Little Orange Bird as WDW "icon"

[wumbology]

As Walt Disney World fans I am sure you must be slightly familiar with the character, the Little Orange Bird. A great article from Widen Your World can be found here to refresh your memory, as it did mine.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T_su1g6R-m...orangebird.gif
(via gpdinvestigation.blogspot.com)

I am seeing the Florida Orange Bird to be quite the icon of early Walt Disney World, and Florida at the time. It's something that can be rooted directly with Walt Disney World, not originally from Disneyland or anything in California.

Disney apparently still owns the rights to the character- It has been used in Tokyo Disney merchandise recently.

What other Disney character do you know that comes with such a catchy tune?

@TheDisneyBlog tweeted today that some shirts featuring the character were spotted in The American Adventure's shop.

This character would be a great candidate for a featured icon for a Walt Disney World 40th, 45th, or 50th Anniversary Celebration. It also would be a good argument to clean up our Tiki Room.

What do you think?

[MarkTwain]

I've always thought the Orange Bird would be a great icon for WDW, since he's so distinctly Floridian, and one of the few icons WDW can claim to have had from its very beginning.

In fact, I just bought a pin to commemorate the little guy.

http://www.disneypintradingnews.com/...da-150x150.jpg

Only tangientally related, I know, but that new pin is my pride and joy.

[Virtual Toad]

I love the Orange Bird... such a fun little fellow. Seeing him always makes me smile.

BTW, did you know you can see a small Orange Bird doll behind the counter at WDWs Sunshine Tree Terrace? Someone put him there a few months ago apparently.

Darn, now I'm craving a Pineapple float!

[Disney Romantic]

I like the Orange Bird, though I think he'd need a lot of exposure before he'd even have a chance as an icon for WDW again.

Found this interesting article about his history: Widen Your World - Sunshine Tree Terrace and the Florida Orange Bird. Seems like many aging rockstars, he's huge in Japan these days.

[SummerInFL]

I miss Figment being the icon for Epcot and honestly, I don't remember the orange little bird at all and I've been going to WDW since the late 70's. :/

He looks cute though! Thanks for the article link, it was an interesting read.

[TightropeGirlLover]

I always thought he was an adorable character. I remember seeing a picture as well of him as a walk around character in the 70s near Tiki Room.

Only problem with him I have though is that he is so closely connected in my mind to Anita Bryant, who represented Florida Orange as a model along with the Orange Bird in the 1970s. And as a bisexual, I dislike her for a number of reasons.

[Bill]

Aww, don't connect him to her! LOL

I love the little guy.

[wumbology]

I think WDW needs to recognize the character's potential as such an original concept unique to Florida and the Florida parks. The bird, as well as Figment, could be great properties for WDW, (no pun intended.)

It seems like there could have been a lot of obstacles for the Bird. It appears, though, in that article, that Disney has the rights to the character. Although there could be some controversy, with Anita Bryant that I don't quite grasp, but apparently the character's reputation is "untarnished."

[aimster]

It seems like there could have been a lot of obstacles for the Bird. It appears, though, in that article, that Disney has the rights to the character. Although there could be some controversy, with Anita Bryant that I don't quite grasp, but apparently the character's reputation is "untarnished."

Yes there is some controversy with Anita Bryant. From the article on Widen Your World:

Things rolled along harmoniously for the holy citrus trinity of the Orange Bird, Anita Bryant and the Sunshine Tree until 1977, when Bryant gained a whole new type of notoriety by campaigning against anti-discrimination legislation in Miami, where she lived at the time. She took a public stance against homosexuality that garnered national attention and led to a boycott of Florida citrus products. From that point forward Bryant was irrevocably linked to the controversy and the Florida Citrus Commission opted not to continue their relationship with the singer. The Orange Bird, having never expressed so much as one sunny thought about gay rights, emerged from this turbulence untarnished but without a vocal proponent of his stature.**** Disney and the FCC signed a new, five-year sponsorship agreement in 1981, maintaining their formal connection to the STT and Tropical Serenade (also landing them another juice bar in the form of Fantasyland's Enchanted Grove). By that time the Orange Bird had ceased to appear in television commercials and was primarily a licensed character whose likeness continued to appear on merchandise sold at souvenir shops and orange juice stands throughout the state. In 1986 the Florida Citrus Commission and Walt Disney World parted ways.

