Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Discussion Thread

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/05/blackbeard-comes-aboard-at-disneyland-park-and-magic-kingdom-park-may-20-2/

On February 11, actor Ian McShane appeared on a soundstage in Los Angeles for a very special “head shot” – one that will soon be featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions at Disneyland park and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.

 

Captain Blackbeard will make his appearance on the ghostly waterfall in the grotto scenes of the park attractions beginning May 20, coinciding with the release of the new film, “Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides,” in which McShane plays a starring role.

 

Walt Disney Imagineering writer Michael Sprout (who wrote the script for Bill Nighy as Davy Jones several years ago) was on hand to direct the special shoot with Ian McShane. David said, “He came in wearing his complete Blackbeard costume, including the sword, saying it helped him stay in character!”

 

Look for Blackbeard soon in this classic attraction, and the return of Davy Jones later this year.

As long as it's temporary. I'm all for updating the attractions, but Davy Jones fit this scene way better than Blackbeard. I don't know, we'll see how it is.

Oh Disney and your shameless marketing/plugging... Anyway, I think it's an interesting tie-in for the film franchise (really excited to see Pirates 4, even though 2 and 3 weren't so great), but I'm curious as to how long such things are really going to be relevant, in the long term.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/05/enchanted-tiki-room-classic-attraction-transforms-this-summer/

Walt Disney Imagineering announced earlier today at D23’s Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th event that The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) at Magic Kingdom Park is already undergoing changes behind closed doors that will reshape the attraction into a version reminiscent of the original show.

 

The Walt Disney World attraction, originally called Tropical Serenade, has been entertaining guests since the theme park’s opening day on Oct. 1, 1971. Its winged hosts, Jose, Fritz, Pierre and Michael, led 200 other birds, tikis and flowers in an entertaining musical Polynesian revue. Tropical Serenade was reshaped into The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) in 1998, with the addition of Iago (from “Aladdin”) and Zazu (from “The Lion King”).

 

The attraction was based on Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, which opened at Disneyland park in 1963. Its debut marked a huge milestone in Disney history, becoming the first attraction to ever feature Audio-Animatronics figures – a breakthrough that took 10 years to develop.

 

The latest version of the attraction, which will be called Enchanted Tiki Room, will debut at Magic Kingdom Park later this summer. Be sure to check the Disney Parks Blog for future updates on the attraction’s progress.

Hooray! Goodbye Gilbert Godfrey, hello Disney classic!

Awesome! Can't wait

I saw the Under New Management show once and I swore never again! It sounds like this version will be more watchable.

Am I the only one who preferred "Under New Management?"

The old show bored me to tears. The new one was funny and entertaining. Certainly not even close to my favorite thing in the park, but worth a viewing, if time allowed.

Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of both Aladdin and Lion King, so that's obviously part of it.

I know where I'm eating my next Dole whip! \

I'm so happy!

Am I the only one who preferred "Under New Management?"

 

The old show bored me to tears. The new one was funny and entertaining. Certainly not even close to my favorite thing in the park, but worth a viewing, if time allowed.

 

Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of both Aladdin and Lion King, so that's obviously part of it.

I thought the Tiki goddess AA was interesting, but the rest of the show didn't work for me. The more "cartoony" characters just clashed with the more realistic birds.

YES! I saw this when vacationing in Florida and was VERY disappointed when compared to my Disneyland one was awful! The concept was ok, but the overall show was just not great.

Hmmm...I wonder if this change has to do with the fact that Gilbert made those inappropriate jokes about the victims in Japan a while ago. He already lost his job with Aflac because of it. Just speculating.

Never got to see the original show, but I didn't see what was so bad about Under New Management. Not an A-level show, of course, but not horrible to me either.

^There was a pretty bad fire that broke out at the Tiki Room not too long ago and it was rumored that the Iago animatronic, among others, was pretty badly damaged. I think the fire just gave the final excuse to retire the current show, and the easiest (and probably wisest) option was to bring back the original show, or something as close to it as possible.

From what I've been told, this isn't the exact same version of the show we had before Under New Management, but the version Disneyland received that was two minutes shorter than the original. That being said, it sounds like our original pre-show will be returning as well.

