Apr 18, 2024 - Culture
Princess Tiana's real-life family will be first to go on her ride at Disney World
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The Chase family will be the first to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure when it opens this summer at Walt Disney World in Florida.
Why it matters: New Orleans chef Leah Chase was the inspiration for Princess Tiana.
- Leah Chase died in 2019 at the age of 96.
The big picture: Disney executives surprised the family at Dooky Chase Wednesday with the invitation.
- Stella Chase Reese and her family have been so involved with the ride's development that Disney gave made her an honorary imagineer Wednesday.
Catch up fast: Tiana's Bayou Adventure is replacing Splash Mountain at Disney World and Disneyland.
- The attraction is meant to be a love letter to New Orleans and has been in the works for more than 10 years, Disney Parks vice president Jason Recher tells Axios New Orleans.
- It's still a log flume ride, and imagineers have been testing it the past few weeks.
Here are some photos from Wednesday's event with the Chase family.
Go deeper:
- Animatronics unveiled for Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
- Disney hires New Orleans musician PJ Morton for new Tiana ride.
- Disney World's New Orleans-themed ride to open this summer.
- New Orleans chef Leah Chase was inspiration for Disney's Princess Tiana.
- Disney's new "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" ride is an ode to New Orleans.