Plot

A waitress desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurant owner is set on a journey to turn a frog prince back into a human, but she has to face the same problem after she kisses him.

A modern day retelling of the classic story The Frog Prince. The Princess and the Frog finds the lives of arrogant, carefree Prince Naveen and hardworking waitress Tiana crossing paths. Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by a conniving voodoo magician and Tiana, following suit, upon kissing the amphibian royalty. With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator, a Cajun firefly, and an old blind lady who lives in a boat in a tree, Naveen and Tiana must race to break the spell and fulfill their dreams.—The Massie Twins

In New Orleans, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) an African American girl is visiting the LaBouff family, where Tiana's mother Eudora (Oprah Winfrey) is crafting a dress for the family's daughter, Charlotte "Lottie" La Bouff (Jennifer Cody). Charlotte is a lover of fairy tales, and Eudora reads the two the story of "The Frog Prince." While Charlotte is enamored with kissing a frog that becomes a prince, Tiana finds the thought disgusting.

Upon returning to their humble home in a run-down neighborhood, Tiana helps her father, James (Terrence Howard) prepare gumbo. As the meal is finished, her father tells of his dream to one day open his own restaurant. Tiana's father says that food has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life. When Tiana eagerly chimes in that she wants to help, her father claims they'll call it Tiana's Place. Upon seeing the Evening Star outside her window, Tiana makes a wish.

As time passes, Tiana's dad is dead & she is working 2 jobs but still holding to her dream. Tiana is now 19 years old and is a waitress at a diner. She saves all her tips in tin cans in her drawer at home. One day Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff (John Goodman) comes into the diner with Charlotte. Eli who has been named King of the Mardi Gras for the fifth year in a row. Eli is a very wealthy Southern sugar mill owner, and he spoils Charlotte with everything she asks for, he is a loving and generous man and loves Tiana's cooking.

He tells Tiana that he has invited Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Bruno Campos) to his house during his visit to New Orleans. Eli is hosting a masquerade ball in Naveen's honor. As Naveen is single, Charlotte hopes to fulfill her wish of marrying a prince and living happily ever after. As this conversation takes place, Eli and Charlotte are being overheard by a shady man named Dr Facilier, who was earlier seen performing small con jobs on passerby people on the streets.

Charlotte is very excited & pays Tiana to make appetizers for the party. The money is just enough to allow her to purchase an old warehouse to start her fine dining restaurant. Tiana contacts the building's owners and shows the place to her mother. While Eudora is pleased, she is worried that Tiana seems to have no time for herself, with her one-mindedness regarding the restaurant.

Prince Naveen & assistant Lawrence are entertaining street kids & Lawrence reveals that prince is broke. Naveen is a 20-year-old musician and playboy who has been cut off from his family's riches until he learns the value of responsibility. He is New Orleans to find a wealthy wife.

Dr Facilier (Keith David) is a sinister man who is shadowing Naveen through New Orleans. He introduces himself as a person specializing in "Tarot Readings, Charms, Potions, Dreams Made Real" & lures Naveen into a dark alley. Lawrence believes that Facilier is a charlatan, but Facilier asks Naveen and Lawrence to pull 3 cards each from a deck of Tarot cards.

Facilier looks at Naveen's cards, and deduces that he is from across the sea, and despite being royalty has little money, due to his parents cutting off his funds. He says the prince needs to marry a rich young woman, but this would conflict with his urges to be free. Lastly, the Shadow Man states that although freedom takes money, he sees the prince being wealthy in his future. He then moves onto Lawrence, and after inspecting the assistant's cards, concludes that although he has been pushed around by others all his life, he will be the man he always wanted to be, namely, Lawrence being wealthy, powerful and the boss of Naveen.

Facilier shakes hands with Naveen and pricks him & fills a talisman with his blood. Due to the spell, Naveen changes into a frog and by wearing the Talisman, Lawrence changes his appearance and now looks like Naveen. Dr. Facilier, also known as the Shadow Man, a witch doctor who plans to rule New Orleans with help from his "friends on the other side".

