Nighttime Animal Kingdom Speculation

Posted on September 21, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

We are days away from our next Walt Disney World vacation and all the speculation about what’s happening with the Animal Kingdom at Night is making me crazy! I’m on a roller coaster of excitement followed by crushing disappointment…then hope…then despair…then excitement again. What’s the deal?

Nighttime Animal Kingdom Speculation

There are many unofficial Disney websites along with news and social media outlets that broadcast doom and gloom. They started announcing that Disney will be discontinuing the new nighttime offerings at Animal Kingdom after one summer of late night fun. According to these sources, until Rivers of Light launches, Animal Kingdom’s nighttime activities and attractions will be no more. Then suddenly, these same sites have had to walk back those statements when the reduced October park hours once again expanded into the evening.

While I’m not ready to shun social media for confusing me with all these somewhat sketchy prognostications, I’m going with what I do know – officially. And I’m cautiously optimistic!

We are (and have always been) planning a day-and-a-half at Animal Kingdom…because it is more than a full-day park to us (and should be for you too!). We started our planning by booking our ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) 180 days pre-trip for an 8;30 am breakfast at Tusker House and a 4:30 pm early dinner at Tiffins – both new experiences for us – on our full day, open-to-close Animal Kingdom visit (with our half-day visit scheduled for a few days later).

Shortly after we selected our dining options, we learned Rivers of Light was delayed, but all the rest of the nighttime activities like the Tree of Life Awakens, Kilimanjaro Safari at Night, and the street parties (Harambe Wildlife Parti and Discovery Island Carnivale) were in full swing (and we expected them to continue). Jungle Book: Alive With Magic (the temporary replacement for the delayed Rivers of Light) was not enticing to us, so we had planned on riding Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari after Tiffins before hitting one of the street parties.

Then the park hours changed. I started paying attention and saw Animal Kingdom suddenly closing at 7:30 pm during the week of our visit. While some social media chatter had the park closing in October at 6:30 pm, I faithfully checked the My Disney Experience app and never saw closures earlier than 7:30 pm for our trip. While this was a little disappointing, I still believed we’d have time between dinner at Tiffins and park closing to squeeze in some attractions and thought maybe the Tree of Life would still “awaken”.

Then the hours suddenly extended again to an 8:30 pm closing time, Facebook ads by Disney continue to promote Nighttime at Animal Kingdom, and rumors started up about Rivers of Light suddenly being much closer to a launch date. Last week, we received our fall edition of the Mickey Monitor (pass holder newsletter) and it contained a section promoting Animal Kingdom at night.

I’m stepping off the roller coaster of speculation and believe we will get to experience at least some of the new nighttime offerings at Animal Kingdom on our visit. I’d be crazy to hope that Rivers of Light would somehow be ready for a soft opening (at least) 10 days from now, but with 9:00 am – 8:30 pm hours on our full day at Animal Kingdom, I’m sure we will not leave disappointed!

What about you? Are you looking forward to Animal Kingdom at Night on your next visit?

Animal Kingdom’s Festival of the Lion King

Posted on August 20, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

Welcome to the weekend, Disney Friends! It’s time for another edition of Saturdays With Nick. Unfortunately, this week’s version was produced by a seriously misguided and mistaken Nick! Unless you share his opinion (which is seriously WRONG! Yay for Tumble Monkeys!), Let’s hear it for fans of the Festival of the Lion King! Our family loves this show and we are, of course, always RIGHT! We do welcome all opinions here at Living a Disney Life, so here’s Nick’s sorry review. Have a nice weekend.

Animal Kingdom’s Festival of the Lion King: I Don’t Get It

By Nick

Okay. Let’s start by saying I love the movie The Lion King. It is absolutely a classic. Animation is great. Story wonderful. Music extremely catchy and enjoyable.

But I just don’t get what the attraction to Festival of the Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is, and why it is the most popular stage show in Walt Disney World (according to more than one Cast Member).

Granted, the surroundings are beautiful and the theater very well themed.

There are 4 sections, each one representing an animal. Elephant, which is where I was, Lion, Giraffe and Warthog.

There are “tumble monkeys”, areal acrobats, fire twirlers, and sing alongs.

It sounds and looks great, but, I just don’t have a desire to see it again, unless I’m with people who feel the need.

To be honest, I think the problem could be my dislike of circuses. And this is very much like a circus to me, with a “center ring” and other “rings” around it.

