Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room update (some rumors included) - General Tiki

T TikiCutie Member Florida, now a SoCal Hoiti Toiti Joined: Nov 03, 2002 Posts: 90	T TikiCutie Posted posted on Sun, Feb 20, 2005 10:18 AM Ahoy there, mateys! Tiki Cutie, your mild-mannered (although sightly less mannered when intoxicated) insider Tikiroom reporter has alighted at Tiki Central once again to inform the curiosity-filled masses! Gawrsh, I'm really sorry for being truant, we are getting so rushed for all the preparations for the 50th, I've been torn away to do other projects and the Tikiroom has been shelved for a week or so while the Lanai troglidite construction workers pour new concrete. (Oh, special announcnement to Robin: Mrs. Velour, I've heard you are worried that they are tearing out the original floor inside...fear no more, it is not true, it is still there, still very 60's looking, and it is so precious to us that we are required to wear paper booties on our feet and ladder legs so that we do not scrape or scratch it whilst we work away.). Wish everyone could see how the "Room" looks without all the benches, like a little ballroom! (No comments on my ladder legs, and yes, they do go all the way up.) Yes, I have been temporarily pulled away from my blessed assignement to help design the new animated windows display for the 50th anniversay Emporium windows, then after that I was asked to rehab the Pizza Port props and spent all week disassembling the old Space Mountain ride control console to use its little knobs and dials to attach to boxes and giant vegetables.- The goal was to make some "post-apocalyptic vegetable-juicer type props. I had fun making the future, but Iwas excited to get back to my South Pacific-specific project! I have now flown back to the Tiki Room and am working on some really fun stuff. So much to tell, so much to answer... Most fun items first! No, I don't know anything about sound insulation on the side of the Tahitian Terrace being installed or uninstalled, but I did get a confirmation from project manager Larry that the Tahitian Terrace will be used once again as a strotytelling venue for Arabic type stuff. I do know that the ETR show has been totally reprogrammed with a new and improved audio-animatronic system that allows for new specific altered audio to be inset durng specia levents. This does not mean that they are GOING to add/install temporary refreshed audio from time to time, it merely means they now CAN. Blake the WDI show programmer guy suggests if they want to change the audio for Christmas shows or special events, that it is now possible to work those in and remove them as they wish. The whole track does not have to be replaced and reprogrammed each time now. But don't get excited, like I said, it is now only possible, not imminent that alterations could be made. All the birds are back in, (except for the robins, which I have yet to sculpt the feet for) the girls went in this week, gosh, they look so stunning and bright and clean. The Drum gods are back up, the orchid boats are refoliaged, and I added some feathers around the necks of the flowers to reduce more of the clacking/hissing and give some more movement to their animation. I must say, they look divine. I haven't heard the totem gods chant or the flowers croon yet along with their animation, so I don't know if our attempts to reduce the clacking have come to fruition, I'll let you know. Blake has been letting us have some fun with the audio as he repograms the bird's mouths to open and close at the right time. He has been bringing in other audio to entertain us while we work away up on our ladders (in their booties), and has been amusing us by making the bird's mouths move to such classics as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration", Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls" and various other hilarious things that look rather ironic coming out of animatronic bird mouths. He even lets us play with the toggle control and make the bird's mouths move to the music manually. I wish everyone could have as mcuh fun as I am having! I think of you all as I delight in my work/play. :) The most exciting thing I have gotten to do this past week is start working on making some speaker covers for 5 new speakers that are featuered out in the Lanai (everyone looks at me with question-marks over their head when I say "lanai" and only respond when I call it the "preshow"). Two will go on the wall to each side of the Tangaroa tree (we still haven't had a chance to do the foilage on that because of the cement laying delays...which will now be delayed longer because of the rain). These will resemble birdhouses covered in thatching, and little birdhouse door perches made from cast resin which I am handpainting to look like real bamboo strapped together with leather. (I know my fellow TCentralites will be my harhshest judges so I am taking etra care to make you all proud of my fake-bamboo-painting efforts). Another speaker cover will go behind the Tangaroa tree, this will look like a double sided drum covered in thatching (harder to see because it will be behind the tree). One will go on the north facing wall of the tiki restrooms, next to the Maui god. It will resemble a drum, covered on top with leather, covered on the sides with rattan matting and braided raffia with shell ornaments... and....little tiki heads taken from strings of tiki lights that many of you probably already own! The last one will go over a speaker that is on the east side of the Lanai, it will be on the fence on the left as you enter the Lanai (preshow...uh....Lanai...uh...gimme another mai tai!) Anyway, one of the coolest things we get to do is go get our tiki theming supplies from Oceanic Arts...and put it all on Walt's tab! I get to shop for tiki while on the clock....ah, life is good. I asked again about the reopen date, but it may have a confused meaning becusse I think what they mean when they say March 1 is that this is when we rehabbers are supposed to be DONE. It would make more sense to have it open on a Saturday for the guests...but there have been rumours about a seperate Cast Member special opening, so maybe that's the one on the 11th. I have heard nothing about the re-opening moving to the 17th...I promise I will keep you informed the minute I hear something. (Sorry! I know, how can I be so uniformed and actually be working on the project? Paint the bamboo faster, Laura! Glue the feathers faster, Laura! WHIPPING SOUNDS... wh-tsh!). Lanai benches...some have been removed, the one by the bathrooms has not been...I'm assuming they're putting in more. I guess that that they had to rip some out to get to the wiring for the gods down below the platings. Those are definitley getting new audio-animatronic systems, my friend Tom is the WDI guy incharge of that. He works down in the ETR basement in the computer connecting little wires to coordinating animated figures. He loaned me some of the old wires from the original computers to use in the construction of the postapocalyptic vegetable juicing props for the Pizza Port. Ah, Disney do love to recycle, deed, dey do...to er, save da dough. Yes, the Purple Shag aloha shirts just came out about 2 or 3 weks ago, same print, just a lavender background, and purple Dole pineapple slices....for those of us who look sallow in orange. Who cares, I'm getting both! Haven't heard anything about a new arch covered in roses, but if they do, I'll spank. I'm on the foliage/floral crew, and I happen to be an informed Tiki consultant from Tiki Central, the international Tiki society, who has a minor in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Florida, which happens to be in the tropics. Ain't know way, no how any roses are going on to anything Tiki. Trust! Trust! As for what would a Margaritaville entrance arch look like, this would be a good thread for the Tiki vs. Caribbean discussion. My two cents: Yes it would have parrots in straw hats, but they would be singing Jimmy Buffet tunes (uh, shoot me), there would be monkeys, bananas and coconuts, and some steel drums over the speakers..instead of my handy artwork! Barker Bird, are you a cast member? Or do you have an insider who "knows" things? Send me a personal message, please. Great pics, thanks, I'm going to eventually use some of them as bases for a painting series on the Tikiroom, now that I have been steeping in it for 2 months. Taking requests for paintings...ask Dr Z about my portfolio! More inquiries on TikiRoom progress always welcome, TikiCutie Laura

