Walt Disney never planned to locate Disney World in New Orleans. That urban legend was officially debunked by Jack McGuire, who served as city director of public relations under former New Orleans mayor Vic Schiro. In a letter to the editor published on Nola.com last October, McGuire stated that the threat of hurricanes was a major factor in the decision. Instead, Disney expressed his deep love for the city through the creation of Disneyland’s New Orleans Square.
Opened in 1966, New Orleans Square was the last project Disney saw to completion before his death just a few months later. It is home to what are still two of the park’s most popular rides — Pirates of the Caribbean, which opened in 1967, and the Haunted Mansion, which opened in 1969.
Long after Disney’s death, however, his company has continued the New Orleans connection. While there may not be a New Orleans Square at Disney World, the 47-square-mile resort is home to not one, but two New Orleans-themed hotels that comprise Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. The resort boasts the largest number of rooms of any on Disney property — 3,056.
Port Orleans — French Quarter opened in 1991, followed by Port Orleans — Riverside in 1992. They are connected by the man-made Sassagoula River.
A more recent example of Disney’s love for the Crescent City can be found in the July 28, 2023, release of the film “Haunted Mansion.” Based on the ride, the movie was filmed in New Orleans and features a long list of well-known actors including Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito and Owen Wilson, Winona Ryder, Dan Levy and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film showcases iconic New Orleans locations including Jackson Square, Lafitte Cemetery No. 2, Napoleon House, Royal Street and Lafitte’s Blacksmith Tavern.
Flipping the script this time, instead of creating a movie based on a ride, Disney’s newest ride is a complete rework of Splash Mountain based on its 2009 animated hit “The Princess and the Frog.” The film marked a few firsts for Disney — its first Black princess, and the first princess to be based on a real person (famed chef Leah Chase) from a real place, New Orleans. It also features the voice talents of famed New Orleans resident John Goodman.
The Disney and Chase Family Connection Gets “Spicier”
Tiana is also the first Disney princess to own a business. At the end of “The Princess and the Frog,” Tiana opens her dream restaurant, Tiana’s Place. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the ride, is set in 1927, about a year after the end of the film. The ride tells the story of how Tiana has since grown her business by purchasing an aging salt mine and creating a company called Tiana’s Foods.
This new storyline created the perfect opportunity for the Chase family and Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. Inside the ride’s obligatory gift shop is a section devoted to the sale of a new line of seasonings from the restaurant.
The line was launched at the park with the opening of the ride, and will also be available at Emporium, Disney World’s main gift shop, as well as at Disneyland — where the ride is set to open later this year. They will also be sold online, and at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. The line includes four seasonings used in the restaurant, including Fried Chicken Seasoning, Seafood Seasoning, Gumbo Base and Meat Seasoning. The Dooky Chase Cookbook, written by Leah Chase, will also be for sale.
At the global media preview of the ride, Edgar “Dook” Chase IV — who, in addition to being Leah Chase’s grandson, is the owner/president of Chase Concessions, LLC, and executive chef at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant — shared that if Disney patrons enjoy their “taste” of New Orleans enough to make the visit to his family’s restaurant, they’ll notice a few connections back to the ride.
“Disney has been gracious in giving us a lot of the artwork along through the ride — small pieces that we showcase in the restaurant,” he said.
Chase explained the family’s experience with Disney has been overwhelmingly positive.
“This relationship has been going on for such a long time,” he said. “They interviewed my grandmother multiple times for the film. And then, four years ago, [our family was] interviewed and started doing the tours and talking about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure…It’s been a great involvement with [Disney] because they truly have just focused on getting it right, telling the true, authentic stories.”
Telling Our Own Story
To make sure they “got it right” when it came to portraying the feel of New Orleans, Disney enlisted the help of many local artists, including New Orleans native Sharika Mahdi, who provided four pieces of concept art used to help Disney imagineers create the ride. An art teacher at Albert Cammon Middle School and R.K. Smith Middle School in the St. Charles Parish Public School system, Mahdi has showcased her work throughout North America. Two of her pieces are part of the late Dr. Maya Angelou’s art collection.
Another local artist, Varion Laurent, was commissioned to create the official gallery piece for the ride. During the media preview he explained how the opportunity has been part of a renaissance for him.
“I lost all my work in Hurricane Katrina... I had zero identity as an artist,” he said. “It reinvigorated something inside of me when I got back to my work. I started to create new things and it was like the universe was waiting on me when I did.”
