The Enchanted Tiki Room is coming to the Magic Kingdom!

[Captain Neo]

I just re-watched the UNM video - and while it wasn't great. I JUST don't see the hate for it. It was more technologically current, told a story, seemed to engage the audience (at least the one in the youtube video) and it brought current characters into the fold. I will say - it was time for a refresh of that show - maybe some new songs, maybe a softer Iago (since he'd learned his lesson) but after all this place (WDW) is a business designed to engage guests, entertain them, and create the desire to want to spend money. As much as you guys think its just about your warm and fuzzy feelings, its about that and more. The UNM show was a step in the direction of tie-in and product synergy - like it or not that's what they're here for folks.

I think Walt would be frustrated that there was a step forward - maybe not the BEST step, but an attempt at something new and using new effects and technology - then to take a step BACKWARD (I know it's "retro") I think would be at odds with his mantra of change, push the envelope and continuously evolve.

http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/2006/04/when-birds-attack.html

 

[invader]

We had the original and people wanted something new. We had UNM and people wanted the original. We have the original and people want it changed....

 

[Magenta Panther]

This should explain why New Management was near-universally hated
http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/2007/02/be-yourself.html

Very good article. And that picture perfectly illustrates how UGLY and unrecognizable that Iago AA was. I couldn't believe it when I saw the show in person. It didn't look like Iago - in fact, it barely looked like a BIRD.

I never saw the original Tiki Room - when I first visited WDW as a kid, it was closed for refurb. So I didn't really have much basis for comparison when I saw the UNM show a couple of years ago. I judged it based purely on its own merits - or lack of same. Verdict: It sucked. Bad story. Bad jokes. Bad show. Only Stitch was worse. I'm so glad it's been restored. If some get bored by it, fine. Their taste, their choice.

 

[HMF]

http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/2006/04/when-birds-attack.html

I honestly hope Re-Imagineering does a post on the glorious return of the original show as they did with Lincoln.

 

[HMF]

We had the original and people wanted something new. We had UNM and people wanted the original. We have the original and people want it changed....

Those who want it changed again are in the minority keep in mind. I would not trust this WDI with creating any new show from scratch especially with the Tiki Room. It was a brilliant move to restore the original. I am not going to let the lack of fountain and the 1 and a half minutes extra minutes from the Disneyland show ruin my day. The Tiki Room is back (close enough to) the way it should be.:sohappy:

 

[TropicalFig8]

For those of you complaining I'm sorry but its back and its here to stay so get used to it. :wave:

I'm sorry but I have to agree with this.

This is what you guys wanted and you got it. I know we all are used to the original track. I do listen to it on my iPod a lot,but I don't mind all the cuts or no fountain. I'm a fan and want to sing like the birdies sing. At least they didn't get rid of any of the classic songs. To people of this century,it will be just like Country Bears. To us fans,it will be something that will be in our hearts forever. So,if Horizons came back and something seemed fishy about it,would you want Mission:Space to return or something else? I thought so.

 

[TalkingHead]

I'm sorry but I have to agree with this.

This is what you guys wanted and you got it. I know we all are used to the original track. I do listen to it on my iPod a lot,but I don't mind all the cuts or no fountain. I'm a fan and want to sing like the birdies sing. At least they didn't get rid of any of the classic songs. To people of this century,it will be just like Country Bears. To us fans,it will be something that will be in our hearts forever. So,if Horizons came back and something seemed fishy about it,would you want Mission:Space to return or something else? I thought so.

I don't want old attractions to return in their old state.

I would prefer WDW open new, ambitious attractions (kinda like how Tiki Room was innovative when it opened in the 1960s or Horizons was innovative in the 1980s).

Quite a few of us who are unhappy with the direction of the parks don't want them to rebuild Horizons, 20K, Mr. Toad's, Imag, etc.

My message would be try doing something ambitious, Disney. Because the nostalgia stuff may cut it with the fanboys, but it's not likely to cut it with the guests who are blind to brand and who see other parks creating truly creative, innovative experiences.

