Difference between revisions of "Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room"
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| − | The genesis of what would one day become Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room began in 1950s, with Walt Disney himself. At the time, Walt and his Imagineers had been working on a way to animate three dimensional figures for use in Disneyland but had found minimal success as the technology that they developed (Audio | + | The genesis of what would one day become Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room began in 1950s, with Walt Disney himself. At the time, Walt and his Imagineers had been working on a way to animate three dimensional figures for use in Disneyland but had found minimal success as the technology that they developed (Audio Animatronics) was still very crude and unreliable. Although they had been able to animate some of the creatures on Disneyland’s [[Jungle Cruise]], attempts at more complex Animatronics had proven unsuccessful. While on vacation in New Orleans, Walt came upon, and bought a mechanical toy bird that could sing, as well as move its beak and wings. Inspired by the technology, Walt decided that if toymakers 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). |
With this new technology in hand, Walt decided to revisit an old idea. Earlier in the 50s, Disney had planned on building a Chinese restaurant (complete with an Audio Animatronic Confucius) for Main Street USA. 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 Tiki Hut”, and it was to be located in Disneyland’s Adventureland. 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. Instead of creating a dinner show, Disney decided to create a 17 minute attraction. The show, called “Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room”, opened to guests in Disneyland on June 23 1963, and featured 225 Audio Animatronic characters as well as a new Sherman Brothers song, [[The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room]]. | With this new technology in hand, Walt decided to revisit an old idea. Earlier in the 50s, Disney had planned on building a Chinese restaurant (complete with an Audio Animatronic Confucius) for Main Street USA. 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 Tiki Hut”, and it was to be located in Disneyland’s Adventureland. 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. Instead of creating a dinner show, Disney decided to create a 17 minute attraction. The show, called “Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room”, opened to guests in Disneyland on June 23 1963, and featured 225 Audio Animatronic characters as well as a new Sherman Brothers song, [[The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room]]. | ||
Revision as of 17:07, 13 February 2013
| Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room | |
| |
| The outside of the Enchanted Tiki Room | |
| Magic Kingdom | |
| Land | Adventureland |
|---|---|
| Attraction type | Musical Show |
| Theme | Polynesia |
| Opening date | October 1, 1971 |
| Closing date | September 1, 1997 |
| Hosted by | Jose, Michael, Fritz, Pierre |
| Ride duration | 11:00 minutes |
| Audio-Animatronics | 150 |
| Reopened | August 15, 2011 |
| Previous Attraction | Tropical Serenade (1971-1997) The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management (1997-2011) |
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| |
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is an attraction located in Adventureland.
Contents
Attraction History
The genesis of what would one day become Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room began in 1950s, with Walt Disney himself. At the time, Walt and his Imagineers had been working on a way to animate three dimensional figures for use in Disneyland but had found minimal success as the technology that they developed (Audio Animatronics) was still very crude and unreliable. Although they had been able to animate some of the creatures on Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise, attempts at more complex Animatronics had proven unsuccessful. While on vacation in New Orleans, Walt came upon, and bought a mechanical toy bird that could sing, as well as move its beak and wings. Inspired by the technology, Walt decided that if toymakers 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). With this new technology in hand, Walt decided to revisit an old idea. Earlier in the 50s, Disney had planned on building a Chinese restaurant (complete with an Audio Animatronic Confucius) for Main Street USA. 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 Tiki Hut”, and it was to be located in Disneyland’s Adventureland. 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. Instead of creating a dinner show, Disney decided to create a 17 minute attraction. The show, called “Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room”, opened to guests in Disneyland on June 23 1963, and featured 225 Audio Animatronic characters as well as a new Sherman Brothers song, The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room.
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room proved to be a smash hit for Disneyland, and thus it was an obvious choice for inclusion in Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom’s version of the Tiki Room was renamed the “Tropical Serenade”, and the attraction opened with the rest of the park on October 1, 1971. Although the show itself was essentially a carbon copy of the Disneyland version, the queue and attraction building were quite different. Instead of having a large waiting lobby (as Disneyland did), the Tropical Serenade featured three separate covered lines, giving the queue more order. Also unlike Disneyland (which had limited space) Walt Disney World’s version of the Tiki Room was shown in a large theater topped with a large pagoda, making it much more noticeable.
