Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room 55th Anniversary

My “On This Day in Tiki History” calendar tells me that today is the 55th anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland.

The Tiki Room was a highlight of my tiki train trip last year. Thanks, Walt, for contributing to tiki culture, and thanks Disneyland and locals for keeping the torch burning all these years since.

I'm a Disney Parks enthusiast (one of things that led me to tiki). The Enchanted Tiki Room is more fun than it sounds on paper. Walt and the Imagineers developed something inspired here. I've been to both versions, and of course I enjoy the Disneyland version best. The original design of the building there, and the garden pre-show, are what make it for me compared to Florida's attraction.

I'm going to Tokyo Disneyland on Wednesday.

The Enchanted Tiki Room there has a show called "Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai!"

It's the third show for the attraction, and is celebrating its 10th year right now.

(Sadly, the Adventureland marketplace (which used to sell non-Disney clothing, tikis, and other island/Asian merchandise) closed a couple of years ago... Now, the space is used for a bunch of Disney-themed kiddie game machines. [Boo!])

On 2018-06-24 08:27, Pelorus wrote:
I've been to both versions, and of course I enjoy the Disneyland version best. The original design of the building there, and the garden pre-show, are what make it for me compared to Florida's attraction.

I’ve never been to Florida, but I’ll agree that the grotto is a great space in itself, especially at night, when the torches are lit and the drums beat and tikis talk. I know the word is grossly overused when it comes to Disney, but that really did feel magical.

Last week D23 posted an article and photos to commemorate the Tiki Room’s anniversary. You have to have an account to log in and see the pictures (featuring some of Shag’s work), but below is the text (which includes a decent definition of tiki) in case the link goes bad. Can anyone speak to the twenty-three article mentioned?

https://d23.com/55-years-of-walt-disneys-enchanted-tiki-room/

An Enchanted Tiki Tour of Disney Parks
By Jim Frye
June 21, 2018

Grab your flowered shirts, tropical prints—and maybe a Dole Whip or two—and head to where “all the birds sing words and the flowers croon,” because Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is celebrating 55 years of Polynesian-inspired family fun. Combining Walt Disney’s love of nostalgia and showmanship with a mid-century tiki aesthetic, this beloved Disneyland attraction has been a favorite for guests and tiki enthusiasts for more than half a century.

Tiki is a unique design aesthetic based on a romanticized depiction of tropical cultures, including carved masks, glass floats, bamboo décor, lava stone, hula girls, palm foliage, and other South Seas imagery. Popularized in the 1930s and ’40s by world traveler Donn Beach, this pop-Polynesian design style soon found its way into highly themed restaurants, bars, and specially carved mugs—oh those crazy, crazy mugs!

For an in-depth look at how tiki motifs are used across Disney, check out the article “Disney Tiki, Still Enchanting,” in the summer issue of Disney twenty-three magazine. There, you’ll find how tiki found its way into Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland in California, and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Walt Disney World.

As Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room celebrates 55 years of tropical serenades, we thought it would be fun to share a gallery of Disney tiki from across the country, including a few Disney-inspired paintings by the renowned artist Shag.

On Saturday, June 23rd, I went to Disneyland in Anaheim and bought some cool new tiki room t shirts, a pop figure of a barker bird & Pele, and got a "I was there" button and of course went into the tiki room where the host presented an extended dialogue before the show. It was great being there on the actual 55th anniversary day!

They probably kept it open just for the anniversary because The Enchanted Tiki Room closes on the 6th and doesn’t have a return date yet.