Tiana’s Bayou Journey in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is within the dwelling stretch of its transformation earlier than the reimagined journey’s Summer season 2024 opening. With building wrapping up, Imagineering has shared extra names and backstories for the lovely animals within the attraction. We’ve got full particulars, idea artwork and the attraction poster, plus our ideas.
Partly 1 of this 3 half collection, Disney revealed the primary spherical of Cute Critters Coming to Tiana’s Bayou Journey. That launched followers to Byhalia the Beaver, Gritty the Rabbit, Beau the Opossum, Apollo the Raccoon, Rufus the Turtle, and Timoléon the Otter. Whereas we argued that a few of these have been unhealthy names or needs to be switched, that was minor nitpicking. We love that Disney is creating authentic characters for the attraction and giving them backstories and personalities.
That first band of critters have been those who who play Zydeco music. Immediately’s animal act performs Rara. Typically discovered at festivals and road processions, Rara is a musical custom from Haiti that’s a part of the musical historical past and melting pot of New Orleans. The style consists of distinctive devices with lovely, distinctive sounds. Listed below are the Rara musicians you’ll uncover on Tiana’s Bayou Journey:
Octavia the Bobcat – Octavia performs the vaksin, a single-note horn instrument widespread in Rara music. She’s an adventurous bobcat kitten, and he or she loves climbing and hanging out in bushes virtually as a lot as she loves performing. This daredevil virtually by no means will get scared.
Pawpaw the Bobcat – Not solely is Pawpaw Octavia’s devoted grandfather, however he additionally taught her the best way to play the vaksin! Pawpaw lives to make Octavia smile and has the view that every little thing has a method of working itself out – he’s seen all of it however isn’t jaded.
Claude the Louisiana Black Bear – Claude is a salt of the earth sort of bear (or, as they are saying within the bayou, “salt of the mound”) who performs his horn together with the opposite members of his household. He’s a tinkerer who likes to create with issues discovered within the forest, and is regularly humorous with out aspiring to be, particularly with regards to his home-grown creations.
Bernadette the Louisiana Black Bear – Bernadette likes to get pleasure from life, from splashing within the waters of her bayou dwelling along with her cub, Sebastián, to taking part in the horn along with her mate, Claude. She’s a transparent thinker and is heat and supportive. Bernadette likes to sink into the bayou waters and munch on vegetation (as long as Sebastián is clearly within reach).
Sebastián the Louisiana Black Bear – Although he’s undoubtedly a “mama’s cub,” Sebastián charted his personal musical course as a drummer, regardless of his dad and mom being devoted horn gamers. He’s completely happy to comply with his good friend Octavia’s adventurous lead as they discover and play, and is fascinated with the small particulars within the bayou, just like the bugs and mushrooms.
Phina the Grey Fox – Phina’s enthusiasm extends past her drumming, as she’s consistently considering of recent concepts with optimism and vitality! This imaginative fox is regularly beginning new tasks with pleasure, and her pals settle for and have a good time her distinctive considering.
Not solely will you meet these new pals as Audio-Animatronics figures all through the attraction, however a few of them can even seem within the Walt Disney World attraction poster:
Turning to commentary, I’m going to chorus from critiquing and renaming every particular person animal this time. Although I acknowledged that was nitpicking and for enjoyable–and that my major response was that I really like that Disney is doing this–I feel lots of people neglected the “I really like this” half and centered on the nitpicking. Additionally, I don’t assume a lot of you truly cared. For these of you who did care, I’ll merely say that I do just like the names Pawpaw, Bernadette, and Sebastian. The remaining…meh.
Beforehand, I additionally commented about how distinguished random ‘cute critters’ with no Tune of the South affiliation have been within the authentic Splash Mountain. It makes full sense for Tiana’s Bayou Journey to likewise revolve round critters, because it doesn’t mess with the formulation of the underlying attraction all that a lot, and retains quite a lot of what followers thought made it particular.
Tiana’s Bayou Journey recycling quite a lot of the present Brer Critter Audio Animatronics is a great and wise transfer–quite a lot of these Audio Animatronics in Splash Mountain have been recycled from America Sings at Disneyland and cloned for Magic Kingdom; that they had nothing to do with Splash Mountain’s supply materials. We’ve been saying all alongside that these AAs are doubtless be given new life as a part of an “expanded universe” for the Princess and the Frog.
However, I’m truthfully a bit shocked that Imagineering additionally selected so as to add fox, rabbit, and bear Audio Animatronics. As you may recall, these are the principle Brer critters from Splash Mountain. I kind of assumed that, if these AAs have been going to be recycled, Brer Bear would turn into Louis the Alligator and Brer Fox and Rabbit would turn into several types of creatures–like bobcats, for instance!
To be clear, I’m not complaining. I don’t assume that it needs to be verboten to even pay tribute to Splash Mountain in Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and I’ve been hoping that there can be little nods to the extinct attraction in Tiana’s Bayou Journey. Whereas I nonetheless assume that could be the case with little Easter Eggs (which can be by no means formally acknowledged), doing so in substance is the much better method.
