The Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland

The Enchanted Tiki Room is one of the original Disneyland attractions dreamed up by Walt Disney himself, along with Pirates of the Caribbean, The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and a few others. It premiered in June of 1963, sponsored by Dole pineapples, who still hold their sponsorship of the attraction today.

But there's more than nostalgia to this attraction. Though it runs with the original (digitally enhanced) soundtrack, a 2005 extensive rehab overhauled nearly everything in the Tiki Room from the actual building itself to all of the animatronics within. In other words, the original show now runs with brand new technology, with crisper sound and quieter animatronics. (The loudest animatronic show still running in any Disney theme park is, in my opinion, The Country Bear Jamboree at Walt Disney World. The show is still funny, but the overwhelmingly loud sounds of air and mechanics make it extra funny for unintended reasons.)

The show at the Enchanted Tiki Room is incredibly unique. It's an entirely animatronic show. There's really nothing else like it, despite many attempts by other companies in different locations, such as Chuck E. Cheese to duplicate something like it. None ever approach the quality that Disney created.

The show content has also aged remarkably well, and has lasted long enough to offer something that now plays like a retro classic. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to visit a club in the 1940's or 50's, this is the experience you get at the Enchanted Tiki Room. Except with birds instead of human performers, just a tiny difference.

Walt Disney World has changed the original show that they created there in 1977, it is now called, "The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management". This version includes new songs and now prominently features the characters of Iago from, "Aladdin" and, Zazu from "The Lion King". I'm not going to mince words here, it's awful. They butchered a true classic.

Disney is usually incredibly savvy when it comes to ride rehabs, but this one is an epic fail. Well, it's epic for me since I know the difference, but it's probably not that big of a deal to little kids seeing the show for the first time. However, I would not recommend seeing this version if you don't have to. It's why I've chosen to review the Disneyland version instead, and I just thought I'd shed some light as to why. If there's at least one version of the original still running somewhere, I'm happy. I'm kind of a Disney purist like that.

So what's so entertaining about the Enchanted Tiki Room? There's great music that's easy to sing along to, funny retro comedy, stylized animatronics that work like live cartoons, effective illusions that work extra well on children, lots of fun surprises, beautiful lighting, and a general feel of escapism.

Who should see this show? Well, the obvious answer is everyone. The last time I went which wasn't that long ago, people of every age group were singing along with the show. I'm talking even teenagers who are usually embarrassed by the least of public interactions were singing at full belt, as well as grandparents with grandkids, most of the adults, and even my husband and myself who are in our early twenties. It really is fun for everyone.

However, people who will get an extra kick out of it will be fans of adventure films, fans of puppets, (Even though there's no true puppeteering going on by definition, you get the same type of entertainment.) cartoon lovers, and anyone who loves old Hollywood musicals and Hawaiian culture. If you go to Disneyland, this is something that you don't want to miss. The line for the attraction is fairly short since it's a show and not a ride. Also, there's plenty of entertainment while you wait, but I'll just let you be surprised.