Disney’s new attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, is the basis for the TV series Princess and the Frog

Some Disney attractions, like Peter Pan’s Flight, simply present the story of an existing film in a new format. But for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the long-awaited renovation of Splash Mountain, Disney’s Imagineers decided to take an alternate route and go beyond the film’s story, bridging the gap between the film and the previously announced Tiana TV series.

“Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place approximately one year after the events of the film The Princess and the Frog,” said Ted Robledo, executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, in a presentation at a Walt Disney World press event. “So a lot has changed since then. And one of the most exciting parts of the attraction is seeing where life has taken her after that movie. After successfully opening her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, next to the beautiful Mississippi River in New Orleans, she has continued to grow her business. But this time, she’s gotten community members involved and built a new, beloved brand called Tiana’s Foods.

There’s a whole storyline to the ride, with Tiana and Louis the alligator looking for animal musicians for an upcoming Mardi Gras festival. It’s not the first Disney attraction to be a kind of micro-sequel: Frozen Ever After at neighboring Epcot is set a year after the events of Frozen. But Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development for Disney Parks, says Tiana’s story will continue beyond the ride.

“Our partners at Walt Disney Animation Studios were also great about the development of this attraction,” said Smith. “We are so excited that Tiana’s story will continue beyond the attraction. And that’s now that a new show is coming to Disney Plus.”

The Tiana show was previously announced in 2020, along with a Moana series, but there was little production news. The Moana series was turned into an upcoming theatrical film, but aside from some writer and director announcements and delays, there has been no news about the Tiana show for quite some time. It was originally set to debut in 2022, but was then pushed to 2023 and then 2024, with the announcement of Joyce Sherri as showrunner. No specific premiere date has been announced.

If the Tiana show synopsis is still accurate, Tiana will head to Maldonia, where her husband, Naveen, is from, and emerge as Crown Princess. But her New Orleans heritage is still a big part of her life. The difference in setting means that the story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will have no significant plot implications for the show. An Imagineer Polygon spoke with at the event claimed the ride is “about a specific story at a specific time here at Tiana’s Foods.”

But it’s hard to imagine that some of the details established during the ride — especially Tiana running an employee-owned company — will be absolutely ignored by the upcoming show. Smith’s words imply that Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios collaborated at least a little to establish a canon for Tiana. After all, Tiana is a business owner and chef first, and a princess second; Leaving the restaurant and company she worked for all her life doesn’t seem like the Tiana way.

(Revelation: This article is based on a press event held June 9-11 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Disney provided Polygon’s travel and accommodations for the event. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.)