Multiple areas of Animal Kingdom will be under construction in the coming weeks.
Construction to enhance the Serka Zong Bazaar merchandise location at Expedition Everest began on April 17th and will continue through May 12th. During construction, the location will remain open.
In addition to that, the FastPass+ touch points and entrance queue area at Kilimanjaro Safaris will undergo refurbishment from April 17 through May 12. A secondary queue will be used during the entire duration of this construction project.
“it’s tough to be a bug” will be closed April 24th through the 28th to accommodate work on the Tree of Life structure.
Finally, the tiger exhibit in the Maharajah Jungle Trek will undergo habitat enhancements through Friday, May 5. During this time, the tigers will be kept backstage and the viewing areas will be inaccessible to Guests.
Yesterday, the Port Orleans Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World held their annual celebration of Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday with a parade. The event started at 10AM and winded from Riverside down to French Quarter. Cast members and their invited guests showed off some fantastic cart creations in the parade, including a Monorail, a Walt Disney World Railroad Train, and even a Steamboat with a working paddlewheel! Take a look:
The theme this year was transportation, offering all sorts of imaginative vehicles.
The parade ended with a visit from Tiana in a horse-drawn carriage.
Our latest photo report brings us to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to see the latest progress on Pandora: The World of AVATAR, Rivers of Light, and more around the park. Let’s take a look…
Wild Places and Parking Spaces
The large dirt barrier behind Pandora: The World of AVATAR is still quite visible from outside of the park. Trees should be planted here fairly soon.
I didn’t realize that they had installed electric vehicle parking at Animal Kingdom, but it is there, located just behind the handicap section.
Pandora looms in the distance…
Pandora: The World of AVATAR
The AVATAR area continues to speed towards an expected May 2017 opening, although Disney is just saying Summer 2017 at this point.
Pandora, as seen from the top of Expedition Everest.
If you want more photos of Pandora: The World of AVATAR, be sure to check out our latest post on it here. Also, the video update below:
Wings and Things
The former Terra Treats allergy friendly menu is gone, replaced by beer and wings (for the most part)…
The clearly labeled display wings… I’m not sure of there real order is that small, but if it is, it is $2 a wing.
Meanwhile, the Harambe Popcorn cart is now selling merchandise: music CDs and binoculars.
Rivers of Plight
On most days, the Discovery River Theater is open for guest seating. It’s starting to sound like we won’t see Rivers of Light until AVATAR opens though.
All of the FastPass+ signage is up and ready to go when the time comes.
If you haven’t seen our video of the show being tested earlier this month, take a look below:
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
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot last week and has a number of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Work continues on the Villas at the Grand Floridian as we approach the opening in October
Things are still a bit of a mess right now
Moving to the Magic Kingdom, the post for the Hall of Champions sign is walled
Cinderella’s fountain is still roped off from guests… we think some Brazilian tourists tried to bathe in it…
Still nothing to see over at Princess Fairytale Hall
FastPass+ has been testing a lot at the Magic Kingdom
A look at the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction
A look at the backside along with Triton’s Treasures
This portion where the track makes a wide turn and dives underground looks exciting!
Moving over to Animal Kingdom, work continues on the new Festival of the Lion King theater
The walls now have some themed signage
You can see the crane from various places in Africa
On Kilimanjaro Safaris, the Addax are still in place…
But they are still trying to re-introduce the Zebras
So the Zebras may make a full-time return soon… or not
Work has been completed on the FastPass+ queue at Finding Nemo: the Musical
Heading over to Epcot, another round of turnstile conversions has begun
FountainView is still preparing to be the next Starbucks location in the fall
Walls are still up around what should have been a new food cart months ago…
The FastPAss+ signage is up and running at Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Signs also went up at the Seas with Nemo and Friends
As big of a deal as Disney made about the new finale including Zebras on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom, the Zebras were quietly removed from the attraction recently. Disney has sited “acclimation” issues for the animals, deciding that thew new home just wasn’t working out. Some insider reports claim that the zebras were troublesome and would constantly block the vehicle path or bite each-other and attack vehicles filled with guests. Whatever the reason, they were removed and will be replaced with Addax:
Here’s video of the Zebras from when they debuted in “Zebra Glen” back in November:
On Sunday, April 29th, the Little Red audio-animatronic became history and now guests riding Kilimanjaro Safaris over the Summer will have to stare at construction walls as the ride through the finale of the Animal Kingdom attraction. You may recall Disney announced changes to the ride a few months ago, stating that the poacher storyline would be replace with new savanna space to showcase Zebras.
All of the plants hazardous to the Zebras that will be moving in were removed prior to April 29th and many parts of the forest are already the grass fields where the animals will graze. The attraction’s pre-recorded spiels are gone, now you only hear background music and sound effects while traveling along the route. No more Mr. Wilson!
Imagineer Joe Rhode (“Mr. Animal Kingdom” as we refer to him around here) recently spoke to cast members at the attraction about the upcoming changes. While Wilson is gone for now, he may return to the ride or be replaced with a new character. For now, the Wilson and Dr. Jobson characters remain in the queue area in the pre-show film.
Disney is scheduled to be done with the basic changes this coming fall with larger changes to the Safari taking place over the next 3-4 years according to Rhode. Among the changes being discussed is the institution of permanent night-time Safari ride. From what we understand, the night safari will be completely different from the daytime version, adding a completely new experience for guests later in the day.
Imagineers recently tested lighting effects for night time safaris with a number of large video walls and intelligent moving headlights mounted on large lifts. Why use giant video screens? Well, it appears they mounted large video walls on the Wild Africa Trek trucks and tested using night vision and infrared technology to enhance the guest experience for the possible night-time version of the ride.
While it is uncertain if any of these changes will happen, it isn’t a far-fetched idea. In 3-4 years, Animal Kingdom will have an AVATAR-land and possibly a few other new offerings, so it is more than possible that the park will be open late on a regular basis.
We’ll keep you updated on this story as it develops. For now, we leave you with some immortal words from our now-gone friend… “TOMMIES!”
So, I was visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park this past Sunday and took a ride on Kilimanjaro Safari for the first time since the original finale scene was ripped out. Not only was I surprised to see most work completed on the new Zebra habitat, but the safari driver was sharing the new backstory which explains why the zebras are there and why construction is going on at the moment:
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!
