Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I was definitely hoping for a recreation of her restaurant, full sit-down style.
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News Tiana’s Palace Coming to Disneyland Later this Year
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
I was definitely hoping for a recreation of her restaurant, full sit-down style.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
It’s still kind of mind boggling that Tomorrowland and the Hollywood Backlot still exist in their current state while they continue to invest money into rides/ lands that don’t need it like New Orleans Square, Pacific Wharf, Soarin Over California and TOT to name a few. With that said, I understand that the changes to the Backlot and TL will probably be more ambitious.
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Dear Prudence
Well-Known Member
The River Belle Terrace was right there for the retheming, and they could have really used that big space and made it match the opulence of the Tiana's Place in the movie.... and they just said....naw
Dear Prudence
Well-Known Member
what is with the photoshopped Tiana on the balcony?!Details -
"Tiana’s Palace will be the newest restaurant on Orleans Street. Within its peach-colored walls and fancy green wrought-iron balconies, you’ll find elegant fixtures and appointments reminiscent of Tiana’s life and friendships. The new Tiana’s Palace will have much of the same pinch of pizzazz and flair as the restaurant from the film, offering authentic New Orleans flavors inspired by Tiana’s friends and adventures in this quick-service style restaurant. While Tiana’s Palace is not a character dining location, guests may find Tiana in New Orleans Square.
The menu at Tiana’s Palace will expand on many of the current favorites served in the location, explore seasonal flavors and, of course, offer some New Orleans classics. Tiana’s Palace is sure to be a gathering place for friends and family to enjoy great food and celebrate together, just like Tiana and her father James dreamed of.
Disney Imagineers are partnering with Disney Animation artists from the original film to bring this story to life at Disneyland park. In fact, the film designers took inspiration from the exterior of the original French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square when designing Tiana’s Palace for the movie, so this is a long-dreamt homecoming.
To begin this work, French Market Restaurant (and Mint Julep Bar) will be closed beginning February 17, 2023, and will reopen as Tiana’s Palace (alongside Mint Julep Bar with its famous mint juleps and Mickey beignets) later in the year."
Concept art -
View attachment 691496
Tiana’s Palace Coming to Disneyland Park Later this Year
French Market Restaurant at Disneyland will be reimagined into Tiana’s Palace, the newest restaurant on Orleans Street, later this year! Tiana’s Palace will offer authentic New Orleans flavors inspired by Tiana’s friends and adventures.disneyparks.disney.go.com
*Edited to add clearer concept art
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
It would work much better at Riverbelle. Right along the river too with the Mark Twain passing by. I guess maybe they thought Tiana spanning across three lands may be a bit too much. There’s also not a whole lot of seating at Riverbelle right? Or is it comparable to French Market?
hopemax
Well-Known Member
I thought they just said quick service, and I assumed they would try to make it more mobile order friendly while they have the opportunity. So the inside would get changed.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Based on the description, it doesn't really sound like much is changing in terms of food, set up or theme.
It feels like something that would have happened when Pressler was in charge. A minor IP overlay to drum up extra business.
It feels like something that would have happened when Pressler was in charge. A minor IP overlay to drum up extra business.
smooch
Well-Known Member
That's exactly how I feel! I wish, along with most people here, that they would stop shoveling IP into the park but this is one of the rare instances where it looks tasteful and, I'm not sure how to say it, minimal yet substantial enough to warrant a retheme. I'm curious how it will look once it's finished in person, though. I don't really like the chimneys much, but I get the intent with them to look like a riverboat.
To be fair, I never really went to the French Market much, to the dismay of some here, but I'll definitely make sure I stop by and take a look inside and out the next time I'm in the parks after they finish building it.
i pretty much agree. Im glad they are adding Tiana to French Market instead of the larger RiverBelle.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
And who really wins in that case? It’s not substantial enough to really move the needle and just chips away/ detracts from the theming that already exists. Imagineers just trying to stay employed I guess.
Practical Pig
Well-Known Member
I'm also not a fan of the misplaced smokestacks on Tiana's Palace. It's a visual "what the ... um ... heck?" But I suppose it's a small step up from plopping a gigantic tiara on a water tower.
