News Tiana’s Palace Coming to Disneyland Later this Year

mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Consumer said:
Makes it feel more like an attraction.
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True and yet the POTC and HM marquees are much smaller in comparison. HM’s is a tiny plaque. Across NOS there was an effort to make the land feel like a real, lived in place. This would is the first non temporary addition to the land that strays from that outside of the small Tiana themed shop that goes unnoticed. Considering we’ll probably never see non IP lands again (or at least in my lifetime) it would have been nice if they just preserved NOS as it was.
 
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DavidDL

DavidDL

Well-Known Member
The restaurant looks good. Hopefully the menu will be, too.

I may sound insane to some for saying it but I miss when French Market would serve up fried chicken and those giant, yummy steak fries many years ago.
 
CraftyFox

CraftyFox

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
True and yet the POTC and HM marquees are much smaller in comparison. HM’s is a tiny plaque. Across NOS there was an effort to make the land feel like a real, lived in place. This would is the first non temporary addition to the land that strays from that outside of the small Tiana themed shop that goes unnoticed. Considering we’ll probably never see non IP lands again (or at least in my lifetime) it would have been nice if they just preserved NOS as it was.
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While I agree that a smaller sign would better blend with the rest of NOS as it currently stands, there is actually a lot of historical precedent for a facade like the Tiana’s Palace we’re getting. Based off the technology and signage around the land, NOS is heavily based off the period from around 1890 (see the bathroom signs) to the mid-1920’s. During this period many Clubs and Supper Clubs around the United States advertised themselves with huge, garish signs and themed exteriors. (I had to crop these photos since these facades unfortunately contain some unpleasant early 20th century racist caricatures).

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Popular themes included chicken coops, tropical islands, and (yes) steamboats. While I haven’t been able to find an exterior with steamboat pipes (I was able to find one from an earlier period that looks like an entire ship), there is historical precedent for paddle-wheelers as a theme.

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Anyways to summarize that ramble, the Tiana’s Palace exterior actually has a lot of historical precedent (although the final design leans towards the whimsical) it just seems out of place because of how understated much of NOS is, especially compared to actual photos of New Orleans from this period.
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
CraftyFox said:
While I agree that a smaller sign would better blend with the rest of NOS as it currently stands, there is actually a lot of historical precedent for a facade like the Tiana’s Palace we’re getting. Based off the technology and signage around the land, NOS is heavily based off the period from around 1890 (see the bathroom signs) to the mid-1920’s. During this period many Clubs and Supper Clubs around the United States advertised themselves with huge, garish signs and themed exteriors. (I had to crop these photos since these facades unfortunately contain some unpleasant early 20th century racist caricatures).

View attachment 735040
View attachment 735041

Popular themes included chicken coops, tropical islands, and (yes) steamboats. While I haven’t been able to find an exterior with steamboat pipes (I was able to find one from an earlier period that looks like an entire ship), there is historical precedent for paddle-wheelers as a theme.

View attachment 735043

Anyways to summarize that ramble, the Tiana’s Palace exterior actually has a lot of historical precedent (although the final design leans towards the whimsical) it just seems out of place because of how understated much of NOS is, especially compared to actual photos of New Orleans from this period.
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What good is it being authentic if it doesn’t feel authentic to the land that it resides in? I just need theme park lands and attractions to feel authentic. I don’t need them to BE authentic. I don’t care if the drums that Ralphie plays in Tiana Bayou Splash are a copy of some famous New Orleans drum set if the ride is boring or doesn’t make me feel like I’m in a bayou.
 
FerretAfros

FerretAfros

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
Yup not mention the cartoony steamboat smokestacks in a land that has actual steamboats passing by the restaurant.
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It's not just that this is an additional steamboat presence, but it's that it's so clearly copied from the Mark Twain itself which is right there [**gestures toward the river**], rather than pulling inspiration from any number of other perfectly valid (real or imagined) steamboats. Even the riverboat in the film that is clearly inspired by the Twain (including sound effects provided by the Twain's bell) took more artistic liberties than this new sign structure. Instead of implying that there's extensive riverboat traffic that passes through the area and making the theme seem more realistic and layered, we're instead reminded that we're just in a silly theme park with silly decorations for silly people who like silly movies. It's a minor detail, but it only serves to undercut the overall theme and atmosphere.

