The Florida Orange Bird!

The Orange Bird was created in 1970 by Disney designers Bob Moore and Don MacLaughlin as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission. The F.C.C. was granted unlimited use of the character in exchange for sponsoring the Tropical Serenade attraction in the Magic Kingdom.

The F.C.C.’s TV ads featuring Orange Bird were an immediate hit. Walt Disney World’s walk-around Orange Bird was also a popular draw, inspiring a small line of toys and a record album. The record, The Story and Songs of The Orange Bird, was narrated by singer Anita Bryant, who had appeared in the F.C.C. TV commercials. Bryant also sung the record’s theme, The Orange Bird Song, written by Disney Legend Robert Sherman. (Amazon’s link for The Story and Songs of The Orange Bird LP) Sadly, Disney and the FCC cut ties in 1987. Almost immediately, all traces of the Orange Bird were stripped from Walt Disney World.

Years later, at Tokyo Disneyland, the Orange Bird would experience an unexpected revival. To coincide with Japan’s annual Orange Day (April 14), Tokyo Disneyland decided to put out a special line of Orange Bird merchandise. The merchandise sold out by mid-morning. Some of it ended up in the U.S., where longtime fans of the Orange Bird were more than willing to pay outrageous prices for it on ebay. The good folks at Disney took notice, and decided to create a new line of Orange Bird merchandise for the 40th anniversary of the character and Walt Disney World. Even better, on April 17, 2012, the Orange Bird made its official return to The Sunshine Tree Terrace. At long last, the Florida Orange Bird had come home!