How Disney’s new Princess and the Frog ride connects to the upcoming Tiana TV series
Some Disney attractions, like Peter Pan’s Flight, just present the story of an existing movie in a new format. But for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the highly anticipated Splash Mountain remodel, Disney’s Imagineers decided to take an alternative route and expand past the movie’s story, bridging the gap between the movie and the previously announced Tiana TV 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 Disney World press event. “So a lot has changed since then. And one of the most exciting parts of the attraction is seeing where life has taken her after that movie. Following the successful opening of her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, there next to the beautiful Mississippi River in New Orleans, she’s continued to grow her business. But this time, she’s included members of the community, and built a new, beloved brand called Tiana’s Foods.”
There’s a whole storyline with the ride, which involves Tiana and Louis the alligator searching for animal musicians for an upcoming Mardi Gras festival. It isn’t the first Disney ride to be a sort of micro sequel: Frozen Ever After in neighboring Epcot takes place a year after the events of Frozen. But Disney Parks senior vice president of creative development Carmen Smith says Tiana’s story will continue beyond the ride.
“Our partners at Walt Disney Animation Studios have also been amazing about this attraction’s development,” said Smith. “We’re so excited that Tiana’s story will continue after the attraction. And that’s with a new show coming to Disney Plus.”
The Tiana show was previously announced back in 2020, along with a Moana series, but production news has been scant. The Moana series was retooled into an upcoming theatrical movie, but beyond a few writer-director announcements and delays, there hasn’t been news about the Tiana show in quite some time. It
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