WDW Radio # 714 – The Orange Bird – From the WDW Radio Archives
I visited the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival this week, and love seeing old friends… not just wandering and grazing the promenade with me, but old friends from Walt Disney World’s past… and present. In recent years, we have seen a resurgence in nostalgia, sentiment, and love for our little purple friend with childlike innocence, Figment, as well as our favorite combination of fruit and fowl, the Little Orange Bird.
And in the past 50 years, we’ve seen some pretty interesting things at Walt Disney World: A waterskiing Goofy, gunfighters shooting it out in Frontierland, singing fruit, a rapping Mickey and much more. But until 2011, many people didn’t know who the Orange Bird was, let alone remember seeing a character walking around in Adventureland with a giant orange head, leaves for arms and a green stem sticking out of his head. It started with a slow release of retro merchandise in Magic Kingdom, and in 2012, the Orange Bird returned to Sunshine Tree Terrace signage and quirky drink cups, and a new line of Orange Bird merchandise started to appear on the shelves! Also, an Orange Bird statue that was on display at Sunshine Tree Terrace in the 1970s was retrieved from the Walt Disney Imagineering Sculpture Studio in California, and is now on display in full, orange glory. This rekindled a sense of fond remembrance for our little orange friend, and now, he is not only present in our memories, hearts, and Adventureland, but is a huge fixture at this year’s Festival in Epcot. He has inspired not just a huge line of merchandise, but even some food items as well. So I went back into the WDW Radio Archives this week to 2011 and Show #250, where Jim Korkis and I took a look back in time at the Sunshine Tree Terrace and it’s one-time host (and hostess). We explore the origins of the Orange Bird, the Sherman Brothers song, why he and Anita Bryant may have flown the coop, and the (then) recent resurgence of our little orange friend. I’ll then pose a question for you to share your thoughts on as well. Do you remember seeing the little Orange Bird in Adventureland in the 70’s? Did you ever get a photo with the walk around character? Share your memories, and thoughts about this old and new unofficial mascot for the parks in the WDW Radio Clubhouse at WDWRadio.com/Clubhouse, or call the voicemail at 407-900-9391 (WDW1) and share your story on the show. But for now… sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode from the Archives on the WDW Radio show.
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