Here’s the thing with rumors…sometimes they are flat-out false, sometimes there is some truth in them, and sometimes they are 100% true. The tricky part of dealing with rumors is not only determining fact from fiction, but also in understanding whether their sources are trustworthy or whether they have something to gain from starting and/or spreading falsehoods.
Several rumors have come out on the inter-webs lately about Walt Disney World and some of its attractions – which is really nothing new if you’re paying attention – but these have been particularly contentious because they center around two of the original Magic Kingdom attractions, Epcot’s Land and Sea pavilions, and the beloved Rainbow Tunnel that was originally installed in ImageWorks. All of the attractions in question carry a great deal of nostalgia with those who have been long-time Disney fans.
While the Tiki Room has been subject to multiple rumors, none have yet come to fruition or been verified by Disney. Starting in April of 2017 by @WDW1974 in the WDWMagic forums, the first mention of any change to the Tiki Room included such things as possibly becoming more in tune with the version at Tokyo Disneyland to flat-out replacement. A few days later, on the 20th, Jim Hill mentioned the birds in the Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish podcast, discussing the possibility of the Tiki Room being converted into a restaurant featuring the animatronic birds. Then, on September 3, 2017, @Marni1971 said on the WDWMagic forums that a Moana overlay for the Enchanted Tiki Room was a proposal for the attraction, further iterating on November 14th that the proposal was the front-runner of those suggested for the attraction. Things then fell quiet regarding the Enchanted Tiki Room for a couple of years.
One of the major players in the Disney Rumor Mill is WDW News Today. On May 28th, 2019, the site stated that the Land and Sea pavilions in Epcot were scheduled for closure, sending a wave of panic through the Disney-verse. Disney themselves quickly shot down the rumor in a tweet. The Twitter exchange has since been deleted, but you can view a screenshot at Inside the Magic. It came as no surprise to me that when the same site reported that The Country Bear Jamboree would be replaced with a Toy Story puppet show on June 17, 2019, not very many people took it too seriously, until @MagicButler84 seemed to back up the rumor on the WDWMagic forums stating that there “may be” some legitimacy. WDW News Today then reported on June 26, 2019 that the Tiki Room would be replaced by something involving Moana.
In a somewhat shocking turn of events, the Disney Parks Blog shot down the rumor about the Tiki Birds in a pretty harsh post that seems to address the author of the WDW News Today article, excerpt below.
“A little birdie told us there are some rumors flying around about our beloved Tiki birds at Walt Disney World Resort. We’re sorry that our fans are being fed incorrect information by unscrupulous sources. While “toucan” play at that game, we deal in facts here at the Disney Parks Blog. Although we won’t address every rumor, we want to set the record straight: there are no plans for our feathered friends to fly the coop any time soon. We’re constantly evolving our stories, but these birds will continue entertaining our guests at the Magic Kingdom Park just as they have done since 1971.”
It is quite interesting to note that while they very easily could have shot down the Country Bears rumor at the same time, Walt Disney World has remained silent on the issue, nor did they deny that the Tiki birds may be joined by Moana in the future. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for further information on both the Country Bears and Tiki Room, as well as the rumor about the Rainbow Tunnel returning to Epcot – also reported by WDW News Today in a Tweet on June 19th and mentioned again in a podcast on the 27th – but in the Odyssey building rather than near its original location.
In this article alone, we’ve got two debunked rumors: that the Land and Sea pavilions were being demolished, and that the Enchanted Tiki Room was going to be replaced. Rest assured that while I may write about rumors from time-to-time, I will always label them as such until they are confirmed or denied by Disney or other reliable sources. Many thanks to Renee Warno for helping me track down all the info and links.
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