Disneyland has announced an opening date its new Tiana’s Palace restaurant, which launches on 7 September ahead of the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction next year.
The new dining outlet replaces the French Market Restaurant in Disneyland‘s New Orleans Square and is based on Tiana’s dream restaurant in The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Disney Imagineers took inspiration from the film for the restaurant’s interior, which includes a large mural of the bayou, as well as frog porcelains, cookbooks collected by Tiana, her father’s favourite gumbo spoon, personal letters, and a childhood photo of Tiana.
In fact, the design of Tiana’s Palace in The Princess and the Frog was inspired by the French Market Restaurant.
“In the film, Disney Animation artists added a wheelhouse and two smokestacks to give Tiana’s restaurant an iconic silhouette, so when the time came to bring Tiana’s Palace to life at Disneyland, Disney Imagineers made those same additions to create the real Tiana’s Palace, making this a full circle moment,” Disney said in a blog post.
Disneyland’s new restaurant will serve dishes that “represent Tiana’s story and honor the flavors and flair of New Orleans”. Additionally, some ingredients will be sourced from Louisiana when possible.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to open in 2024
As for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the new attraction replaces Splash Mountain and takes riders on a musical adventure through the bayou with Tiana, Naveen and Louis.
“Tiana’s Bayou Adventure builds on the story of Princess Tiana, a character whose pride and perseverance reminds us of a universal truth: within us lies the potential to make our dreams come true,” said Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Earlier this month, Disneyland opened the new Finding Nemo and Finding Dory-themed features at its upcoming Pixar Place Hotel, which will replace the resort’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
