Disney today officially confirmed that Festival of the Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park will be moving to that new theater in Africa we recently posted about and stated that the new theater will open sometime in 2014.
This announcement confirms that AVATAR Land construction that was supposed to break ground in 2013 will instead be starting in 2014. This also means that we will probably not be visiting Pandora anytime before 2017. While this is another delay, the moving of Festival of the Lion King does in fact dispels all rumors that AVATAR Land is in trouble or might be cancelled. It is coming… just a little later than we thought.
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Animal Kingdom, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, and Epcot earlier today and took some great photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Starting at Animal Kingdom, Kodak signage is gone from the Camera Center
With FastPass+ currently testing, It’s Tough to be a Bug once again has a FastPass queue
There are still some construction walls up under the Tree of Life, meaning they are still installing nets under it
Wow, they’ve caught plenty of stuff…
Over at Camp Minnie-Mickey, this theater is still just stroller parking
Since it isn’t closing in this location just yet, they are using FastPass+ at Festival of the Lion King
Pocahontas has moved into one of the greeting trails at Camp Minnie-Mickey
Chip and Dale have moved into another
Work continues on the new Festival of the Lion King theater in Africa
Still not much to see
Work is wrapping up on the FastPass+ queue at Finding Nemo: The Musical
The signage is now up
Leaving Animal Kingdom, work continues on the Villas at the Grand Floridian
I’m not crazy about the plain white sides, but I’ll hold my judgement until the building is finished
Scaffolding is down on the water side and it looks fantastic
Work continues on the new bus loop at the Magic Kingdom
More turnstile conversions happening at Epcot
The middle section that is typically the exit is walled-off
Some touch-point entrances are going to be here soon
In other news, they are still patching up the landscaping from the Flower and Garden Festival
Behind Tusker House in Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, construction has begun on a new home for Festival of the Lion King. The new location will house the show once it closes in Camp Minnie-Mickey so work can commence on the AVATAR-themed land sometime later this year. The moving of the check-in area for the Wild Africa Trek experience a few weeks ago was the just the beginning of the changes to make way for the project:
There are some questions we have about the theater. Will it have the modern conveniences of the Festival of the Lion King theater built in 2005 for Hong Kong Disneyland?
Now that the show is staying and moving to a structure not meant to be temporary, it sure would be nice to see improvements to the theater and maybe even the old parade floats from Disneyland that are in the show.
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen takes us to all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks this time around, stopping to check progress on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, the Tangled restroom area, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, the Big Thunder Mountain interactive queue, and more! Let’s take a look:
RFID entrance installation continues at the Studios
The large electronic scrolling sign at Sounds Dangerous is now gone, looks like we can finally officially say the attraction is dead
The new Disney JuniorL Live on Stage debuted a few weeks ago
Doc McStuffins was added to the show
As was Sophia the First
Whoops…
It was up there for some of the show…
The Epcot 30th reveal/conceal pin set came out recently
New Spring pins
85th anniversary of the Plane Crazy short
EASTER DUFFY!
New Muppet shirt
Moving over to Animal Kingdom
Kodak picture spots are still up…
RFID entrances still being installed at Animal Kingdom as well
More Kodak
Hard to believe, but they are still installing the nets at Tree of Life
This is taking forever…
Some areas look completed
Others look like no work has even started
Beastly Bazaar will soon open as the Adventurers Outpost, a Mickey and Minnie meet and greet
The Character Landing will soon host Donald and Daisy, Pooh and Tigger are heading to Camp Minnie-Mickey
Pocahontas has already moved out of Camp Minnie-Mickey
The old theater for Pocahontas and Her Forrest Friends is still stroller parking
Some walls up in Camp Minnie-Mickey
We believe they are installing FastPass+ behind these walls at Theater in the Wild
Moving to Epcot, Flower and Garden Festival preparation is in full swing
Some scrims still up near the Oz playground
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs near Germany
Toy Story characters in the American Adventure
Lady and the Tramp in Italy
All of the booths are up… it’s so weird to see these out so early in the year…
They are giving out seed packets to promote Oz: The Great and Powerful and the festival
The Mission: Space facade is being refurbished, the ride is open still
