Tiana’s Bayou Adventure came to a sudden stop at Magic Kingdom yesterday after an adult guest jumped out of his log. The man made his exit on the final lift hill, just moments before the attraction’s 50-foot drop.
He reportedly jumped onto the utility path beside the ride’s waterway, and a Cast Member then escorted him down a set of stairs and backstage. The ride reportedly stayed down for more than 20 minutes while Cast Members handled the situation.
Guest Reportedly Scared of the Drop
So why would a grown man bail out right before the big moment? According to the person who posted the video, the guest was scared of the upcoming 50-foot drop. The poster also claimed in the comments that the man left his own child behind in the log, but Disney hasn’t confirmed that detail. The video shows him making the long walk back down, as you can see below:
Lap Bars Didn’t Stop Him
Magic Kingdom’s version of the ride seats guests in rows of two, and each row has its own lap bar. Disneyland’s version is different, with riders sitting single file and no lap bars or seat belts at all. Even so, this incident shows that a lap bar won’t always keep a determined guest inside the log.
This isn’t the first time guests have left a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure log, and Disneyland has dealt with several scary moments this summer. In June, a 13-year-old climbed out near the end of the ride and fell down the 50-foot drop. Disney said the teen was evaluated at a local hospital and released, and Cal/OSHA inspected the ride before clearing it to reopen. A month later, several guests tried to leave the Disneyland ride just before the drop. Then in August, a family had to leave the ride because their kids stood up on the lift hill. Disneyland has since added stronger warnings reminding guests to stay seated for the entire ride.
Refurbishment Coming in November
Disney hasn’t commented on the Magic Kingdom incident or announced any changes to the ride, including seat belts. However, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is already set to close on November 2 for a refurbishment that Disney planned well before yesterday’s scare. The ride should return sometime in December, although Disney hasn’t announced an exact reopening date. It will be the attraction’s first scheduled maintenance closure since it opened in June 2024.
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