Animal Kingdom – January 2014

     Hey everyone! Let’s turn our attention to Animal Kingdom know! A lot has happened since the last time we talked about the park, for example Camp Minnie and Mickey is now closed and Avatar Land has official began constructions!

     January 5, 2014 was the last day of Camp Minnie and Mickey, the camp ground has been running for the past 15 years, since the opened of the park on April 22, 1998. It is closing do to the construction of Avatar Land. The characters will be moved across the park (list of were the characters have moved is bellow) and Festival of the Lion King is being moved to a new theater in Harambe, it is closed for know but will be opening up summer 2014.

Already Moved

• Mickey and Minnie – Adventure Outpost on Discovery Island

From January 6 2014

• King Louie and Baloo – Bradley Falls between Asia and Africa
• Chip and Dale – Rafiki’s Planet Watch (on the walkway form the train station to Conservation Station)
• Gi-Tar Dan – will join Chip and Dale at Planet Watch
• Pocahontas – Discovery Island trails
• Donal Duck -Cretaceous Trail in Dinoland USA

If you want a last look at Camp Minnie and Mickey check out this link for pictures and video of the camp ground.

     The day after the camp ground closed construction walls went up over night barricading the walkway to Camp Minnie and Mickey and they are moving full speed a head on construction for Avatar Land. It is expected to open up sometime in 2017. Disney and Lightstorm took part in an a opening ceremony, on Jan. 10, 2014, of the beginning of the Avatar Land construction. Check here for pictures and a video of the ceremony.

     That is it for now but be sure to check back soon for update information about Avatar Land.

“It is kind of fun to do the impossible.” Walt Disney

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Animal Kingdom – December 2013 Update

     Do to the holiday season not much has happened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Except the preparations that are being done for the relocation of the Festival of the Lion King and the closure of camp many Mickey.

     As some of you may already know Camp Minnie and Mickey is closing! Your first thoughts are probably, “Were are all the characters going?”! Well not to worry Minnie and Mickey have already been moved to their new locations at Adventure Outpost and the rest of the characters have been relocated across Animal Kingdom. Here is a complete list of were the characters have been relocated to:

   1) Mickey and Minnie Mouse – Adventure Outpost

   2) Goofy and Pluto – DinoLand U.S.A

   3) Hundred Acre Wood Friends at Discovery Island

   Rumors have it that the other characters may be moved to the following locations:

   4) Donald Duck: DinoLand (on January 6, 2014)

   5) King Louie and Balloo: the boat dock in Asia

   6) Pocahontas, Chip and Dale: unknown

    The other big attraction at the camp was The Festival of the Lion King which is closing on January 5, 2014. When Disney was talking about the relocation of The Festival of the Lion King they made it sound as if it would take only a couple of weeks but actually it will take them around six months! Their is no date set but they said it should be around summer 2014.

     Constructions on the new Festival of the Lion King theater is well underway, with the building skeleton pretty much complete! The building and show will be the same but the floats will be refurbished for the new locations. As well as the opening of the new theater don’t be surprised to see some new buildings and walk-ways popping up around the theater, expanding Africa’s current size. For picture check this link.

     Dawa Bar has been moved to the right side of the covered patio, it is expected to be reopening late this week or early next week. For pictures check this link.

     After the campground closes January 5, 2014, preparations of the constructions of Avatar Land will be full steam a head. And by summer 2014, Festival of the Lion King will be opened in its new locations in Harambe, Dawa Bar will be opened and our favorite campground characters will be at their new locations. So we look forward to the beginning of Avatar Land’s construction.

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Avatar Land at Animal Kingdom

     In 2011 Walt Disney CEO Rober Iger announced that Disney Imagineers, with then help of James Cameron, will be creating an Avatar themed land in Walt Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom. Two years later, Disney Imaginers reveled concept art for ‘Avatar Land’ as well as some information about the changes that the park will be under going do to the opening of ‘Avatar Land’.

    The concept art revealed glimpses into a land where guests can take flight on a mountain Banshee, take a boat threw the bioluminescent forest, or just take a stroll through the world of Pandora. Disney has revealed that their will be two attractions: one being “a Jungle Cruise-like water attraction that will show-case the fauna and flora of Pandora” (wikipedia)(illustration) and the seconded being an staggering simulation attraction that will allow the guest to experience what learning to fly a mountain Banshee is like. (illustration)

    And after you enjoy these two amazing attraction you can take a stroll through the many paths that lead round the world of Pandora. (illustrations) In the this image we can see James Cameron, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs and Imagineer Joe Rohde view a model of the ‘Avatar Land’. In addition to ‘Avatar Land’ Animal Kingdom will be getting it’s very first nighttime spectacular! Tom Staggs said Disney will be “adding all-new entertainment experiences, including a new nighttime spectacular where live music, floating lantern, water screens and swirling animal imagery all combine to bring a show to Discovery River that will delight our guests and truly cap off their day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The park will introduce more nighttime entertainment as well, including live performers on Discovery Island and a new nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris.” (illustrated) ‘Avatar Land’ is expected to cost around 500 million US dollars to complete Avatar Land, they are expected to start construction in 2014 and it is most likely to finish sometime in 2016 just around the 3rd James Cameron Avatar film is scheduled to be released. For more details about Avatar Land check Disney Parks Blog and also check with WDWMagic. And check back with WDWRNews in a couple months for an other Avatar Land update.