At the ball Naveen arrives & dances with Charlotte. Tiana discovers that the owners of the property have also attended the function, as they approach her and the food. Tiana is told by the owners of the warehouse that she has been outbid and are planning to deny her the property, unless she can come up with more money. Tiana accidentally spills food on her outfit, so Charlotte lends her a princess costume. Feeling disheartened, she begins wishing on a star.

Tiana goes to Charlotte's room to cry & finds a frog talking to her. After being startled and throwing stuffed animals at the frog, the frog tells her that he is Naveen & the one dancing with Charlotte is Lawrence. Putting the talisman around his neck turned Lawrence into Naveen. Lawrence is tired of slaving for Naveen & wants to be rich. Believing Tiana is an actual princess, he asks her to kiss him to break the spell, offering her a financial reward. Tiana reluctantly agrees to save her restaurant dream.

Tiana kisses Naveen & she also turns into a frog. Shocked and angry, she launches herself at the prince and tackles him, until they both go flying out the window onto a drum set, before falling into the neck of Charlotte's dress.

They are chased by Labouff family dog & escape on balloons. Naveen finds that Tiana is a waitress, working her way to her own restaurant, and is livid as this is the reason that the kiss did not work. The two engage in a heated argument before the balloons suddenly pop and they are sent falling into a lake. They narrowly escape a large fish and then an aggressive crane, followed by a group of hungry alligators from which they hide in an old tree and spend the night. Naveen promises that when he marries Charlotte, he will get Tiana her restaurant.

Facilier meets Lawrence & is livid at him for letting Naveen out of his jar. Facilier says that the talisman does not work on himself, and this is why he needs the help of Lawrence to implement his plan. Facilier reveals the plan to marry Lawrence (under Naveen's disguise) to Charlotte, kill Big Daddy & share the fortune.

Naveen & Tiana meet a music loving gator Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) a friendly yet neurotic trumpet-playing alligator whose dream is to join a human jazz band. Louis says how he tried to join a jazz band on a river boat once, but he ended up scaring all humans and was shot at as he jumped back into the swamp. After listening to Naveen that he and Tiana are humans turned into frog as a result of a spell, Louis tells them of Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis) a blind, 197-year-old witch doctor, who can break their spell. He even agrees to take them to Mama Odie in the hope of turning himself human so that he can play to a live audience.

Louis does not know the way to Mama Odie and soon the trio are lost in the swamp. The trio run into firefly Ray (Jim Cummings) who joins the trio & leads them to mama Odie. Ray is a middle-aged Cajun firefly. He and his vast family are close friends with Mama Odie, so he offers to help the frogs get to her. Ray has an unrequited love for the Evening Star, which he believes is another firefly named "Evangeline". During the journey, Tiana and Naveen begin developing romantic feelings for each other, especially after Naveen learns to be more responsible.

Back in Labouff house, Naveen's blood in the talisman is draining away & so is its effect on Lawrence as he slowly returns to his normal self. Lawrence (as Naveen) proposes to Charlotte & she accepts. To keep the appearance, Facilier asks for help from his friends "On the Other side". He makes a deal to hand over all souls in New Orleans if the spirits help him find Naveen. They agree and they grant him an army of shadow demons for his bidding. Facilier sends the shadow demons to find Naveen and to bring him back.

Tiana & Naveen are captured by hunters who are eager for frog legs. Tiana puts her freedom on the line to free Naveen. He is about to escape but then comes back to free Tiana. The prince admits that since his charmed life in the castle, he doesn't know how to do anything. One of the shadows under Facilier's orders, meanwhile, finds flowers as evidence of the frogs and lets out a piercing call. Soon the other shadows follow him and they make their way towards the prince.

Soon, the spirits find Naveen in the swamp. They capture Naveen but are chased away by Mama Odie. She brings them back to her tree house and introduces them to her pet python Juju, who she uses as a walking stick. Naveen & Tiana profess their desire to turn human. Mama Odie discovers the spell can only be broken if a princess kisses Naveen. Tiana realizes that since Charlotte's father has been crowned Mardi Gras king, Charlotte will be a princess until midnight. Odie tells them that if Charlotte kisses Naveen before midnight, they both will turn back into humans.