Ahoy there, mateys! Tiki Cutie, your mild-mannered (although sightly less mannered when intoxicated) insider Tikiroom reporter has alighted at Tiki Central once again to inform the curiosity-filled masses!

Gawrsh, I'm really sorry for being truant, we are getting so rushed for all the preparations for the 50th, I've been torn away to do other projects and the Tikiroom has been shelved for a week or so while the Lanai troglidite construction workers pour new concrete.

(Oh, special announcnement to Robin: Mrs. Velour, I've heard you are worried that they are tearing out the original floor inside...fear no more, it is not true, it is still there, still very 60's looking, and it is so precious to us that we are required to wear paper booties on our feet and ladder legs so that we do not scrape or scratch it whilst we work away.). Wish everyone could see how the "Room" looks without all the benches, like a little ballroom! (No comments on my ladder legs, and yes, they do go all the way up.)

Yes, I have been temporarily pulled away from my blessed assignement to help design the new animated windows display for the 50th anniversay Emporium windows, then after that I was asked to rehab the Pizza Port props and spent all week disassembling the old Space Mountain ride control console to use its little knobs and dials to attach to boxes and giant vegetables.- The goal was to make some "post-apocalyptic vegetable-juicer type props. I had fun making the future, but Iwas excited to get back to my South Pacific-specific project! I have now flown back to the Tiki Room and am working on some really fun stuff.

So much to tell, so much to answer...

Most fun items first! No, I don't know anything about sound insulation on the side of the Tahitian Terrace being installed or uninstalled, but I did get a confirmation from project manager Larry that the Tahitian Terrace will be used once again as a strotytelling venue for Arabic type stuff. I do know that the ETR show has been totally reprogrammed with a new and improved audio-animatronic system that allows for new specific altered audio to be inset durng specia levents. This does not mean that they are GOING to add/install temporary refreshed audio from time to time, it merely means they now CAN. Blake the WDI show programmer guy suggests if they want to change the audio for Christmas shows or special events, that it is now possible to work those in and remove them as they wish. The whole track does not have to be replaced and reprogrammed each time now. But don't get excited, like I said, it is now only possible, not imminent that alterations could be made.

