I’m just gonna come out and say it; the Enchanted Tiki Room is much more than just an A/C break as you comb your way through the winding streets of adventure and wonder in Disneyland and Disney World. It deserves our respect and appreciation! Why? Because this baby is the one that started it all. It is a landmark achievement in theme park attractions. And guess what? It’s 61 years old today!
Early Days
The Enchanted Tiki Room opened on June 23rd, 1963 in Disneyland. It was originally sponsored by United Airlines. That changed after 12 years, and we should be very happy that it did. Dole Food Company took over in 1976, and with that, Disney lovers were introduced to the incomparable Dole Whip soft-serve treat that you can enjoy near the entrance of the Tiki Room.
The ride opened in Magic Kingdom in Disney World 1971, though it was originally called the Tropical Serenade. It adopted the Enchanted Tiki Room name in 1998, as it remains to this day. It also opened in Tokyo Disneyland in 1983.
Groundbreaking Features
The Enchanted Tiki Room was a first for Disney when it came to Audio-Animatronics, which essentially means when machines move and “talk” in sync with audio. Audio-Animatronics was an invention patented by WED Enterprises, and the Tiki Room was the Imagineers’ first time implementing it into a park attraction. Rides like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and many other legendary Disney experiences owe a ton to the one that started it all.
It was also the first building in Disneyland to have full air conditioning, due to the amount of heat the machines generated. The A/C of the The Enchanted Tiki Room is, indeed, legendary!
The show itself features over 200 animatronic performers, led by four macaws named Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz. Together, the cast brings to life the songs like “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room,” which was composed by, of course, the Sherman brothers (I bet you’ll have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day!). The show celebrates the wonders of the South Pacific and Polynesian culture, and has been a fun experience for the whole family for 61 years.
Sit Back and Enjoy!
There are few things that hit the spot quite like enjoying Dole Whip soft serve while cooling off in the Enchanted Tiki Room. This attraction is not just enjoyable, but vastly important in the history of the Walt Disney Company. It has been, and always will be, where all the birds sing words and the flowers croon!
