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Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room[edit]

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is an attraction located in Adventureland.

Attraction History[edit]

Creation for Disneyland[edit]

Walt Disney in Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room

Inspired by the technology used within the toy, Walt decided that if toy makers could animate 3D objects, his Imagineers could too. After dissecting the bird and understanding the technology that made it work, Disney Imagineers were able to produce fluid, Audio Animatronic tropical birds (including toucans and macaws) ^[2].

With this new technology in hand, Walt decided to revisit an old idea. Earlier in the 1950s, Disney had planned on building a Chinese restaurant (complete with an Audio Animatronic Confucius) for Disneyland's Main Street USA ^[2]. Also included in the show was to be a number of real and imaginary animals, including birds. Although the human Audio Animatronic proved too difficult, Walt decided to retheme the restaurant as a Polynesian musical revue, featuring singing tropical birds. The restaurant was going to be called “The Enchanted Tiki Room” (although some sources use the name "Tiki Hut") and it was to be located in Disneyland’s Adventureland ^{[1] [3]}. Although Disney announced plans for the restaurant to the public, logistical concerns eventually derailed the idea. It was determined that a full course meal would take between 45 and 60 minutes on average, and thus a very limited number of guests would be able to see the musical show ^[3]. On October 9, 1963, Walt decided that instead of creating a dinner show, Disney would create a full-fledged attraction ^[2].

In order to turn this new Tiki attraction into a reality, Walt turned to his Imagineers. Although Walt had originally told him, “This show doesn’t have to be a natural history museum. Let’s have some fun!” ^[2] Imagineer Rolly Crump's designs were deemed to be a bit too abstract. Disney then turned to sculptor Blaine Gibson to create the residents of the Enchanted Tiki Room. Although much more realistic then Crump's designs, Gibson still did not create an "absolutely realistic parrot" in order to give the hosts some character ^[2]. Assisting Gibson in creating characters was Imagineer Marc Davis who designed the totems who come to life inside the attraction, as well as some of the singing flowers and birds ^[2]. When it came to creating the birds themselves, Imagineer Harriet Burns was charged with designing and creating the feathering, which she often did using real feathers. When describing his vision for the birds, Walt told Burns, "I want these birds to be so real you can see them breathe." ^[2]

With the design of the show now in place, Walt turned to the Sherman Brothers to create a new song for the attraction ^[3], which had a working title of Legends of the Enchanted Tiki ^[4]. According to the Shermans, “we suggested that the song could be done in a calypso beat: ‘the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room.’ It had a sound you could remember. And Walt bought the idea, just like that." ^[2] As they were working on the attraction, the Sherman brothers suggested that a specific parrot be the emcee of the entire show. Walt liked this idea, but took it one step further. Instead of relying on a single host, the attraction would be hosted by four parrots which had French, Spanish, German, and Irish accents. Besides just providing the Tiki Room with a catchy song, the Sherman brothers also previewed what would be coming in the rest of the attraction with their opening number The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room ^[5].

Although the Sherman Brother's song set the stage for the rest of the attraction, The Enchanted Tiki Room's script was written by Larry Clemmons, Marty Sklar, Wally Boag, and Fulton Burley ^[6]. Hosting the tropical revue was four macaws named Jose, Fritz, Michael and Pierre (voiced respectively by Wally Boag, Fulton Burley, Thrul Ravenscroft, and Ernie Newton ^[6] .

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room finally opened to guests on June 23, 1963. In total the attraction featured a stunning 225 Audio Animatronic characters performing a 17 minute tropical revue.

Walt Disney World[edit]

In 1998 The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) opened

The Tropical Serenade remained unchanged until 1997, when the show closed for renovations. Due to the attractions waning popularity, Disney decided they needed to seriously update the show. In order to do this, Imagineers added the popular characters Zazu (from Disney’s The Lion King) and Iago (from Disney’s Aladdin) to the attraction. Furthermore, the show was given a new plot that centered around Iago and Zazu becoming the new owners of the Tiki Room ^[9]. Although the show featured a brand new script and musical numbers, the original Tiki birds remained a part of the show ^[9]. After an extensive refurbishment, the Tropical Serenade reopened as The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management on April 5, 1998 ^[10].

Despite Disney's efforts to make the new show appeal to a wider audience, Under New Management quickly proved to be unpopular with guests and attendance problems once again plagued the attraction ^[3]. In 2011 a small fire broke out in the attic of the Tiki Room theater, causing the sprinkler system to be activated ^[9]. Although no one was injured in the fire, it has been heavily speculated that the Audio Animatronic Iago was badly damaged and that the attraction suffered some water damage ^[11]. The damage from the fire combined with the fact that a refurbished Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland had regained its popularity, convinced Disney that the time was right to bring back the Tropical Serenade ^[3]. To this end, on August 15, 2011 ^[12] the original show reopened as Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Opening in time for the Magic Kingdom's 40th anniversary ^[9], Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room follows the same script as the original show, however it is six minutes shorter. This brevity was caused by the removal of the "Barcarolle" number from Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman” opera ^[6] and some of the attraction's dialogue ^{[13] [3]}.

Attraction Plot[edit]

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is a Polynesian Revue, featuring 150 singing Audio Animatronics.

