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| Animatronic Birds Perform at Orlando's old Mercado Shopping Center |
You can find gifts big and you can find gifts small at Orlando's Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Mall!
Way back in the Summer of 1987, I got to spend a week with my parents at a condo in Orlando, Florida. We spent multiple days at SeaWorld on this trip (we got a good deal) as well as a visit to Epcot and the Disney Village Marketplace. We spent a great deal of time seeing things around Orlando, including some Outlet Malls, restaurants, and a shopping center with an animatronic bird show.
In the early 1980s, animatronic shows were all the rage. They were in pizza places and amusement centers everywhere.
I will never forget these birds singing "Put the Lime in the Coconut". What I have forgotten is the name of the mall, where it was exactly, and what stores we visited. Does the mall still exist? (No). Are the birds still performing somewhere? I like to think that someone in Orlando has them on display in their living room.
Update: Thanks to Bobby Bickert, we can now identify the mall as the Mercado Mediterranean Shopping Village (opened in 1986). It looks like the birds ended up flying the coop. According to Bobby:
When I was in Orlando in the fall of 1987, one of the places I visited was a then-new shopping center called Mercado. I don't remember there being any singing animatronic birds there, but I did some Google searching, and that's where they were!
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-06-06/business/0040370110_1_tourist-trap-specialty-retail-shops-gift-shop
Unfortunately not only is Mercado closed (apparently nearly a decade ago), it's also been demolished.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-06-06/business/0040370110_1_tourist-trap-specialty-retail-shops-gift-shop
Unfortunately not only is Mercado closed (apparently nearly a decade ago), it's also been demolished.
So now we now we know the rest of the story. Looks like the Mercado birds met the same fate as the Showbiz Pizza Place robots.
The former Mercado site is now the home of the Orlando Eye complex (now called the "Coca-Cola Orlando Eye").
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Gee, I hope this set is still standing somewhere! It looks pretty darn cool!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I do wonder if kids climbed on the birdcage like a jungle gym.
ReplyDeleteWow, when I first read the title of this post, I thought you were being facetious and sharing an idea for a new attraction in Orlando. But wait! This anamatronic bird cage really existed? Like TokyoMagic said, it looks pretty darn cool!
ReplyDeleteYes! What's interesting is that this was a relatively small shopping center. Maybe someone in the know will read this and explain the story of the bird mall.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Orlando in the fall of 1987, one of the places I visited was a then-new shopping center called Mercado. I don't remember there being any singing animatronic birds there, but I did some Google searching, and that's where they were!
ReplyDeletehttp://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-06-06/business/0040370110_1_tourist-trap-specialty-retail-shops-gift-shop
Unfortunately not only is Mercado closed (apparently nearly a decade ago), it's also been demolished.
Wow, great detective work, Bobby! I will add your information to the post. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis was 100% in the Mercado shopping center! I even went there to video tape this show which I still have somewhere. Thanks for posting this pic. Mercado was located where the Orlando Icon ferris wheel is today on international drive.
ReplyDelete