News Disneyland to give Tarzan’s Treehouse a new theme

[TP2000]

News - Disneyland to give Tarzan’s Treehouse a new theme

I'm saddened by the fact I have to explain that this was a joke given it's an outdoor attraction. I don't even know if what I circled is even an A/C. Wow, someone thinks I’m serious.

forums.wdwmagic.com

Incredible. This is such great news.

And yet... that name. Seriously? Why? How did that get approved? And... why?

It's terrifying to imagine how that meeting went when they decided on that name.

 

[_caleb]

Incredible. This is such great news.

And yet... that name. Seriously? Why? How did that get approved? And... why?

It's terrifying to imagine how that meeting went when they decided on that name.

It’s a Treehouse. In Adventureland. Inspired by (not based on), the classic 1960 Disney film, Swiss Family Robinson, but not inspired by the Disneyland Attraction based on said film, which this used to be but isn’t anymore.

 

[Practical Pig]

Incredible. This is such great news.

And yet... that name. Seriously? Why? How did that get approved? And... why?

It's terrifying to imagine how that meeting went when they decided on that name.

The name is the wishy-washiest, nostalgic IP-referencing yet non-committal vagueness ever pooped out by a clueless corporate committee, hyperbolically speaking.

But I'm looking forward (with a bit of trepidation) to see what they eventually produce.

 

[TP2000]

It’s a Treehouse. In Adventureland. Inspired by (not based on), the classic 1960 Disney film, Swiss Family Robinson, but not inspired by the Disneyland Attraction based on said film, which this used to be but isn’t anymore.

Um... we're going to need to tighten that up a bit before we put it on t-shirts for The Emporium.

The name is the wishy-washiest, nostalgic IP-referencing yet non-committal vagueness ever pooped out by a clueless corporate committee, hyperbolically speaking.

But I'm looking forward (with a bit of trepidation) to see what they eventually produce.

I'm looking forward to it too! What a fun surprise.

And yet, with that ridiculous name, it's like WDI just couldn't help themselves and had to prove that they're still a bloated soulless beast run by old rich guys calling in to their meetings from a Tesla and a battalion of 30 year old wannabe's masked up in their cubicles.

 

[Californian Elitist]

People will simply call this “Adventureland Treehouse.” There’s nothing silly or wild about that.

 

[TP2000]

People will simply call this “Adventureland Treehouse.” There’s nothing silly or wild about that.

I would bet in conversation many people, and almost every single CM, will just call it "the Treehouse".

Anyone over 50 will call it "Swiss Family Treehouse".

This is like rehabbing Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and then calling it...
"Fantasyland Dark Ride, Inspired by Walt Disney's Wind In The Willows."

I'm serious, I would pay 50 bucks to watch a video feed of the Glendale meeting where they decided to call it Adventureland Treehouse, Inspired by Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson. Forget that 8 bucks a month for Disney+, I'd pay 50 bucks a month to watch WDI meetings with a conference room full of 30 year olds and a checked-out exec Zooming in from the front seat of his Tesla as they rename old attractions.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I would bet in conversation many people, and almost every single CM, will just call it "the Treehouse".

Anyone over 50 will call it "Swiss Family Treehouse".

This is like rehabbing Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and then calling it...
"Fantasyland Dark Ride, Inspired by Walt Disney's Wind In The Willows."

I'm serious, I would pay 50 bucks to watch a video feed of the Glendale meeting where they decided to call it Adventureland Treehouse, Inspired by Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson. Forget that 8 bucks a month for Disney+, I'd pay 50 bucks a month to watch WDI meetings with a conference room full of 30 year olds and a checked-out exec Zooming in from the front seat of his Tesla as they rename old attractions.

It’s not like that at all, because we know if they were to refurbish Toad, the name would likely not change at all, or would slightly change.

This is not a rehab of SFRTH.

 

[TP2000]

It’s not like that at all, because we know if they were to refurbish Toad, the name would likely not change at all, or would slightly change.

This is not a rehab of SFRTH.

Let's be honest, it's a minor miracle that Mr. Toad even still exists. Because it's small and wedged in under Alice and has only 20 minutes of queue space, they don't know what else to do with it.

But if it was somehow expanded by 50% and didn't have to share a building with another dark ride, 35 years ago it would have been changed to The Rescuers Down Under Wild Ride, Presented by State Farm Insurance.

