Rumor Bye Bye (Tiki) Birdies?

Bandini

Well-Known Member
I just know that everything new gets much maligned around here and it's in my experience that a lot of that stuff is working with a paying audience, as much as I wish it was not.
I haven't seen the Frozen ride, but I have been on the 7DMT and Ariel rides. IMO they are both MEH.
On the other hand, RSR at DCA is a solid WOW. I think the fans know what Disney is capable of, so it's really disappointing when a long anticipated attraction doesn't live up to expectations.
 

jt04

Well-Known Member
There is a simple reason for this.

A vast majority of big WDW announcements since the opening of AK have been negative. Even the positive ones, like Pandora, come with sizable caveats.

I always wonder - if you knew and loved WDW in the 80s or early (or even late) 90s, how can you look at what it's become and not be angered?

I have come to terms with the fact that that era can never be reproduced. Times change, consumer expectations change, attention spans change. In a sense WDW has become a victim of its own success. Disney is working very hard and spending a ton of money to meet these challenges. Well meaning people are doing the best they can. Who am I to criticise their hard work and efforts?
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
The remains of the Tropical Serenade aka The Enchanted Tiki Room (aka a Top 10 Fanboi nostalgia lovefest) looks like it is about to fly the coop for good.

According to multiple sources, the attraction, which saw a reprieve a few years ago when it went back to a shortened version of the original 1971 show from the poorly received Under New Management update following a fire that damaged the facility, is on the chopping block and very, very likely to leave.

At this point, I will only call this a rumor (but the gondola system is a rumor and happening, the Rat ride at EPCOT is only a rumor and is happening, the Speedway removal is a rumor and is happening, the new DVC at CBR is a rumor and is happening and the Star Wars themed BOUTIQUE resort experience is a rumor and is most definitely happening).

As to what will replace it, that is unclear at present and one source even suggests it could remain with a new Stitch overlay reusing the pricey AA just like TDL has, but I don't see that.

And with other plans for Adventureland percolating, and Disney having no care for its past beyond shilling merchandise and D23 events and the like, I would expect Jose and Fritz and Company to fly away for good in the near future.

Is there nothing the drones of Celebration place dont feel the need to destroy at wdw???
 

yoda_5729

Well-Known Member
I would be very disappointed to see the removal of the Tiki Room. It is one of the classic attractions at Walt Disney World parks in general. I do understand it doesn't draw the huge guest numbers they might wish for, but it serves it's purpose. Which is to entertain guests of all ages, and be a short entertaining attraction.

Disney World is getting on a slippery slope of removing beloved attractions, which could upset so many people that it puts a rain cloud over their experiences in the park in the future. Lots have discussed that they don't forsee a major attaction being able to go in where the tiki room birds are, but while I think that is true, with the Magic Carpets nearby, and the dole whip sales nearby, I'm not sure you could put anything there that's really all that popular and not cause a huge bottleneck. Though I am not a fan of losing attractions, I would much prefer the Swiss Family Treehouse be repurposed then the Tiki Birds. People when they tour the treehouse can get distracted, and not see a step, and then trip or fall. That coupled with it being open at night I would think would be a large risk that I'm not sure why Disney needs to take. I like the Swiss Family Robinson movie, and like the treehouse, but if something in Adventureland had to be explored I'd prefer the Treehouse. A suggestion I would make to Disney is to advertise the history of the Tiki Room, displaying in the queue the history and the legacy of the attraction. Many people at Disney World go through it like it's an average theme park. They don't understand some of the things they are riding or experiencing are themselves historic and major attractions. Case in point, in the movie Jurassic Park, when Ian Malcolm is talking to Hammond about the park malfuctioning, Malcolm cites the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In an iconic Universal movie, they cited a Disney ride. The reason was, everyone understood what Pirates was, and that's the reason the joke worked. If he had just mentioned the new trendy rollercoaster, few would have gotten the joke, as the vast majority of the audience never would have ridden it. People love the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater at Hollyuwood Studios because of it's throwback to drive in movie theaters, and even though all they show in the theater is commercials and trailers for sci-fi B movies, people love it because they understand it's not supposed to be Avatar, it's supposed to be stuff from the 50s. Some tourists go into the Tiki Room expecting Soarin' and disappointed when they don't get it. Tiki Room makes no real mention of it's legacy, or history. To a newbie at Disney World, they might honestly think that Pandora and Tiki Room were made at the same time. The difference is that Avatar obviously was made more recently since those B movie commercials, but a structured building, especially one that doesn't age as much because Disney cleans and tries to upkeep the attractions as best as possible, misleads people by not showcasing it's own legacy and history.

