Disney Announces More Details for Splash Mountain’s ‘Princess and the Frog’ Makeover
To kick off World Princess week, Disney has just shared all new details on the “The Princess and the Frog” re-theme at Walt Disney World and Disneyland! Today’s announcement gives us a preview of the story details for the attraction – including new concept art – and also shares with us a behind-the-scenes look on how Walt Disney Imagineers are bringing this attraction to life!
Once the re-theming is complete, Guests on the “Princess and the Frog” attraction will start their journey right after the final kiss as Naveen and Louis team up with Tiana to host a Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is invited. During this first part of the ride, Guests will be treated to original, new songs created just for the attraction as well as favorites from the original film.
Credit: Disney
During the journey through the attraction, Guests will discover old friends from the film as a few new ones!
To make sure the Imagineers fully capture the ambitious and resilient spirit of Tiana, they stopped by Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans. The founder of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, Leah Chase, was a part of the inspiration for Tiana.
Roundtable at Dooky Chase’s on August 16, 2021. Photo by Paul Morse
During their visit, Leah’s daughter, Stella Chase Reese, was on hand to hear first-hand how Disney will bring the “Princess and the Frog” attraction to life and share with all Guests the impact of Tiana’s life over the past decade, the creative process, as well as the advanced technology Disney will be using to make it a memorable attraction for everyone.
Kenneth Moton, National Correspondent for ABC News sat down with Stella Chase Reese along with Carmen Smith, Creative Executive, Vice President, Inclusive Strategies for Walt Disney Imagineering; Charita Carter, Senior Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering; and Marlon West, VFX Supervisor for Walt disney Animation Studios to share even more details on the ride. Check out their conversation in the clip below:
In addition to talking to Leah Chase’s daughter, Stella Chase Reese, Imagineers have visited New Orleans virtually and in-person to do some in-depth research of the area’s history including the food, music, art, and architecture. They also drew inspiration for the “Princess and the Frog” attraction by doing a deep dive into the region’s diverse population, their traditions, and more.
Knowing Leah Chase’s love of art, Disney also looked to Sharika Mahdi for inspiration. Mahdi, a known visual artist, art educator, and graduate of the world-famous YAYA (Young Aspirations Young Artists) Arts Center in New Orleans, was tapped by Disney to create a series of four original paintings to inspired the Imagineering team. The first of these paintings to be revealed is below:
Photo by Paul Morse
But, that’s not all! To celebrate the release of all these new details for the “Princess and the Frog” attraction along with their commitment to arts education, Disney will donate $50,000 to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). NOCCA is a regional, per-preprofessional art training center that teaches students immersive instruction on several forms of art including vocal music, design, culinary arts, dance, virtual arts, and so much more.
Original art by “The Princess and the Frog” director John Musker, courtesy of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant Photo by Paul Morse
Make sure to keep it here with MickeyBlog.com as we celebrate World Princess Week as well as tracking the latest developments on the much-anticipated “Princess and the Frog” attraction coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland!
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Image/Source Credit: Disney
