...All the Birds Sing Words...

Opening with the park on October 1, 1971, The Enchanted Tiki Room, opened at Magic Kingdom as Tropical Seranade. The show was an exact duplicate of the Disneyland attraction, but instead of the pre-show there was a waterfall in place of the Tiki gods, which would open and two Audio-Animatronic toucans would entertain guests. The show was sponsored by Florida Citrus Growers until 1986, whose mascot, my personal favorite the Orange Bird.

Closing on September 1, 1997 for rennovations and and updating, reopening in April 1998 as The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management, featuring Iago and Zazu as the respective new owners of the Enchanted Tiki Room. The show features all of the same audio-animatronic birds, flowers and Tiki gods but now includes Iago and Zazu, plus a new Tiki goddess named Uhoa, who disrupts the usual Enchanted Tiki Room storyline after Iago upsets her.

As guests are waiting outside the Enchanted Tiki Room, a cylinder-shaped tube opens behind a waterfall to reveal two audio-animatronic toucans — William and Morris. William and Morris entertain the waiting guests by discussing their positions as agents of the new Tiki Room's new "co-owners". A human Cast Member then tells the birds that he/she is preparing to let the guests in. William and Morris are incensed because their clients are not yet in the theater! Morris says that he has to leave because he's about to sign Donald Duck, while William brags that he's got the Mighty Ducks. The cylinder closes with the two birds yelling and arguing.

After the guests have entered the theater, the human Cast Member proceeds to "wake up" José with help from the audience. The 4 original Tiki Bird hosts- José, Michael, Pierre and Fritz get ready as they did in the original show. They start singing "In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" as normal, but in the middle of their song, an audio-animatronic Iago, descends from a hole in the ceiling. Iago sits on a pillow holding a small megaphone, yelling that the Tiki Birds need to stop the music! Iago complains that the show's outdated songs make him want to "toss his crackers." From another hole in the ceiling comes a perch bearing an audio-animatronic Zazu,he pleads with Iago not to toy with the Tiki Room. Pierre tells Iago that "his friend" is right and that he should not anger the Room's inhabitants. Iago ignores Zazu's warnings and replies that Zazu isn't his friend.

José, Michael, Pierre and Fritz are confused — they don't know Iago and Zazu because they never "fly to the movies." To give them an example of how the songs should be sung, Iago begins singing a song to the tune of "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. He says that since the Tiki Birds are ancient history and he's a big "cele-birdy," he's going to change the show so that a more modern audience can appreciate it, warning the birds that they`d better get hip or their audience will disappear.

Zazu tells Iago to knock it off — the Tiki Gods can hear him! Iago then begins to blatantly insult the Gods, soon after which "lightning" strikes and the lights go out. The Tiki Birds begin singing that the atmosphere in the theater has suddenly gotten "Hot! Hot Hot!" and the carved faces on the Tiki Poles begin chanting "Uh-Oa!"

From the center of the fountain in the middle of the room, smoke bubbles and fumes and Uh-Oa, the green and evil audio-animatronic "Tiki Goddess of Disaster", emerges! Uh-Oa wants to know who dares to defame the Tiki Gods and Zazu tells her it was Iago. Uh-Oa then sings about how unwise Iago was to have messed with her. She claims that he "Can't fly away because [he's] stuck, [she] has cursed [him] for pushing [his] luck and it won't help to yell — [he's] under [her] spell!" Uh-Oa then uses her magic Tiki powers and Iago shoots up from his perch. In a big, dark explosion of smoke, the loud-mouthed parrot is gone. Uh-Oa laughs evilly, then, in a cloud of smoke, disappears back into the fountain.

The Tiki Birds and Zazu feel that they should let the Tiki Gods have their say and Zazu introduces the one and only musical sensation: The Tiki Gods! The faces on the Tiki Poles begin to sing "In the Still of the Night" , then the flowers join in by singing a crazy rap song using lyrics from the original Tiki Room show and some of the birds begin singing along.

At this point, over the exit doors, a small compartment on the wall opens you see Iago. He is burnt, smoking, carrying a crutch and has bandages all over his body. He tells them all how the Tiki Gods are the greatest act he's ever heard and that they're going to make a gold mine on this show! No more worries! Zazu tells Iago that where he comes from, no worries is "Hakuna Matata," which Iago misinterprets as "Hunky-Tuna Tostada". However, he seems to like it, declaring that Zazu is now his friend and that they should party! All the birds start to sing their own rendition of "Conga" as the Bird Mobile descends from the ceiling.

Zazu sings about how Iago learned his lesson and will no doubt be more discreet in the future. Iago decides to show Zazu that he won't be discreet, telling everybody to get on their feet. "That's right — everybody stand up!" As the audience prepares to leave, the Tiki Birds begin singing "Get On Your Feet!" The birds declare that they're going to do a magic trick and make the audience face the door and disappear.

The exit doors open and the guests start walking out as the Tiki Birds continue to sing "Get On Your Feet!", followed by "Heigh-Ho". Zazu bids farewell to the guests, while Iago keeps up a barrage of comments and insults designed to get the guests to leave as they walk under him. Once the majority of the guests have left the theater, Iago says that he's tired and plans to go take a nap in the Hall of Presidents. He then says good-bye to Zazu, turns around and enters the compartment over the exit. José laughs that nobody "laid an egg"... except him!

Personally, i have only seen this once, just this past June 2009. It was ok, but since ive never seen the original Enchanted Tiki Room, i really have nothing to compare it too... But MANY Disney Enthusists are and were not happy when this reopened to be "more disney". With hardly any original songs, and mostly bad jokes and songs from the birds respective movies... All i can say is that ive seen it once, and that is enough for me...

The future of this attraction has always been debated throughout the Walt Disney Company and Disney Fan Community. THere always seem to be rumors that the original Tiki Room will return and such, or being redone to Stitch, like in Tokyo. But the strongest rumor is that along with several other "classic" Magic Kingdom Original attractions, it will be restored to its original glory and update the effects and such for the 40th Anniversary of Walt Disney World...

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That is it for today... Tomorrow we will investigate the history of Tokyo Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room and all of its incarnations.... Stay TUned... Also im still looking for PinSpectives, A Personal Pin Trading Story... Please email them to me at gdpinvestigator (at) gmail.com... Or also if you have any suggestions for upcoming stories/ series please email them to me as well... Im planning a MEGA series on the Haunted Mansion for its 40th ANniversary that is scheduled to run about 4 weeks, hopefully starting on August 9, Haunted Mansion's Anniversary, and run to September 9, 2009, otherwise know as 9-9-09 to all the Disney Fans and Haunted Mansion Fanatics... Stay Tuned... We have many great things planned in the upcoming months ahead..