Goodbye Tarzan's Treehouse, Hello Swiss Family Robinson!

Straight from the "I never expected that to happen!" department, the Disney Parks Blog quietly announced the return of the Disneyland classic Swiss Family Treehouse. That's right- it is not Encanto- it's the Adventureland Treehouse.

These pieces of Imagineering concept art point me to two potential ideas: One- The film division is planning a reboot of the iconic original film for a new Disney+ series or individual flick, and Two- There are other, grander plans, for Encanto in the parks. With a hit movie that spawned a massive musical soundtrack and more, there's no way something will not be rolling out soon.

For now, I'm thrilled! Is it too much to ask for a brand new attraction poster?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tarzan's Treehouse at Disneyland Becomes Encanto

"Tarzan will soon be swinging out of his treehouse at Disneyland to make room for a re-themed attraction that will see a new Disney character move into the 80-foot-tall man-made tree in Adventureland.

Disneyland will reimagine Tarzan’s Treehouse in Adventureland with a new theme and backstory, according to Disneyland officials.

The treehouse experience isn’t going away, but the Tarzan theme won’t return when the attraction reopens, according to Disneyland officials.

The walk-through attraction’s new theme, backstory and reopening date have not yet been announced.

MiceChat reports one possible overlay for Tarzan’s Treehouse could be an attraction themed to Disney’s “Encanto” animated film. In the movie, young Antonio Madrigal has a magical rainforest bedroom where he can communicate with animals. ShopDisney sells a $30 Antonio’s Treehouse play set based on his bedroom in “Encanto.”

The Academy Award-winner for best animated feature tells the story of the magical Madrigal family that lives in an enchanted place called Encanto hidden in the mountains of Colombia.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek and “Encanto” composer Lin-Manuel Miranda have already discussed possible theme park attractions based on the hit animated movie, according to The Wrap.

Disney has big plans for “Encanto,” which Chapek describes as the company’s newest film franchise — suggesting a sequel could be in the works.

Disneyland has added a Mirabel Madrigal meet-and-greet character, “Encanto” float to the returning Main Street Electrical Parade and nightly projection show on the facade of It’s a Small World set to the Billboard chart-topping “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” song.

Demolition of the entrance to Tarzan’s Treehouse will begin on Monday, April 18, according to Disneyland officials."

(From the Orange Country Register).

 

UPDATE: In a surprise move, the Tarzan themed tree house will be changed to the Adventureland Treehouse, with more than a nod to the original Swiss Family Robinson. Artwork is here.

Sunday Morning in Hong Kong Disneyland

Running away to a tropical island sounds pretty great right now! How about taking a raft over to Tarzan's Island at Hong Kong Disneyland? This photograph makes me want to jump on a plane, and if I could, explore their Adventureland in all its glory. This all just seems so remote and unspoiled. Hard to believe looking at this that the majestic city of Hong Kong is not that far away. Disney Imagineering at its best? Maybe not, but things are headed in the right direction. 

With all the recent additions, especially Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch and their attractions- and a brand new castle- the charm continues to be added layer by layer. Perhaps this little park, and the whole resort, is becoming a real gem in the Disney landscape. Maybe its days of being overshadowed by the other Asian Disney locations is coming to an end.

(Photograph/screenshot from Attractions 360.)

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Adventureland Collection

Now that we've taken a look at the posters which celebrate and advertise the variety of attractions on Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A., let's take a walk down this beautiful avenue and journey on to our first stop, Adventureland!

The Jungle River Cruise was an instantaneous hit upon its opening with the park. Nothing had ever been seen like this before! A waterborne attraction combining lush, varied landscapes, robotic animals, and the spiel of a lively narrator/guide was beyond cutting edge for an amusement park. It was Disney showcasing its unique storytelling at its best, quickly becoming the must-see attraction of its time. Was it based on the famous film The African Queen? Absolutely! Did it follow the narrative? Not at all.

As any long time Disneyland fan knows, the attraction has been "plussed" through the years, with new scenes and creatures added. From more elephants to stranded safaris, to gorillas taking over a camp, to an encounter with dangerous piranha, the journey is as constantly changing and wild as the jungle itself.

Whether viewed as charming, campy, mildly thrilling, passable or a classic to be revered, the ongoing popularity of the Jungle Cruise means it has earned it place among Disney's most beloved attractions. Earlier posters of the cruise reflected the simple yet sophisticated style of the era it was created, but decades later. the elegant and detailed artwork (directly above) redefined the cruise in a whole new light.