Just to underscore the point, the previous three "new" attractions to open at WDW are actually "old":

Tiki Room
"New" Star Tours
Captain EO

Great for the fanboys, unremarkable for the majority of guests.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Just to underscore the point, the previous three "new" attractions to open at WDW are actually "old":

Tiki Room
"New" Star Tours
Captain EO

Great for the fanboys, unremarkable for the majority of guests.

Have to strongly disagree with putting the Star Tours 2 against those two. "New" Star Tours is actually new. It involves major new effects, scenes (the entire movie portion is different for one thing) and elements that have never existed before and are new to everyone who sees them.

A much better choice would have been MSEP.

 

[Mansion Butler]

"New" Star Tours

Great for the fanboys, unremarkable for the majority of guests.

Not to detract from your general point, but I'm pretty sure you're incorrect on this case.

 

[TalkingHead]

Have to strongly disagree with putting the Star Tours 2 against those two. "New" Star Tours is actually new. It involves major new effects, scenes (the entire movie portion is different for one thing) and elements that have never existed before and are new to everyone who sees them.

A much better choice would have been MSEP.

So be it. Tiki, Captain EO, and MSEP, then.

I hesitated to mention Star Tours, because I knew a lot of you would say it's new and improved. But I've already seen the new version and it didn't particularly impress me. I left the ride thinking, "Yep, it's still Star Tours." Different movie, of course, as you mentioned. But, at it's heart, it's still a simulator ride with a movie screen. The 3-D effect is almost nonexistent, at least to my eyes. The randomizer effect is fine for what it is. I suppose my point is that Star Tours 2 doesn't represent a major step forward from Star Tours 1 -- at least to me.

So maybe next year WDW's soulless celebration slogan could be "Where Old Is New Again"?

 

[The Duck]

I don't want old attractions to return in their old state.

I would prefer WDW open new, ambitious attractions (kinda like how Tiki Room was innovative when it opened in the 1960s or Horizons was innovative in the 1980s).

Quite a few of us who are unhappy with the direction of the parks don't want them to rebuild Horizons, 20K, Mr. Toad's, Imag, etc.

My message would be try doing something ambitious, Disney. Because the nostalgia stuff may cut it with the fanboys, but it's not likely to cut it with the guests who are blind to brand and who see other parks creating truly creative, innovative experiences.

Just to underscore the point, the previous three "new" attractions to open at WDW are actually "old":

Tiki Room
"New" Star Tours
Captain EO

Great for the fanboys, unremarkable for the majority of guests.

New, ambitious attractions are always welcome in theory but WDI always takes a chance when they do so. Walt often took a chance on something new and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. UNM was (at the time) thought to be new and ambitious and we all know how well that turned out. I think that most of us would have liked a new show as long as it was an improvement on UNM but that would have required WDI to take a chance and possibly bring about another flop. My impression was that they wanted to find a way to reopen the show as quickly and cheaply as possible and going back to the original seemed to be the way to go. If they had taken the extra time to develop another new production, MK would be without another attraction for the summer and the crowds would have been that much heavier without a place to go. Personally, I would have liked a new "middle" song in place of "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing" while the rest of the show remained relatively intact but that's just my opinion. Who knows? Maybe when FLE is open and things settle down a bit, we may see the show "tweaked" a bit. In the meantime, I'm happy with what we got.

 

[MarkTwain]

I don't want old attractions to return in their old state.

I would prefer WDW open new, ambitious attractions (kinda like how Tiki Room was innovative when it opened in the 1960s or Horizons was innovative in the 1980s).

Quite a few of us who are unhappy with the direction of the parks don't want them to rebuild Horizons, 20K, Mr. Toad's, Imag, etc.

My message would be try doing something ambitious, Disney. Because the nostalgia stuff may cut it with the fanboys, but it's not likely to cut it with the guests who are blind to brand and who see other parks creating truly creative, innovative experiences.

Just to underscore the point, the previous three "new" attractions to open at WDW are actually "old":

Tiki Room
"New" Star Tours
Captain EO

Great for the fanboys, unremarkable for the majority of guests.

But what about the instance in which the current/"new" attraction is nearly unanimously considered inferior to a better-loved, better-designed, yet historic version of the same attraction? Would not the relatively simple act of reverting back to the original version be, in fact, an improvement?