Don’t try to park at the Polynesian Resort, there is a ton of construction equipment sitting there…
Work continues on The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. There’s some strange tower rising on the right…
Another somewhat similar structure is rising outside the building on the other side
It’s starting to look like the Grand Floridian
Moving to the Magic Kingdom, Main Street Apparel is behind tarps again
Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall
Work continues on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
Work continues on the Tangled restroom area
You can see the tree-stump shaped charging stations gusts can use to charge electronics
Work is nearing completion on the exit of “it’s a small world” that has been behind tarps
Columbia Harbour House is still behind tarps
Work continues on Splash Mountain which is closed until mid-March
More and more progress is being made on the interactive queue at Big Thunder Mountain
I see Marc Davis and Blaine Gibson references…
The detail on the new props is stunning
A nod to Western River Expedition, the attraction originally designed for this space
This photo report is a little late as we have been preparing for our fifth anniversary festivities here at WDW News Today, but better late than never. WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Animal Kingdom on June 30th to catch one of the last Sundowner Celebrations held at the park. The celebration only lasted a month but was a unique offering, almost like the food and wine festival at Epcot. Let’s take a look:
A truck is used as an information board at the front of the park
Things going on in 3 lands
It is Animal Kingdom after all…
Wow… not very crowded…
Some fairly new Animal Kingdom merchandise available
Cool ear hat
Carnotaurus knit cap
Russel and Dug from UP meeting in the old “It’s Tough to be a Bug” FASTPASS area
Work continues on some of the side paths near the Tree of Life after the branch falling of a few weeks back
You can still get plenty of good photos of this…
On to Camp Minnie-Mickey
The dragon waterfall is still there
Hey, Meeko is out and doesn’t have a line!
It’s pretty empty
Word is the greeting trails are going away and these characters are moving to the former Beastly Bazaar in a few weeks
It wouldn’t be a trip to Animal Kingdom if we didn’t stop at Pizzafari to visit the greatest mural ever…
Psycho lion and incredibly nervous Zebra!
On to Harambe
Temporary signs inform guests of the festivities
There’s a wine walk
Beer
There are also some cultural demonstrations
The Henna booth was about the only one that wasn’t free
All kinds of special treats available
Fruit salads available as well
Let’s take a walk to Asia
You can learn how to play this instrument
The carts leading to Asia had special menus for the event
You can learn how to make summer rolls
Ta-da!
You can take home a recipe card
The boneless chicken wings are back!
I guess you can just call this place Anandapur Wild Wings! GET IT?
Huh?
I think I’m gonna be sick…
Live music
What is your Asian language?
Plenty of specialty drinks
Learn how to make fried rice!
They had dancers teaching dance moves to guests as Bollywood style music played in the area
I love the DJ’s decorated computer
Dragon Hollow? Now you’re just rubbing it in…
The water play area in Asia is being refurbished
Another Henna booth
Adam got a drink and decided to hang out in a secluded spot
Let’s see what’s going on at Kilimanjaro Safaris
Wilson is still featured in the queue even though his narration and story is gone from the ride
“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”
JUMPING GAZELLES!
Oh, it’s poachers…
It was…
Hiding, Hiding Hippos
“NOM-NOM-NOM”
Holy giraffes!
Here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the backside of giraffe!
No, the bridge doesn’t collapse right now
Hidden Mickey
Awwww, sleepy cheetahs…
That turtle was moving so fast Adam couldn’t get a picture of him
Blurry, but some work was being done on the bridge
Work on the new finale scenes is visible
This is where Little Red once stood, but soon it will be a home to Zebras
A natural barrier being dug-out
Back to Harambe
The dance party is in full swing
Unlike the hated dance parties at the Magic Kingdom, this band performs music from their culture and teaches you their dances, a much better fit for a Disney park
Here’s a video of the dance party:
There is podium where guests can find out more about Wild Africa Trek
Some people seem to believe this will be the new entrance to Festival of the Lion King once it is forced to move out of Camp Minnie-Mickey
Popcone?
It’s the Enchantment in the Jungle Dance!
Gotta love intricate details…
Let’s take a look at the Tree of Life trails
You can still get some great photos of the Tree of Life
Some work continues
The exit of It’s Tough to be a Bug
Over at Expedition Everest, they have been chopping down some of the bamboo
Beautiful
Still no bird…
Still no movement… and no, there are not two of them…
New Everest shirts
More chopped bamboo
This old map of Dinoland U.S.A. is still up. It still includes Dinosaur Jubilee… look it up kids…
No, you won’t…
It’s time to leave
Not sure if Disney did anything, but the water isn’t bright green anymore!
