VIDEO: Full Show of “Rivers of Light” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Show Cut Down

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Tonight, guests of the Disney Social Media Moms gathering at Walt Disney World were shown Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during an exclusive private event.

Now, this isn’t taken by a professional videographer and the person recording does talk over it a little, but it appears to be the first video of the show from tonight’s preview to be posted online. Regardless, here it is (starts about 7 minutes in):

Most notably, several minutes of the show have been cut since the cast member previews a few months ago, but also some effects were missing that even appeared in those preview shows. It is likely that this is the finished product as cast members are actively scheduled to work at the theater starting this weekend and the show should formally debut around the time.

New ‘Doc Mcstuffins’ Meet and Greet Coming Soon to Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Starting sometime later this month the character ‘Doc McStuffins’ from the animated Disney Junior tv series “Doc McStuffins”,  will be available for a character meet and greet at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

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At this time there is no official start date to when this will happen, all we know right now is that the meet and greet will be added some time later this coming month. Currently ‘Doc Mcstuffins’ is at Hollywood Studios, and will be at both parks.

‘Doc McStuffins’ will be found outside the veterinarian clinic at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. While there, kids will be able to take their pictures with Doc, have her sign autographs, and also learn about conservation and how the vets at Animal Kingdom take care for the animals that live there.

BREAKING: Rivers of Light Opening Date Announced; Dining Packages Now On Sale

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Well, it has finally happened… Disney has announced the start date for Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and dining package information for the show.

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Rivers of Light will begin performances on February 17th, 2017 with just one show per night (that one in particular being at 7:15PM). The show will be presented once nightly (according to the DisneyWorld.com calendar) only on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until April 8th, when it then becomes a nightly offering. The February 17th show is the only Friday it is offered until April for some reason. April 9th was the first night on the schedule that I could find offering two shows. You can check for showtimes on the official page here (subject to change until any official announcement is made later today).

FastPass+ booking for the show is now open as well.

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Rivers of Light Dining Packages are available now for all show dates. The only date it is not offered after April 8th is May 24th, 2017, which we assume will be because of a media event for the opening of Pandora: The World of AVATAR. No Rivers of Light shows are scheduled for that evening.

Tusker House has breakfast, starting at $39.00 adults, $23.00 children ages 3 to 9; Lunch/Dinner, starting at $52.00 adults, $32.00 children ages 3 to 9.

Tiffins has Lunch/Dinner starting at $67.00 adults, $26 children ages 3 to 9.

To book and get more information on these packages, click here.

More Details on New “Happily Ever After” Nighttime Spectacular for Magic Kingdom; What Characters Will Appear?

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb 9, 2017) – It’s no secret that every ‘once upon a time’ story ends with ‘happily ever after.’ Beginning May 12, Walt Disney World Resort guests will discover just how magical and emotional that fairy tale ending can be with the newest, most breathtaking fireworks show in the history of Magic Kingdom Park – “Happily Ever After.”

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Beginning May 12, 2017, Walt Disney World guests can discover the newest, most spectacular fireworks show in the history of Magic Kingdom Park with “Happily Ever After.” The stunning new nighttime extravaganza will feature more lasers, lights and projections than any Magic Kingdom Park show before it. Characters and scenes from more than 25 Disney films will be featured through state-of-the-art projections, enchanted by more than 50 choreographed spotlights, brilliant lasers and plenty of awe-inspiring fireworks. (Disney)

In addition to fireworks, the stunning new nighttime extravaganza will feature more lasers, lights and projections than any Disney show before it. “Happily Ever After” is also an entirely new kind of Disney storytelling, one that will take guests on an inspiring journey filled with heart, humor and emotion. Guests become part of the journey themselves as they follow favorite Disney characters on an adventure to seek out their destiny, face adversity and ultimately fulfill their dreams on the road to their happily ever after.

The 18-minute spectacle will feature scenes from classic Disney films such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” to modern blockbusters “Moana” and “Zootopia.” Cinderella Castle will become part of the story itself, with dazzling projections bringing heartfelt Disney stories to life on and around the iconic 18-story-tall castle. Quasimodo from “Hunchback of Notre Dame” swings from the turrets. Woody and his pals from Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story” recreate the castle entirely out of toys. And Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” envelops the castle in her signature green flames.

The story begins with scenes of fantastic dreams full of hope, wonder, magic and light. Disney villains soon become part of the story, attempting to quash those beautiful dreams and forcing the heroes to fight for what they believe in. Overcoming their fears, the heroes triumph and are celebrated with spectacular fireworks.

Because no Magic Kingdom Park fireworks display is complete without this little bit of magic, Tinker Bell will fly across the night sky, reminding guests that with a little faith, trust and pixie dust, everyone can find their own happily ever after.

