Disney Parks Releases New Info on Tron and Tiana: It Does Not Go Well

When a theme park company releases info on upcoming rides, they usually drop that info at a prime time to get the most views possible. For Disney, both Tron and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure get updated late on a Friday. It still didn’t go well.

As of publication, 319,000 people have viewed Disney’s announcement of the backstory for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Yet only 2,251 have clicked the “like” button on Twitter. That’s less than one-percent for you non-math whizzes out there. And if you’re curious if that’s good or bad, it’s very, very bad. But it gets worse. The backstory, which has Tiana now owning a salt mine based on Avery Island (where real slaves toiled away, are buried, and where African American hymns were recorded for history), also has Tiana’s business being a cooperative that trains women in how to run businesses. Here’s just one blurb from the flume ride lore which reads more like a college course on diversity in socialism:

Picking up where that story left off, Tiana continues bringing people together with Tiana’s Foods, another treasured meeting place to spend time together and celebrate a diverse community. Tiana is also working with cooperative members to teach gardening and cooking to children of all ages, and inspiring other women to run successful businesses as the brand grows nationwide.

Well, it’s not going so well with readers. So here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular responses. And if I had to guess, I’d say the replies are greater than 90% negative.

y’all took away a ride based on genuine African American folklore for this fairytale… not to mention that the location you chose to base it off of, the Avery salt mines, involved real slaves and slavery… you now have a ride directly tied to slaves. congrats?? YIKES 😬

— Ashley (@ashalo1955) February 4, 2023

Sounds weird, doesn’t sound inline with the movie. It’s like living with the land is being overlaid on splash mountain.

— Derek (@DMPicone) February 4, 2023

So you took Avery Island in Louisiana, a place where there was real slavery, and where African American spiritual hymns were collected to be kept in written form…

… and you rewrote all of that in cartoon form with a restaurant owner who now runs a socialist mining commune?

— wdwpro (@wdwpro1) February 4, 2023

Give me Dr. Facilier and throw this back story in the trash.

— Michael D (@MikeDatTiger) February 4, 2023

Um… What? I like Tiana but this story is lame. Sorry.

— Progress City Hobo (@adawgbite4you) February 4, 2023

I’m want to be excited but this sounds like a boring idea for retheming a thrill ride. Just give me Dr. Facilier throwing me down the drop to the other side. pic.twitter.com/cA0OBpGvmw

— Billy ☠️🛹 (@billyfromfl) February 4, 2023

An employee-owned food cooperative and cultivating herbs and spices. Sounds riveting.

— Philosophicus (@Philosophicus82) February 4, 2023

That wasn’t the only late-Friday news dump that Disney attempted. They also posted POV video of Tron at Disney World just in time for cast member previews. Apparently though, they were quite worried about people figuring out this entire attraction (which took years and years to build) lasts all of a minute. So, rather than just show the whole thing, they chopped out ten seconds and pretended they weren’t showing all of the ride because they didn’t want to spoil it. Instead, it’s a clear indicator that Disney is worried Tron underwhelms.

Now don’t get me wrong, Tron is awesome for most of the minute it lasts. It’s just… I don’t think most casual fans knew Shanghai’s Tron was highly criticized for being so brief. Now, the replica is in Disney World.

The ride better be longer than 50 seconds

— Bman (@Bmanlegoboy) February 4, 2023

I really want to like this, but I'm not really sure what the draw is… No story, no AA, nothing unique. Why is this in Magic Kingdom again?

— Pete da Disneyland Bound Goof (@GumShoeGoof) February 4, 2023

A 30 second ride? Really? That’s it?!

— weird but fuckin beautiful 🧡🤍🩷 (@magnific3ntfury) February 4, 2023

The ride is literally 45 seconds for a 5 hour wait time!! 😂

— Disney Guy (@DisneyGuy2) February 4, 2023

And yes, both Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Tron were greenlit under Robert Iger. So add that to a very bad, no good week coming up for Disney.

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