Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is a seated musical show in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom, performed by singing Audio-Animatronic birds, flowers and tiki figures. The show runs about 15 minutes, there is a short pre-show, and the theater is air-conditioned. There is no height requirement. It suits families, Disney history fans and anyone who wants to sit down out of the heat.
| Location | Adventureland, Magic Kingdom |
| Attraction type | Audio-animatronic show |
| Height requirement | None |
| Show length | About 15 minutes |
| Opened | October 1, 1971 |
| Thrill level | None |
What the show is like
After a short pre-show you move into a theater in the round. Disney describes it as a South Seas musical show with more than 225 Audio-Animatronic performers. The birds hang from perches above the audience, while carved tikis and flowers line the walls around a central fountain.
The show is led by four macaw hosts, each with a different accent:
- José has a Mexican accent and was voiced by Wally Boag.
- Michael has an Irish brogue and was voiced by Fulton Burley.
- Pierre has a French accent and was voiced by Ernie Newton.
- Fritz has a German accent and was voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft.
The four trade jokes between songs. The best-known number is “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room,” written by the Sherman Brothers. The show also includes “Let’s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing” and closes with the “Hawaiian War Chant,” when the tiki figures join in with chanting and drums. An arrangement of “Heigh-Ho” plays as guests leave.
History of the Tiki Room
The original opened at Disneyland on June 23, 1963, and was the first attraction to use Audio-Animatronics, the technology that later powered rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. Sound and movement were stored on magnetic tape and run from a control room beneath the theater floor. The Disneyland building was originally planned as a restaurant and became the park’s first fully air-conditioned building.
Magic Kingdom opened its version on October 1, 1971, as Tropical Serenade, using the same main show with a new pre-show. In 1998 it was replaced by The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), which added Iago from Aladdin and Zazu from The Lion King. That version ran for 13 years and got a mixed reception. A small attic fire on January 12, 2011, badly damaged the Iago figure, and Disney used the closure to bring back the classic format. The restored show, a slightly edited version of the Disneyland original, opened on August 15, 2011, and is the one that runs today.
Accessibility
Guests can remain in a wheelchair or ECV during the show. Assistive listening devices are available from Guest Relations. Check the My Disney Experience app for the latest details on other access services.
Who it suits
Young children usually do well with the bright characters and gentle pace, though the finale is louder than the rest of the show. Anyone interested in how Disney’s theme park animation developed will get the most from it, since the figures and songs are close to what audiences saw in 1963. Guests looking for modern effects or a ride will find it slow, and the animation looks dated next to Disney’s newer figures.
Tips
- Use it as a midday break: Shows run on a cycle through the day, so the wait is usually just until the next performance. That makes it a useful stop when lines at Jungle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean are long.
- Check show times: Disney’s operating hours for the theater can be shorter than park hours. The My Disney Experience app shows the current schedule.
- Look up: The birds are overhead and the tikis are along the walls, so there is action on all sides of the room.
