Princess Tiana Ride Exposed for "Out of Touch," "Bleak" Themes

Splash Mountain attractions at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort closed earlier this year to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Princess Tiana ride will open at both Disney Parks in 2024!

But Splash Mountain isn’t being torn down. Princess and the Frog (2009) will replace the log flume ride’s current theme, Song of the South (1946), a widely banned film controversial for racist stereotypes and inaccurate portrayal of Black Americans’ lives post-Civil War.

Construction on the Princess Tiana ride is well underway in Critter Country at Disneyland Park and Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park. Brown walls surround both closed Splash Mountain attractions, with signs alluding to its new storyline.

Even though Tiana’s Bayou Adventure won’t be open for at least a year, some Guests already take issue with its plot. The ride takes place after the events of Princess and the Frog (2009), where Princess Tiana operates an employee owned food cooperative and restaurant on an old Louisiana salt dome.

Reddit user u/Knarky shared this photo of a construction sign at Disneyland Park, questioning the “Employee Owned” aspect of Tiana’s Foods. Fans responded with their frustrations about the concept and the hypocrisy of its place at Disney Parks. Many alluded to The Walt Disney Company’s notoriously poor treatment of Disney Cast Members.

Tiana’s food, employee owned?
by u/Knarky in Disneyland

“Small businesses are often owned by a single person, or by a few investors,” said u/Fantastic-Bat-8134. “The owners are entitled to the profits, and to the proceeds if the company is sold. An employee owned business is one where the workers own shares of the company. Of course, Tiana’s is only employee owned in the fictional storyline; the Cast Members who work at the actual restaurant are not owners. TBH I find it a little icky.”

“The irony and hypocrisy of an “employee owned” themed restaurant in Disneyland is bad,” u/kayatiger agreed. “The Disney corp would never let their employees own anything or get any share of the profits.”

Many felt the hypocritical Tiana’s Bayou Adventure storyline would negatively impact the Guest experience.

“It’s… Still kind of bleak when you have a corporation that is very much not employee owned and not paying Cast Members a living wage creating a fictional employee owned business,” u/silverwillowgirl wrote. “It’s an odd choice for Disney. The theming brings to mind real world labor issues and the corporation behind the ‘magic’. Which is not really what you want your Theme Park Guests to be focusing on.”

“Considering how many people and at what levels of management had to sign off on this concept, it really speaks volumes about how out of touch they are,” u/MoopyMorkyfeet echoed. “We’re at a point where an employee owned business is a fantasy Theme Park ride haha bleak is right.”

Are you excited about the new Princess Tiana ride? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.