Princess Tiana is leaving the bayou and heading to museums across the country. Walt Disney Imagineering has created Tiana’s Joyful Celebration, a traveling exhibition designed to bring her story beyond Disney’s theme parks.
“Of people across all ages, every culture, I immediately felt that there are so many people that may not be able to go to the parks right now, but that they would be inspired if they had a taste of the magic of Tiana and her critter friends,” Carmen Smith, senior vice president, creative development, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Experiences, told MiceChat.
Usually, experiencing Tiana’s world means visiting a Disney park or streaming The Princess and the Frog on Disney+. But this first-of-its-kind traveling exhibition will bring her story directly to museums, giving families across the U.S. a chance to step into her New Orleans-inspired world.
I stopped by to get a preview of the exhibition and speak with the creative minds who helped bring Tiana’s story to life in this new way. We share a look at Tiana’s Joyful Celebration and what to expect as Disney brings the show to museums nationwide.
Tiana’s Joyful Celebration dates and locations
Tiana’s Joyful Celebration is an interactive museum exhibition brought to life by the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Walt Disney Imagineering. “Working with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis was truly a collaborative effort every step of the way. It wouldn’t be possible without them,” Smith said.
This first-ever Princess Tiana exhibition is open now and will remain in Indianapolis through Jan. 3, 2027.
From there, Tiana’s Joyful Celebration will go on a five-year tour to 12 additional museums across the country, including:
The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio
Discovery Cube Los Angeles in Sylmar, California
The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Fort Worth, Texas
Children’s Museum of Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia
Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa, Florida
…And the exhibition could keep traveling from there.
Dates will be shared as the tour gets closer.
Areas and activities at Tiana’s Joyful Celebration
When you step foot into Tiana’s Joyful Celebration, you are greeted by none other than Tiana herself, voiced by the original voice of the character, Anika Noni Rose. In fact, several voice actors from “The Princess and the Frog” reprised their roles with original voice performances for the exhibition.
After welcoming you with a friendly request for your assistance in preparing for the big Mardi Gras parade, it’s time to step into the exhibition and get to work. You are immediately transported to New Orleans, with Mardi Gras prep well underway.
Tiana, Naveen and other characters from the film are stationed around the room with portions of Tiana’s “to-do” list. Older kids may enjoy the challenge of checking every item off the list to ensure the parade goes off without a hitch, but each station is designed to be explored independently by kids of all ages (or adults, in my case).
You can follow along or go at your own pace – there is no “right” way to interact with this exhibit. There are endless options for kids to play in their own way.
“There’s something for each one of us. You can come and find an activity or all of the activities to make you feel special,” Stella Chase, told MiceChat. Stella is a legend herself, the proprietor of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant and the daughter of the iconic “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” Leah Chase, who inspired the Princess Tiana character. “And most likely, it’s going to be one that brings out your talent because, just like Tiana said, we all have a special spice,” she added
There are more than a dozen activities throughout the exhibition that range from tending to Tiana’s garden and making gumbo to learning second line dances and decorating a Mardi Gras mask.
Some activities, like the Mardi Gras mask-making and painting, use screens, while others are more tactile, like playing musical instruments with Tiana’s critter-filled band and making costumes for parade float riders.
But the activities are about more than just having fun. Walt Disney Imagineering – with help from the Chase family – and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis worked together to create an experience that they hope leaves a lasting impact on even the youngest visitors.
“The values that you learn help children as they grow up, and that’s what I think is important. The determination that you can do it, you will do it. And the fact that everybody is special. So we welcome all cultures. We welcome everyone. And I think that’s the most special thing about it.”
If you’ve experienced the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you’ll see a lot of similarities throughout the exhibition.
Many of the posters seen throughout the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue are also displayed in the exhibition, and you’ll even hear the song “Special Spice” playing from time-to-time. You can even paint a screen-based mural designed by Malaika Favorite, who designed the mural outside the entrance to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
In fact, walking into the exhibition feels much like walking into the attraction queue. You’ll see letters, photos, and artifacts from Tiana’s life as she preps for the Mardi Gras parade.
You’ll also see the same instrument-playing animals from the ride, including fan-favorite Lari the Armadillo. Lari actually has his own theater called Lari’s Lair, where “citizens” of New Orleans invite guests to a puppet show that follows a storyline nearly mirroring that of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
I loved both activities, but the cooking demonstration was particularly magical. As part of it, we were invited to write down what we consider to be our own special talent on a piece of paper, put it in a jar with star-shaped glitter and shake some of our “special spice” into the gumbo.
There was even a bit of “Disney magic” when we did it, but I won’t spoil the surprise.
To all who come to this joyful place, welcome
Tiana’s Joyful Celebration was designed with accessibility at the forefront.
“This exhibit is like walking into our home,” Chase said. “And we have to make sure that everyone feels comfortable, everyone feels welcome, because that’s part of making people feel their worth,” she added.
All of the signage is available in English, Spanish, and Braille, and audio recordings are available in English and Spanish. Video displays, including a sing-along version of “Special Spice,” include an on-screen sign language interpreter.
“You don’t want a child to come in this place or any place and feel like, ‘Well, they didn’t prepare for me,’” Chase said. “Because my mother said that when someone comes into your home, be ready, prepared. And that’s why we always say we can fix anything you want to eat [at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant]. If you’re vegan, if you’re gluten free, we’re going to do it because that’s exactly what this attraction does.”
Authentically Disney, Distinctly New Orleans
Like everything Walt Disney Imagineering does, this exhibition needed to feel authentic. And it does. From the colorful shotgun houses to the flowers and music, you are surrounded by the sights and sounds of New Orleans during Mardi Gras season.
Of course, that is all by design. Teams from Walt Disney Imagineering and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis went on several research trips to New Orleans.
“Stella’s been on the journey from the day it was greenlit, and we’ve taken the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis team to New Orleans,” Smith said. “We met historians, academics, artists and designers. We even studied what plant life is alive during this particular season,” she added.
If you have a budding Imagineer in your family, or you just like seeing how the parks come to life, there is even a small Walt Disney Imagineering corner with behind-the-scenes videos from the making of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure available outside of the exhibit.
You have until January 3, 2027 to see the exhibition in Indianapolis before Tiana hits the road and brings the bayou to other destinations across the U.S.