Jenifer Lewis Reflects on Mama Odie’s Enduring Legacy From Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to Tiana’s Joyful Celebration

Sometimes the lesson is bigger than the story.

When Disney fans visit Tiana's Bayou Adventure, they hear the familiar voice of Jenifer Lewis guiding them as Mama Odie through Princess Tiana's latest adventure. But at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Lewis recently celebrated a different way Tiana's story is reaching audiences: Tiana's Joyful Celebration, the Walt Disney Imagineering-created exhibit that invites families to step beyond the film and experience the culture, music, food, and history that inspired it.

Lewis visited the museum last Friday, where she spoke about the enduring appeal of The Princess and the Frog, the importance of exposing children to different cultures and histories, and the lessons that continue to resonate through Mama Odie nearly two decades after the film's release. While she was there to celebrate Tiana's Joyful Celebration, many of the themes she discussed can be found throughout The Children's Museum of Indianapolis itself.

In many ways, the wisdom Mama Odie shares with Tiana extends far beyond Disney attractions and exhibits, reflecting the broader mission of helping children discover the world around them.

Down in New Orleans

Lewis was immediately captivated by Tiana's Joyful Celebration. "You're in a whole other world," she said. "You're in New Orleans."

That sense of immersion is central to the exhibit's design. Rather than simply telling guests about New Orleans, Tiana's Joyful Celebration invites them to experience it through music, food, storytelling, and hands-on activities.

"The culture, the music, the sights, the food," Lewis said. "It's all here for the kids to learn."

For Lewis, that educational component is just as important as the Disney connection. The exhibit allows children to step into a place they may never have visited and encounter traditions and perspectives beyond their own experiences.

"And that's what we want them to do," she said. "To be moved when they leave here."

Almost There

Part of what has made The Princess and the Frog endure for over 15 years is that its story reaches beyond fantasy.

"They're telling a real story," Lewis said. "About a little girl that has a dream."

That idea continues to resonate through Disney experiences today, including Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, where Lewis's voice once again guides guests as Mama Odie. Reflecting on hearing herself in the attraction, Lewis spoke about the unique legacy of animation and themed entertainment.

"When you walk around … and you go to see Tiana's Bayou Adventure and there's your voice as Mama Odie." 

The experience left her contemplating how stories continue to reach new generations long after they are first created.

"I'll be gone in 200 years," Lewis said. "But Mama Odie will still be here."

That enduring connection between storytelling and learning is also what makes Tiana's Joyful Celebration feel at home within The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Like many of the museum's exhibits, it uses a familiar story as a starting point for deeper exploration and discovery.

Gonna Take You There

Lewis repeatedly returned to the value of exposing children to different cultures and experiences.

"Bring your children here to have this experience," she said. "Visit museums. Get that history. Educate our children."

That philosophy can be seen throughout the museum.

While Tiana's Joyful Celebration introduces visitors to New Orleans, the museum's Take Me There: Peru exhibit immerses guests in Peru’s three major regions and invites them to explore the country’s rich cultural tapestry in an immersive, authentic environment.

Lewis believes those experiences matter. "Show them," she said. "Teach them the different cultures." Her perspective comes from personal experience. "I've traveled all over the world," Lewis said. "And it's always the people. The people that bring the magic."

That sentiment serves as a fitting description not only of New Orleans and Peru, but of the museum's broader mission. The exhibits are not simply about places. They are about the people who live there, the stories they tell, and the traditions they pass down.

"The world is so diverse," Lewis said. "You have to present that to the next generation."

Find Out Who You Are

Lewis also spoke passionately about the importance of helping children understand history. "History," she said. "That's what they need."

That message can be found throughout the museum, including The Power of Children: Making a Difference. The exhibit uses the stories of four young people who faced extraordinary challenges - Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, Ryan White, and Malala Yousafzai to demonstrate how courage, determination, and compassion can shape the world around us. Each story is presented in a very immersive way for appropriately aged children.

Though very different from the colorful celebration found in Tiana's Joyful Celebration, the exhibit shares a common purpose: helping children see themselves as part of a larger story.

Lewis believes those experiences help children grow into more thoughtful and empathetic adults. "That's what's going to make them real full and whole human beings," she said.

Whether children are exploring New Orleans through Princess Tiana, experiencing life in Peru, or learning about people who made a difference, each exhibit offers an opportunity to better understand the world and the people who inhabit it.

Dig a Little Deeper

Lewis also reflected on the care and creativity that brought Tiana's Joyful Celebration to life. "I am overwhelmed with how much love went into this exhibit," she said.

Yet her comments suggested that the exhibit's greatest achievement may be something larger than its Disney connections. For Lewis, museums are places where children can encounter new cultures, learn from history, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. Those are the same lessons that have long been at the heart of Mama Odie's wisdom.

"When you are in that group, you pretty much are loving what you do," Lewis said. "And that love is what is going to reach around the globe." "It is magical," Lewis said. "Joyful, magical, and interactive for the kids."

In many ways, that description captures not only Tiana's Joyful Celebration, but the broader mission of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis itself: encouraging children to dig a little deeper, discover something new, and leave with a greater appreciation for the people, places, and stories that make up our world.