Video, Photos: Princess Tiana makes her official Magic Kingdom debut with a special welcome and Showboat Jubilee

A host of Disney characters welcomed Princess Tiana this morning following her horse-drawn carriage ride to Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Tiana is featured in the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated film “The Princess and the Frog” which marks Disney’s return to traditional 2-D hand-drawn animation.

Today’s special welcome was a one-time event in honor of Disney’s newest princess making her way to Walt Disney World’s most magical theme park. Here’s a video of the welcome ceremony:

Shortly thereafter, the official premiere performance of Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee took place. Following a jazz-filled procession through Frontierland and Liberty Square, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Dr. Facilier, and Louis the alligator performed with dancers, musicians, and even park guests in a live musical production that takes place on board the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Belle riverboat.

Here’s video of a complete show of Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee, including the processional beforehand:

The processional leads characters onto the Liberty Belle which then paddlewheels her way from the dock in Liberty Square toward Frontierland, stopping by the bridge in front of Splash Mountain where a song-filled performance is delivered to watching guests. Nearly two dozen Disney dancers join 30 randomly-chosen park guests to be part of each show. Guests are not necessarily chosen near the riverboat but throughout the park.

Original songs composed by Randy Newman for “The Princess and the Frog” are featured during Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee, which will be performed three times daily. Each show lasts 15-minutes. After each show, Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen are be available in a meet and greet area behind the Christmas shop in Liberty Square.

You can learn more about “The Princess and the Frog” and Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee from some of the creative minds behind them in our video below which includes interviews with Show Director for Creative Entertainment at Walt Disney Parks Tara Anderson, Supervising Animator for Dr. Facilier at Walt Disney Feature Animation Bruce Smith, and Merchandise Manager for Walt Disney World Resort Dara Trujillo:

Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee will run for 10 weeks, through Jan. 3, 2010. It will also be performed at Disneyland Park in California beginning Nov. 6. “The Princess and the Frog” will open in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 25, before expanding nationwide on Dec. 11. Little princesses can also enjoy a new Princess Tiana makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at both the World of Disney store and Magic Kingdom locations. In addition, plenty of merchandise related to the film and its characters has made its way into the parks (much of which you can see in the video above).

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