UPDATE: Disney has since addressed this rumor in an informal post from the Disney Parks Blog, but they have yet to address other rumors, such as the Country Bear Jamboree project. For more information, click here.
Yet another opening day Magic Kingdom attraction might be on the chopping block ahead of the park’s 50th anniversary.
Last week, we told you about the rumors that the Country Bear Jamboree would be closing soon to be replaced with a Toy Story attraction. This week, we are weaving a very similar tale of a classic, original show (created by Disney Legends and Walt Disney himself) being shuttered for the inclusion of a “relevant intellectual property”.
According to sources inside the company, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room will close to receive an extensive overhaul and ultimate overlay related to the Disney animated film Moana. While this rumor has certainly been around since the movie was released in 2016 (not that it’s hard to connect the dots from a Polynesian movie to a show with a similar aesthetic,) this is the first time we have heard more solid information and a timeframe for such a change.
Just like the replacement for the Country Bear Jamboree, Disney would like the new, “IP leveraging” overlaid version of the Enchanted Tiki Room to open just in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary on October 1st, 2021. The two show theaters are actually connected to each other, so it is possible that both the Country Bears and Tiki Room would close around the same time. Do note that this would not be a temporary, but a permanent overlay to the attraction.
If it comes to fruition, the Moana addition would be yet another one of the possible 50 new or updated offerings property-wide that will be used to lure guests to visit during the multi-month, 50-year celebration.
You may recall the the original Tropical Serenade show was removed in 1997 and replaced with The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management the following year. The show was not particularly well received, to the point that when a small fire damaged the show, Walt Disney World took the time to restore an abbreviated version of the original in 2011. Now they want to undo all of this work after just 8 years.
Whether you love singing birds or bears at The Magic Kingdom, it seems that Mr. Chapek has a wonderful magic trick for you: he’s going to make them all disappear. We expect an announcement to be made regarding this potential change at this year’s D23 Expo.
Some more very disappointing news. I don’t think I would be so upset with a few of these new changes if some of the other proposed (and already made) changes haven’t been so ridiculous. Some of these attractions should remain as originally intended to add that connection to the past. No, it isn’t necessary to keep everything unchanged, but completely changing original Walt Disney touched attractions, bad!
Ok, Fool me once…
Look, I’m sure that the Country Bears could be in the cross-hairs of Chapek. I can get behind that thought because it reeks of corporate idiocy. But, even though he is a business man more than a smart executive who can “read the room” when it comes to bad decisions and crossing his most loyal customers…I still can’t see Chapek taking out the Tiki Room.
If anything, the Tiki Room is a bigger sacred cow than almost any other attraction at the Disney Parks. It is indeed a Walt Original. It is the anchor point for most every Adventureland out there. If you think Disney fans are mad about the Bears, just wait to hear the backlash on this one. And for a bigger reason to Chapek, it’s a merchandise mover!
The Tiki Room may not be lighting the world on fire in terms of attendance and big wait times, but it moves merch! There are lines of merchandise revolving around the attraction, from the Dress Shop, to a whole line of rain gear, to a just introduced back pack.
Tiki fans buy a lot of that stuff (me included). Outside of Tokyo Disneyland, I barely (no pun intended) see a speck of Country Bears stuff…sadly.
So this one is definitely going in the “Cautiously Optimistic Disney Isn’t THAT Stupid” rumor pile.
Although, it would be hilarious to see him try and present these suckers at D23 in front of massive Disney Fans, just to hear the chorus of “Boos.”
And yet the show had already been vandalized by Eisner-era idiots who thought screaming birds and a Hawaiian volcano goddess with a Jamaican accent (?!?) would be an “improvement”. This sounds exactly like the same short-term thinking that Chapek wants to be remembered for.
