How to Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World This Summer

Disney Parks has revealed the opening date for its highly anticipated Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction based on the world of Disney Animation’s The Princess and the Frog. Starting June 28, visitors to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL can finally ride the water flume boats on a new adventure that will take you “down the bayou” with Princess Tiana and friends as they prepare an epic New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration. However, planning your visit does come with a few extra steps to ensure you can actually get on the new ride.

How to get into Walt Disney World for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

In order to get into Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World during Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s opening season this summer, there’s a few steps you have to take first. Ever since Disney Parks reopened during the pandemic, the resorts have instituted a system that makes walk-up, day-of tickets not entirely guaranteed—instead, they’re dependent on availability that prioritizes online booking first. If online booking for the month of June at Magic Kingdom fills up, you cannot just show up and buy a ticket—or just get in line anymore, either.

We recommend designating a trip organizer—whoever is the most tech-savvy person in your group—to buy everyone’s tickets through their My Disney Experience account online and add them to the Walt Disney World app, so you’ll have them all together in one place. When booking reservations at the Magic Kingdom—especially if you want to join Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s morning virtual queue, the lottery-line system currently in place instead of standby—it will be quicker to submit everyone at once. Maybe opt for park-hopper tickets and start in another park at the Walt Disney World resort before trying to get in the second allotment for virtual boarding groups at 1 p.m. at the Magic Kingdom.

What are the line options for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?

Once you’ve secured tickets and reservations with a way into Magic Kingdom on the day of your trip, you have a few chances to get into the virtual line for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Guests can join the virtual queue via the My Disney Experience app at one of two times: 7 a.m. or 1 p.m. Park visitors who hold reservations at the Magic Kingdom at their starter (or only) park day-of will be the first to be able to submit their group through the Disney World app for the virtual queue. These do tend to fill up fast, so set alarms and be forewarned (really, you’ll to set a countdown to 7 in the morning): it’s not a guarantee you’ll get a slot, even if you have a Magic Kingdom reservation that day. The 1 p.m. virtual queue is the second chance you have at acquiring a spot in the line for the ride. This one is open to those who have Magic Kingdom as their starter or park-hop reservation for the day. And for those who are park-hopping, you do not have to be in the park in order to try for the second virtual queue.

There’s also a way to pay to get on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. With the purchase of the Disney Genie+ service, you can get access to the individual Lightning Lane entrance for the ride at another additional cost per person (around $14-$20, usually). The price for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has not yet been announced, but it will also depend on the daily demand and is subject to availability. Disney Parks confirmed that there will not be a standby line available when the ride initially opens, with only the above options available, but that it expects to make standby available soon after the attraction’s debut.

Disney fans have had to endure this headache of a process since the opening of popular rides such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, and TRON LightcycleRun. For seasoned vets like annual pass holders and Disney Vacation Club members, some of the stress is alleviated through ride previews; APs—who know the system better than the average tourist—can preview Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on June 13, 14, 17, 18, and 20, with virtual queues at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Magic Kingdom slots have already begun to book up for those days.) DVC members get June 12 and 19 with registration opening on May 16. Additionally D23 Gold Members can preview it during their event for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on June 22, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. during the special celebration. Tickets for D23 Gold members go on sale May 16 at 1 p.m. ET and will cost $60 bucks with $7 fee. It will include entry to Magic Kingdom during the event, unlimited rides on select attractions including Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, live jazz, snacks, and a commemorative pin. It’s going to be a busy summer with the ride opening and the lucky park-goers who manage to nab slots to get on the ride. But we can’t help but feel for families on once-in-a-lifetime Disney trips who may not realize this whole system is a long process. Do your research, plan ahead, and don’t miss out!

For more details about how virtual queues at Disney World work visit disneyworld.com/virtualqueue. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens June 28 at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.