Post #589761 by Tangaroa-Ru on Wed, May 18, 2011 1:19 PM

As a former Disneyland cast member and Imagineering fanatic, writing a story on Walt Disney for the latest issue of Tiki Magazine was both wonderful and difficult. Wonderful because I got the chance to talk about one of the most inspiring people in my life, and discuss why Walt is so influential on our appreciation and interpretation of Tiki. Difficult because there was so much more I would have liked to say, but I only had two thousand words to say it. Besides, it's Tiki Magazine, so I didn't want to veer too far off the Enchanted path.

I hope you all enjoyed the article. Don't think for a second that my rose-colored glasses (which I wear a little too often) completely obscure some of the rumors about Walt and his beliefs. I've heard or read about them, too. True or not, they have nothing to do with the things he created that WE LOVE.

To do research for this story, I was lucky enough to spend a considerable amount of time talking to former Imagineers, as well as someone who knew Walt personally, Alice Davis. Alice was one of the first women Imagineers, and is responsible for most of the costuming of the Audio-Animatronic figures in many of the classic Park attractions, including Pirates. (If you have the hots for The Redhead in that attraction, thank Alice.) Alice was also married to Marc Davis, one the main creative forces behind the Tiki Room and Pirates. Alice and Marc have one of the most extensive collections I've ever seen of Papua New Guinea art in their home. (I use the present tense, but Marc passed away years ago.) I asked Alice if their collection inspired Walt in his Tiki-quest. She said no. I asked her if he went to Tiki bars and she said he might have, but he really preferred whiskey. What she DID know is that Walt liked bringing what was current to his audience and giving it to them at the highest possible quality. He also had an uncanny knack for knowing what the public would like well before they did. That's one of the things that makes a visionary. Doing a Tiki restaurant or attraction in Disneyland made a lot of sense in 1963. How wonderful that is still makes sense. Everything worthwhile really does revolve back around, doesn't it?

I think we all want to know what that "Ah-ha!" moment was in Walt's life that made him push the button on creating Tiki and exotica in Disneyland. From what I gathered, it was a combination of what was going on in popular culture, along with being inspired by some of his True-Life Adventure films. I'm sure he went to a few Tiki bars in Los Angeles, since they were all over the place back then and very popular with the Hollywood crowd. I'm sure he enjoyed himself there. Kevin Kidney sent me a photo of a small Tiki that Walt kept on his office desk, although it was a gift from some foreign dignitary. There is another photo I was sent of Walt drinking a cocktail on the beach in Waikiki in 1938. Another photo shows him with the Mouseketeers, all wearing leis. He apparently liked the tropical stuff. But, essentially, he was a farmer's son from Missouri, who did something extraordinary with his life...and we have reaped the benefits of that since 1955 (the year Disneyland opened).

And now, Trader Sam's is about to open at the Disneyland Hotel. Much as I wish the Tahitian Terrace would be recreated in Adventureland, at least there's something new and Tiki happening near Disneyland again. I'll see you all there.

Aloha for now,
Kari

[ Edited by: tangaroa-ru 2011-05-18 21:53 ]