Disney Princess Tradition Shattered After 87 Years with Tiana's Innovative Bayou Adventure
Loose, Uncensored, and Straight-Up:
Disney enthusiasts who've graced the Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World have been the first to immerse in the continuation of Tiana's enchanting tale, post the 2009's The Princess and the Frog. The ride is a sequel in disguise, taking guests along with Tiana and her pals as they assemble a band for their Mardi Gras celebration. Before you even embark on the flume water ride, there are plenty of details for fans of the beloved Disney film.
One of the biggest official spills is that our very own New Orleans princess has a real surname. In the queue for the Walt Disney World attraction, keen eyes have picked up on Tiana being referred to as Tiana Rogers, daughter of Sergeant James Rogers. Newspaper clippings and cooking awards for Tiana's Palace and Tiana's Foods (her culinary co-op) have not gone unnoticed. This intentional naming decision was shared by Disney Imagineer Ted Robledo: "There's so much of her story that was touched upon in the film, the relationship with her father, a World War I veteran; her relationship with her mother, [who] we like to say was the entrepreneurial inspiration for her to be the successful businesswoman that Tiana is today in our story."
Here's the confirmation of Tiana Rogers' last name.
The fairytale fandom has been a veritable tangled web when it comes to the Disney Princess lineup and their official titles. Technically, Rapunzel could have taken Eugene Fitzherbert's name, but it's never canonized in Disney content, much like the other wedded princesses, including Snow White or Cinderella (come on, Mrs. Charming, step forward!). Even in the case of The Princess and the Frog, Tiana did marry Prince Naveen of Maldonia, which would make her Tiana Rogers, Princess of Maldonia, given she clearly kept her father's name to honor him with her thriving food company in New Orleans.
"Tiana's story is going to be furthered in a new series that was announced," Robledo continued, confirming that Disney Imagineers worked hand-in-glove with Disney animation to maintain the canon on Tiana's Bayou Adventure as the studio gets ready for her Disney Plus series Tiana, which will deep-dive into what's next for the princess and her family. The series will focus on aspects like Tiana's relationship with her hubby, from another land of mixed heritage. It's a time of Indigenous people and colonization. I think that team, from what little we heard, is going to explore that route. But I gotta say this about Naveen: we knew early on, and even if Naveen plays a minor or major role in this story, he has a role-they're a married pair, they care about each other. So to honor that, we want to make sure he's included somewhere in a real way. And actually, it's quite humorous, as this little performance of our story." We can't wait for Tiana and Naveen to return with more adventures down in New Orleans with Disney+ series Tiana, but for now, going on bayou log boat rides will have to do at Disney Parks.
View this post on Instagram
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is now open at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL and is expected to open soon at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World references Tiana Rogers, who is the daughter of Sergeant James Rogers, as revealed in the queue for the ride.
- Disney Imagineer Ted Robledo explains that Tiana's relationship with her father, a World War I veteran, and her mother, an entrepreneurial inspiration, are significant parts of Tiana's story.
- Tiana did marry Prince Naveen of Maldonia, making her Tiana Rogers, Princess of Maldonia, according to the intentional naming decision shared by Disney Imagineer Ted Robledo.
- Disney Plus series Tiana is expected to delve into Tiana's relationship with her husband Naveen, exploring aspects like their interracial relationship, Indigenous people, and colonization.
