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1. The Enchanted Tiki Room
Name of a musical revue at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disney Resort, consisting of Animatronic birds, plants, and tikis.
The Enchanted Tiki Room was the culmination of Walt Disney's interest in Audio Animatronics - the use of computers to have robotic characters talk, sing, and move.
Audio Animatronics were initially used for Disneyland's Jungle Ride and Nature's Wonderland. However, the Enchanted Tiki Room would be the most ambitious use of Audio Animatronics to date.
The Enchanted Tiki Room was originally conceived as part of a dinner theater, where the characters would talk and sing, while park guests dined. However, due to the then bulky computer systems required to operate the Audio Animatronics, the idea was scrapped as being impractical.
In the end, Disney Imagineers developed the concept of the Enchanted Tiki Room as a seventeen minute musical revue.
Walt Disney personally oversaw the design and construction of the Enchanted Tiki Room at the gate to Adventureland, and opened on June 23, 1963. Walt Disney personally oversaw the design and constructed of the show. United Airlines was selected as the sponsor of the Enchanted Tiki Room, as Hawaii had only recently become the fiftieth state in the Union. The current sponsor is Dole Pineapple.
Guests to the Enchanted Tiki Room, wait for the next show in an area outside of the Tiki Room. The waiting area has a concession stand that sells pineapple juice, pineapple slices, and other pineapple flavored snacks. A television screen above the concession stand runs a movie about the harvesting and processing of Dole pineapple. The waiting area is surrounded by a number of colorful Tikis, which are part of a pre-show. Each Tiki becomes animated as the next show is about to begin.
There are eight Tikis, each with a particular dynamic characteristic:
| Tiki Name |
Tiki Characteristic |
| Maui |
Bringer of Time to the People (Clock-like ticking from the Tiki) |
| Koro |
The Midnight Dancer |
| Hina Kuluna |
Godess of Rain (water pours from the Tiki) |
| Tangaroa-Ru |
Godess of the East Wind (wind vane on the top of the Tiki spins) |
| Pele |
Godess of Volano and Fire (fire comes out of the top of the Tiki) |
| Ngende |
The Earth Balancer (Tiki rocks back-and-forth on his hands) |
| Rongo |
God of Agriculture (Basked of fruit, and electricity sound eminates from Tiki) |
| Tangaroa |
Father of All Gods and Godesses (Tiki is a tree, and flowers and smaller Tikis sprout from hanging flowers.) |
After the pre-show, visitors are taken into the Tiki Room. The room is shaped like a cross. There is a fountain in the center of the room, and four alcoves against each wall. The room is heavily decorated, and benches fill the room, all facing towards the center fountain.
The show begins with four Animatronic macaws talking: Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz (respectively with a Spanish, Irish, French, and German accent). The birds talk, joke, and hurl mild insults at the crowd.
The show progresses with various birds, flowers, and Tikis talking and singing. In all, there are 225 singing, talking, and moving Animatronic characters. Songs include:
- In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room
- Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing
- A Flower and Bird Song
- The Hawaiian War Chant
Most of the musical numbers, including In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room and The Hawaiian War Chant were written by Disney's famed Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert) writing team.
As the musical number concludes, guests are directed to an exit, which is separate from the door where they entered.
The Enchanted Tiki Room in Recent Years
So popular was the Enchanted Tiki Room, that versions were constructed in Walt Disney World and at Tokyo Disneyland. However, by the 1990s, the Disney parks were moving more toward thrill rides. Discussion began to fly that Disneyland was going to tear down the Enchanted Tiki Room, and replace it with something else. Tiki, it seemed, was too dull and outdated for current audiences. This belief was sustained when Disneyland demolished the adjacent Tahitian Terrace restaurant, which opened a year prior to the Enchanted Tiki Room. The Tahitian Terrace was replaced with Aladdin's Oasis restaurant, which did not do well and closed after two seasons.
Disney decided to update the Enchanted Tiki Room, first at Walt Disney World park. The original bird hosts were replaced with Zazu from The Lion King, and Iago from Aladdin. While the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room song was retained, the other songs were replaced with new music, including Hot, Hot, Hot. Wally Boag and Thurl Ravenscroft, who originally voiced Jose and Fritz, were recruited to re-record new tracks for the characters. Jerry Orbach, who voiced Lumierre in Beauty and the Beast, redid the voice for Pierre. The voice of Michael was kept from the original version. A new character, Uhoa, Goddess of Disaster (voiced by Armelia McQueen) was added. The new show is approximately five minutes shorter than the original.
Many Disney traditionalists and Tiki fans were critical of the new show, which was renamed to The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. Criticisms decried the modernization of the show with 'hip' tunes, the commercial tie-in to Disney movies, and that the show was scary for small children.
As the original Disneyland Resort approached it's 50th birthday, The Enchanted Tiki Room was refurbished. The show was generally unchanged, with the Anamatronic characters and the building receiving cosmetic updates.
In light of this refurbishing, it appears that The Enchanted Tiki Room is safe for the time being. Indeed, the park has actually expanded it's merchandising for The Enchanted Tiki Room, including commissioning Tiki Farm to create a new series of Tiki mugs for sale in park stores. The artist Shag has also created a number of paintings and prints to commemorate the show.
Links:
Friends of the Tiki Room
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, at JustDisney.com
The Enchanted Tiki Room, at Tokyo Disney Resort
Tiki Room facts and trivia, at HiddenMickies.org
The Tahitian Terrace, at Yesterland.com
The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management
Updated July 1, 2005
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