That said, I (foolishly) hope that the duplicated design in the sign means that they can finally remove the goofy gold leaf from the Twain's smokestacks, which has been a pet peeve of mine for the last 17 years. For the first 49 years of her life, the tops of the smokestacks were plain black, just like real steamboats that plied real rivers. This was a classic look that reflected the historical approach, with whimsical shapes for the tops accompanied by the functional color scheme:
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As part of the 50th anniversary celebration in 2005, all attractions dating back to 1955 received a golden attraction vehicle (or photo op) with varying degrees of success; the golden teacup was quite classy, while the Jungle Cruise boat bordered on ridiculous. Due to the scale of the Twain, it wasn't really practical to coat the entire thing gold, so instead it was given gold trim, gold leaf on the smokestacks, and festive bunting (and a somewhat tacky sign) to make the normal livery a little more festive:
MarkTwainRiverboat50th_DL.jpg


As the celebration wound down in late 2006, all of the other vehicles were returned to their original coloring. The Twain's swags were removed and the trim was painted back to white, but the gold leaf remained on its smokestacks. As the Twain went in and out of various refurbishments in the years since, they've often cleaned and replaced the gold leaf atop the smokestacks, but it remains to this day, though no other hints of the 50th novelty color schemes remain in the park:
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And although it always starts off looking nice and fresh, it always ends up looking grimy as the soot from the smokestacks (the hint is right there in the name!) collects around the top of them. There's a reason that historically these features were black, as trying to make them any other color is going to be a Sisyphean task. Even with the Twain's relatively frequent refurbishments and clean-burning diesel engine, it only takes a couple weeks for the soot to accumulate again.

Perhaps now that there's a whimsical facade on a cartoon-inspired restaurant nearby that can carry the torch of the gold smokestacks, the Twain will finally be allowed to return to an appropriate color scheme after all these years.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
CraftyFox said:
While I agree that a smaller sign would better blend with the rest of NOS as it currently stands, there is actually a lot of historical precedent for a facade like the Tiana’s Palace we’re getting. Based off the technology and signage around the land, NOS is heavily based off the period from around 1890 (see the bathroom signs) to the mid-1920’s. During this period many Clubs and Supper Clubs around the United States advertised themselves with huge, garish signs and themed exteriors. (I had to crop these photos since these facades unfortunately contain some unpleasant early 20th century racist caricatures).

View attachment 735040
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I can see why you cropped it. That is pretty bad. I found an interior shot. While it is highly themed, the racist cartoon paintings are pretty bad. I'm sure it was amazing for it's time.
 
Disney Analyst

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
DCBaker said:
Tiana's Palace will officially open to Guests on September 7, 2023.

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disneyparks.disney.go.com

Tiana’s Palace Restaurant Set to Open in Disneyland Park on September 7, 2023

Tiana’s Palace restaurant will open in Disneyland Park on Sept. 7, 2023! We are so excited to expand upon Princess Tiana’s story and welcome you to see this exciting transformation!
disneyparks.disney.go.com
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“We are so excited to welcome you soon to see this exciting transformation, as well as mark the return of the Mint Julep Bar! At Tiana’s Palace, you can enjoy new menu items that represent Tiana’s story and honor the flavors and flair of New Orleans, with an effort to source some ingredients directly from the state of Louisiana when possible. Plus, you’ll now be able to mobile order these new dishes on the Disneyland app* when the location opens. Stay tuned for a first look of the full menu, coming soon to Disney Eats!

We look forward to welcoming you to Tiana’s Palace in New Orleans Square beginning Sept. 7!”

@Californian Elitist
 

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