The group decides to take a ferry boat back into New Orleans, during which Naveen tells Ray about his love for Tiana and plans to propose marriage to her & has a pearl ring to propose. Tiana tells him of her dream restaurant & the promise Naveen made of giving her the money if she helps him turn human. After talking to Tiana, Naveen selflessly decides against proposing, since transforming him and Tiana into humans and financing Tiana's restaurant is contingent on him kissing Charlotte. Naveen promises to do anything it takes to make her dream real. Just then he is captured by the spirits & taken to Facilier.

Facilier uses Naveen's blood to turn Lawrence into Naveen. Lawrence is then taken to the public wedding ceremony with Charlotte. After Ray tells Tiana of Naveen's love for her, Tiana heads to the Mardi Gras parade to find Naveen. Tiana watches Lawrence beside Charlotte & thinks Naveen has betrayed her & is heartbroken. Ray had told Tiana that Naveen loved her. Tia is devastated and tunes out Ray as he wonders how it can be true, when Mama Odie specifically said both frogs would be turned human once again.

Ray finds Naveen locked inside a small chest right next to Lawrence and quickly sets him free. Naveen launches himself at the former assistant, and the two go tumbling off the float. Lawrence runs off to dispose of the frog, but the prince takes the talisman off his neck and throws it to Ray who flies away with it. The shadows and Facilier run after the firefly, and to help him, Louis stops playing and growls, alerting the other musicians that he's an actual alligator. As the crowd screams and parts, Louis runs off to help his friend.

Ray, meanwhile, zooms towards Tiana, and quickly explains the nature of the talisman, claiming it proves that what they saw wasn't the truth. Tiana hops off with the object, while Ray stays behind to destroy as many shadows as possible.

Just as the ceremony is about to be completed, Ray joins Naveen to disrupt proceedings. Ray rescues the real Naveen, steals the talisman, and gives it to Tiana, just before Facilier swats him to the ground and crushes him beneath his foot, mortally wounding him. Tiana gets the talisman & is about to break it when Facilier gives her a vision of her own restaurant & success. Facilier tells Tiana that she could get everything that her father ever wanted, but she determinedly tells the witch doctor that although her father never got what he wanted, he had what he needed. Tiana is tempted but then realizes what's really important & breaks the Talisman. As she does, Facilier's powers go away & he is dragged by the spirits to the underworld.

Charlotte finds that the prince she is about to marry is the fat Lawrence. Naveen arrives & tells Charlotte about Facilier. He agrees to marry Charlotte if she kisses him & makes her promise to give money for Tiana's restaurant. Charlotte is about to kiss him when Tiana arrives & stops him. After Lawrence is arrested, Tiana reveals her love to Naveen. Charlotte is moved by this and agrees to kiss Naveen so he and Tiana can be human together, but as the clock strikes midnight, Charlotte is no longer a princess, so Tiana and Naveen remain frogs.

Ray dies, but during the funeral Tiana and Naveen arrange for him, he is reincarnated as a star. Mama Odie marries off Tiana & Naveen as frogs. As Tiana is married, she becomes a princess & when she kisses Naveen, they both turn into humans.

At Finner Bros. Realty, Tiana pushes over tins of her hard-earned money, and the brothers are encouraged by a growl from Louis to hand over the key to the restaurant. Tia and Naveen then get to work, and begin to redecorate and clean up the property, until it is beautifully furnished, and Louis is shown to be playing the trumpet with a band, on the stage. The restaurant is full, and Charlotte, 'Big Daddy' La Bouffe, Naveen's parents and Eudora are all seated. Charlotte then dances with Naveen's younger brother, who's only six and a half but Charlotte says that she's waited this long. Tiana and Naveen then dance and kiss on the roof of the restaurant.