Food is community
“We get to tell that story of what makes Tiana who she is. All of the research that we’ve done in understanding how folks like the Chase family run their business, it inspired us to hear the stories about [Leah Chase] doing all this great charity work for the community,” Robledo said, giving Chase her flowers. Without Chase, we wouldn’t have a huge part of Tiana’s identity as the first African American Disney Princess. Chase was a pillar of the New Orleans community and played a pivotal role during the Civil Rights movement by bringing folks together through food,” Robledo continued, describing how that’s a big part of the Tiana that park-goers will be reuniting with on the new ride. “It inspires us to say ‘You know, if Tiana really is modeled after Leah, she probably would have done those things, too.’ And that movie, in fact, starts with her making gumbo with her dad. And when they’re all done, what’s the next thing they’re sharing with the community, right? Why would she stop doing that as a little girl? She would continue to do that. [The new] attraction brings more of Tiana’s story and more of New Orleans to our guests.”
