Timon

Is that picture from Tokyo Disneyland? It doesn't look too familiar, but that would be such bliss. I've been listening to some Arthur Lyman music lately, and his rendition of "Hawaiian War Chant" has given me a huge craving for some tiki.

There's this seating area in Africa that I'd love to have in Adventureland...it's right across from the Tusker House on the corner of the Harambe thoroughfare and the Asia-Africa connector. It's within some castle-esque walls, and is a shady place to eat. Something like that would be awesome, with tiki theming.

Here's what I'm thinking - shade, Dole whips, themed plantings, 1 ton of tikis, Dole whips, small water feature, torches and Dole Whips. Kind of like this shot.


VIP - Currently not being used by anything important.
This is good, too. 95 degrees + Dole whip (and variants) + nice place to relax = vacation bliss
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I never knew that the Tiki VIP area was right there. Any idea what it's used for now? That place could have amazing potential as a "quiet area", of which the Magic Kingdom has had a decreasing amount.

The Tiki VIP area is a garden area directly behind Capt Jack's stage and the back fence of the queue area. The VIP lounge is attached to the Tiki building and garden. If the upper terrace area of the queue were opened up and level with the second viewing area and the garden opened up with "Tiki" decor it could be an amazing place to relax, have a Dole Whip or cold drink specialty before the TR show. Sort of a Dole Whip hide-away. The other side of the Dole Whip stand would be Caribbean themed.

A ruined town gateway would go great...have stone like the kind of the Cambodian temple on the Adventureland side, with a decidedly more-Spanish type of "stone" on the other side. Plus, you could frame the archways in such a way to have the Tower align with it, and maybe have a water feature or three coming off the arches.

Where's the Tiki VIP area? This is the second time I've heard of it...the first time was on a permit for something. Adventureland could definitely use some courtyards...there's plenty of "dead space" that could easily be turned into a purposeful courtyard (like the JC area).

I've been crazy busy, too. I've aways thought the transition to Caribbean Plaza a bit jarring from the tropical Jungle look. Maybe a ruined Town Gateway with collapsed archways. Built into the Tiki side would be a new two sided Dole Whip stand where one side is in the Tiki attraction with an expanded waiting queue courtyard into the old Tiki VIP area. Fire torches please. While on the Jungle Cruise side would be a covered shady arcade of arches, a fountain and a view of the JC load area, sort of a multi-purpose place for character greets or just resting out of the sun or rain.

I apologize that I've been away for so long- real life caught up with me a bit.

I really like the boat repair/sinking boat in the Jungle Cruise...it would definitely make up for the Jungle Boats, and the sinking boat could have effects like Min&Bill's at MGM.

Do you have any ideas for the area along the Pirates/Jungle corridor? On the right side (heading towards Pirates) is a random building, and the ugly backstage of Frontierland, and the left side is nothing but a wall.

I like the cannon idea. Maybe you could add a subwoofer in some parts of the pavement (like they're doing in Buena Vista Street) to make it sound like the cannonballs were hitting something. Maybe over the treeline you could hoist up a mast to make it appear as if a ship was in the bay beyond the field of vision.

Always loved the cannons. If I had my way, I would have them fire, recoil and smoke. Then using enhanced sound you could hear the canon ball whistle thru the air to an existing cannon ball impact in a wall across from PoC, add smoke and a red light. Easy to do.

Very boring:

If the JC ramp/stairs/planter were re-jiggered to be the main trail to PoC people would be lined up to to see JC. Maybe a re-build of at least the Entrance building to JC would help.

Something tall, possibly with an overflow queue like DL.
[IMG] Maybe add boat repair workshop in/on the Tree house moat involving lots of inventive repairs. Overall creating a Jungle Village business district.

I like that idea. Would your plans call for the reinstatement of the Pirates cannons to draw people into the area?

Also, I have heard it recommended that Jungle Cruise should add a downed airplane or some wienie to the planter in front of it, to draw people in coming from Pirates/Frontierland. Since Pirates was an afterthought, there never really was supposed to be a second gate connecting Frontierland to the rest of Adventureland, making the Jungle Cruise less visible. What do you think?

