Saturday, September 13, 2008

The Magic starts in Florida. The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, Walt's dream continues. The two following videos are from the original T.V. special for the grand opening of Walt Disney World. Watch and listen as Julie Andrews sings.


Grand Opening of Walt Disney World Promo Film

This Walt Disney film was used to promote the Grand Opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.
The original contributor of this video points out that many retired Disney attractions are featured in this film, including 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and others. Note due to the age of this video, and the technology of the time the quality suffers.

The Tapestry of Dreams Parade

The Tapestry of Nations Parade which later became the Tapestry of Dreams Parade was a beloved parade at EPCOT which I'm sad to say has been discontinued. The parade ran until March of 2003. Here is one of the videos of this beloved parade.

The Tapestry of Nations Parade

And now the original Tapestry of Nations Parade very similar to The Tapestry of Dreams Parade, but yet different. Note some of the buildings at The World Showcase at Epcot seen in the background.

Every resort hotel at Walt Disney World is an experience in and of itself. All the resorts hotels at Walt Disney World are themed. The Pop Century Hotel is no exception. The resort is based on decades from the 1950's to the 1990's. The lobby is packed with memorabilia from the decades. The Pop Century is an economy resort that is worth every penny. This video reminds me of when my wife and I stayed there.


The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management)

The Enchanted Tiki Room--without the Walt Disney tag before the name—opened in the Magic Kingdom park on October 1, 1971, as Walt Disney's Tropical Serenade. The show was an exact duplicate of the Disneyland attraction, but instead of the pre-show there was a waterfall in place of the Tiki gods, which would open and two Audio-Animatronic birds would entertain guests. The show was sponsored by Florida Citrus Growers, until it closed on September 1, 1997, for renovation and updating.

The show re-opened to much controversy as The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), featuring Iago and Zazu from Aladdin and The Lion King, respectively, as new hosts of the Enchanted Tiki Room nightclub. The show featured all the audio-animatronic birds, but now included Iago and Zazu, plus a new Hawaiian goddess who disrupts the usual Enchanted Tiki Room storyline after Iago upsets her.

Storyline
As the guests are waiting outside the Enchanted Tiki Room, a cylinder-shaped tube opens behind a waterfall to reveal two animatronic birds - William (voiced by Phil Hartman) and Morris. William and Morris entertain the waiting guests by discussing their positions as agents of the new "co-owners" of the Enchanted Tiki Room. A human cast member then tells the birds that he/she is preparing to let the guests in. William and Morris are incensed because their clients are not yet in the theater! Morris says he has to leave, because he's about to sign Donald Duck, and William brags that he's got the Mighty Ducks. The cylinder closes with the two birds yelling and arguing.

After the guests have entered the theater, the human cast member "wakes up" José. The 4 original Tiki Birds- José, Michael, Pierre (in this version, voiced by Jerry Orbach known to be the voice of Lumière from Beauty and the Beast), and Fritz get ready as they did in the original show. They start singing "In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" normally, but in the middle of their song, an animatronic Iago, the red loud-mouthed parrot from Aladdin, descends from a hole in the ceiling. Iago sits on a pillow holding a small megaphone, yelling that the Tiki Birds need to stop the music! Iago complains that the show's outdated tunes make him want to "toss his crackers." From another hole in the ceiling comes a perch bearing an animatronic Zazu, the smart blue hornbill from The Lion King. Zazu pleads with Iago not to toy with the Enchanted Tiki Room.

José, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz are confused - they don't know Iago and Zazu because they never "fly to the movies." Pierre tells Iago that "his friend" is right, and that he should not anger the spirits of the Tiki Room. Iago ignores the warning and replies that Zazu isn't his friend. To give them an example of how the songs should be sung, Iago begins singing a song to the tune of "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. He says that since the Tiki Birds are ancient history and he's a big "cele-birdy," he's going to change the show so a modern audience can appreciate it.

Zazu tells Iago to knock it off - the Tiki Gods can hear him! Iago begins to blatantly insult the Tiki Gods soon after which "lightning" strikes and the lights go out. The Tiki Birds begin singing that the atmosphere in the theater has suddenly gotten "Hot! Hot Hot!" and the carved faces on the Tiki Poles begin chanting "Uh-Oa!"

From the center of the fountain in the middle of the room, smoke bubbles and fumes, and Uh-Oa, the green and evil animatronic "Tiki Goddess of Disaster" emerges! Uh-Oa wants to know who dares to defame the Tiki Gods and Zazu tells her it was Iago.

Uh-Oa sings about how unwise Iago was to have messed with her. She claims he, "Can't fly away because [he's] stuck, [she] jinxed [him] because [he was] pushing [his] luck, and it won't help to yell - [he's] under [her] spell!" Uh-Oa then uses her magic Tiki powers and Iago shoots up from his perch. In a big, dark explosion of smoke, the loud-mouthed parrot is gone. Uh-Oa laughs evilly, then in a cloud of smoke, disappears back into the fountain.

The Tiki Birds and Zazu feel they should let the Tiki Gods have their say, and Zazu introduces the one and only musical sensation- The Tiki Gods! The faces on the Tiki Poles begin to sing "In the Still of the Night", and then the flowers begin a crazy rap using lyrics from the original Tiki Bird show, and some of the birds begin singing along.

At this point, over the doors, a small compartment on the wall opens. And who else should be in the compartment but animatronic Iago? Iago is burnt, smoking, and has bandages all over. He tells them all how the Tiki Gods are the best act he's ever heard, and they're going to make a gold mine on this show! No more worries!

Zazu tells Iago that where he comes from, no worries is "hakuna matata," and Iago misinterprets it. However, he seems to like it, declares that Zazu is now his friend, and that they should party! All the birds come out and start singing, and the Bird Mobile descends from the ceiling.

Zazu does a rap about how Iago learned his lesson, and will no doubt be more discrete in the future. Iago decides to show Zazu that he won't be discrete, and tells everybody on their feet. "That's right - everybody get up!" As the audience prepares to leave, the Tiki Birds begin singing "Get On Your Feet!" The birds declare that they're going to do a magic trick and make the audience disappear.

The doors of the theater open, and people walk out as the Tiki Birds continue to sing "Get On Your Feet!" Zazu says farewell to the guests, and Iago keeps up a barrage of comments and insults designed to get people to leave as they walk under him. Once the majority of the people have left the theater, Iago says he's tired, and plans to go take a nap in the Hall of Presidents. He then says good-bye to Zazu, turns around and enters the compartment over the exit. José laughs that nobody "laid an egg"... except him!