I'm as big a fan of new and well-designed attractions as anyone. I'm also a fan of positive and innovative changes to historic attractions (Haunted Mansion 2007, Spaceship Earth 1994, Hall of Presidents 2009). But if I had to choose, as in this instance, between a modern attraction that is crass and ill-fitting to the Disney brand, or a "historic" attraction that is by most considered charming and a hallmark of Disney quality, then I will go with the latter every single time.

 

[The Duck]

But what about the instance in which the current/"new" attraction is nearly unanimously considered inferior to a better-loved, better-designed, yet historic version of the same attraction? Would not the relatively simple act of reverting back to the original version be, in fact, an improvement?

I'm as big a fan of new and well-designed attractions as anyone. I'm also a fan of positive and innovative changes to historic attractions (Haunted Mansion 2007, Spaceship Earth 1994, Hall of Presidents 2009). But if I had to choose, as in this instance, between a modern attraction that is crass and ill-fitting to the Disney brand, or a "historic" attraction that is by most considered charming and a hallmark of Disney quality, then I will go with the latter every single time.

Well said!

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

We had the original and people wanted something new. We had UNM and people wanted the original. We have the original and people want it changed....

I don't want and a LOT of WDW-fans don't want it either, we are actually celebrating the return of a classic.
And when I arrive at WDW early enough on September 27th to still go to MK it will be first thing I will do will be go to Adventureland and go into WALT DISNEY'S ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM.

 

[Master Yoda]

But what about the instance in which the current/"new" attraction is nearly unanimously considered inferior to a better-loved, better-designed, yet historic version of the same attraction? Would not the relatively simple act of reverting back to the original version be, in fact, an improvement?

I'm as big a fan of new and well-designed attractions as anyone. I'm also a fan of positive and innovative changes to historic attractions (Haunted Mansion 2007, Spaceship Earth 1994, Hall of Presidents 2009). But if I had to choose, as in this instance, between a modern attraction that is crass and ill-fitting to the Disney brand, or a "historic" attraction that is by most considered charming and a hallmark of Disney quality, then I will go with the latter every single time.

Yeas and no. Personally I like the original better than UNM but like I said earlier, I think Disney just put in a can of fix a flat. Sure, it runs great now, but what will happen down the road? I fear that in a few years we will be right back where we started with the Tiki Birds playing to half full theaters. They really had a great opportunity take a page from what they did to Star Tours and give people a reason to come back time and time again. What I see happening is guests going to the new old version for the next couple of years and then bypassing it because "it is the same old show that was there last year".

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Yeas and no. Personally I like the original better than UNM but like I said earlier, I think Disney just put in a can of fix a flat. Sure, it runs great now, but what will happen down the road? I fear that in a few years we will be right back where we started with the Tiki Birds playing to half full theaters. They really had a great opportunity take a page from what they did to Star Tours and give people a reason to come back time and time again. What I see happening is guests going to the new old version for the next couple of years and then bypassing it because "it is the same old show that was there last year".

Have we gotten to the point though where everything has to be different every time like Star Tours practically is? Not sure if we have hit that point just yet. However, like we discussed a few pages ago, there was a reason why the show was replaced a few years ago. People didn't like it and it was playing to empty theaters. It's nice to have it back for now, but I won't lie and say that it wouldn't be nice to have something new that was well thought out there in the future.

 

[packwingfn]

Actually I think they're doing that so the birds' "As long as you're all standing" line makes sense. The CMs did the same thing all the time for UNM, when Iago told the audience to "get on their feet" nobody actually did it, so the CMs always instructed everyone to stand up before Micheal said "As long as you're all standing.(I've seen YouTube videos where the CM actually walks around the center of the room gesturing people to stand up)

Yes I do it just so the song makes sense. And Jose does say let's all give the birdies a standing ovation. I don't do it for numbers or because coordinators are pressuring us to turn over the show. It just makes sense in the song. I love being apart of the new show and is MUCH better than UNM. Try dealing with Iago singing for 4 shows in an hour and you would understand.

 

[gerryu21220]

I absolutely don't appreciate the cut section with "landing on the the ladies hat" however. To alter the title song is a great mistake because it is a classic and you don't change a classic only because of some unhumorous, bullheaded political correct treehuggers or PETA fanatics.

