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Home / Blog / Theme Park Rides, Shows & More / The Secret History of Disney Rides: Enchanted Tiki Room

The Secret History of Disney Rides: Enchanted Tiki Room

by Tad on June 6, 2016
8 Video

The Secret History of Disney Rides: Enchanted Tiki Room - Secret History of the Enchanted Tiki Room

In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room! Have the song in your head yet? You will after this secret history of the Enchanted Tiki Room! This lovable Disney show hosted by a handful of singing macaws has been around for decades. While it's gone through some changes, it remains one of my favorite attractions, yet! And I can't complain about those delicious Dole Whips, either.

Hop here for the Enchanted Tiki Room wait times, ride details and more!

The Secret History of the Enchanted Tiki Room

Secret History of the Enchanted Tiki Room

Opening as the first attraction ever to feature Audio Animatronics, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room was originally intended to be a dinner show. The Magic Fountain you see in the center of the room? That was supposed to be a coffee bar! When it was decided the Enchanted Tiki Room would entail too much technology and complexity to be a dinner show, the Disney Imagineers got busy creating it as a Disneyland attraction.

Secret History of the Enchanted Tiki Room

The attraction was also the first to be fully air-conditioned at Disneyland! Via theFW.com, this was thanks to because of all the computers the show required to function. The design was perfect for the popular Polynesian-style of the era. The Enchanted Tiki Room opened officially at Disneyland in 1963 and guests absolutely loved it. Hosted by four singing and talking macaws  (Jose, Michael, Pierre and Fritz), each of the birds talked with their own accent: Jose spoke with a Mexican accent, Michael spoke with an Irish one, Pierre had a French accent and Fritz spoke with a German accent! Their colors also represented the flags of these countries, but these colors have all changed throughout the years.

Secret History of the Enchanted Tiki Room

 

Those famous Dole Whips you now enjoy while watching the show? That's because Dole took over the attraction's sponsorship in 1976! The first sponsor of the Enchanted Tiki Room was United Airlines. Because the show was such a hit, an identical attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom in 1971, but was called Tropical Serenade. This was changed to the Enchanted Tiki Room and then again in 1998, the attraction was renamed The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management); it was literally "under new management" with lago from Aladdin and Zazu from the Lion King!

Finally, in 2011, Magic Kingdom's version dropped the "Under New Management" and opened as Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room with the storyline matching the original one at Disneyland. Now, you can sing along with these colorful birds in Tokyo Disneyland, as well! Except Stitch will interrupt your show.

The Enchanted Tiki Room Fun Facts

Secret History of the Enchanted Tiki Room

  • The Sherman Brothers, who created the famous song sung in the Enchanted Tiki Room, are also responsible for tunes on "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book" and other Disney films!
  • There are around 225 birds inside the attraction! Around 120 of them sing.
  • You'll only find the delicious Dole Whips in Magic Kingdom, Disneyland and Dole Foods in Hawaii.
  • Does Fritz sound familiar? Maybe so - that's Thurl Ravenscroft's voice. He also voices Tony the Tiger, and you'll hear him on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and as Uncle Theodore on the Haunted Mansion!
  • Via Disneyland Detective by Kendra Trahan, the cast of the Enchanted Tiki Room includes 12 tiki drummers, 4 totem poles, 54 singing orchards, 24 singing masks and more!
  • It's said that Walt Disney had a mechanical bird in a cage in his office, which inspired the Audio-Animatronic birds you now see in the Enchanted Tiki Room!

Are ya singin' yet? I hope so because I am! Be sure to check out our Enchanted Tiki Room wait times and ride details. If you have any great stories or questions about the Enchanted Tiki Room, let us know in the comments below.

Stay cool!

Keep hopping, Tad!
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Comments

Jul 3, 2018 at 2:19 a.m.
Cynthia Says...

Boy, does that bring back memories. My dad was director of advertising for United Airlines and arranged to sponsor the Tiki Room when it first opened. I was just a child, but I was impressed with my dad -- and enchanted by the Tiki Room. (United had just started working on having a route to Hawaii, so it was a good match.) It does seem that the show is slightly shorter now, or perhaps just the video. Wasn't there an Offenbach interlude in there as well? I have been to the Tiki Room several times since it first opened, but not for many years now. But all the words are still familiar. Thanks for that trip down memory lane.

Reply
Jul 26, 2023 at 12:07 a.m.
Dru Says...

My Grandpa built the original fountain and my mom was a United flight attendant on the first 747 flights to Hawaii.

Reply
May 21, 2022 at 5:54 p.m.
Gerry G Says...

Hi Cynthia. Im a United employee and interested in learning more about your fathers role promoting United at the tiki room. I recently acquired a United tiki god that was used in the advertisements and was looking for a picture of how it was used in promotions, either at the Disney tiki room or United LAX airport. Would be great to talk to you. Gerry

Reply
Apr 7, 2018 at 1:30 a.m.
Dunnt Says...

Just an update on the Dole Whip. In addition to the Disney Park’s, Aulani and the Dole Plantation, these are available now at the (of all the strange places) Denver Zoo!

Reply
Oct 13, 2017 at 9:48 p.m.
CLIFFORD HARTLE Says...

You can buy Dole Whip today known as Dole Soft Serve (its only called whip in Disney parks) lots of places. Usually frozen yogurt shops, fairs and amusement parks but not all sell pineapple since there are 7 or so other fruit flavors. They no longer make vanilla and chocolate Dole "whip".

Reply
Nov 5, 2016 at 10:07 a.m.
Carlos Medina Says...

I like the enchanted tiki room because these birds can sing along

Reply
Jul 22, 2016 at 4:02 p.m.
Molly Warden Says...

You can also pick up a Dole Whip near the pool at the Polynesian Resort and I believe the Disneyland Hotel also offers it now! I know for sure the Polynesian does and that stand almost never has a wait!

Reply
Jun 13, 2016 at 4:45 p.m.
Vern Woodruff Says...

I did not know that you could take a Dole Whip with you into the Enchanted Tiki Room. Usually, attractions do not allow food or drink. I'll remember this the next time we visit.

There is one other place that sells Dole Whip. I'm not sure of the connection with Dole, but Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA has a Dole Whip Junction stand. We were just there last week and enjoyed Dole Whip with a short wait.

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