard crunch and the caramel popcorn counters that with a little bit of a chewiness.
Tiana’s Sweet Popcorn Serenade
We’d definitely recommend this snack if you have a sweet tooth, especially if you have someone else with a sweet tooth to share it with. However, it’s probably best to stay away from it if you don’t care for milk chocolate.
These somewhat ooey gooey popcorn mixes are just some of the special snacks debuting with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, including a real-life version of Tiana’s beignets that are a core element of the attraction’s story.
Disney giveth, and Disney taketh away. Forget about the fresh fruit waffle — there’s a new menu over at Golden Oak Outpost (with BEIGNETS)!
Shrimp Gumbo with Sweet Potato Fries — $11.99 Hot Honey Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries — $11.99 Tiana’s Famous Beignets — $6.99 pic.twitter.com/SUIuEZVT2s
These snack offerings only serve to reinforce the feeling that the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a major event in Magic Kingdom history. Stay tuned to DFB for further coverage of Disney World snacks.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Which of these popcorn varieties sounds more appealing to you? Let us know in the comments below.
Magic Kingdom guests can celebrate the opening day of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with a one-day-only commemorative print package. A photo op is also now available near the ride.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening Day Print Package – $32.95
The package can be purchased at Tiana’s Bayou General, the exit gift shop of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Disney Vacation Club and Annual Passholder discounts are applicable.
The package comes in a green folder featuring an Art Deco version of the salt dome behind Tiana. “Celebrating Mardi Gras with Princess Tiana” is across the top. Bayou reeds, pink lily flowers, and hanging bottle lanterns are incorporated into the artwork.
The package includes an 8-inch by 10-inch print and digital copy of your on-ride photo, two recipe cards, a thank-you note from Tiana, and two specialty prints. One of the prints is an 8-inch by 10-inch of Mama Odie concept art depicting the moment she’s about to send guests splashing down the mountain. The other print is also concept art: a postcard-sized black-and-white “photo” of Tiana, Naveen, and Tiana’s Foods employees as the giant tiara is placed on the water tower.
Everything comes tucked into slots for easy display. The folder’s interior is also green with images of bottle lanterns, gold dots representing fireflies, and Art Deco leaves. Your on-ride photo, featuring fireflies and critters, is in the center.
The two recipe cards are for Princess Tiana’s world-famous beignets and New Orleans-style gumbo.
On-ride photos are also available to purchase separate from the package.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Photo Op
A PhotoPass photographer is stationed in front of a pile of luggage props near the Frontierland Train Station. Guests can pose with this tambourine prop featuring a Tiana’s Foods hot sauce logo and a critter’s pawprint.
The front of the instrument is blue-green and the jingles are gold.
The Magic Shot created at this location puts guests next to Tiana and Beau the opossum.
In late June 2024, Disney shocked the theme park world when they announced that their Genie+ program – – which had only been introduced in 2021 – – was being radically transformed. The new skip the line system, broken down into Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass, is scheduled to debut on July 24th. So what’s the best way to use it? Let’s find out.
Before you can figure out the best way to use the new Lightning Lane system, it’s best to break down HOW the new system works.
You will now be able to make three Lightning Lane selections in a theme park, in advance of your visit, and choose available times as you make your selections. From there, as you use the first selection on each day of your visit, you can use the My Disney Experience app for availability to make an additional selection.
Lightning Lane Single Pass will remain similar to Individual Lightning Lanes, today in concept. You’ll still be able to “secure a time to ride one of (Disney’s) most highly demanded attractions” for an additional charge. However, you’ll now be able to make said purchase and plan in advance.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
There are three tiers of rides for booking at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios. When it comes to Lightning Lane Multi Pass, each of these three parks has a group of attractions which you can only pick one of when booking your early Lightning Lanes:
Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
EPCOT: Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Soarin’ Around the World.
Hollywood Studios: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and Slinky Dog Dash.
The next tier features groups of rides of which you can choose 2 (or all 3 if you’d prefer) to fill out your three Multi Pass Lightning Lanes.