Did you see the version that had Iago (Gilbert Gottfried – Yeah, THAT voice) and Zazu? I saw it in late 2010 and it was soooo bad. They can blame a “fire” but truly I’m convinced that everyone hated it and a few months afterwards, Gottfried made awful jokes about the tsunami in Japan (Aflac dumped him) and so they restored it back to the original show in August of 2011.
The way things have been going under Chapek, I truly wouldn’t put it past them to overlay Moana permanently.
My next trip to WDW was for all the fabulous 50th Celebration and new experiences. There is room for the old and the new. The classics should remain. I will be writing Disney again just like I did when I heard about the Bears possibly leaving. My last trip to WDW was the best of all time. Magic start to finish. I had thought to not go back again. I’m in my mid 50’s and need to see the rest of the world..but then the 50th sounded exciting…but not at the expense of childhood classics that I visit every time I am there that take me to my happy place. Disney if you do this I am done.
If it does happen I wonder if the same will happen with Disneyland California.
I hope not!
The thought of that actually would break my heart. Don’t say it.
Will this be like a temporary thing or Tiki Room is going to be gone forever?
While a live-action floorshow is possible while still maintaining the birds, I think we all know what “Wreck-It Chapek” wants to do.
Absolutely positively NO! Disney can replace Country Bear Jamboree, Disney can replace The Great Movie Ride (Though I was very unhappy about it, Disney can remove and replace Lights, Cameras, Action or whatever that was called but if they start messing with classics like The Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room? No, just no. I know it’s a rumour but it better just go and die because this WILL NOT happen.
Why replace Country Bears? The advantage of Disney World is there’s plenty of space (uh, gator-infested swampland) to build on.
Honestly, its about attendance. Look at the lines (or lack thereof). Unfortunately these shows have outlived their lives. Nostalgia is great but lets face it, Disney is designed for kids, not 50 yr old adults. Lol
As we get older, the number of visitors will continue to drop. At some point in the future, these shows will have no audience.
Disney nostalgia enthusiasts triggered in….. 3….. 2….. 1…..
If we’re getting rid of Disney classics, how about we close the terribly misogynistic Carousel of “Progress”?
I know this will be an unpopular opinion on this site but as a Disney fanatic, but not a Disney World fanatic, I like this idea.
Maybe they can leave the majority of the animatronics and add in Moana/Maui etc. to make it a Moana based show. They would have to do a better job than they did with Iago/Zazu but I think it could be possible to pull together a good show based on that.
Depends on how they do it. The Tiki Room with Stitch in Tokyo Disneyland is actually very fun. If they can integrate Moana in without changing the core attraction, i think it would be fine. I mean, imagine them adding Heihei to the singing birds? Could be fun.
It would also be smart for them to do it as a temporary overlay. I mean they’re just going to have to refurb it in 10 years anyway when the Moana IP isn’t as fresh. May as well save themselves time and money by planning it to be temporary from the get-go.
Better yet: just build a second Tiki Room! Maybe make it into a restaurant as originally intended with a Moana themed animatronic show or meet and greet.
The thing about this and Country Bears is that the way the date is mentioned is ambiguous. Like…is it permanent, or is it just for the 50th anniversary as a way to bring in more crowds and then will revert back to the original shows the following year?
The thing I don’t like is the Beauty and the Beast show coming to Epcot, as if there wasn’t already the same exact show in Hollywood Studios. I guess Hunchback of Notre Dame is too random to throw into the France pavilion.
A Hunchback show/experience would be amazing!
the only thing that needs to be going away is Bob Chapek
Here here! #moveon
My girls 3,8 both LOVE the tiki room. It’s as if chapek never once went to any Disney park as a child. He’s simply not a Disney fan to be approving these changes. It’s ludicrous!
Heck no! I just discovered the Tiki room in March, and my family loves it! (and yes the Tiki Room song is stuck in our heads still!!)
Why bother with Moana? They’re really trying to make it as popular an IP as Frozen, but it just lacks that Disney magic.
Now this would be devastating news! Our entire family… from 2 to 65 loves the Tiki Room!