Serving as a kind of enormous welcome mat for the ride, a vertical mural on the exterior depicts a collage showcasing Tiana’s journey to creating Tiana’s foods. It was created by Malaika Favorite, a native of Geismar, Louisiana in Ascension Parish. The 74-year-old LSU grad’s large collection of work includes commissioned pieces for organizations like The River Road African American Museum and The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
Since music is such a central part of New Orleans culture, the queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s features a whopping 18 songs, including both favorites from the film and original music created in collaboration with award-winning New Orleans natives PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard.
Four-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, record producer and keyboardist for the band Maroon 5, Morton also wrote and produced a new original song called “Special Spice,” which plays during the Mardi Gras party at the end of the ride.
Seven-time Grammy-winning trumpeter and St. Augustine grad Terence Blanchard played all the alligator character, Louis’ trumpet parts in the film, and composed the music for the ride.
The work of New Orleans artists can also be seen in both an aesthetic and functional element of the ride. Third-generation master blacksmith Darryl A. Reeves, owner of Andrews Welding and Blacksmith Shop in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward, handcrafted the weathervane that can be seen atop the hill in the beginning of the ride.
“It’s not just a weathervane, it actually serves as a grounded, functional lightning rod,” he said.
Reeves said Disney caught up with him during Jazz Fest in 2023, where he was continuing his more than 20-year tradition of blacksmith demonstrations.
“Disney was great to work with,” he said. “They left everything about the design up to me. I actually made two pieces — one for Orlando and one for California.”
Reeves specializes in metal restoration on pieces that can go back as far as the 1700s. For the weathervane, he said he purposely inserted a message using Adinkra symbols, originated by the Gyaman people of West Africa.
“There are three symbols in the weathervane,” he said. “The top one is the symbol for endurance; the second relates to Mother Earth and how if you take care of it, it will take care of you; and the bottom symbol is about knowing where you come from, respecting it and learning from it.”
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Did You Know? On April 17, Leah Chase’s daughters received some special Disney love. Stella Chase Reese was proclaimed an honorary Disney imagineer and Leah Chase Jr., was given a framed photo from the recording session where she lent her voice to some of the music for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.[/caption]
Meanwhile, On the West Coast…
While Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is still a while from opening at Disneyland, the princess and her New Orleans flavor have already been a part of the park for a few years. Named for Tiana’s mother, Eudora’s Chic Boutique Featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets opened on Sept. 20, 2022, on Royal Street in New Orleans Square. The store features New Orleans goods, accessories and cookbooks, including by Leah Chase.
A year later, on Sept. 7, 2023, Disneyland opened Tiana’s Place Restaurant, also in New Orleans Square. The quick-service restaurant’s menu includes items like beignets stuffed with lemon icebox pie filling, gumbo, a beef po’boy sandwich and muffuletta sandwiches and salads. The food was influenced by New Orleans native Lindell Skinner, who serves as operations manager of food and beverage for Disneyland Resort.
In addition to the impending opening of its own Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, in March Disneyland announced it will also be opening two more shops themed for the film, Ray’s Berets — based on the film’s beloved Cajun firefly, Raymond — and Louis’ Critter Club, named for the film’s trumpet-playing alligator, who is in turn named after famed New Orleans trumpeter Louis Armstrong. Opening dates for both have yet to be announced.
And if all of this wasn’t enough Tiana news, Disney has announced it will also be debuting a new animated series called “Tiana” on its streaming service Disney+. Originally slated for 2023, the new release date has yet to be announced.
A Warm, NOLA Reception
At the June 10 special preview of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure New Orleans — as could be expected — brought the party. Saints football stars Drew Brees and Cam Jordan were in attendance, along with approximately 55 members of the Chase family. Following a day of rides, Disney hosted a soiree which culminated in a live musical performance by NOLA favorite Tank and the Bangas.
Also in attendance were members of The Historic New Orleans Collection and New Orleans & Company — who have both worked closely with Disney representatives on the ride. All had nothing but praise for the experience.
“We are so grateful for our long-standing partnership with Disney, most recently for the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a beautiful tribute to the city of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, as well as Leah Chase and the iconic Chase family, our cuisine, music and culture,” said Walter J. Leger, IIII, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company. “Our New Orleans delegation truly took over Walt Disney World, producing powerful viral moments and publicity for our destination!”
Leger expressed hope that all the new attention to the 15-year-old film will reinvigorate Disney fans from around the globe and persuade them to experience the real thing for themselves.
“The ride is a sensory immersion into our culture,” he said, “which will inspire the millions of families and culture seekers who visit Disney each year to also plan trips to New Orleans.”
