Nobody likes wet shoes, especially when you need to trudge around an entire theme park in them. So I think it’s totally reasonable—especially as colder weather starts to arrive in SoCal—to want to stay kinda, sorta dry on a water ride.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens on Friday at Disneyland, about a year and a half after Splash Mountain closed to make way for this The Princess and the Frog-themed reimagining. The theming has completely changed but the drops are undisturbed—and some Disney fans think it’s considerably wetter this time around.
I was able to hop on the ride four times during a media preview yesterday, and though the logs I boarded had way more open seats than a typical ride, I was still able to walk away with some insights to help you stay dry…ish. So here are four ways to get a little less wet on Disneyland’s new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
(By the way, when the ride first opens, you’ll need to join a complimentary virtual queue in the Disneyland app—no standby line will be available during its opening days. The app will release queue times at 7am, noon and 4pm each day. Alternatively, if you don’t mind spending upwards of $32 per person, you can try to nab a limited Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation.)
1. Politely try to pick your seat.
This is by far the most important tip. The back of the logs feel like a spritz compared to the buckets of water you’ll get in front so try to ask nicely for a higher number row when your seat is assigned—or beg your friends to sit in back.
In a fully-loaded log, the front row can feel like a flood. Once you get to about row three, the forecast is a little closer to wet than drenched. And all the way in the back? You should come off the ride far drier than anyone else. Keep in mind that this all varies based on the weight distribution of the vehicle and the water level of the ride.
2. Bring or barter a poncho.
It won’t completely shield you but it certainly helps. Buy one ahead of time online or at a big box store for cheap, or pick one up in a Disneyland gift shop if you’ve come unprepared.
Alternatively, you can look for folks just getting off the ride who might be willing to give theirs away. Aside from Grizzly River Run in Disney California Adventure Park, there’s nothing else in Disneyland’s pair of parks that really merits a poncho—so you may find already-overpacked parkgoers looking to shed some unneeded belongings.
3. Know the drops and protect your shoes.
The first small drop in the outdoor section of the ride is most likely to produce an upper body splash. But the second major drop—a back-to-back pair of relatively small, in-the-dark ones—is likely to get your feet absolutely drenched. The water on this one tends to stream in from the right side; try to protect your shoes using your seat or the sides of the log, or even consider covering them with a poncho if you have another one.
4. Dress accordingly.
Wet shoes aren’t entirely avoidable, but wet socks absolutely are. Either bring an extra pair or take your socks off and store them somewhere dry. (That same advice goes for a backpack or purse: Either rent a locker near the park entrance or store them underneath your poncho.) You might want to roll your jeans and sleeves up a little bit, too; the less fabric that needs to dry the better.