People always want the trendy and hip and popular. The difficulty of that, to some degree, is that you will always be racing to build something new or hip, tearing down things that mattered. The Enchanted Tiki Room has stood in the Magic Kingdom since opening day. Every single person who has ever walked into that park, has had the opportunity to experience it, and many could have been entertained or even inspired by it, just as Walt was inspired to do Animatronics from a a small robotic bird cage he had purchased. If a father as a child visited the Magic Kingdom, he could have been 5 when he first sat down in that theater, and now 30 years later, he can point up to the ceiling as he's holding his child's hand, and watch as his kid gets to experience it as well. With the new hip and trendy rollercoaster you can't do that. Even the mindset of those thrill rides is that they are only temporary, because in a few years they'll become mundane in comparison to other trendier rides. By devoting your attention to the new and trendy, your basically acknowledging whatever you build there will only be temporary, because the week it becomes "lame" it has to be taken out for something edgier or cooler. I might argue that Mission Space is already seeing some of the effects of that. Though it is unlikely Disney could hold onto every attraction or ride, obviously it can't, Tiki Room has a legacy with Walt Disney personally, the history of animatronics and the parks, as well as the Sherman Brothers theme song. All of those are reasons why keeping the Tiki Room is beneficial. I can name numerous, attractions throughout Disney World that don't have any of those elements going for it, let alone all of them. The Tiki Birds recently got their own comic book.

I'm all for exploring new thrill rides or experiences, and though Walt Disney himself said Disneyland would never be completed, and that it would always be changing, Walt Disney World offered him and his company the advantage of space. I think if Disneyland can handle having a Tiki Room, in a park who's real estate is monumentally more condensed, Walt Disney World could find the room. Yes, Tiki Room is a throwback, and I can gurantee you that Casablanca at a movie theater today isn't going to get the people in the seats like The Fate and the Furious does, but that doesn't mean it's bad or flawed. The difference is though, we as consumers can view Casablanca anytime we want on our TVs or even smart phones now. Tiki Room is a buiding. People can't just pick it up and put it in their video library. Every once and a while a classic movie will return to the big screen for an anniversary or film festival, but that's an easy change of a film reel. If Tiki Room is removed, the liklihood of it ever returning, which in a way would be Disney admitting they made a mistake, is highly unlikely. That's why people are mad or greatly saddened to see a beloved attraction leave.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Everyone's opinion is valuable. But, it IS an opinion. Maybe you've outgrown something, maybe your interests have changed... that opinion doesn't mean that people should join your crusade..and it does not mean that new things are not being added to the parks, they are.

I haven't seen one person say that Disney was 100% perfect. I've seen most people criticize something. What I don't understand is clinging to the past.. mourning things that have been gone for several years...having real anger over them to the point where you can't see anything else.

We could all go on and and on about many things in the past- Epcot...Mr. Toad's..:Lower prices, at more than just Disney...less commercialism..skin that doesn't contain any wrinkles..less need for security everywhere.. etc etc.

Some of us just do not constantly look to mourn the past. It doesn't do any good. That does not mean that people aren't critical of Disney.. it means they choose not to cry over decades old spilled milk.

But why do you choose to let it bother you? Just post what you want and go about your day. Stop worrying about someone living in the past. And you say an opinion is just an opinion. Well what do you think the rest of us have that you seem to want to dismiss? I've never had issues with your posts but you're accusing us of doing exactly what you're doing.

People, it's just a message board. It's just a discussion board. Stop fretting over who's negative and who's a pixie duster.
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Well, they basically removed 75% of all AAs on property with the wholesale destruction of all the original EPCOT attractions. They don't like them, they don't want them except in select attractions/situations. ... And I'm willing to bet the Tiki Room has lots of issues with show quality right now. I haven't seen the show in about a year now and it had major issues then.

To the New Diznee Screenz rule.

I knew the Garner-Holt deal was just a prelude to dumping them entirely. The Chappie being the second coming of the pressler nightmare is back In all of its terrible reality.

Especially this quote.

"The only moving part in a Disney Park should be a cash register drawer". The Paul Pressler Cynthia Hariss days are back with a bang. Perhaps Chappie can hire them again as they have experience along these lines...
 
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Kman101

Well-Known Member
Both shows IMO have very small footprints what will you replace them with of any substance? Meet and greets or another small show. Both are real gems and it's sad they lack appreciation.

