Before the Birds Sang Words

The result of more than a decade of meticulous research, Before the Birds Sang Words is a scholarly, fascinating, and delightfully playful journey into the creation of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room – the timeless Audio-Animatronic musical revue that has charmed Disneyland audiences for more than sixty years.

But this is not merely the story of birds that sing, flowers that croon, and tiki gods that awaken beneath a tropical roof. No, my friend. This is the tale of an idea – strange, ambitious, and wholly unlike anything the world had seen before.

Detailing the genesis and evolution of the revolutionary attraction, the book also explores the influences, passions, and personal fascinations of the man who brought it to life, revealing why the Tiki Room became one of Walt Disney’s most personal projects. Its story is filled with setbacks, surprises, detours, and discoveries. Long before pirates pillaged, ghosts grinned, or dolls sang in endless harmony, the seeds of Disneyland’s most famous tropical hideaway had already been planted. Before Disneyland. Before Mickey Mouse. Before even Walt himself.

With a foreword by writer-director Brad Bird, Before the Birds Sang Words is quite the story. For those ready to take the flight – you lucky people, you!