Magic Kingdom: The Barnstormer, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world”, Mad Tea Party, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
EPCOT: Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, Mission: SPACE, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Spaceship Earth, and Turtle Talk with Crush.
Hollywood Studios: Alien Swirling Saucers, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Disney Junior Play & Dance!, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania!
Each of these parks also have attractions that are ONLY available as Lightning Lane Single Passes, and can’t be selected as Lightning Lane Multi Passes: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle/Run for Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for EPCOT, and Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios.
Mine Train
Animal Kingdom is slightly different. The park only features one tier of rides for Lightning Lane Multi Pass, any three of which can be chosen for Animal Kingdom day: Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Feathered Friends in Flight!, Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!, It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Naʻvi River Journey. The park also features a Lighting Lane Single Pass-only ride, Avatar Flight of Passage.
One further wrinkle: If you’re staying at a Disney hotel (or other select hotels), you’ll be able to purchase and book both Multi Pass and Single Pass Lightning Lane passes beginning at 7:00AM ET, seven days in advance of your trip for your entire stay (up to 14 days). If you’re not staying at a Disney hotel, you can begin purchasing and booking Lightning Lanes three days in advance.
So, all that being said, what’s the best way use the system?
Well, first of all, the value of staying at Disney hotel can’t be overstated. The extra four days to book Lightning Lanes is one of the biggest game-changing perks Disney hotel guests have ever gotten, to the point where we think it make staying on property worth it vs staying off property.
Art of Animation lobby
Whether you’re staying off property or not — and in-turn booking your Lightning Lanes seven days in advance or three — there are still some things we’d advise:
Have your whole party loaded into the My Disney Experience App before 7:00AM on the day you’re eligible to start booking Lightning Lanes, so you can move through the process quickly.
If you plan to purchases both Multi Pass and Single Pass for each day of your trip, do both for each day at the same time.
Have a plan of action. Read up on the groupings above and know which rides you want to shoot for as far as Lightning Lane Multi Passes go, and especially which Lightning Lane Single Pass options you wish to purchase.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Once the new Lightning Lane system goes into operation at the end of July, we’ll likely find more tips as we explore the new system’s ins and outs. Stay tuned to DFB for further coverage.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What are your initial thoughts on the new Lightning Lane system? Let us know in the comments below.
Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland closed about a year and a half ago, and Disney has been busy turning the ride into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This updated attraction takes you on a trip through the bayou with Tiana, Louis, Mama Odie, and other characters (both familiar and new!). The ride officially opens TODAY, June 28th, and we’re taking you with us to experience it all!
We’ll be updating this post throughout the day as we experience all that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has to offer and dig into the details and Easter eggs of this attraction. Stay tuned!
How To Ride
First, you need to know HOW to get on the ride! It came as no shock that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is using a virtual queue to manage guest demand. The ride also has a Lightning Lane. To ride for free, you’ll need to join the virtual queue. If you pay for a Lightning Lane, you’ll get to skip the standby line.
Virtual Queue
On June 28th, the opening day for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Genie+ sold out in one minute. Literally — sixty seconds! After refreshing the screen twice at 7AM, by 7:01, the virtual queue was full. The virtual queue for Tiana’s opens at 7AM and 1PM each day. To join, open the My Disney Experience app to its homepage and scroll down to find the “Virtual Queues” section. Click on “Join Virtual Queue.”
Once you’ve entered the information about who is in your group, you’ll be able to join! (You can actually expedite this process by confirming your party ahead of time, up to an hour before the queue opens.) You’ll get an assigned boarding group number, and when your number is called, you can return to the queue to hop in line.
You’ll receive a notification from the My Disney Experience app when your number is called, and at that point, you will have one hour to return to the ride.