You're just living in the past. Rip 'em out for Moana! Rip em out for more meet and greets!! They're much more magical and wonderful. Stop being so negative.

And yes, that's sarcasm and that's how some of you "more positive" people come across.

Sorry Matt, just happened to use your post as an example :D
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
I'm talking about ways that existing attractions and new attractions can interact with you by just wearing a magic band. Star Wars Land is set to track your progress and actually customize rides for individual guests based on how well or badly they flew the Millennium Falcon, for example. They're experimenting with things like having costumed characters come meet you in the park on your birthday as a surprise. On my last trip, we did Memory Maker, and were able to get photos and videos on rides tracked to us automatically by just wearing MagicBands. It's a Small World knows your name and says goodbye as you leave. Those are small things that add a lot of color to guests' visits seamlessly.
None of this strikes you as creepy?
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
I have come to terms with the fact that that era can never be reproduced. Times change, consumer expectations change, attention spans change. In a sense WDW has become a victim of its own success. Disney is working very hard and spending a ton of money to meet these challenges. Well meaning people are doing the best they can. Who am I to criticise their hard work and efforts?

I think this is why you are often at odds with other people, some of us believe that it's not an either-or situation, we believe they Disney can do the things that made them great in the past, and still cater to a modern guest. Some people also don't agree that Disney is "doing the best they can".
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Stop going.

Everyone here knows that this is not an isolated misstep. WDW management has had a number of horrible wrong-headed philosophies for almost two decades now that have resulted in a pattern of mismanagement. The parks have been dumbed down and priced up. Attraction masterpieces are routinely removed, vapid upcharge events are tacked on, reservations are required months in advance to eat or ride anything... WDW has been making it clear for years what they think of guests.

Stop going. DEFINITELY stop joining DVC.

I used to visit WDW parks for several weeks each year. I've stayed at every resort (except AoA) multiple times. A few years back I realized that it was almost more painful then fun to visit WDW. It certainly wasn't worth the price. Now I spend one day or so at a WDW park every couple years, if that. It's not hard - there are other theme parks. Disneyland still exists if I need a Disney fix.

The only way any of the current mismanagement might change is if people just stop going.

Preaching to the choir here brother ive already stopped visiting the parks and my dvc is on the bubble as they say
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Preaching to the choir here brother ive already stopped visiting the parks and my dvc is on the bubble as they say

I wish it mattered if we stopped going, but we make up the very tiniest portion. It'd be different at say Disneyland were they have a million APers who WOULD put a dent in attendance and spending if they stopped going.

At least the "modern new guest" (we're just living in the past and negative, dontcha know?) are starting to whine to guest services about stale offerings (or so it appears). It's not enough but it's at least helped push some things (good, bad, doesn't matter, at least some things are changing).
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
I've been here quite a while and people have been saying the same negative sky is falling rhetoric for over half a decade, that I've personally witnessed, anyway. Anecdotal evidence only, but I've seen many people at work and other friends "find" Disney and WDW in particular in that time. Many people. Many families. I encounter far more love from new adopters than anything.
It's important to remember that new people are going to the parks and loving the parks as they are right now. If you or I don't love the parks as they are now, then we may have to just realize they aren't for us any longer.
I think the real hurt, if you want to call it that, for this scenario is that people hope Disney would fail should the company betray what an OG fan thinks is valuable, but Disney is not failing at all, and they create new fans each and every day.

Their cable networks would disagree with you as they are bleeding subs by 600,000 households per month. And from last Earnings call WDW had a decline in gateclicks. For those who want the souce go listen to the call on disneys investor relations site
 

Otterhead

Well-Known Member
None of this strikes you as creepy?
That they say hello and know my name on a ride? Not in the slightest; in context, there's nothing creepy about being greeted.
That they use my MagicBand to put photos into the account I purchased? No, that's sort of the whole point of Memory Maker.
That they can surprise kids with pre-arranged birthday greetings approved by parents? Again... creepy?
I guess it depends on how paranoid you are.
 

Scuttle

Well-Known Member
I'd sooner compare it to destroying Elvis recordings, The Graduate, Warhol's Soup Cans. Contemporaneous works of American popular art/culture.

It is a shame Disney does not take itself seriously. It is ran by Philistines.
They need to embrace and showcase Walts genius more. I don't get why they want to get away from that....
I would be very disappointed to see the removal of the Tiki Room. It is one of the classic attractions at Walt Disney World parks in general. I do understand it doesn't draw the huge guest numbers they might wish for, but it serves it's purpose. Which is to entertain guests of all ages, and be a short entertaining attraction.

