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After Riding "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" At Disney World, Here Are 13 Things I Learned About Princess Tiana

I can't think of many other princesses who have a last name.

Audrey Engvalson
by Audrey Engvalson

BuzzFeed Staff

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Recently, I got to ride Disney World's newest attraction, Tiana's Bayou Adventure. While there, I learned a lot about, IMO, the best Disney princess. Here are 13 things I found too interesting not to share.

Tiana and Louis from "The Princess and the Frog" happily pose together outdoors, with Louis playfully outstretching his arms
Paul Morse / Disney

1. She was based on a real person.

An elderly woman with white hair smiles warmly while leaning on a kitchen counter. She is wearing a green shirt and a white apron. Kitchen equipment is visible in the background
Paul Natkin / Getty Images

Leah Chase and her husband were the owners and chefs at Dooky Chase's in New Orleans. There, she and her family made it a meaningful spot for the community to unite, a haven for Civil Rights leaders, and a surefire for good food. Leah became known as the "Queen of Creole Cuisine" and cooked for celebrities, dignitaries, and presidents. She is the inspiration behind Princess Tiana, and the Chase family has been so involved in Tiana's projects that Leah's daughter has been named an honorary Imagineer.

2. And Leah Chase fell in love with her husband, Dooky Chase, while he was playing in a band in New Orleans.

Animated scene from "The Princess and the Frog": Tiana holds a tray, Prince Naveen strums a ukulele, and Dr. Facilier's shadowy figure looms
Disney

A lot like the movie!

3. Tiana is an army brat.

Four framed items on a wooden wall, including a portrait of a woman in military uniform, a newspaper clipping about T/Sgt. John Robert Slater, and illustrations
Audrey Engvalson / BuzzFeed

Her father was a WWI veteran, and there's even a military salute in the queue of the new ride at Walt Disney World.

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4. She's getting her own show on Disney+.

Disney, Jean Catuffe / GC Images

Anika Noni Rose, the original voice of Tiana, will come back for the show.

5. Her dad's famous gumbo recipe is as follows:

A framed handwritten recipe for "Daddy's Gumbo" is displayed next to a wooden spoon. The recipe includes ingredients and cooking instructions
Audrey Engvalson / BuzzFeed

Daddy's Gumbo:

1 cup flour

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground thyme

1 tsp. Daddy's secret seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 qts chicken stock

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

1 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 beef weiners, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Mix flour, paprika, thyme, Daddy's seasoning, salt, and pepper. Place mixture in small pan. Bake in 350º oven until brown. Stir often. Set aside

2. Place chicken stock in 6 qt. pot. Add smoked sausage, onions, bell peppers, and celery. Bring to a boil. Lower heatand simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Place spice mixture in bowl. Stir in 1 cup water and mix until you have smooth paste.

4. Slowly add paste to chicken stock, stirring constantly. Add chicken, shrimp and beef weiners. Cook until chicken and shrimp are done, about 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

6. After the events of The Princess and the Frog, Disney Imagineers explained that Tiana bought an old salt mine and turned it into an employee-owned co-op called Tiana's Foods.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure sign in front of a lush, green landscape with trees, flowers, and a water tower in the background
Olga Thompson / Disney

7. Tiana's Foods is where her new ride takes place, one year after the end of the movie.

Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain re-themed as Tiana's Bayou Adventure. The ride's exterior features lush greenery and a water tower labeled "Tiana’s Foods."
Bennett Stoops / Disney

The story of the ride is that she needs a band to play at her restaurant for Mardi Gras, so her and Louis go into the bayou to find musicians to play with him.

8. Her ride at Disney World is the first Disney ride to star a person of color.

Animated characters from Disney's "The Princess and the Frog," with Princess Tiana singing on a balcony, surrounded by animal friends
Olga Thompson / Disney

The ride was announced on June 25, 2020, but had been in the works before that. Splash Mountain, the ride that Tiana's Bayou Adventure took over, was based on characters from Song of the South, a movie so problematic that Disney omitted it completely from Disney+. 

9. There are 2,009 fireflies in the attraction, a reference to the year the movie came out.

Animated scene of a fantastical cave with glowing mushrooms, leaves, and a large bottle emitting light. A serene water stream runs through the cave
Disney

10. And since the ride takes over the building of Splash Mountain, there's a nod to the previous attraction where Louis is in the same precarious position as Br'er Bear was.

Two images show different scenes from theme park attractions: the first is "Tiana's Bayou Adventure," and the second is "Splash Mountain" with the sign "To The Laughin' Place."
Audrey Engvalson / BuzzFeed / TPMVids / youtube.com

11. There are lots of little details throughout the ride. For instance, an animatronic rabbit stole the license plate from the truck outside and used it as an instrument to play.

Three images showing: a vintage green car with a red arrow pointing to it, a handwritten notice with dates, and a stuffed animal in front of a colorful display with a red arrow
Audrey Engvalson / BuzzFeed

12. And you can smell fresh beignets twice in the attraction, once in the queue line and once on the ride. You can also buy Tiana's beignets right outside the ride starting on June 28th.

Chef Gusteau from Ratatouille is joyfully leaning over a table in a scenic, whimsical outdoor setting with hanging flowers
Audrey Engvalson / BuzzFeed

13. Finally, Tiana's last name is Rogers.

Framed certificate recognizing Tiana Rogers as the Chef of the Year 1925 from Ladies' International Cookery
Audrey Engvalson / BuzzFeed

She's not the only princess with a last name. Mulan is introduced by the matchmaker as Fa Mulan, but I guess I didn't realize Tiana had a last name!

Have you ridden the ride? Do you want to? Tell us in the comments below! Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens to the public on June 28th at Walt Disney World in Florida!

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