With the Princess and the Frog retheme of Splash Mountain announced over a month ago, many fans were wondering about the inclusion of Tiana’s Palace. In the movie, Tiana chased the dream of owning her own restaurant, a dream that was finally realized at the end of the film when she was able to purchase an old sugar mill building and named it Tiana’s Palace.

In a recent interview with People, Anika Noni Rose, the actress who voiced Tiana, had some fun speculating about including Tiana’s Palace in the retheme. While some have been quick to say that she is providing insight into the reimagining, or somehow giving a sneak peek as to what Disney has planned, that really isn’t the case and Rose said she’s just agreeing with the fans that it would be a good idea.

“I’ve been looking forward to a Tiana’s Palace for years,” she says. “I agree with the fans that it would be great. I have dreams of them partnering with [New Orleans’] Café du Monde on some real deal beignets, having some fantastic shrimp and grits and king cake during Mardi Gras season. And the occasional second line through the joint… Basically all the things I love!”

Of course, the New Orleans theme would fit nearly seamlessly with the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland that Splash Mountain neighbors, but in Walt Disney World, things are a little more confusing with Splash Mountain sitting in Frontierland. Either way, a retheme is coming, and whether or not that includes a table-service restaurant remains to be seen. Disney has not announced any plans for Disneyland or Walt Disney World beyond the attraction retheme.

Rose still doesn’t know what role, if any, she’ll play in the reimagining, although Disney has said that the plans have been in the works for over a year.

The theme for the ride is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog.” We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.

Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new “land” added to Disneyland park, so it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of “The Princess and the Frog” to our parks.

Charita Carter, the senior creative producer leading the project at Walt Disney Imagineering shared, “Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures. I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”

For Imagineers, change is rooted in a tradition set by Walt Disney who encouraged new innovations, new ideas, new scenes and current storytelling. And the experiences they create can be enjoyed by guests who visit our parks from all over the world.

As part of the creative development process, conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!