Great pics! The biggest difference I noticed is in the fashions! :lol:
Re: the "Big Orange Head" Character - that is the Florida Orange Bird. He was created by Disney for the Florida Orange Growers, to generate intrest... Crap - I just discovered the cute little site about the bird (Little Orange Heaven) is gone! I got this from Jim Hill Media, though, and it's similar to info I found elsewhere:
"FLORIDA CITRUS
Florida Citrus will sponsor the Tiki Room in Walt Disney World. Our contract states that we cannot use anything but Florida Citrus products on the property. Individual brands cannot be promoted, only citrus from Florida. (COMMENT: The Florida Orange Bird was designed by Disney and featured on a variety of merchandise from banks, records, bobble heads, plates and cups and more. The Orange Bird was created for the Florida Citrus Growers when they sponsored the Magic Kingdom's Tiki Room. He also appeared in commercials and an educational film called "Food and Fun: A Nutrition Adventure" that was released in September of 1980. There was even an Orange Bird walkaround costumed character who was outside the Sunshine Tree Terrace where Florida Orange Juice was sold. A smaller likeness of the Orange Bird sat in the branches of the Sunshine Tree. The sponsorship ended in 1986.)"
The products are still collectors items, and can sometimes be found on Ebay. (Amazing, all the useless knowledge my brain stores...)