Tiana's Palace makeover puts the spotlight on food

You’ll have to look closely to see the visual nods to “The Princess and the Frog” in the understated makeover of the former French Market at Disneyland that makes the updated New Orleans-inspired menu the star of the show at the new Princess Tiana restaurant.

Tiana’s Palace will open today in New Orleans Square at the Anaheim theme park.

Disneyland offered a sneak peek at the new restaurant and a taste of the New Orleans-inspired menu during a media preview Wednesday.

At first glance, Tiana’s new quick-service restaurant doesn’t look very different from the French Market — until you take a closer look at the details and dive deeper into the menu.

It makes sense that Disneyland and Walt Disney Imagineering wouldn’t need to do much to transform the New Orleans Square eatery since filmmakers took inspiration from the exterior of the French Market when designing Tiana’s Palace for the 2009 Disney animated movie.

A part in the middle of the green and gold sun shades reveals the new riverboat wheelhouse and twin smokestacks atop the roof and the glittering Tiana’s Palace sign on the gold wrought iron balcony.

Popcorn lights hanging from the balconies and awnings and rimming the building facade should make for a pretty scene at night.

The expansive awnings provide plenty of shade to about the same amount of tables as the former French Market restaurant.

Overall, the twin buffetstyle layout of the French Market has changed little after the remodel — outside of the subtle Princess Tiana thematic overlay.

A skylight window with delicate floral filigree glows blue with the night stars arrayed below on the tile floor.

Copper oyster steaming pans and gold baking tins dangle from hooks next to wooden rolling pins and beignet-making utensils.

Framed watercolors and pen-and-ink drawings of French Quarter scenes hang on the walls alongside blackand-white photos of New Orleans jazz bands.

The restaurant’s new floral light fixtures are based on those drawn by Disney animators for the film.

A Firefly Five Plus Lou drumhead pays tribute to the movie as well as a 1950s Disney animators Dixieland jazz band known as the Firehouse Five Plus Two.

A tiny banjo, accordion, trumpet and tuba rest on a shelf next to a Tiffany-style lamp with dragonfly designs in deep blues and vibrant reds.

Recipe cards on either side of the wall menu offer a little history on key ingredients like andouille, chicory and heirloom rice.

Behind the cashier, a cute green bell with a firefly clapper dangles from the curved tongue of a cute green crowned frog.

A blanket of stars twinkles in a bayou mural stretching along the back of the restaurant interior between mosscovered trees and floating lilies.

Close inspection reveals a few obvious but not overbearing nods to the princess at the center of the thematic overlay.

Handwritten notes to Tiana rave about her cooking and promise to visit her restaurant again.

Tiana’s pea green hat and coat hang on a hook near the exit.

A portrait of toddler Tiana with a wooden spoon in her hand and a golden tiara on her head snuggling in her father’s arms stands near the front door — and offers the only glimpse of the princess who inspired the extreme restaurant makeover.

The food is the star of the show at Princess Tiana’s new restaurant.

Dessert is served first in the buffet line — just the way Tiana likes it.

The po’boy rolls are preloaded with pickles, lettuce and tomatoes awaiting the addition of slow-roasted beef and gravy.

The tasty muffuletta faces an uphill battle against the ridiculously good po’boy. Fortunately both of Tiana’s sandwiches come with the addictive red beans and rice along with a surprisingly tangy side of pickles.

A thick square of baked mac and cheese was a little too dry and not gooey enough during the preview taste test.