Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-79870.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: The Orange Bird Returns to Walt Disney World</b></a> <p>The Official Disney Parks Blog has pictures from this morning's D23 Orange Bird meetup at the Magic Kingdom and reports on the announcements - the Orange Bird has returned to Sunshine Tree Terrace signage and drink cups and merchandise featuring it is now available.</p>
Originally Posted By TP2000 Is it just me, or do they seem to be flogging this poor little piece of 1970's kitsch to death right out of the gate? I get it that WDW leadership of the last 15 years has abandoned any last shred of uniqueness that the old "Vacation Kingdom" had, in favor of corporate blandness and marketing drivel. And it's great that they realized they do have some history worth celebrating there at WDW. A shame they didn't realize this just 12 years ago in 2000 when they ripped out the Orange Bird sunshine tree with the projection effects behind the snack bar, only to relegate him to perching on a crate of oranges today. But this carpet bombing of adulation for the Orange Bird just seems way overdone. It would have been fun to just bring him back at the snack bar there, and sell some Orange Bird t-shirts and souvenirs to fans in-the-know at the Adventureland gift shops. Instead, they have this big multimedia campaign to flog the entire concept to death right from the start, even bringing a very elderly Sherman down to the Studio to play the song. And I just LOVED how the hostess in the video totally avoided the "Starring ANITA BRYANT" tagline on that early Orange Bird material. Yeah, that's a tad embarassing now, isn't it? I don't think they get it out there in Orlando. Even when they try and be hip and retro with the Orange Bird, they end up doing it in a very slick and heartlessly corporate way that exposes the fact they are just out to make some extra bucks off the merchandise sales. Dumb.
Originally Posted By xrayvision I hate to ask a stupid question...BUT, is there orange juice inside the Orange Bird sippers? I've never heard of Orange Bird until now.
Originally Posted By xrayvision I just saw MamaAZTink's pic of Orange Bird Tshirts at Disneyworld. Those are cool. I want one!
Originally Posted By dshyates I love forced nostalgia. Reviving a commercial marketing gimmick from the 70s. Hmmm. fascinating.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Yes, dshyates, isn't it rich?! If the Beef Board paid Disney to invent Beefie The Cow to wander around Frontierland reminding people to have hamburgers for lunch people would scream bloody murder. But revive a little-known commercial spokesbird from the Nixon era whose only reason for being was to sell more orange juice for the Florida Citrus Growers, and folks trip over themselves to buy the t-shirt and the sippy cup and tune into the corporate blog to learn the commercial jingle. It's fascinating to watch unfold. ...Little orange bird, in the sunshine tree, won't you think of something sunny just for me?... Everybody sing! ;-)
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORWEN: Why is it that, whenever I think about the Orange Bird, I'm also reminded of Anita Bryant? ORDDU: Because the Orange Bird was often paired off with the witch, who used to be a spokesperson for Walt Disney World during its infant years. I recall conjuring up commercials for Florida orange juice AND Walt Disney World that involved her and the little bird. ORGOCH: Yeah, well there's been plenty a times I wanted ta give HER the bird!
Originally Posted By schnebs <<Is it just me, or do they seem to be flogging this poor little piece of 1970's kitsch to death right out of the gate?>> Well, yeah - and I say that as a Disney fan who liked the Orange Bird when the Orange Bird wasn't cool. I'm sure the attitude at Team Disney Orlando is that they see the Orange Bird as a little orange cash cow that will have a very limited shelf life, so they want to cash in by hyping the Bird and offering as much merch for as long as they can. So, Witches, I'm confused. Did you mean that Anita was metaphorically a witch, or that she was LITERALLY a witch? That'd explain why so many people drank orange juice after seeing her commercials...
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: No, she wasn't a REAL witch, dear. She just had a bad habbit of putting gay people down all the time and since some of our best friends are gay, well, she was more like a wicked witch to us.
Originally Posted By leobloom *twitching and frothing at the mouth* Disney Blog say me need to excite about cool Orange Bird merch that me can collect before it go out of stock. Me want now!!! Gimme adorable wittle magical Orange Bird!!!
Originally Posted By matthewdort What misplaced timing. The whole 70s retro thing was played out 10 years ago.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I don't recall the Orange Bird, so I don't have any real nostalgia for it, so if Disney wanted to bring it back, that's fine.
Originally Posted By hopemax I'm just shocked Disney would do so much for a character that they can't synergize. There's no Orange Bird movie, or Disney Channel show, or anything like that. I didn't think it was "allowed" at Disney anymore ;-) But maybe there are plans we haven't heard yet. But for the record I love the Orange Bird, so I'm fine with this. I think he's adorable, but I love cute stuff like that. It's really a good thing I don't live in Asia, because I would go bonkers with so much "cute" stuff.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>I'm just shocked Disney would do so much for a character that they can't synergize.<< It's really no different than the big push they've been doing with Duffy recently. He only exists (for now, at least) in the parks, and has a ton of merchandise. At least there was some reason for the Orange Bird to exist in the first place. Duffy is pure merchandising. On a side note, was there ever an Orange Bird walkaround character? I think I've read about it, but never seen any pictures. >>There's no Orange Bird movie, or Disney Channel show, or anything like that.<< Yet...
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Here's a cute feature on another Disney site -- 'The Hunt for Orange Bird' <a href="http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2012/3/20/florida-orange-bird.html" target="_blank">http://www.imagineeringdisney....ird.html</a>
Originally Posted By Scutr Ferret: Yes there was an Orange Bird walkaround character in the mid 70's. I posted a picture on the "Vintage Walt Disney World" Facebook group page.
