Rivers of Light Ditches Disney Characters for an Artistic Answer to the Animal Kingdom Nighttime Show Vacancy

WDWNT on October 7, 2015

Thanks to the DisneyAuditions.com website, we have some new details to share on the Rivers of Light nighttime spectacular debuting at Animal Kingdom Spring 2016:

Disney Creative Entertainment is seeking CONTEMPORARY and BOLLYWOOD-STYLE dancers for featured roles in a new offering at the Walt Disney World® Resort, near Orlando, FL. These silent narrators orchestrate all the action to convey the spirit of an ancient and timeless celebration.  Choreographed by Ulka Simone Mohanty.

“Rivers of Light,” the new immersive nighttime experience coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in spring 2016, will combine live performances with beautiful floating lanterns, water screens and grand theatrical imagery, in a celebration of animals and nature.  The event begins with the arrival of a pair of Shamans, two complimentary forces who come to the river bearing gifts of light.  Along with their Acolytes, or assistants, the Shamans set out from the shore on elaborate lantern vessels, engaging in a dramatic dance of water and light to summon the animal spirits.

Based on early rumblings about the show, it seems the performance will have little to do with Disney or the Disney characters and will be something using mostly original material, much like IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if some clips and music from The Lion King or the Disney Nature films came into play.

In addition to the lantern vessels mentioned above, there will also be a large number of tiny autonomous lantern floats that will travel along choreographed, pre-programmed patterns through the waterways around Expeditions Everest during the show. Other vessels will carry water fountains, lighting, and fire effects while water screens and the new lighting installation on the Tree of Life paint a colorful backdrop for the show.

It sounds like it will be quite the spectacle when it opens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom next year. What do you think?

Tom Corless’s 10/16/15 WDW Photo Report (Disney Springs, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Etc.)

WDWNT on October 7, 2015

I managed to visit Disney Springs, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom over the course of the last week, so let’s take a look at what’s new and noteworthy in my latest photo report:

Construction of Town Center is coming along nicely

STK Steakhouse as seen from the top of the Orange Parking structure

New 4 parks ornaments

New Mickey Mouse food magnets were recently released

The expansion continues inside World of Disney

Cool new Mad Tea Party hat for sale

 

With the stage gone, the Chinese Theater is unobstructed for the first time since 2001 at Hollywood Studios

 

 

 

New “purchase with purchase” items available around the resort

 

There is a throw with a matching design inside this bag

 

 

New Fantasia ear hat ornament set

 

Work continues on Star Wars Launch Bay, opening in December

 

Billboard for The Force Awakens behind the Chinese Theater

 

One for Jungle Book as well

 

Sunset Showcase visible behind Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster

Pop Secret is now the sponsor of Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios

 

The once temporary railing inisde the Great Movie Ride finally got a more permanent look

 

New antenna topper

 

Not sure I have ever seen Disney character dreidels before…

 

WITH INSTRUCTIONS!

 

Mulch, Sweat, and Shears had their final show on Saturday, the group is being retired as the park heads in a new direction

Moving to Animal Kingdom, 4 cranes loom over the AVATAR construction site

 

The hyena area on Kiliminjaro appears to be finished, just obscured from view by plants


GIRAFFE!

The new building on Discovery Island is coming along nicely

Disney Outfitters actually lost a room in the construction of the new building

Some years ago, the Art of Disney store would have started right about here

Disney Outfitters has a lot of great Conversation Fund merchandise

Work continues on the backside of the new building as well

You can find the Vampire Mickey popcorn bucket at Animal Kingdom

The Duffy meet and greet may be gone, but Shellie May is coming to Walt Disney World. The book is the first item to hit shelves.

Dirk Wallen’s 10/9/15 WDW Photo Report (AVATAR, Rivers of Light Construction, Disney Springs, Etc.) np

WDWNT on October 7, 2015

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs this week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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GIRAFFE!

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We often find cute animals are a good way to ease you into construction photos…

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As seen from the heights of Everest, here is the latest progress on Pandora: The World of AVATAR

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The floating mountains rise high above the park

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Work is ramping up on the Rivers of Light show as well as there is just a few months left to go before it debuts

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Here you see the viewing area under construction

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Various new rock structures hide the projectors and lighting for the show

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The control tower for the show rises in front of Everest

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Guests will be able to sit all the way down to the water’s edge for the show

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At Kilimanjaro Safaris, strange rock work (which we suspect hides the lighting for the nighttime version of the ride) has appeared

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Work continues on the new building in Discovery Island

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Painting of the existing buildings continues

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Moving over to Disney Springs, construction is coming along nicely on the Town Center

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The Edison, former home fo the Adventurer’s Club

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The home of STK Steakhouse

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This will soon be the new bus loop and drop off area

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Another look at STK

Animal Kingdom Begins Casting for New 2016 Nighttime Entertainment

WDWNT on September 3, 2015

We know that starting next year, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open late for guests to experience the park after dark, including the new Rivers of Light nighttime spectacular. While we still don’t know too much about this show or the other nighttime entertainment coming to the park in 2016, an interesting set of auditions was recently put out by Walt Disney World…

Physical Dancer/Actor – Silent Storytellers with Movement/Dance Ability for New Disney Offering

For: Walt Disney World
Audition City: N. Hollywood, CA
Location: Debbie Reynolds Studio
Looking For: Actors and DancersWednesday, September 16, 2015
10:00 AM
Time zone: Pacific Time (US & Canada)


Disney Creative Entertainment is seeking dancers and physical performers for featured roles in a new offering at the Walt Disney World® Resort, near Orlando, FL.  Dancers and Actors with strong communication skills using movement are needed to tell a story.  These silent narrators orchestrate all the action to convey the spirit of an ancient and timeless celebration.

