[Question] Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I remember it well, the show and being in the tropical setting eating outside. Why did they close this gem, one of the original Walt Disney dinner shows?

[swampymarsh]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

I always guess is they could not make it profitable with the small seating area. Paying the entertainers with so few diners unlike the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ which has a larger seating area. If dining demand went up and they could price it higher maybe it could return.


If you have been in both compare the little Tahitian Terrace to the Spirit of Aloha show at the Poly in WDW. That WDW show is more formal, but costs over $60 for adults. How many people will pay that much in DLR?

[tomrules1955]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

yes I remember it too, but the last time I ate there the food was kinda blah, but the show was terrific. Don't know if the specific reason was to just change up the area a little or there was some bigger plan, I have no idea.

side note: I worked for a company that supplied the floor tile for all of the remodel, including that mosiac area next to the exit of the Jungle cruise.
I remeber being pushed to get the material here from Italy, but the only way to get it on time was for it to be sent air freight!!!! and Disney did, they paid $17K to put it on an airplane

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

I remember it very, very fondly.

It closed as part of the wave of closures of restaurants and rides, and cutbacks in maintenance, customer service and employee pay, that the Eisner-appointed management of Disneyland put in effect to deliver his demanded double-digit profits.

[sleepyjeff]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

1) Crowd dynamics have changed. Back when the TT was around, the average guests visited the park less than once a year. Now, the average guest visits the park less than once a week (maybe).

2) I was very fond of eating there. Miss it and the entire leisure(non-frantic) vibe Disney had back then.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

As an APer, I'd find extra time in the parks means more exploration and more trying out restaurants and details, so if it were open I would go at least a couple of times per year.

[sleepyjeff]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

As an APer, I'd find extra time in the parks means more exploration and more trying out restaurants and details, so if it were open I would go at least a couple of times per year.

That's a good point.....makes me wonder why the restaurants immediately outside Disneyland are so much better than most offerings inside.

[Broadway Guru]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

There are two parts to that question. There's why it was turned into Aladdin's Oasis and then why it was closed entirely.

It was turned into Aladdin's Oasis because of changing tastes. Tahitian Terrace and the Tiki Room rode a wave of public interest in all things Polynesian. By the '90s, such things were considered kitsch (much as in 30 years, the current taste for faux-Tuscan will be so considered, IMHO). Unfortunately, by now Michael Eisner was at the helm and had begun the process of remaking DL into a brand experience, so in came Aladdin.

As to why it was closed after only three years, that can be laid at Pre$$ler's feet. The idea of having guests take a leisurely 2-3 hour break in their day was anathema to this man who cut his teeth managing mall stores. If you're a mall manager, you want people running around like rats in a maze. It increases the likelihood of an impulse buy. So out went the dinner theater and in went the...uh...character greeting space.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

I dont remember if the food was good but the show and the ambience made for an enjoyable and memorable Disneyland experience.

[patton45]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

we spent part of our honeymoon in DL back in '88. had a nice table then I noticed that they were going to pick guys out of the dining area to come up on stage and try to dance with the girls. I did everything I could to get the point across to not pick me... Scared to death but they picked some other guy....

[orbitalpunk]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

Ahh those were the day when AP's had their own front side parking lot.

[AvidTurtleTalker]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

I feel a restaurant should return to this spot in Adventureland as it lacks in having a real restaurant (I consider Bengal Barbeque to be a themed ODV cart). It doesn't have to be the same theme as Tahitian Terrace, but it would be nice to see the space be used in a rather small land.

[spunkymonkey]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

when I was dating my wife, that was our Saturday night dinner.

[SwankbelliedPirate]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

I still have the shell necklaces we collected every visit hanging right above my desk as I write this. Back then we we enjoyed taking a break from standing in hot lines all day by going to a show or dinner where we could relax. TT was the best of both worlds.Not so many of those places left in the park but atleast they aren't all gone.
Look at how many people are sleeping and camping out in Innoventions.
Do I sound like a grumpy old man yet?

[swampymarsh]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

1) Crowd dynamics have changed. Back when the TT was around, the average guests visited the park less than once a year. Now, the average guest visits the park less than once a week (maybe).

I think because of that shift in crowd patterns, and the building of many dining locations in DTD, is why the park has such little Table Service. Think of DCA 1.0 and 2.0, they cut out the Soap Opera Bistro and the planned Carsland Drive In restaraunt. For growing attendance we only got the Carthay Cicle Restaraurant and a larger Carnation Cafe.

[merlinjones]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

As I recall it, Tahitian Terrace closed, not because it wasn't popular, but because they thought a Polynesian show was dated, too expensive to stage, and they could charge a whole lot more for an Aladdin dinner show tied to the hit movie (with a chocolate magic lamp for dessert) - and so have a bigger profit margin. But Aladdin's dinner was way too expensive and show not as fun - and it closed very quickly. It was the Aladdin restaurant that replaced TT that flopped (see also the always popular Golden Horseshoe Revue, etc.).

(BTW -- Tahitian Terrace was far and away my favorite Disneyland restaurant back then),

[Macro]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

Do you remember it fondly?

What I remember is that it was always closed when we went to Disneyland. I used to go with a large group in the late 70's and early 80's. We always went the Tuesday after Labor Day. Someone would call Disneyland to make sure the Tahitian Terrace was going to be open and they were always told that it would be. Then we'd show up and it would turn out that Labor Day was the last day it was open for the season. This happened for a few years running. So I've never actually eaten at the place but I can tell you exactly when in the year it closed.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

Maybe John Lasseter in his Hawaiian shirts has a soft spot for it? Let's get it re-opened before the 60th!

[Disneymike]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

Maybe John Lasseter in his Hawaiian shirts has a soft spot for it? Let's get it re-opened before the 60th!

I second the motion!!!

[Retrocool]

Re: Why did the Tahitian Terrace close? Do you remember it fondly?

Of course I remember it fondly, VERY fondly.

Only an idiot would not want the Tahitian Terrace to return.