Orange Bird coming back to the Magic Kingdom

It was a big Orange Bird that could be seen walking around the Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland greeting guests in the 1970s. Now the image of Orange Bird is returning.

The Orange Bird was created in 1970 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission after they sponsored the Tropical Serenade, the Magic Kingdom’s version of The Enchanted Tiki Room. The bird also appeared in ads for oranges with Anita Bryant. The character even had his own record written by the Sherman Brothers called, “The Orange Bird Song.”

Eventually when the commissions’ contract with Disney expired in the early 1980s, so did the bird.

But this morning, according to the Disney Parks Blog, D23 representatives announced the return of the bird. The Orange Bird will appear in signage and on drinks cups, as well, as a new line of Orange Bird merchandise.