Candidates should be trained in any one or a number of classical Indian or Southeast Asian dance styles:  Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Chhau, Balinese, etc.

Any additional movement training, including physical storytelling, martial arts or martial dance, is a definite plus.

All candidates must have strong rhythmic foundation/movement and physical storytelling abilities.

Seeking the following roles:

Male Dancers:  5’8″-5’10” and 6’0″+.  Strong mover, agile, strong physical storyteller.

Female Dancers:  5’7″+.  Strong mover, agile, strong physical storyteller.

Audition Information:

Please prepare a 2-minute piece that will best demonstrate your skills and specialties.  You may also be asked to learn a combination and/or perform an improvisational piece.

Which entertainment piece this is related to isn’t clear, but Animal Kingdom is gearing up for new nighttime entertainment starting in Spring 2016.

Tom Corless’s 9/4/15 WDW Photo Report (Rivers of Light, AVATAR, Star Wars Launch Bay, Food & Wine, Magic Kingdom, Etc.)

WDWNT on September 3, 2015

I managed to visit all 4 of the Walt Disney World theme parks within the last week, so let’s see what’s new and exciting around the Vacation Kingdom of the World in our latest photo report:

The large columns in MouseGear are being refurbished

Cool light-up Oogie Boogie for sale

This great Pirates of the Caribbean coaster set was just released. It comes in a resin treasure chest.

Some new t-shirts have been released recently

There’s now a Winnie the Pooh MagicBand

There are also now Magic Sliders featuring theme park attractions

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There’s now a hard plastic iPhone 6 version of this case

A Maleficent hoodie…

With horns

The MyMagic+ credit card readers across property have been replaced with new versions featuring a flatter Mickey icon and a credit card chip reader on the side

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The monorail is open, but there are construction walls all over at the TTC

Moving over to the Magic Kingdom, work continues on the Skipper Canteen restaurant in Adventureland

A rather large expansion of the building taking place

The facade of the Country Bear Jamboree is being fixed up

A look at what will be the entrance to the Skipper Canteen in Adventureland

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New monitors for the safety pre-show at Space Moutain are being installed throughout the loading area

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No time was wasted in removing the Walt Disney World Speedway

This land will be used as part of changes to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom toll plaza

Over at Hollywood Studios, you’ll find this new Han Solo shirt

There’s also now a ladies’ section in Tatooine Traders

The Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost is now selling some of the displaced art from the Animation Gallery

They are also carrying Adventureland merchandise

Work continues to convert the Magic of Disney Animation into Star Wars Launch Bay

With the entrance now moved, the old entrance to Disney Junior is looking odd

More and more props are vanishing from One Man’s Dream as it is rumored to close. The temple head from Jungle Cruise is now gone too

Moving on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The new building on Discovery Island is nearing completion

The repainting of the existing buildings continues

Work continues on the new nighttime spectacular Rivers of Light

AVATAR construction as seen from the top of Everest

A rock formation to hide projectors for Rivers of Light is now in place

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Lots of work happening on Kilimanjaro Safaris as they prepare for the new nighttime version debuting in the spring of 2016

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Work continues on the hyena area

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GIRAFFE!!!

The Addax have been moved out of the former Zebra Glen area

The Scimatar-Horned Oryx now fill the finale scene

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Pizzafari is currently closed for refurbishment

Lots of work and repainting around Discovery Island right now

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Another look at Rivers of Light construction

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Just one owl post remains with the original color scheme

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AVATAR construction as seen from the park entrance

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Spotted this new shirt at MouseGear

Booths have started going up for the Food and Wine Festival starting on the 25th

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PHOTOS: AVATAR Themed Land and Shanghai Disneyland Previewed at D23 Expo 2015 np

WDWNT on August 3, 2015

From the Disney Insider blog:

Earlier this afternoon we were able to get a sneak peek at the Imagineering Pavilion at this year’s D23 Expo and it blew us away. It was mostly focused on the Shanghai Disneyland theme park (opening next spring), with a small experience dedicated to the upcoming Pandora expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom (based on James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar franchise). And it was incredible. The amount of art was positively overwhelming, both in how much stuff there was and because it was amazingly gorgeous, full of rich detail and snappy storytelling that we’ve come to expect from the wizards at Walt Disney Imagineering. We’ll have a full write-up of the experience soon, but we wanted to share a huge photo gallery from the pavilion.