^ I wonder if that's the case as well.

Anyway glad to see WDW get their classic Tiki Room back...

Never got to see the original show, but I didn't see what was so bad about Under New Management.

It just lacked the simplistic charm of the historic original. It was never gonna be anywhere near an E-ticket attraction, and I think many purists were upset that Disney made a half-assed attempt to infuse a couple modern characters into it with the hopes that it'd breathe some life into what they thought was just a tired old attraction.

To me, it's like the Country Bears. Really, it's okay to leave a couple simple things here and there as they are. Unfortunately, Disney is not unlike any other major company...always tinkering, and not always necessarily improving (coughFacebookcoughFirefoxcoughetc.etc.cough) things.

I know where I'm eating my next Dole whip! \

I am OBSESSED with Dole Whip.

Glad to hear this news. I love vintage Disneyana and I'd hate to see all the kitschy old stuff being phased out in favor of new marketing. Between this and the fun old-school posters they're doing over at Disneyland, I'm happy.

W00T! I'm pretty glad I never saw the Under New Management Version, even after spending 9 months there on the College Program. Just never got around to it I guess.

Woo for Original Stuff

I know where I'm eating my next Dole whip! \

 

I am OBSESSED with Dole Whip.

Same--and DL has a Dole Whip stand in the preshow area!

I know where I'm eating my next Dole whip! \

 

I am OBSESSED with Dole Whip.

 

Same--and DL has a Dole Whip stand in the preshow area!

Nothing like putting yourself to sleep in the Enchanted Tiki Room, with a Dole Whip bought from the double-sided bar, after you've stupidly forgotten to pick up a spoon. Then, due to said combination of ETR and Dole Whip, ACTUALLY falling asleep on Pirates.

I absolutely hated "Under New Management". It was so bad I've seen people get up and walk out muttering, "What is this mess?" To bring the Tiki Room back to its former glory makes me happy. Looks like the Offenbach number won't be back though (I'm one of the few loonies who LIKED that number), but as long as they don't start singing doo-wop, Miami Sound Machine or any "modern" songs, all will be good.

Long live Jose, Fritz, Michael and... the other bird (I can't remember his name)!

A friend of mine heard the old Florida Orange Bird might somehow get incorporated into the scheme of things. I would LOVE to see him back in some form. I remember meeting the walk-around character in the 70's and had a little toy Orange Bird too. I don't think he'd fit into the show itself, but maybe the preshow or over at the Sunshine Tree Terrace stand that's at the exit to the Tiki Room. I'd buy a lot more Citrus Swirls (orange & vanilla swirled soft serve... I love them more than Dole Whips).

Hooray! Under New Management's only good part was the first few seconds, when they played the old version, just to rub it in that you could have been enjoying yourself if you were watching the old show.

Then came the screeching.

Good news, indeed!

^Exactly, those first few minutes were amazing, and then the stupid new birds come in and make fun of the old birds!?!? Screw that!

I'm just happy no(us parks) have tiki room featuring stitch. It's funny... love Gilbert Gottfried and love Rowen Atkinson but this show just did not work at all. Also I remeber it being very very short and stupid. I hadnt been on the disneyland one in a while, so I saw the show in comparison after visiting florida. It is a little outdated, but overall the show is great and the songs are very good as well, and I love the effects like the singing tiki gods as well as the fountain. However, I like the preshow in Florida cause it features the voice of Captain Zapp Brannigan from futurama... one of the best characters EVER!

^ You know, that wasn't even Rowan Atkinson as Zazu in that show. It was Michael Gough.

^ Really? Didn't even know that. Now I dislike it more than I did before.

The semi sad part is, conceptually if you think about Zazu and Iago in the show it totally seems like it should work. I mean, there reatively well known characters, and they're both somewhat tropical... but it didn't mesh at all somehow. I think maybe the show is suffering from a bad script kind of like Stitch Encounter... but Stitch is an entirely different level of hell then Under New Management... cause UNM didn't try to kill my shoulders for no apparent reason.