Photo: Tikis in Adventureland

A group of tikis stands guard in Adventureland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom as clouds invade the sky behind them. Are they summoning up some sort of mystical tiki magic because someone has angered them? No, it is just a typical Florida rain shower approaching.

These tikis have always interested me because of their unique designs. Although they have had a few changes over the years. Back in the old days, these guys played drum music, with each tiki having its own drum sound coming from within it. Pretty cool, especially if you were standing in the middle of them so that the sound surrounded you.

But things like that aren’t good enough, now. There is no interactivity from just listening to drum sounds. So several years back, the tikis were changed to the “Leaky Tikis.” Yes, as you might be able to guess from the name, they squirt water. Because getting hit by streams of water is much more interactive than having your eardrums hit by interesting sounds. At least their designs weren’t changed when the water jets were added to where the speakers inside them used to be located.

No wonder they all look rather grumpy. I would, too, if my drum were replaced by a water gun.

Remember back in the old days when they would tell you to stay out of the fountains? I guess that all changed when EPCOT Center opened and people started discovering the “leapfrog fountains” near Journey Into Imagination. One fountain jumped over the walkway, and management started to discover that some people actually enjoyed getting hit by the stream of water. Soon, people were lining up to be the next to get squirted. Who saw that coming?

Now there are “interactive” fountains (if you can call getting hit by random water squirts interactive) all over Walt Disney World. People will let their children get soaked playing in the different fountains. Hopefully, they bring a change of clothes for their young ones to change into, because many of them get soaking wet through and through.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still enjoy a good old fully immersive themed attraction to a fountain that squirts me with water.

That’s progress for you.

About the photo:
A single RAW exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about the photo software and gear I use at the camera gear page.
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm