Who’s ready for some more Tiana news? We are!

We’re keeping our eyes peeled for all the latest Tiana’s Bayou Adventure construction news out of Disney World and Disneyland. But there’s another special Tiana-themed addition coming to Disneyland soon —  Tiana’s Palace Restaurant, which will open on September 7th! We previously got some initial menu details for this spot, and we’ve been watching as it actively gets constructed in the park but now we’ve got SO many more details to share!

Here are some of the easter eggs, details, behind-the-scenes info, and MORE that you need to know about this upcoming spot.

“Disneyland Will Never Be Completed”

Let’s start with some details we heard from Walt Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine (Irvine is the Director of Concept Design at Imagineering). She shared that they are constantly looking at Disneyland to see how to create new adventures and attractions. She pointed out how Walt Disney himself said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

Irvine discussed how Walt wanted New Orleans Square added to Disneyland Park and so he and his art directors (who were also animators) went on a tour of new orleans and took thousands of photographs of all kinds of details.

Did you know that the design of Tiana’s Palace in The Princess and the Frog movie was actually inspired by the French Market Restaurant? That’s the restaurant formerly in New Orleans Square that this new Tiana’s Palace restaurant is actually replacing — so it’s sort of a full-circle moment!

The main differences are that in the film the animators gave Tiana’s animated restaurant a wheelhouse and 2 smokestacks. That’s why you’ll see some of those changes have now been made to the real-life restaurant.

Irvine shared that in bringing Tiana’s Palace to life, the Imagineers researched EVERYTHING just like the original Imagineers did when creating New Orleans Square. She noted that whenever something changes at Disneyland, they try to repaint the exterior to really mark that change — which is why they went from a pink scheme to yellow and green (Tiana’s colors!).

Irvine also noted that changing things in the parks is hard but they try to be respectful. Irvine said that her mantra is “If we are going to change something it’s going to come back even better.”

Now, let’s talk about some of the little details you’ll find in the restaurant.

Details to Look For!

According to some Disney Imagineers, the interior of Tiana’s Palace restaurant is full of ALL the details you can imagine. You’ll want to look at everything from the skylight…

…to the light fixtures and alllllll the props.

One important easter egg actually throws things way back! Back in the day, some of the original Disney animators created a jazz group called The Firehouse Five Plus Two. There is an easter egg in the restaurant that references this with a special firefly band plus Lou, so be on the lookout for that!

There are also lots of paintings…

…and props inside to search for, including pans that are used to steam oysters, mixing tools Tiana would have used to make beignets, and more taken from observations of their visits back to New Orleans (including influences from black and white tiled checkered floors).

One thing Irvine also pointed out is how special the nighttime look will be here, so you might want to make a special visit toward the evening! Because there are strings of lights everywhere AND Tiana’s sign twinkles at night, it could be an especially beautiful sight once the sun starts to go down. So stop by for that magical transformation!

One Disney team member noted that the music from The Princess and the Frog is part of what drew them to that film as part of the retheme of this space. The musicians at Imagineering actually put together a unique musical score for inside the restaurant that you’ll want to listen closely for.

It is set to be made of jazz pieces that fit the time period of Tiana’s story and should feel authentic to the space while also adding an exciting energy to it.

Seating

In terms of seating, that has been expanded here so grab a table for the whole fam!

Entertainment

The Imagineers also discussed how there will be live entertainment back in this space with musicians and more.

Mobile Order

Another important thing to note is that Mobile Order WILL be available here when the restaurant opens. You’ll find the Mobile Order window and an expanded waiting area for Mobile Order guests as well under the banyan tree (which has not been removed, thank goodness).

The FOOD!

Now, let’s talk FOOD. We’ll have more details on the food in other posts but we did want to share some info with you here. According to some Imagineers, this spot is meant to essentially serve up Table Service quality eats at a Quick Service location, so come hungry!

One of the unique things is that dessert is emphasized as being first, which fully plays into Tiana’s love of beignets! Michele Gendreau, director of Food & Beverage experience integration at Disneyland Resort, noted how eating dessert first is a critical piece and adds to the excitement!

The Disney team also mentioned how they wanted to really capture Tiana’s role as a young entrepreneur and how she’d want to acknowledge her family and the history of New Orleans with this restaurant, while also speaking to the new generation. That’s what Disney strived to do here by bringing in ingredients and items from or inspired by New Orleans while also trying to be conscious of the guest and who they are today.

Chef John State (culinary director of food and beverage at Disneyland Resort) and Lindell Skinner (a senior manager at Disneyland) also talked about developing the menu here. Skinner was actually born and raised in New Orleans.

In terms of the beignets, one we got to try was modeled after a lemon icebox pie, but the team noted that this is just one version and there may be “other opportunities to showcase other flavors” in the future.

If you absolutely love beignets then you will NOT want to miss the action station. This is a spot at the restaurant that’ll let you see just how the beignets are being filled and glazed. We have a feeling you won’t be able to resist ordering a few after seeing that!

Plus, there will be a condiment station with hot sauce options at the restaurant so come ready for some spice!

In terms of other menu items, there will be a Chicory Coffee Cold Brew option that was developed in partnership with Joffrey’s Coffee. Chicory coffee is one of the things you’ll find sold in New Orleans. Chicory was designed to extend coffee when coffee was scarce and it was reportedly made popular by the famous Cafe du Monde, so this serves as an homage to that. But this version is a bit unique as it has a sweet topping made with cane syrup (which is sourced from Louisana!).

You’ll also find 2 versions of gumbo on the menu here, one of which is the 7 Greens gumbo. Chef Leah Chase of New Orleans has a famous greens-filled gumbo recipe that inspired this one. Chef Chase’s version is typically served the Thursday before Easter, making it extra special. Another unique thing about this gumbo is that the rice Disney has used for it can be traced back to West Africa.

Disney really worked diligently to add those historical touches to the food with things like rolls for the Po Boy sandwiches being sourced from Louisana, a house gumbo that uses house-made stock, and items like cane syrup, sausage, rice, and bread being sourced from Louisana.

Overall, the Disney team noted how Disneyland has become more ambitious with its menus while also sticking to the theme and story of the area, and it seems like that’s just what they’ve tried to do here.

Note that there will NOT be alcoholic beverages at Tiana’s Palace restaurant.

Menu Changes

Disney has announced that there WILL be some changes made to the menus of some spots nearby within the coming months, including specifically Royal Street Veranda and Harbour Galley. They shared that they’ll continue to look at all of their menus to continue to tell a story.

They explained that guests should look at the entire area of New Orleans Square as a neighborhood, and mentioned that there are lots of menu items “in the vault” when it comes to potential new dishes.

The other important thing to note is that Mickey beignets are NOT going away.

While Tiana’s Palace will have special beignets of its own, the Mickey-shaped beignets fans know and love from the Mint Julep Bar will still be there once that spot reopens.

Souvenirs

And finally, be sure to look for some special souvenirs while at Tiana’s Palace Restaurant! That includes a Ray Firefly Glow Cube that can come with the purchase of a beverage, as well as a Lily Pad and Lotus Cup Ceramic Set (how unique!) which could be a great purchase with those beignets!

And that’s a wrap on the unique details you’ll find at Tiana’s Palace restaurant…for now! The restaurant is set to open on September 7th and we can’t wait to check it all out. Stay tuned for a full review, more information, and all the latest Disney news.

What are you most excited to experience at this new restaurant? Tell us in the comments below!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. In August, we were invited by Disneyland to attend their media preview of Tiana’s Palace restaurant. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

The post FIRST LOOK Inside Disney’s NEW Restaurant — Tiana’s Palace first appeared on the disney food blog.