Enchanted Tiki Room

[MattO]

Even more info, before another page posts it:

Last week I had the chance to listen to the Disneyland 6 CD set (95% completed) that I've helped out a bit on. Mostly, I was blown away by the material and it's quality. There were a few issues I pointed out and hopefully will be fixed. The box set will include the COMPLETE Enchanted Tiki Room show AND the pre-show. The source of the Tiki Room material is from the newly restored sources (same with the pre-show). All I can say is that the Tiki Room has NEVER sounded this good. Of course, I couldn't tell what the edits on the actual show will be (i.e. Offenbach) because the box set will include the complete show while the actual show will be slightly edited as has been in the last 10 years. You can hear every instrument and vocal as never before. Please do not make a big deal out of this (or I'll get in trouble), but those overdubs made in the 90's (i.e. Female vocals added to Heigh Ho) are still present and that one gong sound was still missing (but was added to the box set version). The pre-show is of AMAZING sound quality. They are all the original voices, but some of the sound effects were replaced by newly recorded ones. At first it freaked me out, but then I heard the original tracks and concluded that (as much of a purist as I am) the new SFX are a real improvement. I only noted 2 obvious changes: The "Midnight Dancer's" drums are newly recorded with the same drums and same drum beat patterns, but now with new clarity. The most stricking change is Pele and the Earth Balancer's SFX. The low-end earthquake rumble sounds like a THX demonstration, and when Pele's fire erupts, it does so with explosive sounds. Actually, I found this to be very impressive. The announcer's welcome is still the same from 1963 but HEAVILY edited. I believe these edits were made a few years ago. Basically they cut out the references to no food, drinks allowed as they now allow them. And of course the references to United Airlines which were cut back in the 60's. It makes for a very short welcome announcement. I can say for sure that the box set audio is the definite version to own. Down the line, the Enchanted Tiki Room CD soundtrack sold at Disneyland will be updated with the newly restored version and will continue to have the great Adventurous Jungle Cruise track featuring Thurl (Tangaroa). As far as I know, the pre-show will still not be on this single CD, but I'll try my best to convince them otherwise. The Jungle Cruise track will not be on the box set. What WILL be on the box sets sold at Disneyland is an acurate reproduction of the Walt Takes You to Disneyland LP on golden vinyl which includes all the background music heard on that Jungle Cruise track.
I could go on and on about the box set, but I don't want to be quoted on all those Disney websites. Besides, the box set will be coming out soon enough. The target release date is 05-03-05, but I assume Disneyland will hold off selling it until 2 days later when the 50th celebration starts. There will also be 2 CD set of the Disneyland Resort (meaning Disneyland and California Adventure) sold as a souvenir for the not-so-hardcore collectors. Besides those 2 releases, there will be an even shorter 1 CD 50th released nationwide only. The box set is expected to eventually make a nationwide release minus the vinyl record.
Ok, I'll keep this short. I just wanted you all to know that the Tiki Room material is well represented on the box set and to save moeny for it ($125). The box set is actually worth every penny. Besides 6 CDs (nearly 8 hours of audio), it will also include a fancy hardcover book with Disneyland music info and great rare pictures, as well as the vinyl all house on a great big box (around 12 X 12).
Other Tiki Room merchandise rumors I heard are: Barker Bird reproduction, Tangaroa lamp, 60's Tiki Room Aloha shirt reproduction. We've also heard here on TC about the Adventureland mug by Shag/Tiki Farm.
Did I say I was keeping this short?

[MattO]

More...

Yes, I have been temporarily pulled away from my blessed assignement to help design the new animated windows display for the 50th anniversay Emporium windows, then after that I was asked to rehab the Pizza Port props and spent all week disassembling the old Space Mountain ride control console to use its little knobs and dials to attach to boxes and giant vegetables.- The goal was to make some "post-apocalyptic vegetable-juicer type props. I had fun making the future, but Iwas excited to get back to my South Pacific-specific project! I have now flown back to the Tiki Room and am working on some really fun stuff.

So much to tell, so much to answer...

Most fun items first! No, I don't know anything about sound insulation on the side of the Tahitian Terrace being installed or uninstalled, but I did get a confirmation from project manager Larry that the Tahitian Terrace will be used once again as a strotytelling venue for Arabic type stuff. I do know that the ETR show has been totally reprogrammed with a new and improved audio-animatronic system that allows for new specific altered audio to be inset durng specia levents. This does not mean that they are GOING to add/install temporary refreshed audio from time to time, it merely means they now CAN. Blake the WDI show programmer guy suggests if they want to change the audio for Christmas shows or special events, that it is now possible to work those in and remove them as they wish. The whole track does not have to be replaced and reprogrammed each time now. But don't get excited, like I said, it is now only possible, not imminent that alterations could be made.

All the birds are back in, (except for the robins, which I have yet to sculpt the feet for) the girls went in this week, gosh, they look so stunning and bright and clean. The Drum gods are back up, the orchid boats are refoliaged, and I added some feathers around the necks of the flowers to reduce more of the clacking/hissing and give some more movement to their animation. I must say, they look divine.

