VINTAGE 1970's WALT DISNEY PROD. FLORDIA ORANGE BIRD 1 3/4" PVC FIGURE HONG KONG

VINTAGE 1970's WALT DISNEY PROD. FLORDIA ORANGE BIRD 1 3/4" PVC FIGURE MADE IN HONG KONG The Orange Bird is an animated orange canary character created by Disney in 1969 and first appearing in 1971 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission. The character was featured in TV, radio, and print ads for Florida oranges, and also made appearances at the Magic Kingdom theme park to greet guests. The Orange Bird was a ubiquitous citrus icon in Florida throughout the early 1980s, and was especially popular in Disney Springs, a town with a thriving citrus industry. The Orange Bird's heyday was in the early 1970s, when he was the mascot for the Enchanted Tiki Room and Sunshine Tree Terrace refreshment stand. He also had his own album of songs written by the Sherman Brothers and sung by Anita Bryant, who also appeared in ads with the Orange Bird. After the Anita Bryant ad campaign ended in the late 1970s, the Orange Bird went solo and appeared in educational shorts in the 1980s, such as Foods and Fun: A Nutrition Adventure and The Orange Bird and the Nutrition Bandwagon. The Florida Citrus Commission's sponsorship of the Orange Bird ended in 1987, and the character faded from memory for 17 years. In 2004, merchandise featuring the Orange Bird was made for Tokyo Disneyland, where guests loved the character's cuteness. The Orange Bird eventually returned to the United States, and remains popular today, with people still buying branded merchandise featuring him.