I can fully see them “plussing” the Tiki Room with, say, a Maui pre-show and maybe a Moana song added to the show somehow, but removing a popular legacy attraction like the Tiki Room to *celebrate the legacy of the parks* seems like the dumbest idea possible.
Tiki Room should stay. Country Bears…. eh…. I’m on the fence. I like it, but don’t LOVE it.
But what about the update that no one ever talks about, and yet we all know is LONG overdue.
Let’s get an update to CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS! No one would complain about that, and it would be a huge feather in their cap to FINALLY do it!
Get on the update that’s really needed!
Now I have had it, I am calling for RoboChapek to have his motherboard fully inspected!
Wow… if this comes to fruition it will be yet another VERY sad loss. Add it to the graveyard of other attractions that didn’t deserve it: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, The Great Movie Ride… I fully understand “the only thing constant is change” but it is really more difficult to accept when it is an iconic, legendary attraction that the man who’s name is on everything, Mr Walt Disney, touched the attraction himself (this time the Enchanted Tiki Room)! Time will tell but please reflect on something if you will. What’s next? The Carousel of Progress???? When you next visit the park…visit the attractions that are so important to you. If you haven’t…then your lack of attendance contributed to the decision to close the attraction due to the poor turnstile count.
Boy, I hate rumors.
Leaks and rumors exist to test the waters — if the public flies into a rage, Disney execs can pretend they never intended to do that and all you folks got riled up over a rumor. Silly public!
This reeks of corporate ignorance to the history of the parks, or maybe just an irreverent, blatant disregard for it-I’m looking at you Bob Ketchup! The parks chairperson should be someone who gets what the parks are about, not someone who tries to quickly shoehorn in IP’s as cheaply and hastily as possible. Chapek needs to go back to sticking decals on ketchup bottles instead of Disney Parks attractions.
A properly designed Moana attraction might be a good addition to Adventureland-a dark ride akin to Voyage of the Little Mermaid comes to mind. Frankly, using the Enchanted Tiki Room space would restrict a Moana attraction to a very limited animatronic experience. Like Walt told Marc Davis, do it right and the money will come. Building this in the area once designated for Fire Mountain would seem to make much more sense, and Imagineers could create something that really wows guests by creating a mountain that looks like Te Fiti by day and Te Ka at night.
“The Disney company does not care about you, they care about the next generation of you (i.e. your kids)” is something a friend of mine once told me and I believe it. They already have you, and me, and probably majority of the people who visit this website. They got us when we were little by our parents, or whoever, introducing us to the movies,shows, and parks and as we got older we were exposed to new movies and shows that we can relate to. Today’s kids can’t relate to Walt and these original rides but they can relate to Disney IP. Now I absolutely hate that Disney feels it needs to have IP for every ride because most IP is relevant for a limited time, which means when it has run its course, the ride will have to be shut down and refurbished(ex. Stich’s Great Escape).
Disney parks have always been about displaying and using new technologies and unfortunately both the Tiki and Country Bears are old tech. My wife, who I introduced to WDW in her late 20’s, saw them both and thought they both looked tired and old and after seeing them again for the first time in forever(no Frozen reference intended), I had to agree with her. The Tiki room was particularly bad because it had not been maintained very well and many of the figure simply did not work as originally designed. Not that all old tech is bad because my favorite ride is Haunted Mansion and that uses tech and illusions from very long ago(Pepper’s Ghost). I am guessing both new refurbishments will have the latest and greatest animatronic figures and tech. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the Moana show featured a life-like, talking Moana that will actually interact with the kids, similar to Turtle Talk with Crush.
From a business and logistics standpoint I can see Disney’s thought process, “why should we keep using power and wasting land space on rides that are not heavily used just for nostalgia purposes, when we could refresh it with something more modern and get more people in the park?” I don’t like it but I can’t fault them for it and my guess is that these two older shows won’t be the only ones of the originals to be gutted in the next couple of years.