The Tropical Serenade remained unchanged until 1997, when the show closed for renovations. Due to lack of popularity, Disney decided to retheme the show, adding popular the characters Zazu (from Disney’s The Lion King) and Iago (from Disney’s Aladdin). The attraction reopened as the “Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) on April 5, 1998. The premise of the new show featured Zazu and Iago as the new owners of the Tiki Room, and although the show briefly included the original shows theme song, “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room”, Under New Management featured an all new soundtrack. “Under New Management” quickly proved to be unpopular with guests and attendance problems once again plagued the attraction. In 2011 a small fire broke out in the attic of the theater, causing the sprinkler system to be activated. Although no one was injured in the fire, the Audio Animatronic Iago was badly damaged and the attraction suffered some water damage. Due to both the fire, and the increased popularity of a refurbished Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland, Disney decided to restore the attraction to a version of the original show. The attraction reopened as “Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room” on August 15 2011, in time for the Magic Kingdom’s 40th anniversary. The “new” show is six minutes shorter than the original 17 minute version, as the Offenbach number and some dialogue were removed.
The Tropical Serenade
The Tropical Serenade operated from 1971 until 1997 in the Sunshine Pavilion.
Tropical Serenade Plot
The Tropical Serenade really began in the pre-show. Outside of the Enchanted Tiki Room was Clyde and Claude who told the audience how they found the Enchanted Tiki Room. They would then precede to tell guests about the show and try to get them to enter the Tiki Room.
Once inside, guests would find that Tiki Room birds were asleep! A cast member would have to wake up Jose (either by hitting him with a stick, or having the audience wake him up) who would then wake his co-hosts Pierre, Fritz and Michael. Once the four hosts were up it was time to “wake up the glee club”. The birds would then sing the attractions official song “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room”. The song welcomed guests to the Tiki Room and gave them a picture of what was in store. According to the song in the Tiki Room the “Birds sing words, and the flowers croon”. Various birds from around the room were also featured in “the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” including macaws, toucans and the bird of paradise.
After the opening number was over, the birds would begin to whistle "Barcarolle” from the opera “The Tales of Hoffman” by Jacques Offenbach. After the “Barcarolle” number the four hosts would “introduce the girls” who were perched on the Enchanted Fountain. The girls would lead the Tiki Room in the song, “Lets All Sing Like the Birdies Sing”. The song would show the different vocal styles of the host birds. Jose croons like Bing Crosby, Michael sings like Louis Armstrong and Pierre sings like Maurice Chavieller. During the song the Tiki Room birds would invite guests whistle along before the song ended.
After “Lets All Sing Like the Birdies Sing” Jose introduced the orchids who along with the flowers on the wall sang “The Hawaiian War Chant”. In the middle of the song the flowers were interrupted by the Tiki Statues who began to chant faster and faster before making it thunderstorm. Michael informs the room that the Gods have been angered by all the celebrating, and the birds decide it's time for the show to end -but not before a recap song! On the way out, the Tiki Room birds sang a version of Heigh-Ho to exiting guests.
Tropical Serenade Cast
Thurl Ravenscroft-Fritz
Wally Boag-Jose
Fulton Burley-Michael
Ernie Newton-Pierre
Puruis Pullen (aka Dr. Horatio D. Birdbath)- Background birds
Tropical Serenade Songs
The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room- Written by Robert and Richard Sherman and performed by the Tiki Room birds.
Lets All Sing Like the Birdies Sing- Written by Robert Hargreaves, Stanley J. Damerell and Tolchard Evans. Performed by the Birdmobile Chorous (the girls) Jose, Peirre, Fritz and Michael.
"Barcarolle"-Composed by Jacques Offenbach and whistled by the Tiki Room birds.
Hawaiian War Chant-Composed by Prince Leleiohoku and performed by the orchids and the Tiki Statues.
Finale (Farewell and Aloha)-Composed by unknown, performed by the Tiki Room Birds, orchids and Tiki Statues
Heigh Ho- Composed by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey (with special lyrics for the Tiki Room). Performed by the Tiki Birds.
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
In January 2011 after a small fire broke out in the attic, the Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) closed. Perhaps in conjunction with the Magic Kingdoms 40th anniversary, when the attraction reopened, it was renamed Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Although the name is different the show is very similar to the Tropical Serenade. The differences between the two shows are:
- The third verse from the song "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" has been cut.The verse starts with "the show is delightful we hope you agree...".
- The Barcarolle number is completely cut.
- The Enchanted Fountain has been removed.
- The audience sing (and whistle) along portion of Lets All Sing Like the Birdies sing has been removed.
Watch The Show!
The show starts about 57 seconds into the video
Fun Facts and Trivia
- The original plan for the Enchanted Tiki Room was to have it as a Polynesian-style restaurant, and not an attraction.
- Walt Disney was inspired to create the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction when he purchased an antique animated bird in a New Orleans shop.
- When the “Tropical Serenade” in the “Sunshine Pavilion” opened on October 1, 1971, it was sponsored by and closely tied into the The Florida Citrus Growers.
- A Barker Bird used to sit outside the attraction and invite guests into the Tiki Room.
- The Barker Bird used to stop traffic in Adventureland, with all the guests trying to get a good view of him.
References
http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/2009/06/tropical-serenade.html
