Magic Kingdom Attractions: Swiss Family Treehouse

image from wdwnews.com

The Swiss Family Treehouse is located in Adventureland and opened in October of 1971 when Magic Kingdom Park opened.  This attraction is based on the 1960 live action movie "Swiss Family Robinson."  In the film, the Robinson family's boat, the Swallow, was shipwrecked  and using supplies from the ship, they were able to build a treehouse to live in.  "Everything we need is right at our fingertips," said Mr. Robinson.  

As you walk through this attraction, which will take you about 15 minutes, you will encounter all the rooms you would expect to find in a regular house: a living room, kitchen, dining room, crows nest (which is the sons room), a study/ library, and a jungle lookout.  Throughout the tree are plaques that tell the story of the Robinson Family and the three boys: Fritz, Ernst and Francis.  

The treehouse is 60 feet tall and weighs about 200 tons.  The concrete root system goes 42 feet into the ground.  There are 300,000 lifelike polyethylene leaves on the tree with 1,400 individual branches.  The trunk is 15 feet and there are 9 main limbs where the rooms sit.   The tree is built to represent a banyan tree, but Disney has named it "Disneyodendron Eximus" which means "an out of the ordinary Disney tree."  (I'm sure the Tree of Life has the same name at Animal Kingdom!)

Tips:

• This attraction has 116 stairs.  Guests must be able to walk this attraction or be carried by another guest.  If you require a stroller, wheelchair or ECV, you will need to skip this attraction.
• Children need to be supervised at all times while on this attraction.  
• Children under age 7 must be accompanied by a guest older than 14.
• Consider touring the treehouse later in the day when crowds at this attraction may be lower.  It will give you longer times to read the plaques.
• Take time to look out from the treehouse- you can get fabulous views of the park!