You’ll have to look closely to see the visual nods to “The Princess and the Frog” in the understated makeover of the former French Market at Disneyland that makes the updated New Orleans-inspired menu the star of the show at the new Princess Tiana restaurant.
Tiana’s Palace will open Thursday, Sept. 7 in New Orleans Square at the Anaheim theme park.
Disneyland offered a sneak peek at the new restaurant and a taste of the New Orleans-inspired menu during a media preview on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
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At first glance, Tiana’s new quick-service restaurant doesn’t look very different from the French Market — until you take a closer look at the details and dive deeper into the menu.
It makes sense that Disneyland and Walt Disney Imagineering wouldn’t need to do much to transform the New Orleans Square eatery since filmmakers took inspiration from the exterior of the French Market when designing Tiana’s Palace for the 2009 Disney animated movie.
A part in the middle of the green and gold sun shades reveals the new riverboat wheelhouse and twin smokestacks atop the roof and the glittering Tiana’s Palace sign on the gold wrought iron balcony.
Popcorn lights hanging from the balconies and awnings and rimming the building facade should make for a pretty scene at night.
The expansive awnings provide plenty of shade to about the same amount of tables as the former French Market restaurant.
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Overall, the twin buffet-style layout of the French Market has changed little after the remodel — outside of the subtle Princess Tiana thematic overlay.
A skylight window with delicate floral filigree glows blue with the night stars arrayed below on the tile floor.
Copper oyster steaming pans and gold baking tins dangle from hooks next to wooden rolling pins and beignet-making utensils.
Framed…
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