Given what is there, the area could be re-imagineered. If the current path to PoC was moved over to towards the JC stairs and ramp. Small buildings could be added to back up to the Carpets and face JC, while blocking the view of Carpets from JC/PoC. The Path to the right of Carpets could be plussed-up to look Arabic/Alladin by adding a gateways and walls. Creating an exotic sub-land with isolated views.

I wonder if those plans you were talking about with the buildings in the middle still exist. I like the sound of that better than a concrete expanse, or the Carpets, for that matter.

And yes, Adventureland (as well as Frontierland) could use some brushcutting. If I remember correctly, they used to have a "jungle outpost" at the top of the Treehouse, but I don't think the view the original designers had intended is still visible, though.

Back in the early 90's that bench was the smooth Tomorrowland type bench, then they setup a WDI Enhancement Team to plus up planned rehabs. Back then they fixed lots of A-land benches and added water to the Drum Totem Poles. A bunch of those benches disappeared when Carpets were added. That space though was damned ugly, flat gray concrete and needed something BUT not the Flying Carpets. We had hoped for a small cluster of buildings which would have split traffic between Jungle Cruise and hook left then right to Tiki to hide POC and only reveal it as you went past Tiki. The buildings could have been walk up foods/shops, the purpose was to slow the rush to POC and add reveals.

Thanks for digging up those photos...I think I like that Adventureland better, besides the dreadful concrete seat-planters. Imagine if all of the planters and seats in Adventureland got the treatment the ones across from Swiss Family Robinson got.

Found some rare photos. First is a view from in front of Country Bears towards Tiki when this was the end of Adventureland. After POTC was build this was blocked off and covered for Bear queue. Later reopened.

Here's a view from Tiki looking back to a Hub direction literally on the Carpets site. Honestly it was a huge flat area of dark concrete and nothing else. Check out the planter on the left with ZERO theming.
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Lastly, Tiki exterior at it's best, probably shot from a book.
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Your right the queue and ride could be plussed up but true to the original ride.

Excellent ideas regarding the Tiki Room. I think what it lacks is a decided "wow" factor- and there definitely is a potential for wow in the Tiki Room. Imagine a fountain built in a "plus" sign formation, with fiber optics and rain effects. Have a volcano in the middle, and have smoke/mist effects for all parts of the theater. That'd be an E-ticket show.

By the way, did you know the fire happend on Under New Management's 666th week in operation, and 13 years to the day after Marc Davis's death? Odd stuff.

You would think the "sharp pencil" guys would jump at making a buck in a building which hasn't ever made money let alone been useful in decades. Frankly I'd take up drinking coffee if they built that.

Here's the old barker bird which tended to ramble on and was rather boring by today's standards.

I think recycling Zazu as a Barker Bird and "Living Character" might be fun, and besides he is polite. Your correct about the queue if it were flat.

I would like some 21st century effects like - shake and lift the benches during the volcano, and a smellitzer of sulfur or burning for that portion of the show. Rebuild the fountain with Lamiar flow fountains to do cool stuff with fog and fire. Double the number of chanting Tiki's (love those things)

I really wish that Adventureland view would return. I never got to see it myself, but there's something so fitting about it. Thanks for sharing that picture, by the way. I've struggled to find pictures of what the Adventureland plaza looked like before the carpets moved in.

It'd be cool if they made a sort of "mega queue" for the Tiki Room, with a Dolewhip stand, plus a variation of the Disneyland tiki garden, surrounded by a sparkling reflecting pool with waterfalls and tropical plants. They don't really need the tiers. But I would like to see Iago (or a sort of Barker Bird) return to the Tiki Room.

The only true exciting thing for me this summer is a WDW trip in just under two weeks. I forsee myself taking thousands of pictures. I really do like your idea of a Swan Boat landing eatery. That would be utterly fantastic...it's such a sad (but beautiful) waste of space for the time being.

I need to take an Adventureland stroll and see what's new or returned. I seriously doubt that the Carpets will ever leave. I do wish some extra theming could be added to plus it up though. Here's an old before picture if your feeling nostagic.


I was hoping the barker Bird would come back but as Zazu and as a "Live Character". He is a much nicer character than Lago. While the return of the Tiki Room is great thing, wish they moved the Dole Whip stand to the queue line like they did at Disneyland, where they encourage guests to eat the whips in the show!
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I really like old things but they sometimes could be freshened up with new technology or today's level of theming so they stay fresh.