The ‘Princess and the Frog’-themed restaurant is the newest addition to the theme park’s dining options.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

With great anticipation, Tiana’s Palace greeted its first guests on September 7, 2023. The latest addition to Disneyland’s dining scene is located in the former French Market space in New Orleans Square. It's a “quick-service style” restaurant that will delight both young and old fans of The Princess and the Frog.

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek the day before it officially opened to the public, and it did not disappoint (especially if the gasps from my Tiana-obsessed 5-year-old were any indication.) Guests are immediately transported into the world of Tiana and the French Quarter upon stepping into the plaza, which is resplendent with wrought iron railings and charming yellow and green awnings. Inside, a gorgeous deep blue skylight with a lilypad motif welcomes guests along with small touches of The Princess and the Frog memorabilia throughout.

According to Kim Irvine, the Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, the Imagineers took a deep dive into location research to ensure every little detail of the space captured “the true, authentic spirit of New Orleans.” Tiana’s Palace was designed “to be a gathering place for family and friends to enjoy delicious meals, just as Tiana and her father James dreamed of,” Irvine adds.

While the eatery isn’t a character dining restaurant, guests are still able to spot Tiana in all her finery strolling around for magical meet-and-greets in New Orleans Square.

I generally tend to think of most theme park foods as on the more bland side, and I’m thrilled to report that Tiana’s Palace proved me wrong in the best ways possible. All of the Cajun and Creole-inspired dishes we tried were packed with flavor and textures and gave us the fuel we needed to spend another eight hours at the Happiest Place on Earth. (And, yes, there’s still a kids' menu).

Chef John State, the Culinary Director of Food and Beverage at Disneyland Resort, shared that the menu for Tiana’s Palace was inspired by “Tiana’s lifelong dream to open up her own restaurant serving beignets and gumbo,” and that the culinary team in an effort to “represent the flavors of New Orleans,” are “sourcing local ingredients from the area where possible.”

The Top 5 Things We Ate at Tiana’s Palace

We sampled several dishes at Tiana's Palace. Here are some of our favorites.

House Gumbo

The gumbo was flavorful, hearty, and spicy. I’m a big hot sauce person, so just be forewarned that this dish packs a strong punch in the spiciness-level department—which I loved. Filled with braised chicken and andouille sausage, this dish comes with a scoop of white heirloom rice to help soak in all that rich flavor, although my personal preference was to use the sweetness of the cornbread to balance out all that heat. There’s also a delicious-looking plant-based option as well.

Gulf Shrimp and Grits

It was a real toss-up as to which was the favorite dish between my partner and me: this or the gumbo. The cheesy grits were creamy and the creole sauce on the generously sized shrimp had just the right amount of spice to elevate the dish.

Beef Po’Boy Sandwich

Much to my surprise, my tween ordered this one and loved it so much that we all had to have a taste. Slow-cooked beef is covered in gravy and served on a French roll with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo. It came with a small side of red rice and beans and homemade pickles.

House-Filled Beignets

These dessert pastries were filled with a luscious lemon ice box pie filling and glazed with lemon cream on the outside. The tartness of the creamy filling helped to balance out the rich sweetness of the dough. Needless to say, all three of my kids devoured this one and asked for more.

Joffery’s Coffee Chicory Cold Brew

I’m not a fan of overly sweet drinks, and this one hit the spot with the perfect blend of bitter chicory coffee and sweet cream. The extra boost of caffeine on a long theme park day didn’t hurt, either.

Other New Fall Activities and Dining at Disneyland

Tiana’s Palace isn’t the only new thing arriving at the Disney Theme Parks this fall. There are tons of new and returning seasonal performances and foods to really help families capture the magic of the season.

• Considering we’re already nearing spooky season, a new version of the fan-favorite Halloween Screams light show at Disneyland will be on display every night until October 31.

• The new Adventureland Treehouse also opens at Disneyland sometime this fall.

• Starting September 29, a new limited-time nighttime show, “The Heartbeat of New Orleans–A Living Mural,” will feature jazz music and projections on the Rivers of America to “tell a short, whimsical tale of a mischievous little frog.”

• Over at California Adventure, the new San Fransokyo Square recently opened. Inspired by Big Hero 6, the concept is a combo of San Francisco and Tokyo and has a lot of super fun new food available to order from the various quick-serve stands within. We particularly loved the Karaage-inspired crispy chicken sandwich and the beef bulgogi burritos from Lucky Fortune Cookery.

• To help capture the cultural significance of Dia de los Muertos, the return of A Musical Celebration of Coco at La Plaza de la Familia in California Adventure will run through November 2, along with various themed activities throughout the area that families can participate in.
  

Related: Fun Things to Do With Kids in Southern California—Outside of the Theme Parks

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