Turtle Talk is sooooo popular that Chapek apparently wants to rip out the entire Seas pavilion. Not refurbish, REMOVE. Entirely. So yes, this is the fate of all IPs that were really popular once, but not so much anymore.
Odd how the Seas pavilion got along fine for decades without being tied to an IP. Odd indeed….
BTW, Disney does not care about my kids — they’d rather go to Universal. I’m the one who would rather spend our entire vacation at Disney, so they need to keep appealing to me.
Please leave this attraction alone!! The Country Bears I would miss solely because it is an original, but I LOVE the Tiki Room. It is pure Disney magic to me. I hope this rumor is not true :( :( :( It would be terrible to “celebrate” the anniversary by destroying several of the classic elements that make the park so great.
Don’t do it, Bob! I was so happy when the “Under New Management” changes were undone. This needs to stay as the original Tiki Room. If too much keeps changing in this park, it looks like I’ll be skipping MK in the future (except to try Tron) and sticking with Disneyland for that better park version. Their Space Mtn is better, too (and if they wind up keeping Soarin’ Over California and Mickey’s Philharmagic at DCA, all the better).
The Tiki Room and Small World should be hands off forever, they are classic iconic Disney!
This feels more like click bait than actual journalism. Yes, I know it’s just a rumor, however what is not listed here is if this actually being planned with blue prints drawn up and permits ready to be filed or was this just a conversation someone had about “what if Disney did this…” I’m sure at one point or another there has been discussions about every attraction at all of the parks based on sustainability, popularity, and attendance. If you have ever been to The Country Bears or Tiki Room and been one of 20 other people with you inside and then walking over to Space Mountain and see over an hour wait line, yes you too would wonder if Disney would like to make their attractions more appealing and disperse the crowds more evenly. This does NOT mean though that Disney will actually act on any of this. Tradition and Walt’s legacy still caries weight at Disney; regardless if there is no strong IP or larger attendance figures at some of the less popular attractions.
Absolutely no!! How could they think about getting rid of the original Enchanted Tiki room created by Walt Disney himself. Are they crazy? Tiki room is my absolute favorite. It’s even the ringtone on my phone. Moana has also become one of my favorite Disney movies (thank you Dwayne Johnson). But I do not want to see the two of them together. Please Disney leave the classics alone. I dont mind all the new experiences but as an out of state AP I go for the classics: Pirates (close enough), Haunted Mansion, Small World, Peter Pan, Jungle cruise AND Enchanted Tiki Room.
With all the Tiki Room merchandise being released even just this year I’m going to call false on this rumor.
Would love to see Chapek announce this at D23 and watch everyone laugh in his face… Disney better watch themselves before they lose all of their most loyal fans. 80% of a company’s business ($$) comes from the top 20% of their customers, and for Disney that means the die-hard fans. Putting these new IPs in may appeal more to the average family visiting the parks, but those returning customers (APs, etc.) will not be thrilled with these classics going away. Just as with the Country Bear news – ADD attractions instead of TAKING AWAY the classics! Change is not inherently bad, but when you start to take away what makes Disney, DISNEY… be careful
Is there any rumor that this site won’t report on?
Yes, WDWNT will not report on the fake rumors that MiceChat reports and then admits they made it up.
“UPDATE: Disney Denies Rumors of Tiki Room Overlay, Still Remains Silent on Country Bear Jamboree”
Most of the rumors reported on here turn out to be factual, which is why they get reported.
I will chain myself to the venue to stop this!
Not acceptable!
I hope they keep the Disneyland Tiki Room. That is a unique, fun sing-a-long attraction and, yes – enchanted. It gives so much personality to Adventureland. Change can be good – or bad. Replacing the Disneyland Tiki Room would be very bad.
Mr.Chapek needs to go. He is going to destroy Disney.
With the expected changes to my favorite attractions like the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room, I’m losing hope for the future of WDW, and they’re losing any chance of me returning.
