Rumor Bye Bye (Tiki) Birdies?

[Andrew C]

The Disneyland Tiki Room is set up quite differently. There's a Dole Whip booth with serving stations outside as well as inside the pre-show area. Once inside the pre-show, you can sit around and enjoy your beverage/whip while watching Tiki Gods introduce themselves, and then go inside with your treats and watch the show (complete with the magic fountain). Dole Whip is basically integrated as part of the show experience.

Only been to DL twice. When I was there this February and noticed the dole whip line inside the waiting area...mind blown! Lol.

I do like the preshow area there better. The setup is nice.

 

[marni1971]

Have you heard about tiki leaving? And if you did do you have any idea about a replacement

Yes and yes.

Let me stress it's a strong proposal. At the moment.

 

[Otterhead]

I do like the preshow area there better. The setup is nice.

Agreed -- I definitely prefer the Disneyland Tiki room to WDW. It's the original and is full of Rolly Crump whimsy. Sitting around and enjoying ice cream or Dole Whip with the show makes it a more relaxed experience than just sitting & watching the birds.

 

[Andrew C]

For me, even though for a fan of them replacing this, if they do, it's replacement will be key for me to determine if they made the proper choice.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Yes and yes.

Let me stress it's a strong proposal.

Do you mean the proposal is a positive one (in your opinion) that would bring a great new attraction to WDW or that it is a proposal that is likely to be adopted? I understand if you can't be more exact, of course.

If we're really talking about bringing something on the level of Mystic Manor to WDW, then that's great - then you mourn loss but celebrate change. If we're talking about Club 33 or a meet and greet, as was insinuated earlier...

 

[danlb_2000]

Are they running a museum?

And even if the answer is yes, which fine, Disney as a corporation with a public image can create for itself its own tributes... well, if people didn't attend the attraction anymore because it was old, worn, outdated, whatever... then why would they visit it as a museum piece?

But it's not a binary problem, I doubt there will ever be an attraction that gets to the point were no one ever goes on it, if that was the case then closing it an easy decision. So there is some attendance level below which it no longer makes sense to run the attraction. The number is going to be determined by a number of factors including the cost to run the attraction. The question is, does historic value enter into the equation?

Please note that I am just trying to spur some non emotion driven discussion here, I am not trying to make a case one way or another for Tiki room or any other attraction.

 

[jt04]

Some people also don't agree that Disney is "doing the best they can".

Let's revisit this after TSL and Pandora have opened to guests.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Let's revisit this after TSL and Pandora have opened to guests.

And it only took 15 years!

You might want to omit TSL there - pretty sure that isn't gonna be a winner 'round here.

 

[jt04]

But it's not a binary problem, I doubt there will ever be an attraction that gets to the point were no one ever goes on it, if that was the case then closing it an easy decision. So there is some attendance level below which it no longer makes sense to run the attraction. The number is going to be determined by a number of factors including the cost to run the attraction. The question is, does historic value enter into the equation?

Please note that I am just trying to spur some non emotion driven discussion here, I am not trying to make a case one way or another for Tiki room or any other attraction.

Historical value very much matters at Disneyland. Such sentiment in the MK only creates stagnation. Mission to the Moon and the Skyway etc just are not up to current Disney standards. Nor is the Tiki room. But it works perfectly at Disneyland.

 

[jt04]

And it only took 15 years!

You might want to omit TSL there - pretty sure that isn't gonna be a winner 'round here.

That is not how these things are judged. This place is on the outer rim of Disney fandom. We are the 1 percenters.

 

[Otterhead]

The question is, does historic value enter into the equation?

Sure, I think that historic value is more than just keeping things under glass, never to be touched. There's certain attractions that have become such an engrained part of the Disney park culture that taking them away would leave a strange awkward void. If you visit the Art of Disney galleries or other souvenir areas, you'll almost always see something Tiki Room related; removing that show would be like removing the Jungle Cruise or the Tea Cups. When something has that much history with a park, they've got to tread carefully, lest we get another Under New Management.

 

[21stamps]

You realize that when "certain attractions go away" it's due to a conscious choice, one that is the result of a set of philosophies and ideas about business and the parks? It's not a force of nature - the execs don't wake up one morning and go "oh dear, Mother Earth in her wisdom has reclaimed the Tiki Room."

And my love of WDW is deep - it effected the course of my life. The decision to think critically about it rather than just trot along merrily with it as it changes beyond recognition was not a fun one. I - and a lot of the other posters who are critical about the current state of the park - can go toe-to-toe with you on WDW knowledge and trivia. You don't earn argument points because of the amount of cash you pour into Disney's coffers.

And yeah, Disneyland is better. It wasn't when Pressler was in charge, and now it is. It's amazing the effect a change in executive - and fan pressure - can have on a park.

