The Tiki Room and the Future of our WDW Community: Where will we travel?

[puntagordabob]

This was originally part of another thread...but after reading what I wrote I realized this was off topic so I posted this as a seperate post. I really believe that we as a Community (not just here..but on every WDW forum, etc) have been presented with a Choice...as to which road we want to travel.

I haven't been paying much attention to the Disney world of late ... but haven't heard one reputable person tell me this is happening.
If so, it's only happening because it is much cheaper to do so.
Whatever you may think of the second version, don't have any delusions that the first was more popular because it wasn't ... unless you go back to say the 70s or early 80s.

Funny, those who visit Disneyland (including my family) will tell you that the Tiki Room is quite popular there.. special events, merchandise, etc....usually ever show is filled.... walkouts are uncommon...
As for why it could be happening??? The historical postings on the many forums I visit would support your position.... BUT at the same time TDO DOES have a choice and if they choose to bring the Tiki Room to its former glory then why not look at this as a positive step....and applaud their decision rather than find fault.
HERE IS A THOUGHT: No matter what.... TDO (if the rumors are true) are giving our community something that a majority of us have wanted forever it seems. DO YOU WANT MORE GOOD TDO MOVES? Then SUPPORT The Tiki Room... PROMOTE the Tiki Room.... Show TDO that THIS is the right way to think in the future... or else youll have to accept the fact that WE, AS A COMMUNITY are the problem NOT TDO!!!!
THAT is the BEST way to send a message to TDO.......Be sure to send the one you TRULY want them to see.... If I were them, Id watch carefully how the community of WDW fans act mid to long term with the Tiki Room.
Want something done with SGE? JII? Or whateve else? And you let the Tiki Room fail??? Guess what??? Id ignore you and your concerns in the future....
Seriously..... everyone said a long while back that TDO would never bring back the original Tiki Room....even if the reason was the Fire that this possibility sprung into possible momentum and now we are perhaps just a stone throw away from seeing perhaps just that..... WAKE UP JOSE? No Wake Up to All Of Us... this is perhaps an opportunity for us all to either be taken more seriously by TDO or more totally ignored.
Dont assume others will pick up your slack.... if this happens.. write to them...talk to CMs.... attend the show every day you enter the MK..... Support this and you might see better times ahead.
Am I full of Cow Manure saying all this???? Perhaps.... But if by some chance there is some reality in what I write, would it not be better for all of you to TRY???
As my football Coach back in the 80s had on the wall of the weight room "Hard work and Determination Guaruntee Nothing, but a Lack of it Does." It applies here.... Easy to complain, but much harder to support a good decision by our actions.
As for I... I LOVE the Enchanted Tiki Room... a lot of you may know me over the years posting here and there about the Tiki Room..... (Give Jose back his Show! Put it back "Under Walt's Management"...etc)... well now I will SUPPORT the Tiki Room if it is returned to the way I first remember it as a five year old in the fall of 71/summer of 72.... Buying the merchandise....attending a show every day I enter the MK.... Cheerlead the show online, offline, etc....
Please, if you love Disney as I suspect most of you do, Support Jose and his Flock....not just for 2010, but for all the years beyond it too.... The Disneylanders' fought the UNM refurb there and prevailed.....and their support for their Tiki Room has been as solid as Titanium ever since.....and many people on the forums have posted how they believe things are better at DLR than at WDW.... Perhaps their example is a lesson for all of us.
It is my sincere HOPE that we , as a WDW Community are courageous enough to try....

 

[disnyfan89]

I get what you are trying to say. However, we have to assume that bringing back the Original Tiki room is the right message. How does this message read when coupled with the return of Captain EO?

What I see is a large amount of fan boys flocking to dated shows and attractions foaming at the mouth from excitement. Buying up as much merchandise as possible and singing the praise of memories from long ago.

