A new weathervane crafted by Louisiana master blacksmith Darryl Reeves has been installed atop the millhouse of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Weathervane
Reeves is a third-generation master blacksmith and Vietnam Veteran who has crafted dozens of pieces displayed across New Orleans.
“I take metal and do anything I want with it,” Reeves told Disney. “To have a free hand to design and fabricate the weathervane for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure…that’s an honor.”
Reeves worked with his apprentice Karina Roca to craft the custom piece for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure using centuries-old techniques.
The weathervane is mostly black, but the letters for north, south, east, and west are gold. The design is inspired by West African symbolism. The top of the intricate piece resembles a fern, representing endurance because ferns are so resilient. Below the fern is a symbol representing the divinity of Mother Earth and the phrase “as above, so below” meaning that there is more to someone or something than what you see. The bottom of the weathervane is the heart-like Sankofa, which symbolizes a bird looking back at its tail. This represents looking back on your past and ancestry.
We could just barely see the weathervane through scaffolding during our Friday morning trip to Magic Kingdom.
Roca explains the symbolism of the weathervane’s design in the video from Disney below.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scheduled to open in late 2024 at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. The attraction takes place after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” Tiana has founded the co-op Tiana’s Foods, which operates out of a salt mine in Louisiana. During the ride, Tiana, Louis, and the guests venture in the bayou searching for a special ingredient for their Mardi Gras party.
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