Try "'cause if we don't make you feel like that, we're gonna end up on a lady's hat!" You’re upset the original lyrics were cut, yet you don't even know what they were?

Try again. The actual lyrics of the deleted verse are:

"Our show is delightful, we hope you'll agree!
We hope that it fills you with pleasure and glee
Because if we don't make you feel like that
We're gonna wind up on a lady's hat."

 

[Master Yoda]

Have we gotten to the point though where everything has to be different every time like Star Tours practically is? Not sure if we have hit that point just yet. However, like we discussed a few pages ago, there was a reason why the show was replaced a few years ago. People didn't like it and it was playing to empty theaters. It's nice to have it back for now, but I won't lie and say that it wouldn't be nice to have something new that was well thought out there in the future.

Again, yes and no. There is no question that a random occurrence, a great story, gaming or thrill element encourages people to get on an attraction over and over again. The most successful attractions have more than one of those features. This is what makes a successful attraction in the eyes of the guys paying the bills. In the case of the Tiki Room a random element, such as a random set list of songs, would be the low hanging fruit that would keep the guest counts up.

 

[gerryu21220]

Since this was the very first attraction that my family and I experienced on our first WDW trip in 1975, this has become a sentimental favorite of mine. My father (now deceased) had never seen anything like the Tikis in his life and couldn't stop talking about it to friends, neighbors and co-workers for months after we came home. Today, I spent part of my evening watching YouTube videos of the new/old show and I felt that I had to share it with my 87 year old mother. While I played one of the videos for her, I found myself starting to break down and cry. All of my memories of my family (especially my father) enjoying the original show came rushing back and I barely kept my composure. Thank you WDI, TDO and everyone else responsible. The show may be a bit shorter than previous but frankly, I don't care. The spirit of the original show has returned and I feel optimism about WDW's future like never before. I just wish that I didn't have to wait until late January for my next visit.

You have to look at it from the point of someone who's not a Disney fan. A family who are taking probably their first trip or maybe their only trip. Will they find this show memorable and appealing? Probably not. The Disney newcomers and average vacationers don't care about Disney legacy and nostalgia. They came for their kids and to let them see Mickey and The Princesses. There's a reason Disney throws Princesses and Pixar everywhere and that's cause Disney World has a larger number of one or two time guests and those are the characters and things you want to see.

I say this because my family and I are Disney addicts and I do freaking love the redo or undo...of the Tiki Room. But whenever we invite other members of our family or friends down they don't ever care about the Tiki room or the Carousel of Progress. All these classic rides are reported back to us as "kiddy" or "boring". This may not be want any of us Disney addicts want to hear but that's how some of these rides are looked at and viewed by average them park goers.

I by all means support the changes made but it just wouldn't surprise me now if the Tiki room was written off as what many of my other friends/family called a "break from the heat".

My family first saw it in 1978, and we absolutely LOVED it! So much so that we went back three or four more times, and I made a point to buy the record album on my way out of the park. I've been listening to that soundtrack frequently for the past 33 years. My only gripe with that album is that it was a poorly-transferred recording in mono. They should have put the effort into it to make it a nice, clean-sounding stereophonic album.

I went again in 1997, and saw it two more times. I would have seen it even more times, but our time was limited. It's one of the few attractions that was worth repeating. Classics such as this have staying power, as does Mansion, POTC, Jungle Cruise, etc before they were tampered with in recent years. They were done by people who knew how to present quality entertainment. I can't say that about the more modern attractions. Most newer attractions for me are/were nowhere nearly as well-done and several are totally forgettable. No charm, no appeal, nothing to make me want to see them again.

Getting rid of UNM was one of the few good decisions TDO has made in recent years, but I feel cheated when seeing this new version. While the show looks and sounds much better than it ever did, they just chopped it too much. They should have stuck with the current Disneyland edit.

We NEVER, EVER went to WDW just to see Mickey and Princesses. It was never about going "for the kids". We went for the quality attractions and to be entertained with quality shows such as the Tiki Room. Things that can be enjoyed by all ages, not dumbed down stuff for kiddies.