Credit: DisneyWe are just a couple of days away from Disneyland’s historic grand reopening! Cast Members have returned, Mickey Mouse has opened the gates, and now, finally, José at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room has been awoken from his more than year-long siesta!
Disney Parks shared José’s reawakening on their DisneyParks TikTok:
Wake up José, it’s almost showtime
@disneyparks Wake up José, it’s almost showtime 🦜#Disney #DisneyParks #Disneyland #TikiRoom #Adventureland #Macaw #California #Anaheim
José may think that he had a short siesta, but Disney fans have been waiting for this moment for a long time. And don’t tell me that you didn’t yell wake up José from the top of your lungs!
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room made its Disneyland debut in 1963 and was the first attraction of its kind to use what Disney called “audio-animatronics”. These talking, singing birds helped pave the way for other classic Disney rides, including “it’s a small world”, which opened in 1966, and Pirates of the Caribbean, which opened at the theme park a year later in 1967.
The Enchanted Tiki Room is described by the Disneyland website:
An extravagant feast for your eyes and ears, this theater-in-the-round show invites you to experience the beauty and magic of the Pacific Islands.
Take your seat in an air-conditioned ceremonial house in the heart of Polynesia. As the lights dim, 4 talking macaws spring to life. Before long, the chorus of crooning birds is joined by an enchanting cast of over 225 choreographed Audio-Animatronics performers.
Sing along and enjoy the magic of this jubilant Disney classic!
Over the past weeks, Disneyland has been sharing how Cast Members have been returning to the park and how Disneyland is preparing for its grand reopening. Disneyland President Ken Potrock has been very active on Instagram, sharing pictures of Cast Members and even some sneak peeks at the newly refurbished King Arthur Carrousel and an inside look at the newest attraction, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. The new Snow White ride has taken the place of Snow White’s Scary Adventures.
A soft opening for Cast Members also began yesterday with Mickey Mouse opening the gates and welcoming them back. The Cast Member soft opening began on April 27 and will run through April 29, the day before Disneyland reopens to the public.
While Mickey opened up the gates to Disneyland, Cast Members celebrated the reopening with “For the first time in forever”. You can watch the video here, but make sure you have some tissues on hand.
Further pulling at our emotional heartstrings, Disneyland hosted a special live-stream event where they “reawakened” the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Disneyland’s reopening is almost upon us and Inside the Magic will be sending you all the news from the grand reopening this Friday, April 30.
Are you excited to see José awake and ready to go? Let us know in the comments!
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