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When many people think of life on a desert island,
they form mental images of sparse surroundings, tattered clothing,
encircling sharks and a day-to-day struggle to survive.
People who saw the 1960 Disney film version of Johann
Wyss’ “Swiss Family Robinson,” however, may imagine something markedly
different. They probably see a shipwrecked but resourceful family
of five that made an amazing home for themselves in the branches
of a sprawling island tree. Using material they salvaged from their
downed ship, the Swallow, they built bedrooms, a living room, a
kitchen and a library, all set up just like other early-19th-century
homes -- yet gently rocking with the breezes amid the leaves and
the birds.
The picture of a home in the trees is an appealing
one, a fantasy many people play out when they climb the steps of
the Swiss Family Treehouse at Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom
and imagine themselves marooned and living in a tree -- yet hardly
out on a limb.
The 60-foot-tall tree house has been a favorite Adventureland
attraction since the Magic Kingdom opening in 1971. As visitors
wind up and down the stairways, they get close-up views of each
of the rooms, the furnishings of which have been devised from island
materials and items salvaged from the wrecked vessel.
There’s a feeling that Mr. and Mrs. Robinson and their
three sons could be out for a walk. Books are open, fresh fruit
is in bowls, kitchen equipment is ready for the next meal, the dinner
table is set and a merry tune from the family pipe organ fills the
unusual abode.
Remnants of the ship are everywhere -- a lantern,
a log book, ornate railings, benches of various designs and, standing
prominently in the living room, the ship’s wheel from the Swallow.
Ropes from the ship literally hold the home together, but are used
in a number of other ways. A water-wheel system, for example, turns
a rope-and-bucket device which dips water from the stream and carries
it to the top of the tree.
When visitors reach the top of the tree, they can
look out from the high perspective and feel all the more that they’re
in the middle of a tropical island. The winding river and lush bamboo
and palm foliage of the nearby Jungle Cruise blend perfectly into
the picture. Spanish moss and more than 330,000 leaves “sprout”
from the branches of the Robinson’s gigantic home.
The moss is real, but the polyethylene leaves only
look that way. The tree itself is a very good look-alike, too. It’s
made from cement and steel, but it looks as though it’s wood clear
through its 15-foot trunk and its nine main limbs. The entire attraction
weighs about 200 tons.
Type - walk-through treehouse
When to go - Visit morning or evening if you're
in a hurry
Duration - around 15 mins
Restrictions
This attraction requires negotiating a continuous series of walkways
and approximately 128 stairs.
Facts/History
Fake Banyan tree known as 'Disneyodendron eximus'.
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