Between Books - Before the Birds Sang Words

I have to beg the Between Kid to enter Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in the Magic Kingdom! Maybe it takes a Dole Whip to get him to agree to enter. Maybe I just have to demand a break in the AC. Cearly, singing colorful birds doesn’t excite him. Now, Pirates of the Caribbean, he can ride all day! And what’s sad about this situation is that José is essential to the story of Jack Sparrow, Elsa, Mr. Potato Head, and Hondo Ohnaka when we see them in the parks today.

Before the Birds Sang Words by Ken Bruce outlines the long, and we mean long, saga of the Disneyland Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. While the attraction may have opened in 1963, Bruce ties the origins of the singing bird attraction not in just the popular tale of the New Orleans bird toy that Walt Disney brought to Imagineering, but even earlier to the astronomical clock in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg in Alsace, France. The 60-foot clock was created in 1354 and seen by Walt as a young Red Cross volunteer and an American businessman visiting France in the 1930s. Bruce uses the clock as a foundation from which he builds intersecting histories of mechanical toys, American views on Tiki and Polynesian culture, and Walt Disney’s development of the American theme park as seen through Disneyland. With Disneyland established, and his gift of a mechanical bird to Imagineering, Disney charged his artists to develop a bird restaurant. This challenge would lead to a ten-year development cycle that includes some of Disney’s most respected artists including John Hench, Marc Davis, Rolly Crump, the Sherman Brothers, Harriet Burns, and numerous other Disney Legends who participated in the evolution of a planned restaurant to a higher-capacity singing bird show. Bruce provides a comprehensive view of the show's development discussing Disneyland food service (can we talk about Stouffer’s Foods friends), Audio-Animatronic development, show scripting, building layout, song selection, recording, and virtually any topic of relevance to the show. Bruce finishes with a discussion of the evolution of the Disneyland attraction and its duplication in other parks like Walt Disney World.

I really enjoyed Before the Birds Sang Words. It is well-organized, well-written, and engaging. As someone who is not in food service, if you had told me that I would be fascinated by a chapter discussing Stouffer’s Foods I would have loudly said that would not happen. But in the big picture of Disneyland and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, this one small detail matters for understanding the relationship between leasees in Disneyland and why Walt Disney moved away from their large role in the park. The quality of the book and its definitive coverage of the attraction is surprising to me due to the fact it’s not a Disney Press edition yet it meets or exceeds the qualities of that press.

I called this story a saga, and it really is. The short story us Disney fans tell is that Walt Disney wanted a bird restaurant, Walt Disney realized that the birds were above the food, and he moved to an attraction. No, this is a ten-year development where technology changed, capacity was better understood, and Tiki culture grew in popularity. What’s also interesting to me is that honestly no one seems to have gotten what they wanted. Marc Davis designs were rejected, along with Rolly Crump’s. I really enjoyed the pages that discussed Davis and Hench working at cross-purposes. Songs were revised by George Bruns. Scripts and roles were changed, taking out some of Wally Boag’s saucy jokes. In the end, the attraction was rarely what anyone truly wanted, but a true collaboration between many visions. Though some would be able to show in the attraction’s evolution that what they wanted likely would have been for the best from the start.

Before the Birds Sang Words by Ken Bruce is a engaging saga of one Disney attraction. But it’s an attraction who’s impact extends beyond the four corners the bird room. Bruce notes that some like the Between Kid may not be an enthusiastic for singing birds today as in the past. But Bruce gives us a context to better understand how important singing birds really are in Disney history and a chronicle of the hit they really were for Disney fans in Anaheim and beyond. Bruce helps us understand fully the lastly impact of the tiki birds and their entertainment legacy even for those who lack modern interest.

Clearly next time I’m in the park, I need a AC break even if he says no!  Because I love legacy.

Review Copy Provided for Review

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Cap's Comics - Enchanted Tiki Room #2

Enchanted Tiki Room #2 shows us quickly that there is trouble in paradise.  Agnes may no longer wish her dog Alfred can talk, seeing as he has nothing but unfaltering things to say.  Yes, dog is not woman's best friend!  The bird band has members in revolt, and maybe a orange friend can join in?  The Randy Family do something that money cannot buy...hug!  Chip's big debut may have fallen flat.  And Wally, well he's barely in the issue.  And also absent is the island trespasser!  Yep, things are not going well and someone may do something desperate to regain their place on the enchanted tropical island.

Jason Grandt Connecting Cover Variant

Again, this is a funny book.  And adults can enjoy the humor.  I did chuckle as the Randy family, well, touched!  I guess love cannot be bought with money.  It definitely made me laugh and so did the Between Kid.  I also enjoyed the Disney Easter Eggs including a growing presence for the Little Orange Bird.

John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Variant

My biggest worry with the book is there is a lot going on.  It could be too much.  Wally is basically non-existent in the book.  In fact, Wally gets one panel!  Unless I am wrong and she is hiding in the shadows, our cliffhanger new character never shows in the entire issue.  Which makes it frustrating that we have to wait for at least one more issue to get any answers to what her presence is about.  In short the story has to service five if not six story lines and I worry that a mini-series may not do the bulk of them justice.

Ron Lim Variant

Enchanted Tiki Room is keeping me for the laughs.  But I do worry that Jon Adams and Horacio Domingues' story could be too ambitious.  In the end, Fantasy Island was really just about three story lines.  I am just worrying that this comic has 2 stories too many.  But still, I am smiling.  

Cap's Comics - Enchanted Tiki Room #1

But I want a Jungle Cruise comic!  And an Enchanted Tiki Room comic is most definitely not a Jungle Cruise comic.  So I open these pages not even knowing if this is a tropical vacation I want to take!

Jason Grandt Connecting Cover Variant

Enchanted Tiki Room #1 brings us to the home of the Tiki gods and the famous Tiki Room!  Readers meet a number of visitors to this far off land.  Agnes is a barely known older actress who has a unhealthy love for her dog.  The dog may not be returning that adoration!  The Randy family can solve all problems with money.  Poor Wally just wants to get over his bad breakup on this island vacation.  And Chip the volunteer at the world famous Tiki Room, where the birds sing, just wants to be a star.  It seems that the visitors to this island have a lot of problems, but then so do the citizens.  Could there be relationship trouble among the famous singing macaws?  What lessons will our visitors and readers learn on this vacation?

John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Variant Cover

Writer Jon Adams gives a plot that will seem familiar to many middle aged readers.  Enchanted Tiki Room feels like a spiritual predecessor to Fantasy Island with temporary guests who all seem to need to learn lessons.  So it is easy to understand for the older reader.  And really if I had to complain it would be I am not sure how the younger reader will react.  The plot is a formula I know.  And there are plenty of "adult" world situations and even jokes.  Honestly, I laughed a ton.  I just worry that this is a story that is too adult.  Though the Between Kid jumped to have me read it and seemed to stay with it.  Artist Horacio Domingues' artwork fits well with the somewhat corny story presented.

Jody Daily Variant Cover

For the hardcore Disney fan there are Easter Eggs to keep you going.  The boys of the Enchanted Tiki Room, a 50 year hit, are not the only Disney birds seen in the tale.  And along with the birds, a key narrative role is given to a Tiki god.  I am a big believer that many of the early Imagineers like Marc Davis would enjoy the current Pacific themed Disney properties, including Moana, and I feel like this story falls into their traditions.

Jason Grandt Orange Bird Variant Cover

Enchanted Tiki Room #1 is not a Jungle Cruise story.  Though it is really funny!  I could easily see a Skipper point out the back side of water to any of the visitors to this far away island.  I just wonder who the last mystery visitor is!