Some Disney Attractionslike Peter Pan’s Flight, simply present the story of an existing film in a new format. But for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the highly anticipated revamp of Splash Mountain, Disney’s Imagineers has decided to take a different route and expand the story beyond the film to bridge the gap between the film and the previously announced Tiana television series.
“Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place about a year after the events of the film The Princess and the Frog,” said Ted Robledo, executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, in a presentation at a Walt D isney World press event. “So a lot has changed since then. And one of the most exciting aspects of the attraction is seeing where her life has taken her after that movie. After successfully opening her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, there beside the beautiful Mississippi River in New Orleans, she continued to grow her business. But this time, she’s involved members of the community and built a new, beloved brand called Tiana’s Foods.”
There is a whole storyline to the ride, in which Tiana and Louis the alligator search for animal musicians for an upcoming carnival festival. It is not the first Disney ride that is a kind of micro-sequel: Frozen Ever After in neighboring Epcot is set one year after the events of FrozenBut Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development at Disney Parks, says Tiana’s story will continue beyond the attraction.
“Our partners at Walt Disney Animation Studios were also excited about the development of this attraction,” said Smith. “We are thrilled that Tiana’s story will continue beyond the attraction with a new show coming to Disney Plus.”
The Tiana show was announced back in 2020 along with a Moana series, but there has been little news on production. The Moana series has been adapted into an upcoming theatrical film, but aside from a few writer and director announcements and delays, there has been no news on the Tiana show for quite some time. It was originally scheduled to debut in 2022, but was then pushed back to 2023 and then 2024, with the announcement of Joyce Sherri as showrunner
If the Tiana show synopsis is still accurate, Tiana will head to Maldonia, where her husband Naveen is from, and become crown princess there. But her New Orleans heritage is still a big part of her life. The different setting means the story of Tiana’s bayou adventure won’t have a significant impact on the show’s plot. An Imagineer Polygon spoke to at the event claimed that the ride is “about a specific story at a specific moment here at Tiana’s Foods.”
But it is hard to imagine that some of the details revealed by the trip – particularly Tiana’s management of an employee company – total ignored by the upcoming show. Smith’s words suggest that Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios worked together at least a little to establish canon for Tiana. After all, Tiana is a business owner and chef first and a princess second; leaving behind the restaurant and business she’s worked for her entire life doesn’t seem to be Tiana’s style.
[Disclosure: This article is based on a press event held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on June 9 through 11. Disney provided Polygon’s travel and accommodations for the event. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.]