I keep in mind seeing the Princess and the Frog on the large display in 2009. Although I used to be a bona fide grownup, the chance to see the primary official Disney Princess that was Black tapped into my childhood fantasies, and I requested my mother to take me.
Seeing Tiana’s stunning face on display, a girl who wasn’t afraid to chase her entrepreneurial goals and, as a bonus, discovered a prince alongside the way in which, let me know that each one Black girls rightfully deserve for his or her goals to return true.
Princess Tiana ushered in a brand new period of Disney royalty as the primary who regarded like us. The girl with a dream took us all on an journey of magic, journey and romance on display. Now, with a brand new Disney journey and expertise, the bayou queen shares her world with us all. Tiana’s Bayou Journey opened in November at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, this previous summer time.
Like all good celebration—and Princess Tiana and pals know find out how to throw them—Disneyland celebrated its latest attraction, situated in Bayou Nation at Disneyland Park, with a celebration that includes music, a southern feast and an on-water efficiency that includes Anika Noni Rose and Jenifer Lewis, who voice Princess Tiana and Mama Odie within the animated characteristic.
Tiana’s Bayou Journey is a musical journey by means of her inside sanctuary. Whereas ready in line, you see photos of Tiana’s household and pals on the partitions and go to her kitchen. The journey is a enjoyable and moist expertise (rain covers are supplied!) that includes The Princess and the Frog-themed animatronics who converse, sing and play music as a log-like boat takes you thru the journey’s twists, turns and a 50-foot drop. After the journey, you may eat at Tiana’s Palace, situated within the park’s New Orleans Sq., which serves Creole and Cajun-inspired delicacies.
New Orleans painter Varion Laurent, who as soon as dreamed of being a Disney Imagineer, skilled a life-changing alternative with Tiana’s Bayou Journey. Invited to a gathering by his alma mater, Laurent discovered he was becoming a member of a workforce of native artists to share their ideas for the journey. “Disney makes a concerted effort to ensure they’re respectful to the cultures they depict and symbolize. We had a full and interesting dialog about its feel and appear,” he instructed EBONY. Upon studying of Laurent’s paintings, Disney determined to work with him. “In that second and from these phrases, my goals of being a Disney artist shifted again into this actuality! Later, “two years to be actual, I discovered myself absolutely seen as a Disney Artist at such a historic occasion inside the firm.”
For me, the most effective a part of visiting Disneyland was assembly Princess Tiana. Together with her southern drawl and hospitality, our interplay introduced on the giggles on this very grown Disney fan.
Disneyland’s Tiana’s Bayou Journey opened throughout its Pageant of Holidays (working by means of January 6, 2025), which provides additional magic to the expertise. It’s a seasonal celebration with multicultural performances, festive meals from themed meals carts and the chance to catch a basic Disney character in vacation gear.
With its new slogan: “We Got here to Play,” Disney can also be ensuring the doorways are large open for us. “It’s not simply characters and experiences, but in addition simply the music, the vibe, the tone,” mentioned Sybil Crum, Vice President of Advertising and marketing and Business Technique for Disneyland Resort. “It’s an invite that feels welcoming as a result of it’s for us by us and feels genuine to who we’re.”