And I LOVE the Orange Bird! I remember getting my photo with him back in the 70's when he was a walk-around character. I even had a little stuffed Orange Bird. When Disney released the new-ish Orange Bird pins, I picked up a couple because it brought back memories. Those new shirts are seriously cute. I need to get my hands on one of them.

[flotsam_mike]

Only problem with him I have though is that he is so closely connected in my mind to Anita Bryant, who represented Florida Orange as a model along with the Orange Bird in the 1970s. And as a bisexual, I dislike her for a number of reasons.

Agreed. He is cute as a button, but it is hard to get past the associations. I don't think many people realize quite how damaging Anita Bryant was at the time. I wouldn't be offended if the character was resurrected, but I don't think I would ever quite warm up to him.

[WDWEric71]

I was in WDW 2 weeks ago, and I saw quite a bit of merchandise with him on it. Shirts, pins, etc. In a whole bunch of different gift shops.

[Aladdin]

Interesting, I didn't realize that Disney owned the rights to that character. Thought the Florida Orange Growers association had the rights to that character.

I vaguely remember that bird in advertisements, print and tv. Here is one of the commercials:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or06hqP_lMg"]YouTube - Florida Orange Bird Commercial[/ame]

[Timekeeper]

Interesting, I didn't realize that Disney owned the rights to that character. Thought the Florida Orange Growers association had the rights to that character.

I vaguely remember that bird in advertisements, print and tv. Here is one of the commercials:

YouTube - Florida Orange Bird Commercial

Yeah, I saw that, it was interesting how Orange Bird was connected to WDW. I would love it if he were the Icon of WDW!

Off-Topic: I think each park had at least one, two or maybe more Icons, so here's a list(this list does not include the Fab 5, or any other disney property, only found at that park.)
For DL, we have: the Abominable Snowman, Sam the Eagle from America Sings and the Birds from the Enchanted Tiki Room.
For Mk, we have: Orange Bird, the Bird from if you had wings, the Country Bears and Skippy & the Alien from the Alien Encounter.
For Epcot, we have: Figment, Smrt-1, Sparky from Cranium Command, the Robot Butler from Horizons and Trolls from Norway.
For TDL, we have: the Crane from Meet the world
For DHS, we have: Dr. Jones.
For DLP, we have: Timekeeper & Nine-Eyes, Melanie & the Phantom from Phantom Manor.
For DAK, we have: the Dinosaurs from Countdown To Extinction and the Yeti from EE
For DCA, we have: Califia, the 'fictional' goddess of California, the Dino Jacks Stand, the Grizzly bear, Mushu(......) and Milo from Atlantis: the lost Empire(......)
For TDS, we have: Duffy the bear, Shinki Utu(?) and the Tiger from Sindbad's Storybook Voyages.
For WDS, we have: Martin Short and Armageddon.
For HKDL, we have:Stitch and Henry Mystic.

End of Off-Topic...



Timekeeper

[Grinning Ghost]

I always thought he was an adorable character. I remember seeing a picture as well of him as a walk around character in the 70s near Tiki Room.

Only problem with him I have though is that he is so closely connected in my mind to Anita Bryant, who represented Florida Orange as a model along with the Orange Bird in the 1970s. And as a bisexual, I dislike her for a number of reasons.

I have the same problem with the Orange Bird. I automatically think of Anita Bryant and the record album. Too bad I can't "divorce" the memory of Ms. Bryant from the Orange Bird in my mind.

[aimster]

I agree it's hard to disconnect Anita Bryant from Orange Bird, but whenever I see that cute little guy, I *squeak* with glee. He's just too freaking cute and was a part of my childhood. I wish I could find the picture I got with him at WDW back in the day.