As the beginning of one of Disney's most beloved princesses comes to an end, a classic attraction at Walt Disney World, Splash Mountain, closed forever to make way for a reimagined family ride inspired by Princess Tiana from the animated film, Princess and The Frog. This, coupled with the fact that Disney+ has approved a new series featuring the studio's first black princess, means Anika Noni Rose will be busy reprising her role both for the attraction and the show.
Tiana is extremely pleased with her legacy with the Disney community as well as the world at large. "I think the true legacy [of Princess & The Frog] is the way that it has changed the way young brown girls look at themselves," Anika told HollywoodLife during our interview at The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert.
When asked about the upcoming show and the addition of Splash Mountain to Tiana's Bayou Adventure, she replied, "I can't tell you anything about Princess Tiana." Many fans are disappointed by Disney's decision to erase the ride's racist past.
Splash Mountain was inspired by the 1946 musical film Song of the South, which has been discontinued in any form for more than 35 years. Br’er Rabbit and other animatronic characters from that film will be gone, replaced with Princess Tiana, Louis the alligator, and other beloved characters, as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance...IYK!
The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection concert will take place on February 1st at Lincoln Center in New York City to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, the #1 killer of women, according to Anika. "We need to think about it, to talk about it, and to be aware of it."
“I am fairly regular with cardio,” she adds. “I don't usually exercise, though, as I love french fries. I'm just very conscious of what I'm doing into my body.”