PHOTOS, REVIEW: Harambe Marketplace Counter Service Restaurant Opens at Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on June 5, 2015

The long-awaited Harambe Marketplace opened in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park over the weekend:

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Harambe Marketplace is located on the path from Asia to Africa, just off to the right side of Tamu Tamu Refrshments

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The level of detail in the area is what you would expect at Animal Kingdom: stunning

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Plenty of shaded seating with loads of props and details

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The Lion King meets Corn Dog Castle

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Several food service windows make up the location with one shared seating area

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The Wildlife Express train passes every-so-often, a nice touch

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The Ground Beef Kabob Flatbread (which was the the table favorite) is refreshing and filling. Nice and lean.

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The Spice-rubbed Karubi Ribs have great flavor; super tender and spiced just right. The portions are also very nice.

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The curry corn sausage was good but it was the least favorite of the table. Lacked spices compared to other dishes.

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For dessert, the African Milk Tart is pretty good with an interesting coconut aftertaste

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The watermelon lemonade is super refreshing. A must have on a hot summer day!

Expect a review of the full menu in later posts and podcasts, but for now, it is clear this is a welcome addition to the park and a much needed additional dining option with the expansion in full swing!

PHOTOS AND REVIEW BY JOSE CASTILLO

Dirk Wallen’s 4/13/15 WDW Photo Report (Frozen, AVATAR, Rivers of Light, Harambe Marketplace, ETC.)

WDWNT on May 5, 2015

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Animal Kingdom and Epcot this week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:

 Work has begun on the Frozen meet and greet pavilion between Mexico and Norway at Epcot

Still no visible progress on the Frozen attraction

Moving over to Animal Kingdom, the annual DisneyNature sand sculpture can be found outside of this park instead of at Epcot this year

Walls came down around Island Mercantile revealing new planters

It doesn’t look like the pin cart will be returning to this spot anytime soon

Rivers of Light construction from above… looks like something is being constructed out in the water

AVATAR construction as seen from the parking lot at Animal Kingdom; this building will hold the flying Banshee ride

The building from afar

What appears to be construction of an outdoor seating area for the Beastly Bazaar Starbucks

The viewing area for Rivers of Light is coming along slowly

Meanwhile, a hyena habitat is being constructed on Kilimanjaro Safaris

Should be a cool addition when the nighttime safaris debut

The Africa Marketplace and Harambe Marketplace restaurant should be opening soon

 The water tower looks ready to go, but some work remains on the ground level

PHOTOS: Harambe Market Menu and Facades Revealed, Opens This Month

WDWNT on May 5, 2015

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The 200+ seat Harambe Market counter-service restaurant will open to guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in late May. The food service windows and open-air market are the latest addition as part of a massive overhaul of the park which includes the new Rivers of Light nighttime show and the AVATAR themed land.

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Disney revealed the first images captured behind the work walls in Africa yesterday. The Marketplace resembles one built around a Colonial-era train depot, complete with a 1960’s water tower. The marketplace re-creates a bustling center of commerce where guests are welcomed from around the world who have come to visit the little seaside town and venture out to the reserve to observe Africa’s animals.

Chef Lenny DeGeorge led the Food and Beverage concept development team, and states that it’s the sort of food you’d find in a street market in Africa. “The menus reflect the unique personalities of the establishments’ owners,” says Chef Lenny.

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The restaurant is separated into 4 service windows.

  • “Kitamu Grill” offers skewered chicken and a kabob flatbread sandwich.
  • “Famous Sausages” features a corn dog, inspired by a South African sausage called a boerewors, dipped in curry-infused corn batter.
  • “Chef Mwanga’s” serves a spice-rubbed karubi rib with green papaya-carrot slaw. The karubi rib and curry corn dog are also available here.
  • Wanjohi Refreshments (“wanjohi” means “brewer” in Swahili) offers beverages including six South African wines by the glass; Safari Amber Lager and Orlando Brewing I-4 IPA on draft; red sangria with Van der Hum tangerine liqueur from South Africa; The Starr of Harambe, a frozen drink with Starr African rum with mango puree in a souvenir mug; non-alcoholic tangerine lemonade, and fountain beverages including Sparberry from Zimbabwe and Bibo from South Africa.

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The new market, together with the recently opened Harambe Theatre area doubles the size of the original Harambe Village in Africa at Animal Kingdom.

Camel Experience Being Tested at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on May 5, 2015

In one of the strangest stories I can recall reporting on, Animal Kingdom is about to test-out living camels walking through the park for guests to see…

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A camel float used to traverse the park…

The test will begin after park hours May 6th-9th. Disney will be taking camels out for a walk through the Africa and Discovery Island sections of the park during these nighttime walks. The camels will also do a few test walks with guests around on May 10th and 11th as they travel from Pizzafari to the Tree of Life. Should the test workout, the camels will be made a regular animal offering for the park. The documents released by Disney stressed that this was a direct result of the success of the Winged Encounters show.