Last year it was announced that Splash Mountain would be reimagined and bring a beloved Disney animated film, “Princess and the Frog” to the parks. We now have a glimpse into the story this new attraction will tell. The story will take place after the final kiss as Naveen and Louis join Tiana on her latest adventure, hosting a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is welcome – during which some original music inspired by songs from the film will bring guests into the story. Tiana is leading the way and fans will be able to encounter old friends and make new ones along the way as well!
The founder of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans, Leah Chase is one of the inspirations for Princess Tiana. Recently Disney Imagineers sat down to talk about Tiana’s impact over the past decade and the creative process behind the upcoming attraction, including the next-level technology Imagineers are employing to bring it to life. Generations of the Chase family welcomed us while Chef Dook cooked up some of their famous gumbo.
Tiana is an ambitious and resilient woman, who proves that success comes through a connection to her family and community and has learned to never lose sight of what’s really important – giving back to others through great food and inspiring them to achieve their full potential.
Tying to Leah Chase’s love of art, one of the early sources of inspiration has come from Sharika Mahdi — a visual artist, art educator, and alumna of the renowned YAYA (Young Aspirations Young Artists) Arts Center located in New Orleans — who was commissioned to create a series of four original paintings to inspire Imagineers, one of which was revealed today. To celebrate all of these developments, our love and appreciation for New Orleans, and our commitment to arts education, Disney announced a $50,000 donation to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a regional, pre-professional arts training center that offers students intensive instruction in culinary arts, dance, media arts, classical instrumental music, jazz instrumental music, classical vocal music, drama, musical theatre, theatre design, visual arts and creative writing.