Honestly, did they not learn from the mess that was Under New Management?
I’m in the “merge Moana with the Tiki Birds” camp.
I adore the Tiki Room.
First Country Bears and now Tiki Room??!!?? Boo!!! Boo that man (Chapek)!!!
I think it’s time to upgrade Chapek from mere robot to full on Terminator.
My 3 year old would be devastated. She asks me weekly when we can go back and see the Tiki Room.
Country Bears I can kind of understand since the humor goes over the heads of the little ones, but the singing birds can’t leave.
I’m still hoping they’ll put back the original imagination ride in Epcot and bring back my veggie fruit fruits
This is a good move, I went to the tiki room in may, and I still remember how boring and a waste of time that show was. I almost fell asleep and so did the other people that were in the room. The only thing good about the tiki room is that it is a place to get out the sun.
If I wanted to believe these rumours, then I have to believe enough fans of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom would start to show their wrath at Mr. Chapek whenever he has a cockamamie idea (or at least voiced their opinions where they can immediately be effective!)
I’m all for Moana replacing Magic Carpets of Aladdin (who put a Fantasyland Ride
in Adventureland? oh yeah Eisner era idiots! well, put Aladdin back in Fantasyland!) but leave the Enchanted Tiki Room alone!
I have to say, the steps to shove various intellectual property down our throats at Walt Disney Theme Parks? It looks like they’re stacking them on top of each other without respect for a Land’s theme (nothing cohesive achieved by doing this!). And for what – to sell more merchandise? How Crass!
DISNEY, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!
CHEAP MAKEOVERS!
LEAVE THE OLD TRADITIONAL ATTRACTIONS AND BUILD NEW ONES.
DITCH THE CHEAP “REFRESH” METHOD.
CUSTOMERS ARE PAYING OUTRAGEOUS PARKS ENTRANCE FEES.
Mr. Chapek is going to make all of us disapper.
Is this all parks or only WDW?
I’m so confused by this new interest in IPs all over the parks. Isn’t everything IN the parks ALSO intellectual property? I mean, Pirates of the Caribbean became a blockbuster movie long after it was a Disney Park favorite. The same seems to hold true for Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion (although I don’t know if blockbuster applies to that movie) It seems short sighted to eliminate beloved park attractions now just because they don’t happen to be movies yet. They could become beloved movie franchises in the future.
Replacing the Enchanted Tiki Room would put a dagger right in the very heart of the Magic Kingdom. This beloved attraction represents more than just a show in the park. For many, it reflects their very lifestyle and is a direct connection to Walt Disney himself and the extraordinary talented first generation of Imagineers. On any given day, that show is full of people, young and old, and you can see the delight on their faces and hear the joy in their voices as they sing along to the very familiar and iconic theme song. It is, as they say, timeless and magical. And timeless attractions that retain their relevancy are exactly what Disney should always be aiming for. This is not an attraction that needs “fixing” in any way. It is, as Mary Poppins would say “practically perfect in every way”. Disney, I implore you to not remove or alter this much-loved attraction.
My compromise solution would be: do this nonsense at MK, but obviously leave the DL one alone since it’s an original. Same thing should go for the Bears at WDW: they’re not missed too much on the west coast, but they are natives of WDW from the beginning and the place wouldn’t be the same without them. Go ahead and replace the half-hearted Pooh ride with some dumb Toy Story cash-in, but leave CBJ alone in Florida.
That’s Ok because if it happens Disney World is still the happiest place on earth as long as we have It’s a Small World and Peter Pan’s Flight
SAVE THE TIKI BIRDS!!!! The 50th Anniversary is soon approaching. Has anyone truly considered that there are patrons returning for this occasion to see what they saw on the opening day?!?! Such as the Country Bears and the Tiki Birds! Yes change is good, but it is also bad. Isn’t there some way you can hang on to the change until AFTER the celebration? People are coming from miles away to see these attractions and I happen to be one of them. Don’t disappoint us with your updates and change. I truly love these 2 attractions and can’t wait to enjoy my pals there. Please reconsider!!!!!
