This summer while you are walking through the Orlando heat, you may want to stop by for a thrill ride that’s going to cool you off with a splash of water that will take you on an adventure at the Most Magical Place on Earth. On June 28th at Walt Disney World inside of Magic Kingdom marks the debut of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The attraction which features the joy, music and magic from the animated film The Princess and Frog will take Disney patrons down the bayou as they meet some of the famous characters from the movie, which includes Louis, Mama Odie and Princess Tiana herself!
The ride actually picks up after the events of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film. Included in the attraction will be both new and original music with Afro-Cuban beats and be prepared for a 50-foot drop with a splash of much-needed water from the Florida summer heat. Tiana, is now the owner of “Tiana’s Foods” and there are 19 new critters that will be featured as you ride through the bayou.
Sivonne Davis is the VP of Marketing Strategy for Walt Disney World. And she spoke to the press about how the Walt Disney company is connecting with Black audiences as this is the first ride focused on the first and only Black Disney princess.
“It has been a love story to Louisiana, but I think it’s also been a love story to our cast bringing forth all of the different possibilities in a fantastic way. So being a part of the marketing team here to tell that story and to make sure that there’s an invitation to everyone and all of us to come here and be a part of this magic it’s been an honor,” Davis says.
We Came To Play was a personal invitation for Black media to celebrate and also form a community around the launch of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. However, it is also a marketing campaign that the company has recently fostered towards consumers of color. The We Came To Play event this past week included a number of guests as well as a surprise performance from Jenifer Lewis.
“That invitation is intended to make sure that you feel invited and welcomed to come in and play while visiting our park. We want your family, your loved ones, your friends, your girlfriends, to come out and be seen and be engaged. I’ve been here 5 years now and there’s still so much to enjoy. I am still amazed at all of what we have in front of us, and We Came To Play is intended for you to be able to see that too,” she adds.
Speaking to Carmen Smith, SVP of Creative Development, Product Content & Inclusive Strategies, she mentions the immersive experience of the ride. With Tiana’s Bayou Adventure you get to experience music, storytelling, a water cruise and afterwards some good New Orleans bites at the park.
“The story is both fantastical and real. And we wanted people from New Orleans to say ‘Oh my God I feel like I’m home’. And we want people who are not from New Orleans, to feel like they want to go there. I want to experience this magic. We want it to be both magical and real world and it’s something that people can walk away with. They have a tangible and definitive experience but they also have a memory, that our hope will last a lifetime,” Smith says.
You can experience the magic and wonder of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World on June 28th.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
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