I've seen an even newer version based on the one for Hong Kong Disneyland, but I forgot to take a photo of it! New note 12/30: One of my readers sent it to me (above). Thank you.

Let me say, I've done a fairly good amount of home improvements and landscaping in my day, but regardless of my success, nothing compares to the dream of living in the unbelievable Swiss Family Treehouse! Spent many afternoons high above it all, taking in the spectacular views and enjoying a respite from the mobs below. Rarely missed my chance to climb it. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I visited Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom for the first time years later and found their namesake on its own island! Wow! I had the same wow factor during each visit to Disneyland Paris seeing their Adventure Isle.

Adventureland remained much the same for many years, with the now gone Big Game Shooting Gallery, a treehouse home, and a very popular eatery premiering several months before the groundbreaking Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. 

Here's Imagineer Paul Hartley's unused concept.

This single attraction changed the game for the Disney theme parks as well, bringing new guests to its exotic locale and raising expectations for attractions built in the future by Imagineering. Tiki culture captured our nation's fancy and love of the islands is still strong today.

Love the music, love the atmosphere, love the finale! And these posters capture it all. The two posters above are slightly varied in text and style, as well as tiki gods when compared to the first one shown! United Airlines was a sponsor for many years- and their beautiful pre-show film introducing the Hawaiian Islands was something I missed when Dole took over. Guess it was a trade off, as I really enjoy those Dole Whip desserts available at the entrance to the attraction!

Had Walt Disney had his way, desserts and other tropical offerings would have made its way into the Tiki Room as the attraction was first conceived as a restaurant with the birds presenting a show during the meal. Although this did not pan out, the lovely Tahitian Terrace was still nearby, offering delicious Polynesian treats, fire dancers and hula girls! Gotta say, I miss that place. I spent many summer evenings eating my meals and enjoying the sights...

Above is a newer addition to the Tiki Room attraction poster, one more that features United Airlines. Love the stylistic approach to this!

There's one more attraction poster for the Enchanted Tiki Room. It's a 50th anniversary poster, but beware- it could be a fan created fake.

Can there be any attraction in the last few decades that has been as eagerly anticipated as the Indiana Jones Adventure? Not in my book! (In fact, I love the Indy based attractions- and I have an entire post about them worldwide. You can find it here. There are many more Indy based articles to be found on my blog, too. Happy exploring!)

Another poster for an iconic addition!

Seems that this first poster is not all that visible these days. Unless I'm going through the wrong tunnel under the Main Street station of the Disneyland Railroad. Could it be? Regardless, the poster accomplishes the task of drawing us to the adventure. I was there opening weekend in 1995. Trust me when I say the advertising did the trick as the queue curled through Adventureland and Main Street resulting in a four hour wait my first trip through! Taking a fresh look at it, however, it is time for a newer version that celebrates one of Disneyland's finest Imagineering successes.

The last stop on our Adventureland poster tour is this little gem for Tarzan's Treehouse. The debut of this Swiss Family Treehouse remake came about exactly one day after the animated film Tarzan hit the theaters. The poster honors the style and most of the coloring of the Swiss Family one and is a near replica of the one used for the attraction found at Hong Kong Disneyland. (I'd like to take a moment and acknowledge the work of Chris Strodder here. His wonderful The Disneyland Encyclopedia provided me with this tidbit about the timing of the film and attraction debut, and for this post, I used it as a dateline resource to check my memory.)

Let me comment here: I was more than surprised to see my beloved Swiss Family replaced by an animated character. Although the rather ordinary stationary figures in the attraction detract from the climbers imagining living the life for themselves, the tree was cleverly redesigned. In fact, it's architectural elements are detailed and quite beautiful. The Imagineering team did leave a tribute of sorts to its former inhabitant, many actually. I won't reveal there whereabouts, but rest assured there will be some wonderfully nostalgic music playing for old time climbers.

Late addition as of November 2013: Walt Disney Imagineering decides to add some Christmas cheer in an overlay of the Jungle Cruise. Here's the poster they chose to release to promote it.

Until the Imagineers figure out how to squeeze more thrills into Adventureland, this is the end of our look at Disneyland's attraction posters for this most exotic of the park's areas. Next up on our list, my favorite land in all of Disneyland: New Orleans Square. Just its existance proves once again that change will always happen- and sometimes its even for the better!

(Artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company.)