In 2009, Disney went back to its animation roots and introduced its first black princess in The Princess and the Frog. The film was bright and vibrant, full of amazing songs and a great villain.
The Princess and the Frog told the story of Tiana, a hard-working waitress who loved to cook and dreamed of opening her very own restaurant. She is turned into a frog when she kisses a frog who claims to be a prince. Though angry at first, she learns that there is more to life than working and finds the love of her life.
Related: Two New ‘Princess and the Frog’ Locations to Open at Walt Disney World
Though it’s been 15 years since the release of the hit animated film, The Princess and the Frog has remained incredibly popular and Disney is continuing to build on its story.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on June 28, replacing Splash Mountain. The same attraction will open at Disneyland later this year.
Related: Disney Is Celebrating Tiana’s Bayou Adventure With Scrumptious New Food!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place about one year after the events of the first film. Tiana has opened her restaurant — Tiana’s Palace — and her dreams have grown. She purchased an old salt mine and turned it into a successful food cooperative, where her employees work the mine and own a part of it.
Tiana is preparing for a party to thank her family, friends, and employees, but is missing a key ingredient. Guests will head down the bayou as she searches for what will make the party perfect.
With the opening of the new attraction, some are asking a big question. How will the storyline on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure affect the Princess and the Frog show being developed by Disney?
In 2020, Disney announced that they were making a show for Disney+ that would focus on Tiana and her life as the new Princess of Maldonia, Prince Naveen’s home country. Disney said that Tiana would be traveling to Maldonia, set to take her place in the royal family. However, her New Orleans roots are not far behind her, beckoning her to return.
The COVID-19 pandemic threw everything into chaos, and the series was postponed. Originally, Disney said the show, called Tiana, would premiere in 2023, but that was scrapped. Then, Disney revised their statement and said the show would be released on Disney+ in 2024. However, in early 2024, Disney removed the release date information from its website.
Polygon spoke to a Disney Imagineer and asked about how the new attraction could shape the storyline of the new series.
If the Tiana show’s summary is still accurate, it will see Tiana setting off for Maldonia, where her husband, Naveen, hails from, and stepping up as crown princess. But her New Orleans heritage is still a huge part of her life. The setting difference means the story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure won’t have significant plot ramifications for the show. An Imagineer that Polygon spoke to at the event maintained that the ride is “about a specific story in a specific moment here at Tiana’s Foods.”
It is possible that Disney could use the storyline in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to help shape some drama in the new Tiana series. While Tiana is the Princess of Maldonia, she is also a business owner, and we know that she loves her work. Even though we can be sure that she left her restaurant, Tiana’s Foods, and the co-op in great hands, it will always hold her heart.
It’s hard to imagine that Tiana would want to be away from her business and her family for too long before she feels the need to head back to New Orleans.
Are you looking forward to Disney’s new Tiana series? Let us know in the comments!
