Walt Disney World has announced the process for previews of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom. We have the details and how to register for the FREE Annual Passholder, as well as the paid D23 Member preview, recommendations for increasing your chances of success, and speculation about soft openings.
As always, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure AP preview reservations may be made by any eligible Walt Disney World Annual Passholders. You do NOT need the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure preview invitation email. (We didn’t receive one and suspect that it may not be coming this time since details are posted in the app.)
Let’s start with the D23 preview details. During this separately ticketed event, D23 Gold Members will have the opportunity to be among the first to enjoy Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom. D23 Gold Members will be able to ride the attraction again and again, then take some time to enjoy the enchanting evening ambiance of the bayou with live jazz performances and tasty treats available during this celebration of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Tickets for the D23 Gold Member preview go on sale May 16, 2024 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. EST, with this sensational celebration happening Saturday, June 22, 2024. Cost for Gold Member is $60 + $7 processing fee per ticket.
This event will have restricted capacity to comply with Park Reservation Guidelines, so please note there will be a virtual queue for tickets once on sale. It is not guaranteed that all D23 Gold Members that join the virtual queue will receive tickets to this event. For best practices, please make sure to be logged into D23.com with the email address attached to your Gold Membership before tickets launch, then immediately join the queue when the virtual queue goes live.
In case you’re wondering just what might be on the menu for D23 Gold Members, here’s a look at this celebration:
- Festive Fun at Magic Kingdom Park: D23 Gold Members and their guests will have access to Magic Kingdom Park during the event hours and will be able to experience the attraction as many times as they wish. Members are invited to mingle and make some new friends with fellow guests as they snack on some tasty refreshments! After all, we’re on this earth to have some fun!
- Musical Magic with Live Jazz Performances: While all of y’all are welcome to make a splash on this adventure again and again, we invite you to take in the enchanting evening ambiance of the bayou all while enjoying live jazz performances! We took Tiana’s advice and made sure to book a band before the festivities got into full swing. It’s time to dust off those dancing shoes!
- Lively Lagniappe with D23 Gift: Guests in attendance will also receive a little “lagniappe” (that’s how they say “a little something extra” in New Orleans, in case you didn’t know!) with a D23-exclusive Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Commemorative Pin. We’re positive it’s going to bring your collection to a tantalizing simmer!
These D23 previews, even though they’re paid, usually fill up fast. Historically, the D23 Gold Member previews have also offered a better experience than free AP and DVC previews, with D23 guests able to ride repeatedly (already confirmed for this) and with shorter lines and lower crowds. It’s safe to expect a repeat of that with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, so if you’re debating the free vs. paid events, it might be worth opting for the latter.
There’s also going to be a Disney Vacation Club preview, with DVC offering eligible members and their guests a sneak peek of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom before it opens to the general public. Event registration opens on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 10 AM Eastern Time. For access to the registration link, keep an eye on your inbox and the News & Alerts section on DisneyVacationClub.com. Pre-registration is required and space will fill up quickly.
Event Dates & Hours
- Wednesday, June 12, 2024
- 1 PM to 4 PM Eastern Time
- Wednesday, June 19, 2024
- 9 AM to 12 PM Eastern Time
Eligibility – Disney Vacation Club Members who are eligible for Membership Extras benefits. Must hold a qualifying Disney Resort reservation using their Membership. In order to attend, you and the number of guests on your resort reservation as of May 12, 2024 must have a valid theme park admission and a theme park reservation for Magic Kingdom on the day of the preview event (unless not required for your admission type).
Party Size Limit – Members may only make one reservation for themselves and the number of guests on their resort reservation as of May 12, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
Other Important Information for DVC Previews:
- Advance preview registration is required for this event and walk-ups will not be accommodated.
- A valid Disney Vacation Club Digital Membership Card and photo ID are required at event check-in. The Member listed on the Digital Membership Card must be in attendance.
- Must have the Disney Vacation Club Digital Membership Card downloaded to a mobile device’s wallet to check in for the event.
- Offering and operating hours are subject to availability, closures and change or cancellation without notice. Entry to the preview is not guaranteed.
- Attendees younger than 18 years of age must be accompanied by a participating parent or guardian.
Last but certainly not least–since it’s the biggest preview category–we have Annual Passholder previews for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This will work differently from all previews since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, so read carefully!
This June, be among the first to experience Tiana’s Bayou Adventure—a new attraction in Magic Kingdom!
As a special thank you for being an Annual Passholder, you’re invited to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure before the attraction opens to the general public on June 28, 2024.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Annual Passholder Preview Dates – AP previews will take place at Magic Kingdom on June 13, 14, 16, 17, 18 and 20.