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Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Yep. It’s tasteful and doesn’t dramatically alter what it replaced in a way that is absolute garbage and makes zero sense. Not the biggest fan of the chimneys either.
I went to French Market for the first time in many years back in October of last year. The energy was kinda dead and my po’ boy wasn’t that great, but it got the job done. If this overlay will spruce it up, bring it to life, and improve the food substantially, I’m all for it.
Speaking of food, I know some people think this would have worked better at River Belle Terrace, and, aesthetic-wise, I agree. The space would have provided the grandeur feeling that the restaurant has in the movie, something French Market won’t do (who knows, maybe it’ll be more grand than what we’re imagining). With that being said, I don’t trust Disney to be able to create a robust menu of authentic New Orleans/Creole food. Authentic and Disney usually don’t go hand-in-hand. I’d rather they focus on maybe five dishes (or even less) and try their best to perfect said dishes.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
They weren't building a PATF ride right next door 13 years ago
They did release PATF as a major motion picture in 2009. It was a movie based in New Orleans with a plot involving a restaurant. And Disneyland had an entire land themed to New Orleans with several restaurants. No one thought to do this in 2010? And if so, why not?
For the record, for friends here who are unfamiliar with Disneyland's layout, this Tiana restaurant is not next door to Tiana's Bayou Bash N' Splash, Presented by Ziploc. This restaurant is much closer to Pirates of the Caribbean, across from the Haunted Mansion, next to the New Orleans train station, and a perfume shop, and a crystal shop. Also the restrooms.
Tiana's new log ride is in the land to the north of here called Critter Country. To get there, you have to pass the entrances to one giant E Ticket (Haunted Mansion), one D Ticket (Davy Crockett Canoes) and one lame C Ticket (Winnie The Pooh). Then you get to Tiana's log ride in Critter Country.
I've circled Tiana's restaurant location in red, highlighted the proximity to Pirates and Haunted Mansion in red underlines, and noted the location of the entrance to Tiana's log ride with a red arrow. I also noted the New Orleans Square restrooms with a red arrow, because those are just as busy as the two E Tickets that surround Tiana's restaurant; Haunted Mansion and Pirates.
I guess this restaurant is better 12 years late than never. But what the heck took them so long?
It's a land called New Orleans Square, for goshsakes. This shouldn't be rocket science that takes a $50 Billion company 13 years to complete.
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
My criticism is that this roofline is nearly impossible to see, from up close or from afar. Those fake smokestacks are a thing that no one will ever see, even if they wanted to.
Here's the view from the walkway behind the French Market bandstand, across from Haunted Mansion, looking directly at the building. You can't even see the building, let alone the roofline or fake smokestacks that will be placed on top. This is basically the faux view the fabricated clip art above from WDI is pretending you can see...
Approaching the restaurant from the walkway on the opposite side, the view isn't much better. Here's the main entrance to Tiana's restaurant's serving area and buffet line just north of Cafe Orleans...
The best shot of seeing any sort of fake smokestacks stuck onto the roof of this building comes from the narrow walkway along the western edge of the dining patio. There's a short break in the trees before the buildings appear to block the view, but I suppose you could see the smokestacks if you stood here and looked up above the French Market entry sign.
Perhaps if you knew where to look? On a clear day? Assuming you are a member of the Smokestack Community & Allies?
And the further away you get from this immediate area, the worse the view gets. Here's the Tiana restaurant location as seen from along the riverbanks walking through New Orleans Square. The red arrow shows where the building actually is behind all the trees.
I mean, I get it.... A 21 year old intern with an iPad can whip up some half-decent clip art like they did in the time it takes for that intern to down a Caramel Machiatto from the lobby Starbucks. But that doesn't mean that clip art is actually representative of the actual park environment, or what paying park guests will actually see. You could also add to this clip art fake confetti showers and a sax playing alligator and a drunken Club 33 member on a balcony spitting on the peasants in the alley below, but that doesn't mean that will actually happen in the actual theme park.
Well, the drunken Club 33 member spitting on the peasants, maybe.