What was the opposition to just calling it Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, I wonder? There has to be a reason. Which is why I so desperately want to make a martini and watch the video feed from that Glendale conference room! The pompous hilarity that must ensue in those meetings!

 

[chadwpalm]

Uh oh guys, I was looking at the Tarzan Treehouse page on Disney's site and it looks like they changed the name again....

"Adventureland Treehouse, a Whimsical Attraction Inspired by Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson"

 

[mickEblu]

Uh oh guys, I was looking at the Tarzan Treehouse page on Disney's site and it looks like they changed the name again....

View attachment 679101

"Adventureland Treehouse, a Whimsical Attraction Inspired by Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson"

I’m convinced they re trolling us. By us I mean us here in the DL forum at WDW magic

 

[mickEblu]

Uh oh guys, I was looking at the Tarzan Treehouse page on Disney's site and it looks like they changed the name again....

View attachment 679101

"Adventureland Treehouse, a Whimsical Attraction Inspired by Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson"

I’m convinced they re trolling us. By us I mean us here on the DL forum of the WDWMagic site.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I’m convinced they re trolling us. By us I mean us here on the DL forum of the WDWMagic site.

They're not. The lack of capitalization shows that the quote isn't an actual new title.

 

[mickEblu]

They're not. The lack of capitalization shows that the quote isn't an actual new title.

I know but wouldn’t it be great if they were?

 

[TP2000]

Has Disneyland ever had an attraction title that included the name of its land in the title before???

I can not think of one. And that's why this is weird (and hilariously funny) for many of us. The naming convention of claiming the attraction was it's lands version of such thing is what's getting to most of us. It doesn't make much sense to identify the attraction by the land it's in, that naming convention is saved for stores or restaurants or pay-per-play things, things that don't have much of a plot or story to them unlike attractions; Tomorrowland Terrace, Frontierland Shooting Arcade (which made more sense when they had multiple shooting arcades in different lands), Fantasyland Theater, etc.

But attractions? Rides with elaborate stories and characters and plots? I can't think of them ever doing this before, and so bluntly at that. Why stop at the Treehouse? Make it make sense for people!

Adventureland Enchanted Birds, Inspired by Pacific Islanders and Western Europeans
Adventureland Funny-Punny Cruise, Inspired by Southeast Asia, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa
Adventureland Temple Adventure, Inspired by Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones

 

[TP2000]

Oops. I just thought of a Disneyland ride that included the name of its land in the title. But it only existed for one year before it got renamed.

Can anyone think of it? Winner takes home the honor of being a Disneyland Trivia Master.

Hint #1: 707
Hint #2: Legal got involved

 

[PiratesMansion]

Has Disneyland ever had an attraction title that included the name of its land in the title before???

Tomorrowland Autopia.
Fantasyland Autopia.
Frontierland Shootin' Exposition/Arcade (listed by Disney as an attraction until relatively recently)
Tomorrowland Theater (aka Magic Eye Theater, but listed as Tomorrowland Theater back in 2017 at the very least).
The infamous Phantom Boats were originally known as Tomorrowland Boats.

So some of these are a bit arbitrary and dubious, sure, but the different Autopias weren't that long ago either. It's been done.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Has Disneyland ever had an attraction title that included the name of its land in the title before???

I can not think of one. And that's why this is weird (and hilariously funny) for many of us. The naming convention of claiming the attraction was it's lands version of such thing is what's getting to most of us. It doesn't make much sense to identify the attraction by the land it's in, that naming convention is saved for stores or restaurants or pay-per-play things, things that don't have much of a plot or story to them unlike attractions; Tomorrowland Terrace, Frontierland Shooting Arcade (which made more sense when they had multiple shooting arcades in different lands), Fantasyland Theater, etc.

But attractions? Rides with elaborate stories and characters and plots? I can't think of them ever doing this before, and so bluntly at that. Why stop at the Treehouse? Make it make sense for people!

Adventureland Enchanted Birds, Inspired by Pacific Islanders and Western Europeans
Adventureland Funny-Punny Cruise, Inspired by Southeast Asia, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa
Adventureland Temple Adventure, Inspired by Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones

Fantasyland Theatre (if you consider that an attraction?)

Main Street Cinema (if you consider an attraction?)

Frontierland Shootin' Arcade (if you consider an attraction?)

Fantasyland Autopia

 

[TP2000]

I remember the Autopias, but they named them that because the loading stations were in different lands I guess. Back in the day, Fantasyland Autopia would only run on weekends and busy days.