About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – Embark on an enchanting musical journey inspired by the Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure brings you into the next chapter of Princess Tiana’s story. Join Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis on a voyage through shimmering bayou waters as they prepare for a spirited celebration during Mardi Gras season. Along the way, you’ll see familiar faces, make new friends and plunge into fun—while enjoying toe-tapping tunes that will transport you to a lush Louisiana marsh.
Park Reservations & Virtual Queue Required
A virtual queue will be in place for Annual Passholder previews of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Here’s how it works!
- First, make a park reservation to Magic Kingdom park on a preview date to have the opportunity to join the 7:00 AM virtual queue for that day. Or, you can make a park reservation to any theme park on a preview date to have the opportunity to join the 1:00 PM virtual queue.
- On the date of your reservation, request to join the virtual queue by using the My Disney Experience app. There will be 2 opportunities to join each day of previews.
- The 7:00 AM virtual queue will be available to Passholders with a park reservation to Magic Kingdom park for that day.
- The 1:00 PM virtual queue will be available to Passholders with a park reservation to any theme park for that day. As a reminder, Passholders must enter the theme park where they have a reservation prior to visiting Magic Kingdom. Or, on June 13, 14, 17, 18 or 20, they can enter Magic Kingdom park without a reservation after 2:00 PM.
- Passholders do not need to have entered a theme park when they request to join the virtual queue.
Planning on riding TRON Lightcycle Run or Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind? Not to worry, you can hold a virtual queue for one of those attractions and for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Passholder preview at the same time, when available. This special perk is only offered during Passholder previews.
Important Information
- Passholders must have a Walt Disney World Resort Annual Pass with valid admission on the preview date. Applicable pass blockout dates apply. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability.
- Each Passholder can request to join a virtual queue no more than once per day.
- Passholders may hold boarding groups for the preview virtual queue and an attraction virtual queue at the same time, when available.
- Joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to participate in the preview. Boarding groups for a virtual queue are limited, subject to availability and are not guaranteed. Not all boarding groups may be called to return, based on availability of the attraction. Learn more about virtual queues.
- Offering, dates and hours are subject to change or cancellation without notice or liability.
Bottom line: Make a Disney Park Pass reservation ASAP for Magic Kingdom on June 13, 14, 16, 17, 18 and/or 20. That’s your best option because it gives you two cracks at the virtual queue. If Magic Kingdom is unavailable by the time you read this, make reservations for a different park, and try for the 1 p.m. VQ entry time.
If you’re having problems making Disney Park Pass reservations…you’re not alone!
There was a rush about 10 minutes after this news broke, and the system has been unreliable (to put it charitably) since. None of the normal tricks (e.g. private browsing, different devices) seem to be working, likely because the Walt Disney World website is being slammed with high traffic.
I’m not sure which is worse: waiting in a multi-hour virtual queue to register…only to be shut out or constantly refreshing the Park Pass page and eventually scoring reservations after an hour or so…only to be shut out of the virtual queue on the day you booked for the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure preview. A pick your poison kinda scenario, it would seem. Good luck to everyone, regardless–here’s hoping Stitch gets full soon!
Note that these previews begin almost immediately after the media event ends, with Cast Member previews prior to that. Interestingly, this still leaves about one week between the preview period and the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on June 28, 2024.
TRON Lightcycle Run had nothing scheduled for 2+ weeks between the end of previews and the official opening of TRON Lightcycle Run, which led us to speculate that soft openings would occur. And they did. In this case, we are not expecting general public soft openings of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure…but the door is still open for them.
That week of downtime is not nothing, especially given the more laid back style of these Annual Passholder previews. It gives Magic Kingdom the opportunity to start running Tiana’s Bayou Adventure if the park needs capacity–or if they want to sell more of the Genie+ service to everyone shut out of the virtual queue!
Regardless, we would NOT bank on there being soft openings. Possible does not mean probable. Aside from TRON Lightcycle Run, which was an anomaly since Disney clearly timed previews in such a manner to allow for soft openings during spring break, Walt Disney World hasn’t done soft openings for a major attraction in several years. It’s all been these controlled, pre-registered previews for select guests. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is even more of a ‘known quantity’ less in need of previews since the ride system is unchanged from its predecessor, Splash Mountain.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Were you able to make a Disney Park Pass reservation for the Annual Passholder preview date(s) of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World? What was your method of success (or failure)? If you have any questions, please read the stories of others and try to troubleshoot on your own before asking! Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
