The Orchids are characters featured in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. They are a group of singing orchids, who are part of the attraction's show.
History[]
Background[]
The Orchids, as their name implies, are a group of singing orchids on flowerbeds placed in the Tiki Room. Most of the orchids in the flowerbeds consist of smaller pink orchids, followed by bigger blue orchids known as Soprano Orchids, who sing louder than the smaller ones. All the Orchids in the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction sing with a female voice.
The late Norma Zimmer, known for playing the "Champagne Lady" character in "The Lawrence Welk Show", provided a solo voice for one of the Soprano Orchids in this attraction.[1]
Development[]
When the Tiki Room first opened, the animatronics in the show not only included birds, but also included animatronic plants consisting of the orchids and the birds of paradise (plant variety), in which according to the book Disneyland Detective by Kendra Trahan, about fifty-four orchids are placed into the show. In addition to this, the attraction also included tiki drummers as well as the tiki totem poles which are also part of the show.
Due to the success of the attraction at Disneyland, the Tiki Room attraction was later constructed at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, still featuring the animatronic plants in it.
Appearances[]
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room[]
The Orchids participate during the musical number "Hawaiian War Chant". When the score begins, the Orchids' flowerbeds lower down as the orchids themselves begin to sing, followed by bigger Orchids singing along. After singing their part, the Birds of Paradise (the plant variety) join in the singing just as the Orchids harmonize with them. They also participate during the frenzy verse with the Tiki Drummers and the chanting Tiki Totems. After the song, they participate in the closing number "Closing Bow" with the Birds, the Birds of Paradise, the Tiki Drummers, and the Tiki Totems. Later when guests leave through the exit doors, the Orchids then sing a special rendition of "Heigh Ho" in the attraction, along with the Birds.
The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management)[]
The Orchids have a smaller role in the former overlay of the Tiki Room where they participate during a rap medley with the Birds of Paradise. They later participate during the "Conga" musical number with the other characters just before the attraction ends.
The Enchanted Tiki Room: Get the Fever![]
The Orchids have a smaller role in this former incarnation of the Tiki Room where they participate during the musical numbers, "In the Tiki Room" and a special rendition of "I Wan'na Be Like You".
The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai![]
In this incarnation of the Tiki Room attraction, the Orchids participate during the musical number, "Hawaiian War Chant"; however, Stitch disrupts the song, much to the Birds' worry. Waha Nui, one of the four hosts, then tells the Orchids to stop singing their number to which the song suddenly ends. After Stitch is accepted to be in the show, they participate with Stitch along with the Tiki Totems and the rest of the Tiki Room characters (except for the Winged Wahines, who left for the beach of Waikiki during the song "On the Beach at Waikiki").
Other appearances[]
2015 Frozen Summer Fun! commercial[]
In one of the commercials for the 2015 "Frozen Summer Fun!" event at Disney California Adventure, the Orchids, Jose, and the Tiki Totems are featured as some of the characters singing the lines from the song "For the First Time in Forever" in one of the TV spots.
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse[]
Various orchids have been featured in the episode "The Enchanting Hut". Like many elements featured throughout the episode, the orchids pay reminiscence to the ones in the Tiki Room attractions at the Disney Parks. They are first seen singing with the birds of paradise, palm trees, and assorted tropical birds until they are frightened by a storm cloud, causing the birds and plants to scatter while Mickey and Minnie plan to build a hut onboard the island. As Minnie is trying to build the hut, the orchids and birds of paradise are seen observing Minnie constructing it using sand bricks only for her to be flooded by the plants. Later as the storm cloud is approaching the island, Mickey and Minnie tell the plants and birds to enter but they refuse to due to the limited space inside the hut. When Mickey and Minnie are tossed away by the storm cloud, who used a wave to throw them away, the plants and birds feel inspired and they plan to construct the hut like what Mickey and Minnie are doing. Surviving the wave, Mickey and Minnie observe the plants and birds scattering around where the orchids, birds of paradise, trees, and birds work together in cooperation to build the hut just as Mickey and Minnie decide to cooperate with them. As the plants and birds finish building the hut, Mickey and Minnie manage to survive the storm and use the raft made out of bamboo to assemble the hut. At the end of the episode, the orchids and birds of paradise sing together in chorus while the now-reformed cloud is invited to go into the newly constructed hut.
References[]
- ↑ "Disneyland, The Classics: Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room!". The Walt Disney Family Museum (June 28, 2013).
