Disappointing Replacement for Play Space at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

When Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland, he envisioned a theme park where parents and children could experience attractions together. We have always loved the play space at Splash Mountain, but its replacement is disappointing.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens on June 28th at Magic Kingdom with a Virtual Queue. Check out everything that you need to know about this attraction HERE and watch a full-ride video HERE.

Check out the new merchandise and see how you can skip the lines HERE. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a retheme of the previous Splash Mountain attraction. There are a few Splash Mountain Easter Eggs throughout the attraction, but all animatronics are brand new for this attraction.

One big thing that we hoped would be addressed while this attraction was closed for retheming was the ride issues that plagued this attraction with temporary closures and even evacuations. Unfortunately, the first rounds of Cast Member testing show that these issues were not addressed.

Younger Children

Since the ride is essentially the same, we assumed that the height requirement would remain the same. Walt Disney World confirmed that guests must be 40 inches or taller to enjoy the adventure down the Bayou.

Previously guests who were not quite tall enough to enjoy Splash Mountain could enjoy the Laughin’ Place play space. This was a great way for younger guests to still enjoy the theming of the attraction in a safe and fun place.

We were not surprised when the Laughin’ Place was removed for the new Tiana theming, but unfortunately, no play space is at this location.

What we have instead

Now the once boisterous Laughin’ Place location is replaced with a sign for “Stroller Parking”. If you have ever visited Walt Disney World with a stroller, you realize how in-demand stroller parking is especially in Frontierland.

Stroller Parking replaces the previous Laughin’ Place play space.

The absence of a themed Tiana play space for guests under 40 inches is a big miss for this rethemed attraction. Imagineers could have created a fun Mardi Gras theme or a beautiful bayou oasis, but instead, the younger guests are simply left with a place to park their strollers.

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What do you think of this play space removal? Will this affect your family’s plans to enjoy this new attraction? Do you think stroller parking is better than a play space? Share your thoughts with us and share this news with your Disney pals.