Walt Disney World is saying occasions & choices for June by way of September 2024, promising that Summertime goes to be additional magical this yr! We’re anticipating information for every of the 4 parks (hopefully)–let’s get the ball rolling with what’s coming to Animal Kingdom.
Get able to roar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom the place the celebration for the Lion King’s thirtieth Anniversary will prowl all through the whole park from June 10 by way of September 6, 2024. There’s an entire new merchandise assortment so you may see the long-lasting Disney’s Animal Kingdom stage present, Competition of The Lion King, in model.
Able to rustle up some grubs? There will likely be particular menu gadgets to snack on, together with a portly Pumbaa popcorn bucket so as to add to your delight. Walt Disney World teases that there’s extra meals to return for the celebration of 30 years of the Lion King, so keep tuned for that.
To totally embrace that “Hakuna Matata” life-style, head on over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch the place you may as soon as once more meet Timon and Rafiki. Determining when these furry buddies can be found for hugs or recommendation on discovering essentially the most scrumptious bugs is as simple as testing My Disney Expertise.
When you’re at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, you may go to Animation Expertise and be taught to attract characters from “The Lion King.” (Please, go to Rafiki’s Planet Watch–they’re begging you to not go away Animal Kingdom earlier than midday and contribute to crowding within the different parks!)
Turning to commentary, if this sounds vaguely acquainted, it’s as a result of Walt Disney World did one thing comparable for the Lion King’s twenty fifth Anniversary in 2019. It began within the winter and continued by way of the autumn, and was a reasonably uneventful occasion.
The most important distinction between then and now, it feels like, was the 2019 incarnation of this anniversary celebration additionally featured the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Occasion on Discovery Island, a wild celebration the place younger adventurers can let loose their interior animals on the dance flooring. The occasion hosts interact everybody in entertaining dances and video games impressed by “The Lion King” and among the animals they’ve encountered of their travels.
Again when it was carried out, musicians and a DJ supplied the right soundtrack to the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Occasion, that includes animal-inspired standard songs and tunes from “The Lion King,” all carried out in a World Beat model. Timon, Rafiki and their Disney animal buddies Baloo, Koda, Meeko and Terk stopped by, too. It was a cute little present–we watched a number of instances whereas ready for orders from Flame Tree BBQ.
That Lion King celebration additionally featured enjoyable picture spots, together with a three-dimensional scene that appears as if it leapt proper out of the movie. The Tree of Life Awakenings within the evenings additionally confirmed a brand new story, depicting moments from Simba’s journey in a lovely inventive model, set to evocative music impressed by the rating of “The Lion King.”
Different Animal Kingdom additions for 2019 included Bollywood Beats and the Pandora Utility Go well with, each of which at the moment are lengthy gone. Kevin from Up additionally debuted round then, however no less than she’s nonetheless round (and superior as ever!).
Provided that it’s not within the announcement, my expectation is that Hakuna Matata Time Dance Occasion will NOT return for the Lion King Summer time 2024 celebration. It’d be kinda odd to steer with merchandise and meals if there’s precise substance, however who is aware of.
Regardless, my response to this summer time occasion is “that’s it?” Positive, one thing is best than nothing, however Walt Disney World has an enormous downside with folks leaving Animal Kingdom early and contributing to crowding on the different three parks that’s solely worsened since ~2019 resulting from no nighttime spectacular and the brand new planet scent sporting off Pandora.
Whereas Animal Kingdom growth is lastly on the horizon, it’s nonetheless a few years (no less than!) away. I hope there’s a greater plan than this within the meantime, as a result of Animal Kingdom has positively was a half-day park as soon as once more for the typical visitor. (No offense in the event you love DAK and will spend days, plural, there. You aren’t the typical visitor.)
Finally, what the park actually wants proper now could be to rewind the clock to Summer time 2016 when Animal Kingdom After Darkish debuted. That occasion occurred the yr earlier than Pandora – World of Avatar and, if I recall accurately, was thrown collectively quite shortly when it grew to become clear that Rivers of Gentle was stricken by issues and can be dramatically delayed.
Throughout that summertime occasion, Animal Kingdom debuted the Discovery Island Carnivale and Harambe Wildlife Parti, in addition to Tree of Life Awakenings, Jungle Guide: Alive with Magic, and Kilimanjaro Safaris After Darkish and different nighttime points of interest. All of this with the purpose of getting friends to remain all day in DAK, pre-Pandora.
Look, I’m not going to play the revisionist historical past sport or placed on the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia and fake all of this was superior and beloved. It very a lot was not. Our evaluations on the time had been pretty scathing.
What all of this did do was present ample cause for staying in Animal Kingdom after darkish at an identical level within the park’s historical past when there was a mass exodus within the afternoon. So to that extent, mission completed. Furthermore, it really tried one thing. Whereas I personally didn’t like a few of these issues, they weren’t irredeemable or with out worth. There have been nuggets of excellent concepts inside all of it, together with Jungle Guide: Alive with Magic. (Particularly that present!)
It’s actually unhappy to me when one thing that’s clearly unhealthy unsurprisingly underperforms and Disney’s reply is “cease doing it” quite than “repair it.” Visitors not responding favorably to an providing doesn’t imply the core idea was a poor or that there’s no pleasing folks…it speaks to the weak execution. It’s like Disney makes a degree of studying the incorrect classes, and throws their arms up within the air in defeat quite than giving it one other attempt to create one thing good. There’s typically little or no introspection or reflection on what went incorrect and why.
All of that is to say that it’s pretty apparent to me that Animal Kingdom needs to be providing nighttime leisure to maintain folks within the park at evening. I’ve been stunned that they’ve continued to do the 7 p.m. and eight p.m. closings in any respect, given the (lack of) crowds. The answer to that’s giving friends a cause to remain–resembling a good nighttime spectacular or occasion vibe. Some huge cash was dumped into Rivers of Gentle just for it to fail, however that doesn’t imply the underlying concept was a nasty one. Ditto Jungle Guide: Alive with Magic. Why not revisit these ideas, however create one thing that’s, you already know, really good?
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited for the brand new Lion King thirtieth Anniversary stuff in Summer time 2024 at Animal Kingdom? Does any of this transfer the needle in any respect on getting you to go to or keep longer? Assume Walt Disney World ought to revisit the concept of night leisure at Animal Kingdom to cease (or no less than decelerate) the afternoon exodus? Agree or disagree with our take? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
