La Cabane des Robinson

Rising majestically above the southern end of Adventure Isle at Disneyland Paris is a tremendous specimen, Disneyodendron semperflorens grandis. At 70 feet tall, this tree's 300,000 plastic leaves provide shelter for the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.

When we stopped by earlier this summer, the Robinsons were apparently off visiting relatives in New Guinea, as the entire treehouse was closed for refurbishment. That doesn't mean there wasn't anything to see, though.

A walk around the island's pathways provides a good look at the family's ingenious arboreal abode, similar in many ways to the Swiss Family Treehouse attractions found in the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland (Anaheim and Hong Kong include treehouse attractions based on Tarzan).

What makes the attraction unique in Paris is how the story of the Swiss Family Robinson actually extends beyond the tree. For example, resting in a cove along the western edge of Adventure Isle is a shipwreck, what remains of the Swallow, the vessel which landed the Robinsons on this uncharted island.

A floating barrel bridge has been set up, allowing the family access to the wreckage, from which they've been able to salvage pieces used in the construction of their treetop home. Such resourcefulness can be seen elsewhere on the island, as well. Take a look at this contraption, designed to funnel clean drinking water from a spring straight to these drinking fountains.

Walking around the island, you may also come across this cave, labeled "Le Ventre de la Terre" (literally translated, "the belly of the earth"). At first, it appears to be just another fun cavern to explore... until you discover the Robinson's cellar, stocked with all sorts of food and supplies!

Explore a bit further, and you're soon surrounded by a dense, twisted web of roots, pushing through the earth from above. Ahead, sunlight beams down on you, and you look up to find you're directly beneath the tree itself!

Swiss Family Referenced on...

Downstream from the Swiss Family Treehouse is the loading dock for the steamers of the Jungle Navigation Company. Apparently, the Robinsons have been employing their services, shipping items to acquaintances far and wide. Pay close attention to these crates on the right as you exit the Jungle Cruise. You'll discover another bit of Hidden Disney:

Thomas Kirk, Esq. - Actor Tommy Kirk appeared as middle son Ernst Robinson in Swiss Family Robinson. He was a Disney regular, also starring in such films as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (M. Jones Cartographers).

Island of Bora Danno - This is a reference to the eldest Robinson boy, Fritz, played by James MacArthur. MacArthur starred in the Disney movies Kidnapped, The Light in the Forest, and Third Man on the Mountain (inspiration for the Matterhorn at Disneyland). But it was his role as Danny Williams on the TV series "Hawaii Five-O" that brought him his greatest fame. As costar Jack Lord's Detective Steve McGarrett would say, "Book 'em, Danno."

Kenneth Annakin Director of Imports - Ken Annakin directed Swiss Family Robinson, as well as the Disney films The Sword and the Rose and Third Man on the Mountain.

Wyss Supply Company - This line refers to Johann Wyss, author of the 1812 book Swiss Family Robinson, upon which the film was based.

Colony of New Guinea - New Guinea, an island colony north of Australia, was the original destination of the Robinson family and their ill-fated ship, Swallow.

Meet the Robinsons

Taking another turn into Adventureland, we start to spy the remains of a wrecked ship in and around the rocky landscape. We know we can't be far from the treetop abode of the family Robinson. Inspired by Walt Disney's 1960 film Swiss Family Robinson, the original Swiss Family Treehouse opened at Disneyland in November 1962 and was a natural for opening day at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.

The tree housing the treehouse is the very large, very concrete Disneyodendron eximus ("out of the ordinary Disney tree"). It's artificial of course, but based in reality. The design of the tree was inspired by banyan trees, which send additional branches down from their limbs, eventually creating the appearance of a forest of trunks all from the same specimen. In this case, the root trunks allowed the tree's designers to provide the outer limbs with necessary structural support.

Moving closer to the tree, we begin to hear the strains of the "Swisskapolka" and are introduced to the family - Father, Mother, Fritz, Ernst and Francis - as well as their fate as survivors of the wreck of the Swallow. Through this sign, the Robinsons tell us that "From the wreckage we built our home in this tree for protection on this uncharted shore." Similar journal-style signs throughout the attraction continue the story of the Swiss family's adventures and provide us information about each of the rooms of the treehouse.

One of the most fascinating details of the treehouse, though, is how the wreckage from the ship is used to create almost everything we see. The entrance sign is made from a broken oar:

Spindles and rope form the fence along the entrance, while cannons from the ship are poised and ready to meet any approaching danger. It's no coincidence that the cannons are aimed in the direction of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, deeper into Adventureland. If you recall, pirates figure heavily in the Swiss Family Robinson film.

More rope from the rigging and bits of the masts have been cobbled together to build this bridge across the river:

Of course, not everything the Robinson boys built came from the ship. Combining wood from the ship with bits of bamboo and other items from the island itself, they fabricated this incredible water wheel. Stop to watch, and you'll discover it actually works. The flowing water in the stream turns the wheel, cranking the gears and pulling the bamboo cups into the water below. The cups are then hoisted up to the top of the tree, dropping their load into an elaborate plumbing system that runs through each of the main rooms.

The Robinsons apparently enjoy island living. They may have left their Disneyland home (passing that treehouse on to Tarzan in 1999), but they still maintain treetop residences at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. With incredible treehouses in so many vacation hotspots, it's little wonder the family chose to neither return home to London or sail on to New Guinea. They seem to like it here just fine.