I haven't heard the totem gods chant or the flowers croon yet along with their animation, so I don't know if our attempts to reduce the clacking have come to fruition, I'll let you know.

Blake has been letting us have some fun with the audio as he repograms the bird's mouths to open and close at the right time. He has been bringing in other audio to entertain us while we work away up on our ladders (in their booties), and has been amusing us by making the bird's mouths move to such classics as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration", Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls" and various other hilarious things that look rather ironic coming out of animatronic bird mouths. He even lets us play with the toggle control and make the bird's mouths move to the music manually.

I wish everyone could have as mcuh fun as I am having! I think of you all as I delight in my work/play. [img]/tikicentral/bb/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

The most exciting thing I have gotten to do this past week is start working on making some speaker covers for 5 new speakers that are featuered out in the Lanai (everyone looks at me with question-marks over their head when I say "lanai" and only respond when I call it the "preshow"). Two will go on the wall to each side of the Tangaroa tree (we still haven't had a chance to do the foilage on that because of the cement laying delays...which will now be delayed longer because of the rain). These will resemble birdhouses covered in thatching, and little birdhouse door perches made from cast resin which I am handpainting to look like real bamboo strapped together with leather.

Another speaker cover will go behind the Tangaroa tree, this will look like a double sided drum covered in thatching (harder to see because it will be behind the tree). One will go on the north facing wall of the tiki restrooms, next to the Maui god. It will resemble a drum, covered on top with leather, covered on the sides with rattan matting and braided raffia with shell ornaments... and....little tiki heads taken from strings of tiki lights that many of you probably already own! The last one will go over a speaker that is on the east side of the Lanai, it will be on the fence on the left as you enter the Lanai (preshow...uh....Lanai...uh...gimme another mai tai!)

Anyway, one of the coolest things we get to do is go get our tiki theming supplies from Oceanic Arts...and put it all on Walt's tab! I get to shop for tiki while on the clock....ah, life is good.

I asked again about the reopen date, but it may have a confused meaning becusse I think what they mean when they say March 1 is that this is when we rehabbers are supposed to be DONE. It would make more sense to have it open on a Saturday for the guests...but there have been rumours about a seperate Cast Member special opening, so maybe that's the one on the 11th. I have heard nothing about the re-opening moving to the 17th...I promise I will keep you informed the minute I hear something. (Sorry! I know, how can I be so uniformed and actually be working on the project? Paint the bamboo faster, Laura! Glue the feathers faster, Laura! WHIPPING SOUNDS... wh-tsh!).

Lanai benches...some have been removed, the one by the bathrooms has not been...I'm assuming they're putting in more. I guess that that they had to rip some out to get to the wiring for the gods down below the platings. Those are definitley getting new audio-animatronic systems, my friend Tom is the WDI guy incharge of that. He works down in the ETR basement in the computer connecting little wires to coordinating animated figures. He loaned me some of the old wires from the original computers to use in the construction of the postapocalyptic vegetable juicing props for the Pizza Port. Ah, Disney do love to recycle, deed, dey do...to er, save da dough.

Yes, the Purple Shag aloha shirts just came out about 2 or 3 weks ago, same print, just a lavender background, and purple Dole pineapple slices....for those of us who look sallow in orange. Who cares, I'm getting both!

Haven't heard anything about a new arch covered in roses, but if they do, I'll spank. I'm on the foliage/floral crew, and I happen to be an informed Tiki consultant from Tiki Central, the international Tiki society, who has a minor in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Florida, which happens to be in the tropics. Ain't know way, no how any roses are going on to anything Tiki. Trust! Trust!

[disney rocker]

Interesting Information!! The Sign looks awesome. Cant wait to see Tiki Room back in its glory.

[dlfreak]

Although I want the old show to return, I also hope they update the AA birds. Their motions are pretty primative now.

Al's the only source and it might have been a "metaphorical" sentence but he said somehting to the extent of every bird blink and wing flap will be like brand new.

[dlfreak]

MouseHub.com has a pic of the new Tiki Room sign,and it looks GREAT!! WDI really went all out on this thing,I think it looks incredible:

http://www.mousehub.com/pictorials/0.../images/16.jpg

Everybody now Toy Story alien style: Ooooooooooooooh

[ExClub]

MouseHub.com has a pic of the new Tiki Room sign,and it looks GREAT!! WDI really went all out on this thing,I think it looks incredible:

http://www.mousehub.com/pictorials/0.../images/16.jpg

Wow...that looks really nice.

[XAquaTeenBoyX]

That sign is sweet, they do look like they are going all out on it!!! This is gonna be awesome, I've never been in the old one, but now that it's being refurbed I might go in and check it out. I totally forgot though, it's opening the 5th right?

[WallyBoag]

I really agree with Matt. That sign doesn't look that great. Nowhere near as tiki as the sign at the exit.

[WonderlandGirl]

Ahh I can't wait!

[Mortimer]

The sign looks fantastic! The new benches outside look great, and the grounds look pristine. I am so excited for TETR to reopen. By reading the blurb MattO found, I am so pumped about the CD Box set! I can hardly wait to hear the restored version in person and at home with the set.