I mentioned this on Twitter today with
@Drew the Disney Dude and it might shed some light on why Tiana looks older as an Animatronic.
The Princess and the Frog takes place in November of 1912. In the beginning of the film, there’s a gentleman reading a newspaper with the headline ‘Wilson Elected!’, effectively conveying the setting.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place in 1927, as stated by Josh D’amaro and WDI.
In the film, Tiana is 19 years old. That means during the time of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, she’s 34. The Average life expectancy of women in the 1920s was 54 years, meaning she is 63% of the way through her life during the attraction.
She’s just old (for the time period).