I’ll be immediately reminded of the outdated journey each time I see these critters. It’s an effective way of marrying outdated and new, so to talk, whereas nonetheless protecting a “secure” distance from Splash Mountain. This principally implies that Tiana’s Bayou Journey is retaining and reimagining what I cherished most in regards to the outdated journey.
So so long as their personalities shine by means of, Tiana’s Bayou Journey is already shaping as much as seem like a success for me. Loopy how constructive this advertising cycle has turned after beginning out so badly.
Disney beforehand confirmed that there can be 17 authentic character Audio Animatronics from The Princess and the Frog bodily created for the attraction, along with these repurposed from Splash Mountain. This may embrace a number of appearances of Princess Tiana, who will make wardrobe adjustments all through the journey, plus different main and recognizable characters from the film, together with Louis the Alligator and Mama Odie.
These brand-new and reimagined Audio-Animatronics figures will convey the invigorating sounds of New Orleans to life. These can be scenes you generally see in New Orleans: the joie de vivre influencing each motion–together with with a band of pleasant critters taking part in joyful music.
Imagineering shared that it’s creating brand-new characters with distinct names and personalities as a part of an expanded Princess and the Frog universe for Tiana’s Bayou Journey. Together with this, there can be dozens of completely new Audio Animatronics figures, together with lovely critters with unbelievable expertise, bringing the “numerous flavors of musical gumbo present in New Orleans!”
Assuming all of that’s nonetheless correct, this brings the minimal Audio Animatronics depend for Tiana’s Bayou Journey as much as 29. That is the minimal, and earlier than we’ve even seen the final spherical of critters. My guess is that the ultimate band will characteristic frogs, alligators, and possibly extra turtles–these are the remaining animals left from Splash Mountain that it could take advantage of sense to recycle.
I feel it’s value pointing this out, as there have been quite a lot of naysayers saying Tiana’s Bayou Journey can be virtually completely screen-based or drastically cut back the variety of Audio Animatronics. I feel that was a good concern on the very starting, as Disney does have a historical past of decreasing and eradicating maintenance-intensive AAs from points of interest. However Disney mentioned some time in the past that Tiana’s Bayou Journey would characteristic “dozens” of Audio Animatronics…and but, many followers nonetheless doubted this.
I’m totally ready to eat crow if these find yourself being static figures (that are not Audio Animatronics) and there aren’t at the least 24 figures which can be animated, however I don’t consider that’ll be the case.
Lastly, I typically just like the attraction poster. I do want it could’ve paid homage to the model of the Splash Mountain poster somewhat extra. Not as a result of reference to the extinct attraction is required, however as a result of it was an all-time nice journey poster and the model actually labored. Placing Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Louis the Alligator right into a log would’ve been enjoyable. However I additionally perceive the choice to make Tiana distinguished–this can be a princess journey, even when it’s one with a top restriction. (Similar cope with Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare.)
In any other case, I just like the attraction poster for Tiana’s Bayou Journey. I really like that all the critters are featured across the prime, and the outlines of Tiana’s Palace and the opposite constructing on the backside have piqued my curiosity. Will each of these be current inside the journey? Ages in the past, I had heard that the finale (scene pictured under) would have a mansion…so possibly that’s foreshadowing. As for Tiana’s Palace, I’m nonetheless shocked and confused as to why that hasn’t been introduced but for Pecos Invoice.
Oh, and one remaining element is that the attraction’s location is listed as Frontierland. Clearly, that might be a placeholder earlier than a future reveal of New Orleans Sq., however I’d count on Tiana’s Bayou Journey to be situated in Frontierland when the journey opens. No matter adjustments are on the horizon for the land itself are unlikely to happen in 2024.
In the end, I’m very excited by this information. I cherished the primary spherical of characters, however the presence of outdated man and younger woman bobcats–plus bears–may push this excessive for me. I want the bears had a bit extra quirk to their character design (they give the impression of being a tad an excessive amount of like Baloo), however that’s a minor grievance. On the finish of the day, I really like lore and critters, in addition to the concept of Disney elevating supporting gamers into greater roles.
This is the reason I’m such a fan of Lieutenant Bek in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It’s additionally why I really like the Tokyo Disneyland model of Critter Nation, which already does this with ‘kawaii creatures’ having nothing to do with Tune of the South. And it’s why I needed extra of that with Tiana’s Bayou Journey from the outset.
I actually hope that the final spherical of characters shines a highlight on the Swamp Boys–the alligator band from Splash Mountain. I don’t count on them to be referred to as that anymore, however seeing them reprised for Tiana’s Bayou Journey would just about seal the deal on this attraction for me. Huge bonus factors if stuffed variations of the alligator band (or the bobcats) are bought within the present store.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the lovable critters coming to Tiana’s Bayou Journey? Any new title proposals for the added animals? Does this make you are feeling higher, worse, or about the identical with the “lacking ingredient” MacGuffin? How a lot of the present attraction (e.g. random musical critter AAs) are you anticipating to look within the reimagined model? Excited for Tiana’s Bayou Journey? Agree or disagree with our assessments about this undertaking? Preserve the feedback civil, as this isn’t the place for politically-charged arguing, tradition wars, antagonism, private assaults, or low cost pictures.