Disney Genie+ is an optional paid service in addition to the standard Disney Genie (which will be known as Lightning Lane Multi-Pass as of July 24th) Disney Genie+ allows you to bypass standby lines and enter the Lightning Lane (previously known as the FastPass line) at select attractions by paying a base price — and that’s another option for riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
On opening day, the Multi-Park and Magic Kingdom Genie+ sold out within seconds, and the Lightning Lanes were booked for the day. To book the Lightning Lane for this attraction, you’ll need to have the My Disney Experience app downloaded on your phone, be logged into your account, and have your park tickets linked. For the full details, make sure to check out our guide to Lightning Lanes.
As you might expect, people are pretty excited about this ride, which means there are plenty of crowds in Magic Kingdom today!
Well, what do you know?!
Most of the chaos seems to be central to Frontierland, where Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is located, but we’re also seeing a general uptick in people all around the park.
The line
There’s a bit of a bottleneck on Main Street, U.S.A. as well — thanks to the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise being sold at the Emporium only today. We’ll get to more details on that soon!
Let’s Ride!
The Storyline
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure picks up the story of The Princess and the Frog “after the final kiss,” and you get to “join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.”
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Remember how, at the end of the movie, Princess Tiana makes her dream come true when she opens her very own restaurant? Well, the story of the attraction picks up during New Orleans’ Carnival season, and Tiana is hosting a Mardi Gras Party for the people of New Orleans — the community that has supported her successful restaurant. (The storyline is set about a year after the movie.)
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
But Tiana realizes that the party is MISSING an important ingredient, and she needs our help to find it!
There are two gift shops for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — Critter Co-Op and Tiana’s Bayou General. However, for opening day and a bit afterward, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise will be available at the Emporium! Tiana’s Bayou General Store is open, but only to purchase on-ride photos.
Merchandise event
Disney is managing crowds for Tiana’s merchandise thanks to Cast Members manning a line and letting people preview souvenirs before officially entering the store. Keep this in mind if you’re looking to shop today, but we found that Cast Members were doing a great job of keeping things under control.
Lots of people, but pretty manageable!
We got a chance to preview all of this merchandise before it was released and you can check it out here. Like many of Disney’s most popular attractions, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will have an on-ride photo.
As with Disney’s other on-ride photos, the image will be accessible through the resort’s PhotoPass Service’s all-inclusive digital download package, Memory Maker as well as a print from the Tiana’s Bayou General Store location.
Your ride photo!
But, our favorite souvenir just might be the Commemorative Print Package available at the General Store retail location. The opening day photo package is $32.95 plus tax, and includes an 8×10 print of your attraction photo, two recipe cards, a thank you note from Tiana for attending Mardi Gras, two specialty prints, and a digital copy of the attraction photo.
And that’s a wrap on our adventure with Tiana through the bayou!
If you’re planning your trip to Disney World, make sure to check out our friends over at Small World Vacations. Their travel agents can take so much stress out of planning your vacation! And best of all, their services are completely free.
Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney World news!
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Are you going to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure soon? Let us know in the comments!
We have loved A LOT of things in Disney World that have suddenly disappeared.
Cinderella Castle
The Magical Express, FastPasses, and The Great Movie Ride are just a few of the popular things in Disney World that have left us too soon. We know that Disney World changes, and we have to accept that some of the best attractions, restaurants, shops, and accommodations won’t be around forever as they may eventually be revamped into something new or taken away completely. But there is one recent change that we CANNOT get over. Disney has “committed a crime” in Magic Kingdom, and we’re still in complete shock.
As many of you may know, Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom is one of our favorite places to dine in the park. It serves up delicious New England favorites like a hearty Lobster Roll, fried fish and shrimp, and Clam Chowder. There are also chicken strips that are served here that are also yummy for those who don’t care for seafood.
Columbia Harbour House
But possibly our favorite item that has stood the test of time and that we have always faithfully relied on at Columbia Harbour House is probably not what you might think. We have continued to LOVE the ever-popular hush puppies that come served with your meal. But y’all, a Disney World crime was recently committed — Disney REMOVED THE HUSH PUPPIES FROM THE MENU!
This is our worst fear and it has come true! We seriously cannot believe these delicious corn-filled dreamy dough balls have gone missing. It’s devastating, really.