The shooting arcades and theaters of the park were labeled as such to identify which one it was, since the park had multiple locations for that service/offering.

The attraction I was thinking of that qualifies is the Tomorrowland Jets. It opened in 1956 as the Astro Jets, but got renamed suddenly in late 1963 to Tomorrowland Jets. By the end of 1964 it was renamed to Rocket Jets, which is the title it would keep for the next 30 years even through replacement on top of the PeopleMover station in 1967.

Why, you ask? (You didn't ask, but I'm doing this anyway). Even though the name Astro Jets had been dreamed up in 1956, before commercial jet travel, that name ran afoul of the new Tiki Room sponsor when that show opened in June, 1963. United Airlines (The Route of the Mainliners!) sponsored the Tiki Room to tout its new Mainliner Jet service to Hawaii. But in 1961, unrelated to Disneyland, American Airlines rebranded itself from The Route of the Flagships to The Route of the Astrojets. American labeled anything it could with the "Astrojet" and "Astro" moniker; there were 707 Astrojets, in-flight movies were called Astrovision, airport terminal moving sidewalks were labeled "Astroways", headsets were labeled "Astrostereo", onboard dinner service was "Astrocuisine:, etc., etc.

LAX, 1963 - Miss Lucille Ball bursts through the paper banner framing the new Astroway moving sidewalk at American Airlines Astrojet Terminal. (What a way to make an entrance!)

United Airlines execs visiting their new robot bird show noticed that Walt had a ride in Tomorrowland that was publicizing American Airlines Astrojets, but American wasn't paying a dime like United was. Legal got involved quickly. The Astro Jets were immediately rebranded as Tomorrowland Jets, before Imagineers could take some time later in '64 after their World's Fair shows were done to think up a new name and new logo for the old C Ticket spinner.

The Disneyland Trivia Master trophy goes to both @PiratesMansion and @Disney Analyst who came up with plenty of other examples as well. Don't fight over this, boys! Share it nicely.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Something I'm just noticing- it does say 'Inspired by Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson'.

As far as I know, Disney hasn't called anything 'Walt Disney's' in decades.

So for all of the back on forth on what version of the Swiss Family this is based on- it does look like WDI wants it loosely tied to the 1960 film.

It's also worth mentioning that up until very recently- attractions based on a film were not always book reports. Splash Mountain, the Fantasyland dark rides, etc all take liberties when adapting the film to an attraction. Which I do think makes a lot of the back and forth on 'inspired by' or 'based on' etc. a bit redundant- I think it's perfectly reasonable to assume this is based on the '60 film, but that it isn't a book report and will have elements not present in that film, like the SEA nonsense and a nod or two to the TV show. But WDI, and Disney, knows full well when someone hears Swiss Family Robinson in Disneyland they will always immediately think of the film and the original treehouse.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I definitely prefer the ROA as it is now. I think the shorter ride time and more dramatic presentation of, say, the Shaman and the whole back stretch give the ride some sense of payoff that didn't exist before, while keeping it from wearing out its welcome. I would probably agree that the original route felt more authentic as a river, but to me the current version has better scenery-and if I'm at a theme park on a boat ride, something to look at is always better than just endless trees (not that I'm against trees, but I've also never felt that the newer version is particularly sparse in the foliage department-just shorter). I do think the attraction peters out once you round the bend and you're just heading back to unload, but that's not really new to the updated version-it's always sort of been like that IMO. So while I can't say the new ROA is perfect, I wouldn't have said that of the old version either, and overall I'd consider the current version an improvement.

It's just a shame we lost Cascade Peak. The longer rivers with more trees, plus Cascade Peak was sort of the best of both worlds between what was there in '15 and what's there now. I just think there was something nice about going around the back of the island and being completely secluded from the rest of the park.

Plus- it made the canoe ride a much more demanding attraction, haha!

Florida and Tokyo still have longer rivers with more motion in their figures-and MK's in particular has a nice sense of remove from the rest of the park. Have you done MK's? I feel like at some point you were going to make it over to WDW but I may be misremembering.

I'm sure I considered heading out to WDW at some point- but honestly right now I have no desire to visit. My group is in the early stages of planning a trip to Paris in 2023ish, and Tokyo once the new stuff there is open. My tastes lean heavily towards vintage Disneyland- which Tokyo has plenty of, and Tony Baxter led stuff- which Paris is. Not to mention Tokyo Disney Sea.