The Tiki Room made its debut in Adventureland as the “Tropical Serenade” when Disney’s Magic Kingdom first opened its doors on October 1, 1971, and was originally sponsored by Florida Citrus Growers. Since 1998, the show has been known as The Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management. The new managers of this Adventureland attraction are none other than Iago, the constantly scheming parrot from Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin,” and Zazu, the obnoxious hornbill from Disney’s “The Lion King.”
This fun-filled attraction, which originally opened in Disneyland in 1963 as the first Disney attraction to feature a full cast of animatronic figures, is located just across from the Jungle Cruise and features a brief, albeit standing-room-only, preshow starring William and Morris (voiced by Don Rickles and the late Phil Hartman, respectively). The main event, however, takes place in an inviting theater with benches – a good way to beat the heat when the sun is at its brightest. In addition to Iago and Zazu, the approximately 10-minute show features a variety of animatronic tropical birds (as well as talking statues and flowers), including, Fritz, Jose, Michael and Pierre as they sing several upbeat and humorous songs such as “In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room.” Highlights of the show include an appearance from Uh Oa (the tiki “goddess of disaster”), the hilarious chants of the tiki gods and an amazing grand finale that features the entire cast of birds.
After the Enchanted Tiki Room show, check out the Sunshine Tree Terrace, which is located in Adventureland behind the Enchanted Tiki Room and serves snacks and ice-cold beverages (including the legendary Citrus Swirl). Enchanted Tiki Room souvenirs can be found at the nearby Agrabah Bazaar.
Note: Neither flash photography nor videotaping is allowed during the Enchanted Tiki Room show in Adventureland. The Enchanted Tiki Room is wheelchair accessible.
UPDATE: The Enchanted Tiki Room was mentioned in a New York Times articles called "The Line Between Homage and Parody" on November 25, 2007: "Because Disney's characters are so well known, tweaking them even slightly could result in indelible damage. A decade ago, Disney updated the birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction at Walt Disney World and still hasn't heard the end of it."