Shoot, I really thought attractions just vanished into thin air. Come on now, of course it's a decision. Of course people are going to have opinions on decisions. If they choose to cling to the past, that's on them. Life is too short for for that kind of stress. -my opinion.

Disney fandom is not a competition for me. I don't need to challenge someone in a trivia contest. I think that kind of mindset is quite odd actually. People love Disney for many reasons..it's not just about how much you study it. There is no competing when it comes to what a person enjoys, whatever that enjoyment is.

Walt Disney World is a fun place full of nostalgia and wonderful memories for me, at all stages of my life. But it doesn't define my life.

 

[marni1971]

Let's revisit this after TSL and Pandora have opened to guests.

After TSL?

Okay.

 

[marni1971]

Do you mean the proposal is a positive one (in your opinion) that would bring a great new attraction to WDW or that it is a proposal that is likely to be adopted?

It's a proposal that's got a good chance of being adopted.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Shoot, I really thought attractions just vanished into thin air. Come on now, of course it's a decision. Of course people are going to have opinions on decisions. If they choose to cling to the past, that's on them. Life is too short for for that kind of stress. -my opinion.

Disney fandom is not a competition for me. I don't need to challenge someone in a trivia contest. I think that kind of mindset is quite odd actually. People love Disney for many reasons..it's not just about how much you study it. There is no competing when it comes to what a person enjoys, whatever that enjoyment is.

Walt Disney World is a fun place full of nostalgia and wonderful memories for me, at all stages of my life. But it doesn't define my life.

Just pointing out - you're the one who defined it as a competition by saying only folks who go a lot should be allowed to have an opinion. People can only respond to what you write.

 

[danlb_2000]

Sure, I think that historic value is more than just keeping things under glass, never to be touched. There's certain attractions that have become such an engrained part of the Disney park culture that taking them away would leave a strange awkward void. If you visit the Art of Disney galleries or other souvenir areas, you'll almost always see something Tiki Room related; removing that show would be like removing the Jungle Cruise or the Tea Cups. When something has that much history with a park, they've got to tread carefully, lest we get another Under New Management.

Sort of like removing night time parades from MK.

 

[zooey]

Tiki room has the capability of taking a full show load whilst the queue still assembles for the next show.

It's rare the queue spills out of the turnstiles yet even so the next show can be near capacity.

So a casual observation is not a sign of anything. Like I said the attraction has been seeing increased attendance since 2011 and currently has healthy loads. Despite what you're insinuating by saying "not a full queue". When did the HoP last have a few queue or a full auditorium? For example.

In short, no, not a walk on.

So then the ousting must be pushed by ops because of maintenance? This is what I don't understand. If they're so worried about maintenance costs and upkeep yet one park over they're building Star Wars land which must be the ultimate in maintenance expense, is it a situation of shifting cost across property or what? I just don't see, if it's truly getting the crowds, any other reason to axe it unless they think it can generate revenue as something else.
If that's the only motivation then it really is tragic because you take enough of these things away and all of a sudden it's mostly Disney Springs with a gate charge. I do t think it's already that as some do, but it's getting there IF that's really the case.

 

[marni1971]

So then the ousting must be pushed by ops because of maintenance? This is what I don't understand. If they're so worried about maintenance costs and upkeep yet one park over they're building Star Wars land which must be the ultimate in maintenance expense, is it a situation of shifting cost across property or what? I just don't see, if it's truly getting the crowds, any other reason to axe it unless they think it can generate revenue as something else.
If that's the only motivation then it really is tragic because you take enough of these things away and all of a sudden it's mostly Disney Springs with a gate charge. I do t think it's already that as some do, but it's getting there IF that's really the case.

The mandate of forcing IP into the parks is a strong one.

 

[danlb_2000]

Shoot, I really thought attractions just vanished into thin air. Come on now, of course it's a decision. Of course people are going to have opinions on decisions. If they choose to cling to the past, that's on them. Life is too short for for that kind of stress. -my opinion.

Disney fandom is not a competition for me. I don't need to challenge someone in a trivia contest. I think that kind of mindset is quite odd actually. People love Disney for many reasons..it's not just about how much you study it. There is no competing when it comes to what a person enjoys, whatever that enjoyment is.

Walt Disney World is a fun place full of nostalgia and wonderful memories for me, at all stages of my life. But it doesn't define my life.

The interests of die hard fans commonly go well beyond "did I enjoy it", and that applies to all kinds of Fandom, not just Disney parks. The vast majority of people that come out of a Star Wars movie will express in some way enjoyment or not, but true fans will spend months or years dissecting and analyzing every detail of the movie. There is room in the world for both types of people.

 

[zooey]

The mandate of forcing IP into the parks is a strong one.

Ahh so it's revenue through IP. Crazy. Have they looked at Disney tiki merch on eBay lately? It's unbelievably popular. I can't believe they don't see their classic attractions as IP enough as it is. It seems to be just as worthy of big merchandise pushes as anything the studios are creating.