Hot Lava (a.k.a "How Bowers") plays baritone ukulele and sings with America's best tiki music band, 
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room’s is 43 today!
Today is the 41st 43rd anniversary of the opening of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland and the attraction is still as popular as ever. The first show to make extensive use Audioanimatronics®, it has been many a wide-eyed child’s initial introduction to tiki culture and spawned sister versions at Disney’s Florida and Tokyo parks as well. I grew up on The Tropical Serenade, as the first show at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom was called, but the California original holds a special place in my heart.
The attraction has a fascinating history: financed and operated by Walt himself, it was supposed to be a sit-down restaurant up until a week before opening day—the chairs inside are still were the originals, purchased in 1963 to sit around tables and bolted together into rows as a last minute kludge (they were finally replaced by benches during the renovation of 2006). Imagineer Rolly Crump, who had never sculpted before, had to sculpt many of the tiki garden gods, the fountain, and the birdmobile as lead-Disney sculptor Blaine Gibson was busy with other projects.
As a birthday tribute, here’s a couple of interesting tidbits from the attraction’s history:
Download mp3 of Tiki Tiki Tiki Room song from Toyko Disneyland | Link to classic Disneyland postcards | Link to great photos on Tiki Central
UPDATE: Tiki Talk reader Jackson pointed out that the attraction is actually 43 years old today. Doh! I visited Disneyland for the attraction’s 40th Anniversary—I can’t believe it was that long ago.
UPDATE 2: Since Tiki Talk got BoingBoing’d, here’s a little bonus: computer wallpaper based on the art from the 1963 Disneyland front gate booklet. Enjoy!
800 x 600 | 1024 x 768 | 1680 x 1050
June 23rd, 2006 at 3:14 pm
According to Wikipedia the Tiki Room was opened on July 23rd, 1963, which would make it 43 years old today, not 41. (2006-1963 = 43)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney%27s_Enchanted_Tiki_Room
June 23rd, 2006 at 3:25 pm
I think you mean June 23rd.
I’d be off by a month if was July.
June 23rd, 2006 at 5:13 pm
the tiki room song was my favorite as a little kid. we’d always say, “time for your solo. so low we can’t hear you.” what a bummer to see that they changed it (who thinks for the better? anyone?) into such a cacophony/din/clatter show at disney world. i was in shock this spring when we went back to see it. great to hear the original again! “a little louder!”
June 23rd, 2006 at 6:14 pm
The chairs have been removed. It’s nice comfy padded benches now.
June 23rd, 2006 at 8:55 pm
I went to Disneyland in 1978 when I was eight years old. The Tiki Room and the Haunted Mansion are the only things I remember well - the Tiki Room has always been my favorite!
June 23rd, 2006 at 9:11 pm
That’s pretty cool. I live and blog from Hawaii and one of our favorite hangouts is La Mariana…one of the last true Tiki bars left in the islands. Always glad to see more tikis.
June 23rd, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Once I mentioned La Mariana I figured I better give you the info on it so I did a quick blog entry at http://www.fukn.us
June 24th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
[…] Tiki Talk - Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room’s is 43 today! […]
June 25th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
[…] Link […]
June 26th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Here is much about the great La Mariana Sailing Club. It’s been a top destination for tiki-philes for a while.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
[…] Via Tiki Talk, the Tiki room turned 43 on Friday. Tiki Talk has links to an MP3 of the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room song from Tokyo Disneyland as well as links to some old postcards and pictures. […]
November 30th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
The Tiki Room remains a favorite! Anyone know where I might be able to purchase a CD of all the music played during the show?
December 1st, 2007 at 1:36 pm
You can order the soundtrack directly from Disneyland by phone. Disneyland’s DelivEARS can be reached at 800-760-3566.
Just tell them you want the Tiki Room soundtrack CD and they should be able to find it in the system.
The complete attraction audio, including the pre-show, was also included on the A Musical History of Disneyland 6 CD box set, which came out in 2005 and might still be available. The discs retail for $125, but is worth the price for a non-casual Disney fan.