I do not know how many suns have risen or set since I began my journeys around the world in an endless quest for adventure. I have seen many strange and wonderful things. Once, I found myself in a tropical paradise, where all the birds sang words and the flowers crooned. I travelled to the waters of the Caribbean, where I encountered bloodthirsty pirates, and I have seen the golden sands of Agrabah where I flew upon a magic carpet. I have even explored a dark and mysterious river which took me to the fabled “Eighth Wonder of the World.” That’s right. My eyes have gazed upon the BACKSIDE OF WATER. However, there is perhaps no wonder I’ve seen so dear to my heart as an astonishing tree house on a faraway island.

In the 19th century, a family by the name of Robinson were travelling to Port Jackson, Australia, when a storm blew them off course. They survived, but were wrecked upon an island in the East Indies. There, William and Elizabeth Robinson (for such were their names) and their sons Fritz, Ernst, Jack, and Franz, were forced to build a new life. Their struggles and triumphs on the island were recorded in a book first published in 1812. One hundred and forty-eight years later, Walt Disney created a feature film about their adventures starring John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, and Tommy Kirk. While there are some differences between the book and the film, Disney did a remarkable job capturing the spirit of the Robinson’s story in all its grandeur and excitement.

Two years after the film, Disney opened a facsimile of the Robinson family’s treehouse at the Disneyland Park. John Mills and his daughter Hayley (known for her appearances in Disney films such as Pollyana and The Parent Trap) appeared at the attractions grand opening. Touring the treehouse required a “C Ticket.” Nine years after its opening, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse became one of the opening day attractions at Walt Disney World.

Though it resembles a real tree, the tree that Disney built the treehouse upon is actually made of steel, concrete, and stucco. Imagineer Bill Martin and Disney animator Wolfgang Reitherman worked to design it, and the tree was dubbed, “Disneyodendron semperflorens grandis” a hitherto unheard of species. The tree in Orlando, while similar, is a species known as “Disneyodendron eximus.”

The treehouse is the first attraction to great Guests who enter the Magic Kingdon’s Adventureland from the park’s main hub. It has a total of 116 steps to navigate and is rarely crowded. The house is filled with items salvaged from the shipwreck, and it’s more than worth the time to venture through the house slowly to soak in all of the details. If, however, you want to see the house but not linger too long, a complete walk through should only take about fifteen minutes.

As you walk through the treehouse, you’ll get a look at the various rooms: a master bedroom, a study, the boys’ room, a kitchen, and more. Plaques are in front of the rooms detailing the Robinson family’s life in journal form. One of the most remarkable portions of the treehouse is the water wheel, which scoops water from a stream in buckets and transports them to the top of the tree.

While exploring the Robinson’s home, you’ll also hear the jaunty “Swisskapolka!” composed by Buddy Baker. It’s a catchy little earworm that will be sure to pop up in your head at the most unexpected moments once you’ve listened to it. Just the sound of the opening notes is enough to put a smile on my face and transport me back to that remarkable dwelling.

As I mentioned at the outset, I’ve had the good fortune to explore the Robinson’s actual dwelling in the course of my adventures, so I can attest to how faithful Disney was in recreating the experience for their parks. While the attraction has closed in Disneyland (replaced by Tarzan’s treehouse) it can fortunately still be enjoyed in Walt Disney World. Be sure to spend a little time there, and give my regards to the Robinson family.