Characters and scenes from more than 25 Disney films will be featured through state-of-the-art projections, enhanced by more than 50 choreographed spotlights, brilliant lasers and plenty of awe-inspiring fireworks. Paired with an emotional score, the new spectacular will drive the message home that anyone can grab hold of their dreams and make them come true as long as they are brave enough to listen to what guides them and bold enough to pursue their destiny.

The score for “Happily Ever After” was recorded by a 75-piece orchestra in London and includes tunes from a multitude of Disney movies, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Jungle Book” and many more.

“Happily Ever After” will be presented nightly. Show times vary based on park hours.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Nighttime Lighting & Projection Mapping Test for Pandora – The World of AVATAR at Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

With the announcement of the opening date for Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom made this week, we decide3d it might be a good time to go check on the nighttime lighting tests that are regularly occurring as night falls over the park.

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We arrived at dusk and it was a beautiful night.

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As night fell, we could see a plethora of blue light cascading over the mountains and trees of Pandora.

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There was also another projection mapping test occurring as we left.

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For a much clearer and better look at all of these lighting tests, please watch our video below (it offers views that my iPhone 7 Plus can not):

REVIEW: Rivers of Light Debuts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; The Good & The Bad of Delayed Nighttime Spectacular

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom finally performed for the public on February 10th, 2017 after 10 months of delays. So, how was it?

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Our guest review from the cast member previews rings true, but I think that a fair amount of you reading this will find Rivers of Light at least somewhat enjoyable. There is some brilliant technology and fun music, but the whole thing sort of falls apart in the second half and the show indeed lacks a big finale like every other nighttime show at Disney Parks. If you have never seen World of Color at Disney’s California Adventure, a lot of the technology in this show should be new to you, making for some true “wow” moments. There are scenes of brilliance that make the show worth at least one watch for any guest, but it will probably lack the repeatability of many other nighttime spectaculars, at least in its current form.

The pre-show is fantastic, yet subtle. The lotus blossoms slowly roll in once the Tree of Life illuminates about 15 minutes before showtime, and the trees in the background of the show slowly come to life. Every now and then, one of the animals from the lantern floats makes it way through the background projections in shadow form, a brilliant and subtle foreshadowing of what is to come.

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The show starts and the opening is everything I could have ever wanted the show to be. The entire theater quickly comes to life in a celebratory atmosphere for the arrival of the animal floats. The entrance of the animal lantern floats is beyond magnificent, and the way they exit this scene is even more inventive. The portion that follows with the lotus blossoms shooting water into the air is also fun, but then all of that stops.

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Despite the “We Are One” song being fantastic (it’s going to be one off those catchy Disney songs that stays with you forever), the show loses its narrative and completely falls apart at this point. It sort of turns into an animal clip show on the projection mist screens, followed by a finale that lacks absolutely any bigger effects than the rest of the show. The big payoff piece in the large lotus blossom (featuring a fire effect) just isn’t impressive and leaves guests wondering if the show is actually over. The second half of this show is such a shame, especially after the artful execution of the first half. This is where you can tell something is missing and also that the show was hacked to death creatively over time.

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The good news is given the nature of these shows, fixing it or adding new segments is fairly simple. Rivers of Light in its current form is a solid foundation that I do not doubt can grow over time into something just as epic and powerful as any other nighttime show.

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Rivers of Light isn’t perfect, but I don’t think it’s a waste of your time either. A dining package may be a little overkill, but I would recommend a FastPass+ reservation. With the nature of the soft opening, I am not quite willing to provide any strategies for seeing the show just yet, but I will write up a separate post once I have tried a few different ways of viewing it and have seen it from a wide array of vantage points.

Rivers of Light from WDWNTube on Vimeo.

In the meantime, preview shows are taking place on a regular basis between now and the official debut February 17th, so be sure to check in the morning around 9am if you’re looking for a FastPass+ for one of these early showings.

Special thanks to Josh of EasyWDW.com for the use of his photos.

VIDEO: Debut Performance of Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Here is a video of last night’s debut of Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. For whatever reason, YouTube refuses to allow anyone to upload the full show due to copyright claims on the soundtrack, so I had to reactivate the old Vimeo account from the former WDWNTube site to share this. Regardless, we hope you enjoy it!

If for some reason you do not like Vimeo, here is a highlights video from YouTube:

New Bird Shows Have Debuted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Starting today, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a new bird experience. Featuring the birds from “Flights of Wonder,” the park’s trainers and birds demonstrate lighthearted and interactive behaviors using stages in Africa and DinoLand U.S.A. In order to accommodate these new experiences, the “Flights of Wonder” showtimes will be adjusted to 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 2:30 PM daily.

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The short performances in Dinoland U.S.A. will take place on a temporary stage in DinoLand U.S.A. at 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. They will feature 3-4 different birds and highlight the connections birds share with dinosaurs.

The short performances in Africa will take place on the Harambe stage near Tusker House Restaurant and will occur as a surprise for Guests and will not be listed in the Times Guide. The performances will feature 3-4 different birds and highlight species characteristics and unique behavioral demonstrations.