Disney World is getting on a slippery slope of removing beloved attractions, which could upset so many people that it puts a rain cloud over their experiences in the park in the future. Lots have discussed that they don't forsee a major attaction being able to go in where the tiki room birds are, but while I think that is true, with the Magic Carpets nearby, and the dole whip sales nearby, I'm not sure you could put anything there that's really all that popular and not cause a huge bottleneck. Though I am not a fan of losing attractions, I would much prefer the Swiss Family Treehouse be repurposed then the Tiki Birds. People when they tour the treehouse can get distracted, and not see a step, and then trip or fall. That coupled with it being open at night I would think would be a large risk that I'm not sure why Disney needs to take. I like the Swiss Family Robinson movie, and like the treehouse, but if something in Adventureland had to be explored I'd prefer the Treehouse. A suggestion I would make to Disney is to advertise the history of the Tiki Room, displaying in the queue the history and the legacy of the attraction. Many people at Disney World go through it like it's an average theme park. They don't understand some of the things they are riding or experiencing are themselves historic and major attractions. Case in point, in the movie Jurassic Park, when Ian Malcolm is talking to Hammond about the park malfuctioning, Malcolm cites the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In an iconic Universal movie, they cited a Disney ride. The reason was, everyone understood what Pirates was, and that's the reason the joke worked. If he had just mentioned the new trendy rollercoaster, few would have gotten the joke, as the vast majority of the audience never would have ridden it. People love the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater at Hollyuwood Studios because of it's throwback to drive in movie theaters, and even though all they show in the theater is commercials and trailers for sci-fi B movies, people love it because they understand it's not supposed to be Avatar, it's supposed to be stuff from the 50s. Some tourists go into the Tiki Room expecting Soarin' and disappointed when they don't get it. Tiki Room makes no real mention of it's legacy, or history. To a newbie at Disney World, they might honestly think that Pandora and Tiki Room were made at the same time. The difference is that Avatar obviously was made more recently since those B movie commercials, but a structured building, especially one that doesn't age as much because Disney cleans and tries to upkeep the attractions as best as possible, misleads people by not showcasing it's own legacy and history.

People always want the trendy and hip and popular. The difficulty of that, to some degree, is that you will always be racing to build something new or hip, tearing down things that mattered. The Enchanted Tiki Room has stood in the Magic Kingdom since opening day. Every single person who has ever walked into that park, has had the opportunity to experience it, and many could have been entertained or even inspired by it, just as Walt was inspired to do Animatronics from a a small robotic bird cage he had purchased. If a father as a child visited the Magic Kingdom, he could have been 5 when he first sat down in that theater, and now 30 years later, he can point up to the ceiling as he's holding his child's hand, and watch as his kid gets to experience it as well. With the new hip and trendy rollercoaster you can't do that. Even the mindset of those thrill rides is that they are only temporary, because in a few years they'll become mundane in comparison to other trendier rides. By devoting your attention to the new and trendy, your basically acknowledging whatever you build there will only be temporary, because the week it becomes "lame" it has to be taken out for something edgier or cooler. I might argue that Mission Space is already seeing some of the effects of that. Though it is unlikely Disney could hold onto every attraction or ride, obviously it can't, Tiki Room has a legacy with Walt Disney personally, the history of animatronics and the parks, as well as the Sherman Brothers theme song. All of those are reasons why keeping the Tiki Room is beneficial. I can name numerous, attractions throughout Disney World that don't have any of those elements going for it, let alone all of them. The Tiki Birds recently got their own comic book.

I'm all for exploring new thrill rides or experiences, and though Walt Disney himself said Disneyland would never be completed, and that it would always be changing, Walt Disney World offered him and his company the advantage of space. I think if Disneyland can handle having a Tiki Room, in a park who's real estate is monumentally more condensed, Walt Disney World could find the room. Yes, Tiki Room is a throwback, and I can gurantee you that Casablanca at a movie theater today isn't going to get the people in the seats like The Fate and the Furious does, but that doesn't mean it's bad or flawed. The difference is though, we as consumers can view Casablanca anytime we want on our TVs or even smart phones now. Tiki Room is a buiding. People can't just pick it up and put it in their video library. Every once and a while a classic movie will return to the big screen for an anniversary or film festival, but that's an easy change of a film reel. If Tiki Room is removed, the liklihood of it ever returning, which in a way would be Disney admitting they made a mistake, is highly unlikely. That's why people are mad or greatly saddened to see a beloved attraction leave.
They also say it opened in 1956...
 

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