Don't get me wrong, the original Tiki room was wonderful and I loved seeing it so many times when I lived in Cali from 2009-2010 on my CP. However, when Disneyland brought back EO and then it was brought to Florida a precedent was set by the company. To my knowledge it was the first time we resurrected old long gone attractions. Now with the rumored return of Tropical Serenade this precedent of old attractions coming back is being made into a trend. What does this bode for the future?

Don't support the original Tiki room because it is the original. Support the original tiki room if and only if it is brought into the future with improved lighting, sound, and effects.

In order for the tiki room to be a success it needs more than just a simple change over. It needs a new entrance facing Jungle Cruise, a reworked preshow area similar to that of the tiki garden in Tokyo and any remnants from UNM completely removed plus all figures need to be fully refreshed and revitalized.

We as a community need to support quality and substance. That's why Disneyland is held to a higher standard. Because the Disneyland fan community wont except anything less than brilliance.

 

[puntagordabob]

In order for the tiki room to be a success it needs more than just a simple change over. It needs a new entrance facing Jungle Cruise, a reworked preshow area similar to that of the tiki garden in Tokyo and any remnants from UNM completely removed plus all figures need to be fully refreshed and revitalized.

We as a community need to support quality and substance. That's why Disneyland is held to a higher standard. Because the Disneyland fan community wont except anything less than brilliance.

Yep...the entrance is blocked by the carpets as it is....wonder if they will make that change....hope so!

Yep..the DLR community came together..... wonder if it is even possible here... always hear people saying DLR is so different than WDW's tourists....we know how that usually ends up! The mindset needs to change... the parks should be treated equally on quality and entertainment, etc...

 

[sshindel]

I know that I had not planned a trip until late 2012, and with the recent news of the return of what is probably my favorite attraction (at least the one that gives me the warm childhood fuzzies the most), I am strongly considering trying to squeeze in a trip this year. Even if just for a long weekend. If time and finances work out, and if Jose gets his show back, I'm going to make it happen.

 

[Jerm]

Funny, those who visit Disneyland (including my family) will tell you that the Tiki Room is quite popular there.. special events, merchandise, etc....usually ever show is filled.... walkouts are uncommon...

Ok to jump on the other side of this, I have been going to Disneyland all times of the year for the past almost 20 years and before that I was going about every few months and I am here to say your statment is not fully correct.

Tiki room is really not that popular other then when it is hot or when the stroller mom's want to take the little ones someplace for a nice seat for a little while during the off season. As for the special events and merch, those were both for the same thing and have been sitting around in the park and in the cast member store for a while now. Every show is filled.....maybe during the weekend and summer in the middle of the day, but over all most shows run about half full if lucky most of the time. Walkouts are uncommon....this one is true because most of the people that go in know what they are going in for, but I have also been in shows where whole groups have used the backdoor.

If Tiki Room comes back with the old show in MK it will be billed as the return of a classic, which will do nothing after the first few months when all of us and the other AP holders get their fill then it will become an A/C place to relax. Eo was brought back and is going to stick around for a while because people young and old love MJ. While some of the young kids might love the old Tiki Room there is nothing to drive them in and when their parent drag them in, it will be just like CBJ where they will either drag their parents out or will just pull out their phone and start texting. Disney as a whole should not be about bringing back the old for us Gen X/Baby Boomers, it should be about going forward and creating the new "next big thing" till it is time to replace that show/attraction when the attendance dies down!

 

[baymenxpac]

I get what you are trying to say. However, we have to assume that bringing back the Original Tiki room is the right message. How does this message read when coupled with the return of Captain EO?

What I see is a large amount of fan boys flocking to dated shows and attractions foaming at the mouth from excitement. Buying up as much merchandise as possible and singing the praise of memories from long ago.

