Tahitian Terrace
The Tahitian Terrace was a Polynesian themed restaurant at Disneyland. The restaurant opened in June 1962, located just inside the Adventureland gates.[1] It was Disneyland's first dinner theater, with entertainment provided by the Polynesian Revue, a music-and-dance show featuring dance troupe the Royal Tahitians, hula dancers and a fire walker.[2] The restaurant was originally sponsored by Stouffer's frozen food;[3] in the 1980s, Kikkoman was the sponsor.[4]
The restaurant was actually the back half of the hub's Plaza Pavilion restaurant, which originally had a Hawaiian-themed patio that looked out over the Jungle Cruise waterway.[4] The same kitchen was used for both the Plaza Pavilion and the Tahitian Terrace.[1]
Served at outdoor tables, guests could sample exotic South Seas foods, including "sizzling teriyaki steak, savory shrimp tempura, fried almonds in rich egg batter, and raisin ice cream topped with flaming caramel sauce."[2] The signature drink was the non-alcoholic Planter's Punch, served in a tall frosted glass with faux flower garnish.[4] In 1962, a full dinner, including drink and dessert, cost under $4 ($40 in 2023 dollars [5]).[1] Guests at the restaurant were given free leis.[6]
The back of the menu described the show:
Nestled beneath the tumbling waterfall is a matchless stage setting... a stage whose "curtain" is a cascade of water, and whose "footlights" are a leaping flame of fire burning on the water itself! For your summer evening entertainment, the falls magically draw aside... and out from behind the waters, sarong-clad natives appear to perform the swaying rhythms and amazing rituals of the islands... the hypnotic bare-foot fire walk and thrilling fire-knife dance, and the traditional grass-skirted hula of Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii.[4]
Disneyland's horticulturalist, Morgan "Bill" Evans, intended to use an African coral tree as the central feature in the dining patio, but Walt Disney said it wasn't big enough; Evans replaced the real tree with a 35-foot-high (11 m) artificial tree with handcrafted artificial leaves and flower blossoms.[2]
In summer 1962, Disneyland produced a weekly live television show for Los Angeles station
In 1972, a new show was performed at the Tahitian Terrace by the Kau'i-Pono dance company, who also performed at the Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World.[8]
The restaurant closed on April 17, 1993.
In December 2018, Aladdin's Oasis was replaced by a new Polynesian themed food counter, named
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-59580-090-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-62809-012-3.
- ISBN 978-1683900603.
- ^ ISBN 978-1683902041. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ISBN 9781595808264.
- ISBN 9780786863594.
- ^ "The Moving Poetry of Polynesia". Disney News Magazine. 7 (4): 13–14. Fall 1972. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ Janzen, Jack E.; Janzen, Leon J. (Spring 2003). "The Adventureland Story". The "E" Ticket (39): 16–33.
- ^ Fisher, Marla Jo (December 19, 2018). "Disneyland's newest food option, the Tropical Hideaway, is finally open and here's what it looks like". The Orange Country Register. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
Further reading
- Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food by Marcy Carriker Smothers, Disney Editions (2017)