Inside Story on Disneyland’s Newest Hidden Detail That Was Hand-Built 1,800 Miles Away

Disneyland is always changing and evolving with new attractions and offerings. However, part of what makes Disneyland Park so special is the hidden details and historical references throughout. Some of these call back to Walt Disney's day or even earlier like the amazing petrified tree in Frontierland or the working gas-lit street lamps that line Main Street that were bought as scrap metal from cities across the country. Others are newer.

In fact, there is now a new hidden detail located in Disneyland's New Orleans Square with its own special history that is intertwining with a new attraction coming to the Disneyland Resort and a New Orleans artist tradition.

Within Eudora's Chic Boutique in New Orleans Square, guests can now find a piece of artwork that was part of the design research process for the new Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction coming to Disneyland.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure New Orleans Authenticity

Back in May of last year I had the extraordinary opportunity to join Walt Disney Imagineering on one of their ongoing research trips to New Orleans, Louisiana for the new Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction that is a retheme of Splash Mountain. As you can see in my full report on the trip here, we really got to dive into the amazing history and culture of the city. Also, note that we just discussed when Splash Mountain will reopen as Tiana's Bayou Adventure here.

Walt Disney Imagineering is working closely with museums and artists in New Orleans to bring authenticity to the new story coming to the classic, fun, water ride attraction.

One of the artist groups that they are working with in New Orleans is YAYA. This group, also known as Young Aspirations Young Artists, was created to empower and strengthen the creative talents of young people in New Orleans. When I was in New Orleans we visited the YAYA facility and got to see the classes for students in painting and glass blowing in action. We also heard about some of the new artwork created as part of the ideation phase of the new attraction.

One of the graduates of the program, Sharika Mahdi, was commissioned by Walt Disney Imagineering to create paintings to help with the ideating blue sky phase of the creation of the attraction. You can see one of the paintings above and others in our article on Tiana's Bayou Adventure linked above.

While working with Mahdi, Disney got to know YAYA and one of their key training exercises that dates back to the beginning of the program – painting and restoring chairs!

Painted Chair Makes Way to Disneyland

The original YAYAs painted and refurbished discarded chairs to practice their craft. While I was in New Orleans, we sat on some of the chairs in their studio that you can see above. YAYA has expanded the mediums that their students learn in, but they still have a focus on learning with painting the chairs.

The Walt Disney Imagineers working on the project saw this tradition and commissioned a chair to represent Tiana and the new Tiana's Bayou Adventure. That chair has now been installed inside Disneyland Park at Eudora's Chic Boutique in New Orleans Square.

The chair is now hanging on the back wall of the shop with a special plaque.

The chair has details that honor Tiana like beignets across the bottom of the chair, sewing needles, the trumpet with music pouring out, delicious gumbo, and more.

You can also see the details on the sides of the chair which have a street lamp and something that appears to be frog related.

Here's a closer look at the plaque describing YAYA to park guests.

Check out more details on the chair in our Instagram reel below (while you're looking, be sure to also follow us on Instagram).

 

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In general Eudora's Chic Boutique is a great example of bringing authenticity of New Orleans to Disneyland. The shop features real beignet mix from Cafe Du Monde and copies of Chef Leah Chase's book. Chase was the real life inspiration for Princess Tiana.

Of course, the shop also have to have some general fun merchandise to celebrate our love to beignets at Disneyland like the beignet all day mugs and shirts.

Right down the block within the land you now have two options for beignets with Mickey Mouse-shaped beignets at the Mint Julep Bar and Tiana's classic beignets at the new Tiana's Palace restaurant.

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