New nighttime entertaining is coming to the “Happiest Place on Earth,” park officials announced on Thursday.
Beginning Sept. 29, “The Heartbeat of New Orleans – A Living Mural,” a story about a mischievous little frog, will entertain Disneyland guests in New Orleans Square. The mural will come to life with the help of projections and a jazz score, according to a press release.
The unique art installation, along with Queenie and the Jambalaya Jazz Band will “enhance the atmosphere on the Rivers of America on select evenings this fall and nightly during the holiday season,” theme park officials said. The new nighttime offering is a limited-time engagement.
Disneyland previously announced that the band would begin their nightly sets at 7:35 p.m. Guests were also encouraged to check the official Disneyland app for other performance times and updates.
Disneyland also announced that the Adventureland Treehouse, inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson, is slated to open in the fall, but the park didn’t specify an exact opening date.
The new entertainment on Rivers of America comes after Disneyland paused “Fantasmic!” performances through at least spring 2024 after a fire broke out during a show in April.
The fire destroyed the large dragon prop used to portray the Disney character Maleficent. Video and photos from the scene showed the fire ignited in the dragon’s head before spreading to the rest of its body.
As the fire ignited, cast members evacuated the crowd from the waterfront viewing area and nearby attractions as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
In response to the fire, Disneyland previously told KTLA they would be “temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland park’s ‘Fantasmic’ at select shows and entertainment experiences globally” as a precautionary measure.
