Tiana’s Palace Disneyland Princess & Frog Restaurant – Opening DATE, We Tried the Food!
Disneyland is adding a new restaurant themed to Princess and the Frog that celebrates New Orleans and Creole and Cajun cuisine. Tiana’s Palace is replacing a classic Disneyland restaurant in New Orleans Square.
The addition of the restaurant comes alongside the creation of the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction that is replacing Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
The new restaurant will be a counter service restaurant and is expected to reopen later this year.
Opening Date for Tiana’s Palace Announced
Disneyland has now announced the opening date for the new Tiana’s Palace restaurant ahead of the opening of the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure coming in 2024.
The new restaurant will open at Disneyland on September 7, 2023. The full menu for the restaurant has not yet been released but will feature items honoring New Orleans with an effort to source some of the ingredients directly from the state of Louisiana. You’ll be able to mobile order dishes from Tiana’s Palace when it reopens. Keep reading for our full review of the menu items revealed so far!
Disneyland also updated the web page for the new restaurant to reflect what discounts will be available at the restaurant when it opens.
Disney also shared that the Mint Julep Bar will reopen on this date. Continue reading for the latest details on the new restaurant below.
Tiana’s Palace Menu and New Foods Review
We recently had the opportunity to try some of the new foods at a media preview of Tiana’s Palace in advance of its opening date. We tried a sampling of several dishes on the menu, which we’ll share our thoughts on below.
One thing that Disney repeatedly emphasized was that the goal of Tiana’s Palace was to offer foods that felt like table service quality, even though Tiana’s Palace will be a Quick Service location. After sampling several of the foods, we agree that this goal was accomplished, as the food indeed tasted more like table-service quality. Several ingredients used for dishes on the menu are sourced locally from Louisiana, including cane syrup, bread, andouille sausage, Gulf shrimp, and rice.
In response to the question if there would be any holdover items from French Market, Disney responded that Tiana has “completely reinvented the menu” and the Tiana’s Palace menu is brand new. Below, we’ll share some of the foods that we sampled from this menu and what we thought of them:
- House Filled Beignets – The bright lemon flavor of this New Orleans staple really stood out, though it was a bit messy and drippy to eat. The beignet’s filling pays homage to the classic Southern lemon ice box pie, and the beignet is topped with a lemon glaze. At the event, it was suggested that the lemon filling will not be the only one featured, and there will be seasonal beignet flavors in the future! This is sure to be popular addition to the restaurant because the Mint Julep Bar is already so popular with its Mickey-shaped beignets. These beignets will be authentic and the ones we enjoyed were not Mickey-shaped.
- Joffrey’s Coffee Chicory Cold Brew – This coffee was delicious and smooth, not overly sweet, and had a bright flavor to it. The sweet cream contains cane syrup sourced from Louisiana. Joffrey’s Coffee is a fan favorite at Walt Disney World and has continued to expand its offerings at Disneyland.
- The Ray Firefly Glow Cube – The Tiana’s Palace Ray Firefly Glow Cube (seen below on the cold brew) can be purchased separately and added to the cold brew or any other beverage offered at Tiana’s Palace.
- 7 Greens Gumbo – This slightly spicy dish is plant-based, featuring white beans, okra, yams, sweet potatoes, and heirloom rice. We really liked this and wouldn’t guess by the taste that it was plant-based. The dish includes Carolina Gold rice, which has a unique texture and can be traced back to West Africa. It’s also allergy friendly for the top 9 allergens!
- Beef Po’boy Sandwich – The authenticity of this dish was really important for the chefs to nail. The texture of the po’boy really stands out! The bread for the sandwich is sourced locally from New Orleans, the slow-cooked beef perfectly coated with gravy, and the p’boy comes “dressed” with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes. The dish comes with a side of red beans (that have a major kick) & rice, a New Orleans staple traditionally made on Mondays, and house-made pickles.
- House Gumbo – This classic dish is spicy and has a different consistency than the plant-based 7 Greens Gumbo. This New Orleans staple combines braised chicken, andouille sausage, and heirloom rice. Through this dish, the goal is to pay homage to Tiana’s father, where she got her love of gumbo from. If you’re torn between the two gumbos on the menu, Disney recommends both of course but to try this classic gumbo first.
- Gulf Shrimp and Grits – Gulf shrimp is used to heighten the authenticity of this dish, and it’s tossed in a Creole sauce and then paired with cheesy grits. This dish was very delicious and not too spicy, and the shrimp is cooked to be perfectly tender.
- The Cajun Spiced Half Chicken is rubbed with house spice rub, then brushed with house made barbecue sauce three different times in the preparation process. The sides that go with the chicken are baked macaroni and cheese (cut into squares for authenticity) and coleslaw. Disney’s passion for perfecting the coleslaw is impressive—they actually had a coleslaw tasting day with about 12 different versions of coleslaw to identify what guests will “gravitate towards.”
