Memory 086 – Tarzan Rocks!

** Stereo Audio **
Time: 1:07:12

Come and join us for another installment of the WDW-Memories podcast, where I try to make it possible for you relive your Walt Disney World Memories when you can’t actually be there.

It’s another cold winters morning here in Kentucky. My Redskins are eliminated from the playoffs. The Orioles are still a month away from Pitchers and Catchers Reporting. And the buzz of March Madness is still a distant hum at this point. So what is a sports fan to do? Talk about Disney of course! Today is chance for us to relive an attraction that is lost. Today we visit Tarzan Rocks!, a former stage show that played daily in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

As always, this podcast started with a request, and this one came in another voicemail from Brandon. Let’s listen to that request…

Thanks again Brandon for calling in and making this request. I’ve been waiting a long time to share this one, and was about to just release it on my own. I’m so glad someone requested it. I used to LOVE this show, and I thought it a great loss when they replaced it. For those that never got a chance to see it, this was basically a rock concert. There is a live band with 3 singers. They add some dancers and “monkeys” for visual effect. The whole thing is pulled together with visits by Tarzan, Jane, and Terk. The Monkeys are the cool factor. They do all sorts of extreme sports on the stage, from swinging from the rigging to flying and flips while on rollerblades. It was a very high energy show that was lost in January 2006 when it closed to make room for Finding Nemo the Musical.

As always, I tossed this request out to the social media sites, and got only one other memory. Most folks don’t remember this show, or never saw it, but Dennis did. He wrote on Facebook:

I loved the very beginning with the band and the monkey skaters flying all around. It was always very cool. Of course my wife always loved when Tarzan swings on to stage. She would always commit on his six pack. That’s ok Jane wasn’t hard on the eyes either. Always loved the energy of the show.

As you can tell I loved and miss this show. As a casual bass player, I really loved the band and the quality of their performances every time. The monkeys were always exciting. And when Tarzan and Jane come swinging in on the vine, the show just hits a new level. The final sing along with Terk just drives home the fun factor, and there is just no way you walk out of there without a bounce in your step.

Today, we’re going to relive this memory two times. While the show is essentially the same, there are a couple of differences. The vocalists changed, and I believe the lead guitarist was also. Either way, this show is too good not to listen to twice. Both recordings are in stereo. Our first recording is from a family trip in December of 2000. My family and I were there for the day, and started our day off in the Animal Kingdom. We’ve done a couple of attractions already and are contemplating Park Hopping over to The Disney-MGM Studios, but we catch this show for the first time before leaving, and boy are we glad we did. Our second memory is from August 2001. I’m in Walt Disney World for my convention, and what better way to spend a free afternoon and evening than in the parks. I’ve made it there in time to catch one of the last showings and find a seat where I can see. There was always room near the front, so I got a prime location where I could see and hear everything.