Disneyland is looking to spice its food service this fall. But is that what Disneyland fans want?

In advance of Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” taking over the former Splash Mountain next year, Disneyland has transformed the old French Market restaurant into Tiana’s Palace. The restaurant will open officially to Disneyland visitors on Sept. 7.

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In developing the menu, Disney food and beverage managers traveled to Louisiana for inspiration and guidance. The result promises to bring more of the flavors of New Orleans to Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. While that’s great for me and other fans of complex tastes, that’s not what Disneyland and other theme parks have trained their visitors to expect over the past decades.

Traditionally, theme parks have tried to maximize the profitability of the food they offer by minimizing its spiciness. Theme parks want to stock only the food that will sell, and they play it safe by sticking with menu items that appeal to conservative palates. Parks know from experience that adventurous diners are more likely to accept a bland dish than conservative diners are a spicy one.

The beef po’boy sandwich served at Tiana’s Palace will feature slow-cooked beef in gravydressed with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayonnaise on toasted New Orleans french bread, served with red beans & rice and house-made pickle. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The trouble is that “play-it-safe” menu choices become self-fulfilling. Traditional diners aren’t going TO order anything that sounds different or spicy. That limits the market for bold flavors to people who have grown skeptical of parks’ commitment to deliver them. Perhaps in an effort to reset fans’ expectations, Disneyland invited me and others from the media to sample a few items from the Tiana’s Palace menu in advance of the restaurant’s opening.

Expect some zing from the new House Gumbo and Gulf Shrimp and Grits. There’s more depth, complexity and — yes — heat to the flavor in this gumbo than I found in the old French Market’s Jambalaya. There’s a deep roux here that provides the gumbo an almost chocolate-like richness underneath the roasted pepper and vinegar heat of Crystal and Tabasco hot sauces.

The sandwiches have gotten an upgrade, too. The new Tiana’s Palace Beef Po’boy, accompanied by a tasty Red Beans & Rice side dish, might be my new favorite thing to eat at Disneyland, assuming the final product matches the taste of what I enjoyed at the preview.

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This is a change from the French Market’s menu, and change so often elicits complaints, especially from conservative diners. So please let theme park managers everywhere learn this lesson. If guests complain that the food is too spicy or too different, that’s a communication problem, not a culinary one.

Disneyland need not be trapped by its history. But crafting a bold menu is just its first step toward changing the public’s expectations for Disneyland food.

I am happy to use my channels to help tell Disneyland fans what to expect from Tiana’s Palace, but Disneyland needs to do its part by delivering the quality it offered at the media preview and not bailing on the menu before fans who want these flavors can spread the word. New Orleans Square deserves New Orleans flavor. If that’s not your thing, go elsewhere for your burgers and fries.