But sadly, this is not the first time something like this has happened. Disney has removed some of our favorite treats from menus in the past, too. For example, Wendell’s Bear Claw disappeared from Westward Ho Refreshments in Magic Kingdom in 2023!
Wendell’s Bear Claw
Wendell’s Bear Claw was a traditional bear claw pastry dipped in and filled with chocolate and sprinkled with hazelnuts. Even though this treat sounds simple, it was oh, so good! It was an extremely sad day when we found out this snack was leaving the park.
We miss you, Wendell’s Bear Claw
That’s not the only item that suddenly disappeared and left our hearts empty. The waffle sandwiches have recently disappeared from Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, as well! Now, instead of getting the delicious sandwiches, you can get Mickey waffles with toppings such as the chocolate-hazelnut spread and bananas.
The Waffle Sandwiches are gone!
Over at Sunshine Tree Terrace, the favorite Citrus Swirl is incredibly inconsistent and is currently gone from the menu. This orange and vanilla swirled ice cream treat is so great when it’s available, so we’re very sad that we can’t currently get it!
So, we have to know, when will the madness end?! Will we ever be able to trust a beloved snack again? We know things come and go in Disney World, but the hush puppies were a staple of Columbia Harbour House, and we desperately hope they will return once again. You know we’ll be watching for any sign of their return!
Despite a very high profile main event being scrapped, the UFC will return to Las Vegas this weekend for a pay-per-view event headlined by a Light Heavyweight Championship contest. Even without the star power of Conor McGregor, this card features plenty of great fighters who will be very exciting to see step into the octagon. […]
To celebrate the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom, a number of collectible medallions for the new attraction are now available.
Disney also has milk chocolate coins in a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure “Restaurant Fund” tin and lollipops in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure-themed packaging. We didn’t review these as they are standard treats.
We did review the Green Apple Gummi Frogs, Mardi Gras Melody Popcorn, Cajun Craze Crunch, Spicy Butter Toffee Peanuts, Bananas Foster Chocolate Bar, and Mama Odie Hot Sauce.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Gummi Frogs – $6.99
These are pretty much what you would expect. That being said, the flavor is pretty good and we found it a pleasing sweet treat.
Rating out of 7: 5
Mardi Gras Melody Popcorn – $5.99
This mix of candy popcorn was surprising. The flavors were distinct from one another and worked well together at the same time. The lemon popcorn really stood out and made this a hit.
Rating out of 7: 6
Cajun Craze Crunch – $5.99
This would be a good bar mix. It includes peanuts, butter toffee peanuts, Cajun-style corn sticks, honey-roasted sesame sticks, almonds, and pepitas. We found it satisfying and delicious. It’s a little spicy and a little salt. It would hit the spot if it wasn’t 100 degrees Fahrenheit out.
Rating out of 7: 5.5
Spicy Butter Toffee Peanuts – $5.99
These were pretty good but children may not like them. They have a bit of a spice but it’s not too severe. We found it a satisfying snack.
Rating out of 7: 5
Bananas Foster Milk Chocolate Bar – $5.49
Surprisingly, this held up long enough for us to review in the extreme heat at Magic Kingdom. As soon as you unwrap the bar, you can smell the banana. It was delicious and banana-forward without being overpowering.
This was universally loved by our group.
Rating out of 7: 7
Mama Odie Hot Sauce – $6.99
This is a delicious accompaniment and could be added to almost anything. We tested it with some chicken tenders from Pinocchio’s Village Haus and the hot sauce elevated them dramatically. It’s a tad spicy and some might be afraid but if you like spicy sauce, it’s a reasonable representation.
Emmy Winners Tony Hale and Sheryl Lee Ralph are set to announce the 76th Emmy Nominations next month in a ceremony that will be held at the historic El Capitan Theatre. What’s Happening: The Television Academy announced today that the nominations for the 76th Emmy Awards will be presented by Tony Hale and Sheryl Lee […]
Shrimp Gumbo with Sweet Potato Fries — $11.99
Hot Honey Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries — $11.99
Tiana’s Famous Beignets — $6.99 
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