Day 424: FAF: Swiss Family Treehouse

I'd like to say that while last year it was the Disney history that slowed me down, this year it is very much so the Featured Attraction Friday posts. They just take me such a long time to actually get done, especially when I get behind in general. Which means I now have about three or four to do...if I want to get ahead so I don't get behind again come Friday, because Fridays are just not good days for me apparently.

But it's a good thing I have Tuesdays to help catch myself up. Works pretty well I think. Granted, I have plenty of other word I should be doing at the same time, but this is important too! It always really annoys me when I'm behind on my blog, and since I've got videos to edit from my trip and band stuff to work on, plus all my work here at college, I had better just get caught up right now.

And so, here we have the last Featured Attraction from February! Gosh that was so long ago!

What's On The Map:

Explore the ultimate tree house - inspired by the classic Disney film (WDW Park Maps) and Swiss Family Robinson. This attraction recreates the home of the Robinson family built following a shipwreck. When their ill-fated ship, the Swallow, becomes stranded off the coast of an uninhabited South Seas island after a pirate attack, the Robinson family unites to build a new home inside a huge tree, utilizing wreckage from the ship. But the pirates return, and the Robinson family must band together and evade capture.

Embark on a breezy walk-through tour of the Robinson's famous home nestled high inside a towering tree. Cross a bride at the foot of a large leafy tree and climb handcrafted wooden stairs as you explore the famed living quarters of the Swiss Family Robinson and learn of their island adventure. Discover open-air rooms - brimming with a bevy of 19th century articles salvaged from the famous shipwreck (WDW Website).

A Brief History Lesson: 

Today's history comes from the Disney Wikia!

It all started before Johann Wyss wrote the novel Swiss Family Robinson, when he imagined with his children about what it would be like if they were stranded on an island. They ended up coming up with crazy ideas and adventures for his characters, the Robinsons. Later, Disney created a film adaptation of the novel, and two years later Disneyland introduced the first Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland.

In 1971, with the opening of Walt Disney World, The Swiss Family Treehouse was an original, opening Adventureland attraction. The tree is actually made up of steel, concrete and stucco, reaching up to 60 feet tall and 90 feet wide, perfectly resembling the tree in the film.

Later versions of the tree house were introduced in Euro Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, while the original at Disneyland was changed to Tarzan's Treehouse in 1999.

Fun Facts: 

• In Disney's Sing-Along Songs, Disneyland Fun, the Swiss Family Treehouse sign was seen, during the song "Following the Leader." 
• In the "Walt Disney World celebrating 100 years of magic book," they unofficially classify the tree's genus as "Disneyodendron eximus," which translates as "out-of-the-ordinary Disney tree."

My Thoughts: 

I haven't been up in the tree house for a few years. In fact, right now it's down for refurb, so there's no way I could have gone on it on this last trip. Either way, I guess I never really appreciated it until recently. It was always just something to walk through for me as a kid, because I have never seen the movie nor had I read the book (I have now). My brother always liked it because he would like to see how they had all the baskets and water wheels and what-not set up. Or something like that. 

I do, however, remember a time we watched Wishes from the treehouse. That was pretty awesome if I do say so myself. 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on March 25 due to Midterms & Travel)