Don't get me wrong, the original Tiki room was wonderful and I loved seeing it so many times when I lived in Cali from 2009-2010 on my CP. However, when Disneyland brought back EO and then it was brought to Florida a precedent was set by the company. To my knowledge it was the first time we resurrected old long gone attractions. Now with the rumored return of Tropical Serenade this precedent of old attractions coming back is being made into a trend. What does this bode for the future?

Don't support the original Tiki room because it is the original. Support the original tiki room if and only if it is brought into the future with improved lighting, sound, and effects.

In order for the tiki room to be a success it needs more than just a simple change over. It needs a new entrance facing Jungle Cruise, a reworked preshow area similar to that of the tiki garden in Tokyo and any remnants from UNM completely removed plus all figures need to be fully refreshed and revitalized.

We as a community need to support quality and substance. That's why Disneyland is held to a higher standard. Because the Disneyland fan community wont except anything less than brilliance.

i completely agree with this, but i also get where the OP is coming from. if we want to laud and revere something, and then TDO gives it to us, its our responsibility to reward them for hearing our cries.

i completely agree that the tiki room needs more than just a changeover. i remember the mid-late '90s very well. tropical serenade wasn't exactly playing to full shows, only to be callously replaced by under new management. i'm not praised UNM, but i am saying that i was always a fan or the original show, and i didn't hate the idea of sprucing it up.

there really is so much potential for it to be a great attraction. i just hope they recapture the original spirit of the show, while giving us a few new surprises.

 

[inluvwithbeast]

The warm childhood fuzzies thing is something that bothers me when anybody mentions it. The idea that bringing back any attraction that is nostaglic for YOU is a great idea? Blah. The parks aren't designed to be your time capsule. I think some need to ride the Carousel of Progress.

As a part of the WDW community, we should be demand progress and innovation, not cop-outs and old shows.

Btw, WDW capitalized on MJ's death and the renewed craze that ensued after. That sit funny with anyone else?

 

[Jerm]

The warm childhood fuzzies thing is something that bothers me when anybody mentions it. The idea that bringing back any attraction that is nostaglic for YOU is a great idea? Blah. The parks aren't designed to be your time capsule. I think some need to ride the Carousel of Progress.

As a part of the WDW community, we should be demand progress and innovation, not cop-outs and old shows.

Btw, WDW capitalized on MJ's death and the renewed craze that ensued after. That sit funny with anyone else?

THANK YOU!!!!!!!:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

Also people should remember that when MK was being planned they didn't want to just copy Disneyland, but due to budget that was pretty much what happened. Just think if the internet had been around then!!!!!!

 

[menamechris]

These days - they are d*mned if they do, and d*mned if they don't. The internet is good for many things, but I have to admit this isn't one of them. Before, corporate decisions were made and the customer accepted it. If enough customers troubled themselves enough to go into guest relations to complain or actually take the time to write a letter (and mail it via US Postal Service) changes were made. IMO, it is way too easy for people to hang out online and complain. Sending an e-mail is simple, and I am sure there are some who send e-mails and complaints as nauseam, but if in the parks, probably wouldn't be troubled to stop by guest services - or heaven forbid - hand write a letter. I actually feel for management of any company that relies on guest feedback in this day in age....

My point being - Let's see what it is first. After you have experienced it - form an opinion. If returning an old show receives positive feedback from guests - AWESOME! Disney is selling happiness. If that comes in a small, simple package of animatronics and silly music, so be it. "Cutting edge" isn't always everything it is cracked up to be...

 

[Victoria]

I've only been to DL in the summer but Tiki Room was definitely crowded then. However it was about 1017392 degrees out and everyone wanted a/c and Dole Whips. :lol: Also, I've been told that since DL is the original, the one Walt worked on, etc. there is much more appreciation for classic attractions out there. The heavily local fan base only strengthens this. I can totally understand this theory/phenomenon/whateveryouwanttocallit because DL's guests are the same people showing up over and over again. Of course they are ok with a familiar classic that is well-maintained.

I'm not convinced that a return of the original Tiki Room in MK will make much of an impact on most guests. Of course the internet fan community is buzzing about it, but we're a very small part of WDW's fan base in the grand scheme of things. Of course, the internet fans are the most vocal and the ones WDW can get the most feedback from so I totally understand where the OP is coming from. When WDW does something good, they deserve to be rewarded in the ways the OP mentioned. When they do something bad, I'm all for respectful and age-appropriate dissension. We all know that one person (or even 200 people) threatening to burn their APs and never go back to WDW doesn't accomplish anything. While I think it might be nice to see the original Tiki Room for a while, I don't like the thought of WDW turning into some sort of museum. Walt never intended for his parks to stay the same for decades at a time. :shrug:

 

[Krack]

The idea that bringing back any attraction that is nostaglic for YOU is a great idea? Blah. The parks aren't designed to be your time capsule.

They are if they want my money ... which has gone to the Disney company in progressively less amounts year after year. Don't want to cater to me? That's fine, but it's the reason why I visit WDW once every three years instead of twice a year as I did in the 1990s.

Ok to jump on the other side of this, I have been going to Disneyland all times of the year for the past almost 20 years and before that I was going about every few months and I am here to say your statment is not fully correct.

Tiki room is really not that popular other then when it is hot or when the stroller mom's want to take the little ones someplace for a nice seat for a little while during the off season.

Sorry. But I must disagree. When I lived in California, my experience was that the Tiki Room was fairly popular. Did it have lines around the corner like Pirates or Space Mountain? No, of course not. But nobody would reasonably expect it to. But it was certainly in the second tier of popularity with the Buzz Lightyears and Star Tours and Small World. Like everything else in the park, at peak times it holds mostly full rooms. On a Tuesday morning during the school year, fairly empty (just like everything else in the park). But on Friday and Saturday nights (peak AP time)? Full.

 

[Enchantâmes]

I'm just going to say lately this entire forum has been on a downward spiral of fail complaints. People at least they are doing something, lighten up and enjoy the show.

 

[jakeman]

They are if they want my money ... which has gone to the Disney company in progressively less amounts year after year. Don't want to cater to me? That's fine, but it's the reason why I visit WDW once every three years instead of twice a year as I did in the 1990s.

In some cases that is applicable, but not in every case, which seems to be what some advocate for, especially in the case of Epcot.

I think the point that was being made was that keeping the parks stagnant for 20+ years to appease a very small portion of the public is probably not the wisest business move.

With that said, given the milestone that is coming up, I think personally, a return of the original Tiki room would be an acceptable addition.

The current incarnation more than likely isn't meeting its theoretically hourly capacity and a return of the original may help that. So why not in this case?

I'm just going to say lately this entire forum has been on a downward spiral of fail complaints. People at least they are doing something, lighten up and enjoy the show.

Oh, this place isn't bad. I can point you to a few website where everything at Disney is mocked with a vehemence that boarders on pathetic.

Always good for a LAUGH to read at that PLACE though.

 

[Krack]

I think the point that was being made was that keeping the parks stagnant for 20+ years to appease a very small portion of the public is probably not the wisest business move.

Who wants stagnant? I'm all for building new attractions. Just don't destroy what is there already. There is so much available space in every park that making a bad change is completely unnecessary. Sorry, WDI's track record over the last 15 years sucks; particularly when screwing with old beloved attractions. Some hits (Pirates and Haunted Mansion ride upgrades), tons of misses (too many to list - it would take forever).

People go to Disney World for different reasons. I mainly go to enjoy the things I did when I was a kid. The less of it that is still there, the less often I go. You want to tinker with something I love? That's fine, but it better be perfect. I think Disney underestimates how many people there are like me and instead is preoccupied with chasing teens and kids with pop culture that inevitably becomes dated 10 minutes after it's implemented. Classic generally stays classic. There's a reason why the original Tiki Room has a loyal, devoted and vocal (size is up for debate) fan base and nobody defends Under New Management.