After a visit to WDW in April, and a visit to WDW frequently since the beginning, I can say,that ALLOF THE CHANGES IN EPCOT (CANADA, THE LAND, HORIZON, UNIVERSE OF ENTERGY, JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION) and more… SUCK😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡, not the least and including, THE MUSIC!!!!!!!!! And a blasphemy and totally unforgivable to do away with, or HIDE, The Walt Disney Story😰😰
Oh good! We were acutely lacking Moana when we visited this month. And my 3 year old that was craving Moana was frightened of the show in the Tiki room. It was pretty annoying from my standpoint. Changing this attraction that is next to the Aladdin & Jasmine meet and greet would be a win!
I loved the tiki room…thats one of the memories outnof all the shows…onebof my favorites..the kids love it..u cant replace that one..as big as magic kingdom…why cant u just add the attraction..people come from all over the world some freque tly and some not so..but they bring their grandkids years later..and some of the staples should be these that have been for many years…i mean why do people go to the rainforest cafe over and over…the kids live it .it certainly not for the overpriced 20 dollar nachoes…im bringing my grandkids and thats one i cant wait to see their faces when the birds and animals start talking..
Any idea of when exactly the 50th anniversary celebration will begin? Oct. 2021? Or January 2021?
The tiki room shld be a staple at the magic kingdom..i loved it ..my kids lived…i am bringing my grandkids…they will love it…make more room for the other shows…people come from all over the world to disney…i mean really kinda like the rainforest cafe..why do i keep going back over and over…its certainly not because of the 20 dollar over priced nachoes…its because the kids love it… thats what its all about..
N-O spells NO!!!!!
Seriously. I said it in the country bears comments – I only go to the parks for classic attractions. If I want Disney movie stuff or experiences I have easy access to licensed merchandise and movies at home.
I won’t go on my annual vacations if they ruin the classic attractions. If they touch the haunted Mansion I’m DONE.
So glad Disney is ending this. I’m 61 and bored as church goer when I go to this sad, old attraction!
Why are they destroying our beloved shows, oh wait they are more interested in pushing their newer characters that no one gives a shit about. At Disneyland, they just got rid of another day one featured item the Main Street Cinema. They replaced it with, what else but another place to purchase whatever crap they put in there. This is the place where parents can take their overstimulated kids to get them to relax and get them some relief. I’m about ready to give up my annual passes, enough already. BTW, I’m also a DVC member, that’s how pissed off I am.
It would be a poor decision to take the Tiki birds out you can always add Moana to it. The Country Bears would another major mistake if you got rid of it!!! Disneyland made that mistake and replaced it with Winnie the Pooh a not so great show. Please don’t make these changes!!!
Again, this type of news is just so disappointing! Chapek and Igor are determined to leave nothing but IP’s in the parks and be damned with Walt Disney’s legacy! I can only hope that if there is enough of an outcry from Disney fans, they will think twice about their decisions. :(
I just want them to update the Tiki Room as it is. Make the birds smoother, more intricate animations, and less noisy (their mouths clack open, and you can hear it over the music)
Maybe some better lighting and water effects.
I want a version of it done today, if Walt was still alive, making the same attraction.
Is that so hard for them to get?
I don’t get why they don’t consider Walt himself to be sort of an IP. If Walt was involved with it, I want to see it. Period. I didn’t even see Moana, so I simply don’t care about it.
But if they opened a new ride based on a few sketches Walt did in a sketchbook they just found, I would be ecstatic! Why does DISNEY not consider the work of Walt Disney relevant???
Maybe they should focus on putting out videos to remind people how creative and passionate he was about original ideas at the park.
This is very disappointing. Was planning to take my Mom to Disney, her favorite attraction was the Tiki Room.