Crews have installed riverboat elements atop Tiana’s Palace, a new restaurant in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park. Tiana’s Palace is a reimagining of French Market Restaurant inspired by Tiana’s restaurant as seen at the end of “The Princess and the Frog.” French Market Restaurant closed permanently in February.
Animators partially based Tiana’s Palace on French Market Restaurant. In the film, the completed restaurant features riverboat elements on its roof. There is a small windowed tower and two smokestacks topped with golden crowns.
The same elements are in concept art for Tiana’s Palace at Disneyland, with a “TP” medallion on a decorative element connecting the two smokestacks.
Tiana’s Palace Construction
The crown-topped smokestacks and tower have been installed and are just barely visible behind scaffolding and scrim.
The bottom of a black smokestack is visible beneath the scrim, as is the white tower between the smokestacks.
A golden Mardi Gras jester crown glints in the sun.
There were previously brick chimneys on the French Market Restaurant roof.
Golden rings decorate the black smokestack.
There’s also a small candle-like light on the corner of the roof, which is lined with string lights.
More string lights hanging from the façade’s balcony were illuminated during our recent visit.
Earlier in July, we saw “Tiana’s Palace” painted on the front of the building.
String lights stretch across the restaurant’s courtyard.
Most scrim and scaffolding came down last month.
A new blank white sign has been installed in the green entrance archway.
The French Market Restaurant sign was removed in April.
On this side, we could also see the other smokestack and another candle light next to the tower.
Tiana’s Palace will be a quick-service restaurant offering New Orleans flavors. It’s scheduled to open later this year. It will not be a character dining location, but guests who wish to meet Tiana will be able to do so in New Orleans Square.
A restaurant called Tiana’s Place — which was the original name Tiana envisioned — is on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.
More Tiana in Disneyland
Tiana’s Palace is just one element of a Tiana takeover in New Orleans Square. Eudora’s Chic Boutique featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets is already open. The shop occupies the former Le Bat en Rouge location and is a collaboration between Tiana and her dressmaker mother, Eudora, selling clothing, accessories, cooking supplies, and more. Eagle-eared visitors may hear Tiana and Eudora talking in a back room.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a reimagining of Splash Mountain, will open next year. Splash Mountain closed permanently in May. The tree that topped the mountain was recently completely removed.
According to the new ride’s backstory, Tiana founded the Tiana’s Foods co-op in 1927. The co-op is located in a salt mine, where cultivators grow crops along the waters. During the events of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Tiana and alligator Louis venture into the bayou to find animal friends to help throw a Mardi Gras celebration.
This ride will feature 17 new characters, including Prince Naveen’s younger brother, Ralphie. There will be multiple Tiana audio-animatronics, and she will sport a new adventuring outfit.
Original voice actors returning include Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis), and Jennifer Lewis (Mama Odie).
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