- Muffaletta sandwich: This sandwich unique to New Orleans was important for Disney to include on the menu, given its Italian origin and the influences of the Spanish, French, and Creole in New Orleans, to reflect “the blend of different cultures.” The bread is light and coated with sesame seeds, and it features mortadella, salami, rosemary ham, cheddar, provolone and house-made olive relish. This dish is served alongside red beans & rice and house-made pickles.
- The Kids Menu includes a choice of three different entrees: the Roasted Chicken Drumstick, the Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich, and Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
- Side dishes include Buttermilk Cornbread, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Red Beans & Heirloom Rice, Coleslaw, Cheesy Grits, and plant-based Heirloom Rice.
Nearby locations like Harbor Galley and Royal Street Veranda that serve similar types of foods as Tiana’s Palace will undergo slight menu changes in the coming months, but Mickey Beignets and the classic nonalcoholic Mint Julep will stay at the Mint Julep bar.
The new novelty items for Tiana’s Palace include the Lily Pad and Lotus Cup Ceramic Set along with the Ray Firefly Glow Cube. The most exciting thing to note is that the Lily Pad and Lotus cup are ceramic which is unusual for a novelty item at Disneyland! The plate features what appears to be Naveen in frog form which is a nice touch. I imagine this novelty item will sell out fast!
Additional Details About Tiana’s Palace—Music and Design
Guests can enjoy a new jazz score that feels authentic to the space along with a dazzling nighttime presence, with Tiana’s sign and several lights twinkling as the dining location comes alive at night. As you can see in the above picture, lily pad light fixtures will also adorn the interior. Guests also have the opportunity to purchase the Lily Pad and Lotus Cup Ceramic Set, which comes with a House-filled Beignet.
Throughout the interior, you’ll see other Tiana references like “frog porcelains, cookbooks Tiana has collected on little shelves, and her father’s favorite gumbo spoon proudly on display.” There will also be letters from Tiana’s father and neighbors on display and a childhood photo of Tiana.
You can see details of the interior of Tiana’s Palace, including a beautiful mural of the bayou (above) as well as Firefly Five Plus Lou instruments (below) including a large drum, which is a nod to the jazz group from Princess and the Frog that is inspired by the Dixieland jazz band Firehouse Five Plus Two that was popular in the 1950s.
You can also see a sneak peek of the Cast Member outfits for Tiana’s Palace below that feature gold aprons:
Tiana’s Palace Marquee Revealed
Disneyland revealed the Tiana’s Palace marquee, wheelhouse, and two smokestacks with crowns on top. You can take a look at the elegant new details added to the rooftop of Tiana’s Palace, marking an exciting step in the restaurant’s development!
What is Tiana’s Palace replacing at Disneyland?
Tiana’s Palace is REPLACING French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square before Splash Mountain is transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
This new transformation features elegant fixtures reminiscent of Tiana’s life and friendships along with the same flair as the restaurant from the film. Tiana’s Palace will serve authentic New Orleans food inspired by the film in this new quick-service style restaurant. This won’t be a character dining location but we can expect to see Tiana roaming New Orleans Square.
The menu at the previous French Market Restaurant is “expanding on current favorites” plus explores seasonal flavors and offers New Orleans classics. Disney Imagineers have partnered with Disney Animation artists from the original film to transform this long-standing restaurant into Tiana’s Palace.
When did the French Market Restaurant Close to Begin the Change to the Princess and the Frog Restaurant?
Construction began on February 17 2023. Currently, both the French Market Restaurant and Mint Julep Bar are closed at Disneyland. Don’t fear, the Mint Julep Bar will be reopening as itself and still serving the iconic mint juleps and Mickey beignets.
CLICK HERE – See all current Disneyland ride closures!
While the French Market and Mint Julep Bar at closed, the mint juleps and fresh beignets will still be available at Disneyland at the Royal Street Veranda and the Hungry Bear Restaurant. Guests are able to order at the window or Disneyland mobile order these favorite treats.
When does Tiana’s Palace open at Disneyland?
The Tiana’s Palace restaurant is now set to open September 7, 2023!
No word has been given yet on a potential Tiana’s themed restaurant at Walt Disney World, but many fans are speculating that the Magic Kingdom will also receive a new Princess and the Frog restaurant to go along with their Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
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I am so bummed they didn’t bring back any of the food from the previous menu. The French Market was one best tasting food establishments in Disneyland. The Beef Stew in a bread bowl was out of this world and the Pulled Pork Sandwich with homemade potato chips were the Best!!