Lanterns Added at Tiana's Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom

Crews installed new lanterns overnight at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom. The new “Princess and the Frog”-inspired attraction will open this summer.

New Lanterns Around Flume

Tiana's Bayou Adventure flume viewed from the Frontierland bridge

In our Monday construction update, we noted wood posts around the ride’s flume had electrical wiring dangling out of them. As of Tuesday, each of these posts now has themed lanterns attached to them.

A closer look at a lantern added to a post

The lanterns resemble vintage kerosene lanterns. Though they are attached to these posts, they have round handles on top.

When we visited on Tuesday morning, the lanterns weren’t visibly illuminated, but they will probably light up at night. There are patches on the poles that need to be painted after installation.

Another angle of lanterns hanging from posts in the lagoon.

The lanterns are made of olive green metal with frosted glass (or plastic). Some wiring sticks out of the bottom of this post. The area is marked with a small purple flag.

We’ve also seen crews working on speakers around this loop of the ride’s flume. It’s directly after the drop, near the end of the attraction.

A wide-angle view of the loop of Tiana's Bayou Adventure flume

Some rocks sitting on the walls next to the flume on the right are for hiding speakers.

Testing sign next to Tiana's Bayou Adventure flume

More purple flags in the peninsula mark spots where the speakers might ultimately be placed.

A medium shot of a log ride vehicle in tunnel

A log ride vehicle was in the left tunnel on Tuesday morning. It has a red tag on its back.

There are also a few interesting baubles hanging in the top left corner of this tunnel’s entrance.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Salt Dome

Tiana's Foods water tower behind construction walls

Meanwhile, crews continue to install more plants on the ride’s façade. Crew members were working around ferns on the ground right behind the Louis photo-op during our visit.

Crew members planting ferns on the mountain.

While fake moss and flowers cover the mountain, and fake trees are on the ground, these newer plants appear to be real.

More crew members working on the scaffolding of the ride's lift hill.

Several more crew members were working on the remaining scaffolding. There is scaffolding on the ridges of the left side of the mountain and next to the mill.

A close-up of the workers on scaffolding to the left of the lift hill.

One of the crew members by the mill was working on fresh vines crawling over rockwork.

In the story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the mountain is a former salt mine where the employees of Tiana’s Foods cultivate crops. Tiana founded the co-op in 1927, after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” The ride will follow a completely new story.

Crew members working on the greenery to the left of the lift hill.

Crew members on the mountain were also working on vines. While Splash Mountain was mostly just reddish-brown rock, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a foliage-covered mine in the bayou.

Crew members working on more greenery on the salt mine.

A month ago, we got a look behind construction walls at the bayou. There’s a mural of bayou ingredients, two frog characters, and a distinct lack of briar patch thorns. Next time we get a good look at that area, it will be full of even more plants.

A straight-on view of the drop, with a log waiting at the top.

Another log vehicle was poised at the top of the drop, although water was not running Tuesday morning. Imagineers tested the drop a few weeks ago.

A close-up of the opening of the drop, where a log is waiting.

Colorful bottles hang around the drop. We can see more in the darkness of the ride, but not much else. These indicate Mama Odie’s home will be the climax of the attraction.

Queue & Train Station

A wide angle shot of the entrance to the Frontierland Train Station.

While crews work on the queue of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, they are also working on the stairs of the Frontierland train station. The stairs on the left side of the station were already demolished and reconstructed. They are now rebuilding the stairs on the right, although we saw no workers on Tuesday morning.

The pavement work happening in front of the train station.

In front of the station, there has been some pavement work. There’s a clear difference between the treated (left) and untreated (right) concrete.

Pavement around a flowerbed near the train station.

This is around a foliage-filled flowerbed that was recently revealed. There are also new Frontierland-themed prop crates in the area.

Crew members working in the flowerbeds around a walkway in the queue.

Beneath the train station, crew members were working in the flowerbeds around this walkway in the ride queue. On Monday, half of the new gate was painted to match the fencing. The other half of the gate has been reinstalled but not yet painted.

Construction near a set of stairs leading up next to the train tracks.

Behind the train station, crews have been working on this landing leading into a Cast Member area.

A green tripod was sitting on the landing, which recently got new flooring.

A view of the mural and scaffolding on the side of the queue barn.

More scaffolding has gone up in front of the queue’s barn. There was already scaffolding covering the doorway and window. Now scaffolding reaches up to the roof.