Preshow[edit]

Claude and Clyde welcome guests to the Enchanted Tiki Room

The Enchanted Tiki Room's preshow begins as guests wait outside of the Sunshine Pavilion. When the show is close to beginning, a waterfall found in the middle of the queue opens up to reveal two toucans, Claude (voiced by Sebastian Cabot) and Clyde (voiced by Dallas McKennon). After introducing themselves, Claude and Clyde tell the humerus tale of how they found the Enchanted Tiki Room before telling the audience that they hope that (guests) have a real "Tropical Serenade".

The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room[edit]

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room begins with guests entering the Enchanted Tiki Room, only to find all of the birds inside sleeping. A cast member then “wakes up” Jose (The red, white and green macaw located in the middle of the room) by either taping him with a stick or having the audience cheer loudly. After Jose is awake, the macaw wakes up the attractions three other hosts: Michael (a white and green macaw), Pierre (a white and blue macaw) and Fritz (a red, black, and white macaw). With the four hosts now ready to put on the show, Michael says they need to “wake up the glee club”, which he does with a loud whistle. As all of the birds throughout the room begin to chirp, the cast sings the attraction's first song The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room

Song Lyrics[edit]

Jose, one of the hosts of the Enchanted Tiki Room

Jose: Ole, ole it's 'cho time.

All: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room,

In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room

Jose: All the birds sing words

Michael: And the flowers croon

All: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room.

Michael:

Welcome to our tropical hideaway, you lucky people you, if we weren't in the show starting right away, we'd be in the audience too.

All: Altogether!

In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room, in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room

Jose: All the birds sing words

Michael: And the flowers croon

All: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room.

Fritz: I sing so beautiful, I should sing solo.

Jose: Si, so low we can't HEAR you.

Pierre: My voice may not be so marvelous, but my profile is out of this world.

The inside of the Enchanted Tiki Room

Michael: Jawohl, but the trouble is - it's not FAR enough out of this world. Isn't that right Herr Schmidt? Whoo hoo! I see Schmidt has no hair!

Jose: Mi amigos stop the clucking, you sound like a bunch of old hens.

There's a lot of birds waiting to go on. For instance:

Michael: The boys in the back are called macaws.

Jose: Because of their claws?

Michael: No because they're macaws!

And our fine feathered friend is a jolly toucan, and two can sound better than one toucan can.

(toucan hooting)

Michael:

The bird of paradise is an elegant bird, it likes to be seen, and it loves to be heard. Most little birdies will fly away, but the Tiki Room birds are here everyday.

All: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room,

in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room

Jose: All the birds sing words

Michael: And the flowers croon

All: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room.

Pierre:

Our magnificent production is yet to come,

The "Bird Mobile" girls performing "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing"

So strum the guitar, and beat the drum. We've been a hit, and we know you adore us, so come on and join us in another chorus!

Everyone: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room,

in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room

Michael: A little softer...

Everyone: All the birds sing words and the flowers croon,

in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room.

Michael: A little louder...

Everyone:

in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room, in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room, all the birds sing words and the flowers croon, in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room!

Let’s All Sing Like The Birdies Sing[edit]

Following “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” Jose directs guests' attention to the center of the room. Here a “Bird Mobile” full of female birds descends from the ceiling (although effect has ceased working recently). Pierre then introduces the girls by name as: Colette, Suzette, Mimi, Gigi, Fifi and Josephine, before he is interrupted by Jose who wonders aloud "I wonder what ever happened to Rosita". The girls then start singing the attraction's second song, "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing"

Song Lyrics[edit]

Girls: Let's all sing like the birdies sing, Tweet, tweet tweet, tweet tweet, Let's all sing like the birdies sing, Sweet, sweet swee-ee-eet, sweet, Let's all warble like nightingales, Give your throat a treat, Take your time from the birds, Now you all know the words, Tweet, tweet tweet, tweet tweet.

Jose (Impersonating Bing Crosby):

Let's all sing like the birdies sing. Bubbaboo, ba bubbaboo, baboo...

Michael (Impersonating Louis Armstrong):

Let's all sing like the birdies sing, Tweet tweet tweet, my that bird sings sweetly.

Pierre (Impersonating Maurice Chevauliver):

Let's all warble like nightingales, Ah, qui qui, est magnifique, Take your time from ze birds,

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/disneyland-classics-walt-disneys-enchanted-tiki-room
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7} https://d23.com/tiki-room-50th-anniversary-archives/
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/walt_disney_world/theme_parks/magic_kingdom/adventureland/the_enchanted_tiki_room/
4. ↑ https://d23.com/tiki-room-50th-anniversary-archives/
5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trtJMX90Etw
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} http://www.wdwmagic.com/articles/10aug2016-let's-all-sing-like-the-birdies-sing---part-ii.htm
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} http://waltdatedworld.com/id47.htm
8. ↑ http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/stt.htm
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} http://www.yesterland.com/newmanagement.html
10. ↑ http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/the-enchanted-tiki-room-under-new-management.htm
11. ↑ http://thedisneyblog.com/2011/01/16/update-on-tiki-room-fire/
12. ↑ http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2011/08/walt_disneys_enchanted_tiki_ro_1.html
13. ↑ http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/walt_disney_world's_magic_kingdom/enchanted_tiki_room/