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mickEblu
Well-Known Member
My criticism is that this roofline is nearly impossible to see, from up close or from afar. Those fake smokestacks are a thing that no one will ever see, even if they wanted to.
Here's the view from the walkway behind the French Market bandstand, across from Haunted Mansion, looking directly at the building. You can't even see the building, let alone the roofline or fake smokestacks that will be placed on top. This is basically the faux view the fabricated clip art above from WDI is pretending you can see...
View attachment 691641
Approaching the restaurant from the walkway on the opposite side, the view isn't much better. Here's the main entrance to Tiana's restaurant's serving area and buffet line just north of Cafe Orleans...
View attachment 691642
The best shot of seeing any sort of fake smokestacks stuck onto the roof of this building comes from the narrow walkway along the western edge of the dining patio. There's a short break in the trees before the buildings appear to block the view, but I suppose you could see the smokestacks if you stood here and looked up above the French Market entry sign.
Perhaps if you knew where to look? On a clear day? Assuming you are a member of the Smokestack Community & Allies?
View attachment 691643
And the further away you get from this immediate area, the worse the view gets. Here's the Tiana restaurant location as seen from along the riverbanks walking through New Orleans Square. The red arrow shows where the building actually is behind all the trees.
View attachment 691644
I mean, I get it.... A 21 year old intern with an iPad can whip up some half-decent clip art like they did in the time it takes for that intern to down a Caramel Machiatto from the lobby Starbucks. But that doesn't mean that clip art is actually representative of the actual park environment, or what paying park guests will actually see. You could also add to this clip art fake confetti showers and a sax playing alligator and a drunken Club 33 member on a balcony spitting on the peasants in the alley below, but that doesn't mean that will actually happen in the actual theme park.
Well, the drunken Club 33 member spitting on the peasants, maybe.
This is what I’m worried about. Them getting rid of trees so we can see the smokestacks and the Tiana marquee.
Practical Pig
Well-Known Member
Then that's a blessing. The stacks are ill-conceived. Hopefully they'll be gone in the next version. And if no-one will see them - why?
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Oh, that's a good point.
Here I was just chuckling and eye-rolling that they were going to spend money on a stupid thing no one will actually be able to see.
But look at you, looking on the bright side!
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
They had a show with the Mark Twain and did some other things. It's not like there was nothing in 2009. They still did more for PATF in parks in 2009 than they've done for most of the films that have followed.
"No one thought to do this in 2009": do we really want to encourage the precedent that every time something remotely fits an area that it's immediately included in such a permanent way as a restaurant? Because if that's what they should be doing, then I can't wait for them to add the characters from the new Haunted Mansion movie into the ride immediately with no bearing on whether or not it's actually warranted. If that's not what we want, then we shouldn't be asking that question.
There is no evidence that anyone in this thread has no idea where the restaurant is in relation to the ride. I agree that Hungry Bear would have been a more logical home for the restaurant, but naturally, that's not what they did.
RobWDW1971
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, the global creative strategy for WDI in 2023 appears to be:
- Every park around the world is a Magic Kingdom, just with other names
- Every land is Fantasyland
- Never let theme, place, time, or architectural integration stand in the way of adding characters
It’s happening all over the world in Epcot’s World Showcase/Future World (now random “neighborhoods”), DCA, Tomorrowlands, Adventurelands, Resort hotels, etc.
What made Disneyland so special and fundamentally different than other theme parks or children’s amusement parks were areas like Main Street, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, etc.
Areas that once had higher ambition and concepts than just places for kids (and now Disney “adults”) to see cartoon characters.
just lazy and sad.
- Every park around the world is a Magic Kingdom, just with other names
- Every land is Fantasyland
- Never let theme, place, time, or architectural integration stand in the way of adding characters
It’s happening all over the world in Epcot’s World Showcase/Future World (now random “neighborhoods”), DCA, Tomorrowlands, Adventurelands, Resort hotels, etc.
What made Disneyland so special and fundamentally different than other theme parks or children’s amusement parks were areas like Main Street, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, etc.
Areas that once had higher ambition and concepts than just places for kids (and now Disney “adults”) to see cartoon characters.
just lazy and sad.