I think Finding Nemo – The Musical to be much more entertaining, creative and inventive!

What is your opinion of Circus Festival of the Lion King?

You can follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends on all their many Disney adventures: Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest. You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about all things Disney.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Gorilla Falls

Posted on August 17, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

It was Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail for just three months after Animal Kingdom first opened. Then Gorilla Falls became the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Now, after 18 years, the trail’s name has been changed back to the original. No matter what you call it, this is an awesome place to explore in the Africa section of the park.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Gorilla Falls

I could give you all the reasons there are out there for all the name switching, but none of that matters. What’s important about this particular trail is that it is fantastic and deserving of a solid slot in your Animal Kingdom (full day!) touring plans. (AND the gorillas are wonderful!) It seems to me that a lot of people will, if they go on the trail at all, squeeze it in between Kilimanjaro Safaris and whatever’s up next on their FastPass+ schedule. Rushing through this collection of animals, precisely crafted atmosphere, and information is not advised! You need to allow ample time (I prefer early in the day) to make the most of this opportunity. The Safari is great, but the trails are where you can take as much time as you like to watch and learn (and photograph!) Animal Kingdom’s animals.

What do I love about Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail? I’m glad you asked! Like so many other Disney experiences, it’s not one thing alone, but rather the individual parts coming together to make the whole so wonderful! Underwater hippo viewing, naked mole rats, meerkats, not one, but two separate gorilla viewing areas and so much more!

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is themed around animal conservation and research, so there’s a ton of interesting information all around (animal list, exhibit details and full backstory here). The research building is packed with details and fun opportunities for further exploration – open drawers, look around, check out the minutiae of the carefully designed Disney details. Cast Members are always available to answer questions or provide fun facts about the animals along the way.

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is a must-see for me every time I visit Animal Kingdom. What’s your favorite part of this experience?

WDW Attractions – Best Lead Up

Posted on May 20, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

We’ve talked about queues, we’ve talked about favorites and today it’s time to talk about the best attractions for attention-grabbing from afar – the one’s with real curb appeal, if you will. With some of the very best rides, it’s all about the lead up!

Some attraction exteriors offer absolutely no clue what to expect (think Soarin’, Country Bears, Space Mountain), but some attractions draw you in from far away – the theme, the park setting – long before you step into the queue, you know you’re about to experience something extraordinary! I’m going to talk about just five today – go ahead and leave a comment if your favorite gets left out – I’ll do a “part 2” in the future!

WDW Attractions – Best Lead Up

Haunted MansionFrom WAY far away, the draw to Haunted Mansion is incredible! It looks exactly the way you hope it will – Grand yet a bit sinister. You can immediately tell the Mansion holds room after room to explore – haunted corridors, ballrooms, attic and much more! The minute you see it, you know it’s going to be the perfect combination of scary and fun!
Big Thunder Mountain RailroadThe train flies along the track – you can see the passengers raise their hands, you can hear them screaming in delight, but that’s not the primary draw. In Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, the whole landscape of Big Thunder that makes you eager to get inside that mountain – so out of place with the surrounding Florida palm trees and lush tropical plants. Big Thunder Mountain is a wasteland of epic proportions and the details are mesmerizing! Best of all, the queue at this mountain is top notch.
Twilight Zone Tower of TerrorIt looks elegant and disheveled, classic but unique – first impressions are everything here in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Strolling down Sunset Boulevard, you can’t help but notice the tower’s façade and how it stands out. Walk a little farther, and you’ll notice something else – the SCREAMING! The sound will draw your eyes closer to the tower where in an upstairs window, you’ll see motion, but little else. If you’re a thrill ride junkie, this is the ride for you!
Rock’n’ Roller CoasterThe location actually hurts this attraction because Tower of Terror tends to steal Rock’n’ Roller Coaster’s thunder. You have to turn left at the very end of Sunset Boulevard to even notice the upside down Cadillac let alone the gigantic guitar, but once you see the setting, you know that for music fans and coaster addicts alike will find this the place to be!
Expedition EverestIn Animal Kingdom, you can be far from Everest and still be drawn in. Call me biased, but there’s a reason this is my favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World and one of the main reasons is that from the moment you see the mountain in the distance, you can’t help but want to be a part of its magic. “Forbidden Mountain” is like a double-dog dare to those of us who love an amazing coaster – every single detail is beyond perfect! Hands down, Expedition Everest has the best draw from afar of any attraction in the World.