All the birds are back in, (except for the robins, which I have yet to sculpt the feet for) the girls went in this week, gosh, they look so stunning and bright and clean. The Drum gods are back up, the orchid boats are refoliaged, and I added some feathers around the necks of the flowers to reduce more of the clacking/hissing and give some more movement to their animation. I must say, they look divine.

I haven't heard the totem gods chant or the flowers croon yet along with their animation, so I don't know if our attempts to reduce the clacking have come to fruition, I'll let you know.

Blake has been letting us have some fun with the audio as he repograms the bird's mouths to open and close at the right time. He has been bringing in other audio to entertain us while we work away up on our ladders (in their booties), and has been amusing us by making the bird's mouths move to such classics as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration", Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls" and various other hilarious things that look rather ironic coming out of animatronic bird mouths. He even lets us play with the toggle control and make the bird's mouths move to the music manually.

I wish everyone could have as mcuh fun as I am having! I think of you all as I delight in my work/play. :)

The most exciting thing I have gotten to do this past week is start working on making some speaker covers for 5 new speakers that are featuered out in the Lanai (everyone looks at me with question-marks over their head when I say "lanai" and only respond when I call it the "preshow"). Two will go on the wall to each side of the Tangaroa tree (we still haven't had a chance to do the foilage on that because of the cement laying delays...which will now be delayed longer because of the rain). These will resemble birdhouses covered in thatching, and little birdhouse door perches made from cast resin which I am handpainting to look like real bamboo strapped together with leather. (I know my fellow TCentralites will be my harhshest judges so I am taking etra care to make you all proud of my fake-bamboo-painting efforts).

Another speaker cover will go behind the Tangaroa tree, this will look like a double sided drum covered in thatching (harder to see because it will be behind the tree). One will go on the north facing wall of the tiki restrooms, next to the Maui god. It will resemble a drum, covered on top with leather, covered on the sides with rattan matting and braided raffia with shell ornaments... and....little tiki heads taken from strings of tiki lights that many of you probably already own! The last one will go over a speaker that is on the east side of the Lanai, it will be on the fence on the left as you enter the Lanai (preshow...uh....Lanai...uh...gimme another mai tai!)

Anyway, one of the coolest things we get to do is go get our tiki theming supplies from Oceanic Arts...and put it all on Walt's tab! I get to shop for tiki while on the clock....ah, life is good.

I asked again about the reopen date, but it may have a confused meaning becusse I think what they mean when they say March 1 is that this is when we rehabbers are supposed to be DONE. It would make more sense to have it open on a Saturday for the guests...but there have been rumours about a seperate Cast Member special opening, so maybe that's the one on the 11th. I have heard nothing about the re-opening moving to the 17th...I promise I will keep you informed the minute I hear something. (Sorry! I know, how can I be so uniformed and actually be working on the project? Paint the bamboo faster, Laura! Glue the feathers faster, Laura! WHIPPING SOUNDS... wh-tsh!).

Lanai benches...some have been removed, the one by the bathrooms has not been...I'm assuming they're putting in more. I guess that that they had to rip some out to get to the wiring for the gods down below the platings. Those are definitley getting new audio-animatronic systems, my friend Tom is the WDI guy incharge of that. He works down in the ETR basement in the computer connecting little wires to coordinating animated figures. He loaned me some of the old wires from the original computers to use in the construction of the postapocalyptic vegetable juicing props for the Pizza Port. Ah, Disney do love to recycle, deed, dey do...to er, save da dough.

Yes, the Purple Shag aloha shirts just came out about 2 or 3 weks ago, same print, just a lavender background, and purple Dole pineapple slices....for those of us who look sallow in orange. Who cares, I'm getting both!

Haven't heard anything about a new arch covered in roses, but if they do, I'll spank. I'm on the foliage/floral crew, and I happen to be an informed Tiki consultant from Tiki Central, the international Tiki society, who has a minor in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Florida, which happens to be in the tropics. Ain't know way, no how any roses are going on to anything Tiki. Trust! Trust!

As for what would a Margaritaville entrance arch look like, this would be a good thread for the Tiki vs. Caribbean discussion. My two cents: Yes it would have parrots in straw hats, but they would be singing Jimmy Buffet tunes (uh, shoot me), there would be monkeys, bananas and coconuts, and some steel drums over the speakers..instead of my handy artwork!

Barker Bird, are you a cast member? Or do you have an insider who "knows" things? Send me a personal message, please. Great pics, thanks, I'm going to eventually use some of them as bases for a painting series on the Tikiroom, now that I have been steeping in it for 2 months. Taking requests for paintings...ask Dr Z about my portfolio!

More inquiries on TikiRoom progress always welcome,

TikiCutie Laura

Post #142177 by TikiCutie on Sun, Feb 20, 2005 10:18 AM