Vinylmation Stories - Tree Frog

Tree Frog

Series: Urban #8

Artist: Robert Vann

The Urban #8 Tree Frog was the second non-Park Vinylmation that I purchased. I had a strong collection of Park Series vinyls by that time, but this Urban figure drew my attention because it looked so much like Cha Cha the red-eyed tree frog from the Rainforest Cafe.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who saw that similarity. The Rainforest Cafe has always been a favorite of mine, especially when I was younger. During every Walt Disney World trip as a child, we would take the boat from Disney's Old Key West Resort, down the lake to Downtown Disney, where we would disembark right outside the Rainforest Cafe.

The waterfall, the parrots, the pool with a snapping crocodile inside, and the giant mushrooms with big, pretty butterflies were amazing to me as a child - and that was the outside. We wouldn't wait long before our safari began and then we were seated next to an array of animals. Most often with gorillas, but the elephants were my favorite. We would enjoy our food and wait for the tropical rainstorm.

During our meal, my younger brother and I would color pages with the Rainforest Cafe characters, my favorite of which was Cha Cha the tree frog. We would drink from souvenir cups decorated with the characters and we would get to take them home. As soon as I saw the Urban Tree Frog vinyl, I could clearly remember all of the many happy times I spent at the Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney. He doesn't have quite the same happy expression as Cha Cha, but the resemblance is enough for me to think of him every time I look at this figure.

And so, despite not being a Park figure, this tree frog had plenty of Disney World memories for me. I just had to have this brightly colored creature join my collection.