The Swiss Family Treehouse at Walt Disney World

The Swiss Family Treehouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is truly one-of-a-kind. The original attraction was built at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. (You can actually see footage of the opening day of this attraction on Disney's most recent release of, "The Swiss Family Robinson" on DVD. It's quite a fantastic special feature.) But it has since been converted to, "Tarzan's Treehouse" and themed to match Disney's animated "Tarzan" film. There haven't been very many structural changes, mostly cosmetic. But that attraction is still well worth a visit.

However, the attraction remains intact at Walt Disney World as the, "Swiss Family Treehouse". This is one of my favorite Disney attractions for so many reasons. For starters, I absolutely love the 1960 Disney film. It's an adventure classic. I also love that they've left this attraction to this theme. Updates happen on rides and attractions all the time, as evidenced by the, "Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management" show at Walt Disney World. So the purist in me loves that the Treehouse still stands as it was originally intended to appear.

Also, this is one of Disney's only completely immersive attraction experiences. You get to walk through the treehouse, and it's simply stunning up close. It's a fulfillment of a childhood fantasy to, essentially, be able to stand on a recreation of a famous film set. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion are people-mover rides. You can't get out of your boat at Pirates and walk around the scenes. (Though wouldn't that be amazing? They should recreate the Black Pearl, and I've always longed for the chance to go back in time and visit the sets from the pirate ships of, "The Goonies" and, "Hook". But I digress.) So the sense memories created by walking through the treehouse are very vivid.

Technically, there's no line to the Swiss Family Treehouse, because the line is the attraction. It's all walk-through. So it's ideal for doing while you're waiting for your Fastpass time to come up at another attraction. Might I also suggest heading in this direction of the park right away after the opening, especially if you are staying at a Disney resort and can take advantage of extra magic hours.

Here's the rundown: Go do Splash Mountain first, then come take a comfortable stroll through the treehouse. It'll be fairly empty right after the park opens, which gives it a very unique feel. From there you can explore the rest of Adventureland virtually unhindered by lines for at least the first hour or so. (This is my tactic because Adventureland is my absolute favorite section of the park, and I like avoiding the lines.)

You'll feel like you're getting a private tour of some lush tropical paradise. The landscaping surrounding the treehouse, the rope bridge, and the views of the Magic Kingdom from the top are all made just that much more priceless by the isolated feeling. Take a camera! This is a can't-miss experience that won't cost you precious time at any of your favorite dark rides or coasters. This is something you should definitely do, especially if you're a fan of the film.