Five Things to Know About Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

This led to the birth of Audio-Animatronics technology. When the Disneyland attraction opened in 1963, this was something never seen before! The “animators” could synchronize movement, audio, and visual effects. This eventually gave birth to many of the attractions we enjoy today, from the Hall of Presidents to the Haunted Mansion, from Pirates of the Caribbean to the Carousel of Progress.

Four wisecracking macaws named José (Mexico), Michael (Ireland), Pierre (France), and Fritz (Germany) act as your hosts. This classic show also features toucans, tropical birds, tikis, flowers, and a theater that comes to life.

2. Drop in for a performance; you’ll have no egrets!

Eight years after its Disneyland predecessor, the Disney World version was an opening day attraction at the Magic Kingdom. As a “heritage” attraction, it may seem dated to some. But it’s a sentimental favorite of our family, and we make sure to visit every time we’re there. I know we aren’t the only ones: a friend of mine told me, “When you write about the Tiki Room, feel free to mention that my family is well aware they are not allowed to visit the Magic Kingdom without a trip to the Tiki Room – EVER!”

During the 10 minute, mostly musical show, you’ll be serenaded with songs from the 1940’s through the 1960’s. Not for everybody, we admit, but singing along makes the experience a whole lot of fun – and my observation is that kids love it. Though most of the action occurs in the center of this theater-in-the-round, the whole room comes to life as the tikis and flowers surrounding the seating area join in the fun. There’s even a tropical thunderstorm!

The four-minute preshow in the queue is hosted by Claude and Clyde, two toucans perched on a tiki. Altogether, the attraction lasts about 15 minutes.

3. Here’s a whole flock of bonus facts!

Bonus fact 3A: Military tech made it poultry in motion!

Back in the 1950’s, the arms race led to the development of a magnetic tape system to control missiles. The very same system turned out to be just what Disney’s Imagineers needed to sync the movements of the birds, the lights, and the audio in the show.

The drawback was that the computers running the program were bigger than the theatre itself and generated so much heat, they required air conditioning! So, when it opened at Disneyland, The Enchanted Tiki Room was the first air-conditioned attraction. Today, a computer about the size of a MacBook does the job.

Bonus fact 3B. Toucan play at this game. Or three or more!

Let me be totally transparent here: the exact number of performing animatronics seems to be hard to nail down. Different sources state different numbers ranging from 150 to 225 to 314.

So, do me a favor and make a game of it next time you visit! Have your family and friends count them. Send me the information and I’ll post an update.

There does seem to be agreement that there are eight macaws, six cockatoos, twelve toucans, nine forktail birds, and almost 20 other tropical birds joined by 54 singing orchids, seven bird-of-paradise flowers, twelve tiki drummers and four singing tikis. No partridge in a pear tree.

Bonus fact 3C: What’s in a name?

Sources disagree as to whether the attraction has had two or three name changes over the years. When Walt Disney World’s version of the Enchanted Tiki Room debuted in 1971, it was titled “Tropical Serenade.” Based on a couple of hours looking at old guide maps of the Magic Kingdom, it seems that the name changed from “Tropical Serenade” to “The Enchanted Tiki Room ” sometime between February 3 and February 18, 1996. By December of that same year, it was changed to “Enchanted Tiki Birds.”

In 1998, the attraction was re-imagined as “The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management)” starring Iago from Aladdin and Zazu from The Lion King. The new script and new characters were not well received. Most agreed it was one of the worst “updates” to an attraction Disney had ever attempted. After a small fire broke out in the attraction’s attic, the show thankfully reverted to its classic script and was renamed Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in 2011.

FWIW, this NEVER happened at the Disneyland version!

4. Let’s all sing like the birdies sing.

The theme song, “In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” is another earworm written by Richard and Robert Sherman, the duo who also composed “it’s a small world (after all)”. To their credit, they also wrote Walt’s favorite song, “Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)” from Mary Poppins. Which, come to think of it, is also about birds.

The refrain will get stuck in your head: In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room; In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room; All the birds sing words and the flowers croon; In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room!

Disney utilized top-level talent to voice the starring macaws, all of whom have sadly passed. Perhaps most well-known is Jerry Orbach, the voice of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, who provides Pierre’s French. Thurl Ravenscroft who sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and exclaimed, “They’re Grrrrrreat!” as Tony the Tiger, is Fritz. Also featured are two who famously appeared at Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Saloon, Wally Boag, and Fulton Burley, who voice José and Michael, respectively.

5. The nuts and bolts

The Enchanted Tiki Room is in Adventureland, across from the Jungle Cruise and near The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. If you need an incentive to visit, it happens to be next to Aloha Isle, home of the unparalleled Dole Whip!

The theater for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is unique in that it’s smaller than other show theaters. The theater seats are hard-backed benches, set all the way around the room and facing the center.

Guests may remain in a wheelchair/ECV to watch the show. Handheld Captioning, Assistive Listening and Audio Description Devices are available. All equipment may be rented from Guest Services with a refundable deposit when returned on the same day.

There are no height restrictions, no health or safety advisories for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. But note: some young guests may be frightened by the simulated storm effects.

Since this show is an indoor attraction, inclement weather will not affect the show’s operation. The open-air pre-show area is under cover but can be exposed to wind-blown rain during severe storms.

The Enchanted Tiki Room rarely has a long wait. It may be best to check it out during the hottest and busiest times of day to escape the heat and crowds. It’s open during Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, but not during Early Entry.

The bottom line

We think this comment posted by fan Sheri on an earlier story sums it up pretty well: “This show is a must do for any Disney fan. If you love the animatronics of Pirates (of the Caribbean), Navi River Journey, or Smugglers’ Run you owe it all to those birds. Enjoy it for what it is, a lighthearted living piece of Disney history, and don’t compare it to more modern shows.”

Do you enjoy the Enchanted Tiki Room? Or do you think it lays an egg? Let us know in the comments.