 

[Jerm]

Who wants stagnant? I'm all for building new attractions. Just don't destroy what is there already. There is so much available space in every park that making a bad change is completely unnecessary.

I was trying not to say this, but Walt ripped out more buildings in his 11 years at Disneyland then have been done in the 44 that have followed!

 

[inluvwithbeast]

I was referring to the parks remaining stagnant. As the parks have changed, people have experienced different versions of parks with different attraction line-ups. My WDW nostalgia is a lot different than most people on here. I started going in 2006. So the idea of the parks being your time capsule is silly. There are some classics (e-tickets) that stay around and get plussed and refurbed (ideally). The supporting roles should be changing an updating. And I'm not particularly referring to the Tiki Room. Just tired of the longing for attractions of days gone-by.

 

[Krack]

I was trying not to say this, but Walt ripped out more buildings in his 11 years at Disneyland then have been done in the 44 that have followed!

I never experienced those attractions, so I can't comment.

And I'm not particularly referring to the Tiki Room. Just tired of the longing for attractions of days gone-by.

Why? How do you know they weren't good? Somebody must have liked them or there wouldn't be a constant stream of "wanting them back".

 

[fyn]

Why? How do you know they weren't good? Somebody must have liked them or there wouldn't be a constant stream of "wanting them back".

I think part of the problem is that when some people say "I want this attraction back," what they really mean is "I don't think the new attraction is as good as the one it replaced." I'd be surprised if most people that claim to want old attractions back actually wanted them back exactly as they were, rather than a newer, modern interpretation of equal or better quality.

I'm guilty of this as much as anyone. I say I want "The Living Seas" back, but what I really mean is "I wish, instead of adding Nemo, they updated and reimagined the Seabase Alpha concept."

And because most people who voice this opinion don't explain their motivation, or why they liked whatever attraction was replaced, the disagreeing crowd assumes that people want old attractions back just for the sake of nostalgia.

 

[jakeman]

I think Disney underestimates how many people there are like me...

I think they probably have a good grasp of how large that group is.

I think the venomous hyperbole spewed forth by a very vocal minority of the larger dedicated fan base over the past few years has soured Disney on most feedback it receives from people more dedicated than the average every 2-5 year guest.

I'm not saying that Disney doesn't deserve criticism. There is plenty of justifiable issues to speak up about. However, for every Yeti there is a Land refurbishment that is the end of the world.

I think Disney just doesn't see the profit in accommodating a crowd that: a) will complain anyways and b) still give them money.

 

[aladdin2007]

I dont get why so many keep saying EO is so popular here. In Disneyland yes it has a better market and promotion in California and they put more into the return show there with effects and what not. But TDO was a bit late in the game to bring it back here, and I have seen no lines or single bodies even walking in to see it. Yesterday not one person was even bothering to look at the merch cart, they just kept walking by, and the park and that area was crowded! So I dont see why so many are saying this is a success here. Really? I think its more of a filler in between another outdated show, and whatever is to come. I think one problem may be they dont know what to put in there, or they just dont want to put the money out for it with no sponsor etc. So were stuck in the mud for quite awhile to come in that area.

As for the tiki room, yes its going backwords a bit but in a good way, especially for the 40th anniversary, its the perfect time, tie in and gift to fans. Besides UNM was even more dated than the original show, its songs and jokes etc did not even last the ten years and then some it had ran. The fault of that being Eisner and Imagineering at first, then TDO more recently for waiting so long and having to have a fire to wake them up.

Again they arent doing all that much else for the 40th per say so far, so its a postive step bringing something back that has been loved and missed. IF they do it right and not cheap out, such as new lightning and sound etc etc. Since there was quite a bit of water damage etc Im thinking we would almost have to get the Disneyland treatment to some extent. Otherwise TDO knows it going to make them look bad. They dont need anymore of that thats for sure.