ENCHANTED TIKI WORLD
Tiki Room dark ride
(Reimagining the Enchanted Tiki Room from an AA show into a trackless dark ride, while maintaining the original's charm. A fairly tentative brainstorming effort.)
View attachment 200336
From the outside, it seems like the classic Tiki Room. A thatched Hawaiian "Tiki Temple" sits beyond the tiki gardens, full of gentle flowing streams. The barker parrot from Disneyland's first few months is reintroduced to draw guests in. They queue past interactive Tangaroa & Friends idols, pulsing into the hut. Guests inside sit in the "theater-in-the-round" setting, in one of four seating sections facing the center, with sleeping animatronic birds above - the same setup as usual. It's all actually a little disappointing so far, since this room only features the central four (Jose, Pierre, Fritz, and Michael). No other animatronics.
Jose et al start their standard show at a cast member's beckoning. After their usual opening dialogue, the "Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" song begins...and the four seat sections move - each is a trackless vehicle like Tokyo's higher-capacity Beauty & the Beast variety. (This reveal - it's not a show, it's a ride - is meant to be a pleasant show-stopping surprise.) Cars reverse through what was once a wall, and into the larger interior of the Tiki Temple, built into the side of an ocean cliff. It is here where we reveal the massive cast of singing AA birds in a tropical longhouse setting, complete with Adventurer Club details, plus fun elements like a "living" ship in a bottle, lava lamps, bubbling mai tais, etc.
View attachment 200337
(
Groups of cars will head out into the ride roughly every minute. I picture we would use two separate theater rooms for the start, so one is loading while the other is performing. Timing should be leisurely, allowing guests enough time in each room to enjoy the songs at an appropriate pace. If each car holds 8 (2 rows of 4), and 4 go out at once, hourly capacity should be 1,920.)
Show scenes become dark ride set pieces. The "glee club" chorus of white cockatiels is set on a spinning Bubsy Berkeley fountain stage (in a room full of aquariums and mermaids) around which cars circle. Cockatiels sing "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing." All throughout the ride, Jose and pals appear, singing and emceeing. Cars spin and they dance tracklessly with the music.
Cars exit the Tiki Temple into the enchanted nighttime jungle, teeming with all manner of exotic bird species. (Easter egg: Up's Kevin). The birds give a Hawaiian luau performance around a fire pit, joined in by animatronic suckling pigs on the serving platters and animatronic fish hooked on lines. Also little animated "dancing hula girl" figurines.
View attachment 200338
Past tiki torches and past waves crashing on the sandy shoreline. The scent of saltwater. Living, singing orchids and birds-of-paradise perform "The Hula Song." Past palm trees carved into idols. Waterways from the inland pineapple plantations sparkle and dance with Bellagio-style fountain effects.
Through a giant Moai's mouth (Easter Island head). Alongside warm glowing lava flows, where crude tiki statues and Moai all sing the "Hawaiian War Chant." A few statues surf the lava. Ritualistic drumming and dancing!
Crescendo! The distant volcano erupts (screen effect). Michael: "The gods have been angered by all our celebratin'."
View attachment 200342
Cars retreat for shelter inside a dreamlike glow worm cavern behind a soothing one waterfall. Amidst beached Kon Tiki boats, the cave glistens and the entire cast - one room filled with over 50 animatronic wonders! - sings us out with a rousing climactic medley. (The exit leads to Dole Whips.)
(
I'd considered an alternate version which instead explored the backstory of what magic enchants the Tiki Room, but I've opted here instead for something closer to the original show. Much of the artwork credit must go to our collective muse, @TomThordarson.)