Friday, May 24, 2013

Make it blue! Make it red!



The barker bird that once enticed guests into Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is a relic of the past. Today's post will celebrate that long-gone bird and show how it underwent a series of changes during its short tenure outside this Adventureland attraction. In this 1962 pre-opening shot, he is hatless.



By January 1964, a straw hat and cane had been added to the mix:





This May 1965 shot shows a change from blue to red, as if the fairies from "Sleeping Beauty" had flown over the attraction and used their wands on the Barker Bird:





In August 1966, the Barker Bird is back to his original blue plumage:





Final shot for today is one from the archives of Bill H., dated July 1979:



I hope you all have a festive 3-day weekend and are able to get a little R&R; I know I plan to!

See more vintage & current Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room photos on my Tiki Room web page.

6 comments:

K. Martinez said...

Nice post showing the colorful changes and evolution of the Barker Bird. I learn so much detail from reading your blog.

I experienced the Enchanted Tiki Room the first summer it was open, but don't remember the Barker Bird at all. I don't even remember the Tiki Garden back then either, but do remember the actual show the first time I saw it in 1963. Perhaps it was so long ago and I was too young to notice or remember the Barker Bird.

PsySocDisney said...

And there's Uti, long gone from the roof in her canoe but still my favorite Tiki. I love that closeup of her and the Barker Bird!! I'm planning on Rolly's sketch of her for my next tattoo. What a great post!

Major Pepperidge said...

I didn't know that the Barker Bird went back to blue at some point! Hooray, new trivia!

Anonymous said...

I remember him as red, but probably saw the show before that. Interesting to see the hat and cane were additions.

Do you know when he was taken down? I heard it was because he caused traffic jams?

I know for years I thought he was figment of my imagination since he was no longer there.

Thank you, Dave!

JG

Daveland said...

JG: Looks like it might have been around 1968.

Anonymous said...

Dave, TY,

JG