News Disney announces plans to celebrate 20 years of Disney's Animal Kingdom

[GlacierGlacier]

Been here since 10, not all that bad crowd wise. Managed to ride FoP at about 4 with a posted 140 minute wait, but in actuality it was 66. Snuck a peek at Joe Rohde when he was idling at the Tiffin's Balcony. Hopper was working today at ITTBAB as well, which is always nice.

 

[MinnieWaffles]

On a slightly unrelated note, I love the new desktop wallpaper the parks blog just came out with for AK's 20th birthday!! Awesome colours.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I got my photo with Joe Rohde and he signed my park map! I didn't even have the green wrist band that came with the print that they said you needed!

 

[zakattack99]

I got my photo with Joe Rohde and he signed my park map! I didn't even have the green wrist band that came with the print that they said you needed!

You got all the luck today! Hope he was as cool as he seems... did you get to ask about the yeti!? Lol

 

[EricsBiscuit]

You got all the luck today! Hope he was as cool as he seems... did you get to ask about the yeti!? Lol

He was awesome! And no I didn't ask about the yeti as I couldn't muster any words. I was just as speechless as when I met Tony Baxter.

 

[djkidkaz]

What happened to the video?

 

[zakattack99]

He was awesome! And no I didn't ask about the yeti as I couldn't muster any words. I was just as speechless as when I met Tony Baxter.

Lol yea I would have been the same way!

 

[wdisney9000]

We were there yesterday. As said prior, crowds were not too bad. Spotted Rhode a few times which was cool. Grey magic band?

 

[Jones14]

We were there yesterday. As said prior, crowds were not too bad. Spotted Rhode a few times which was cool. Grey magic band?
View attachment 279779

I always try to match mine with my outfit, and there’s no teal option, so that may be the case for him as well.

 

[wdwmagic]

What happened to the video?

https://www.wdwmagic.com/attraction...ys-animal-kingdom-anniversary-celebration.htm

 

[KrazyKat]

I would definitely have to say Joe Rhode is Disney’s most famous Imagineer. We were walking around AK Lodge last year when we stumbled by accident into a private event and Joe was standing there talking to some people. I told my wife “there’s Joe Rhode” and he was nice enough to wave and say hi.

 

[NearTheEars]

Yep I'm here eating a beef slider but you're joking I waited like 3 hours to buy the Epcot shirt!

We bought our Epcot shirts from the app while waiting in the traffic to get into the parking lot that day. It was a good move.

 

[disneygeek90]

Standby! I'm serious. It was a miracle.

Damn, I was there about 830 and asked the cast member who said you had to have a special ticket to enter. Went over to FoP and was on in 45 mins, so I'll take that as a consolation prize. Repped my 20th Shirt and magicband yesterday and checked out the Up show. All in all a great day.

 

[disneygeek90]

Wasn't terribly crowded. Anniversary pins were still available around 4. I'm sure it was awful at rope drop

They must have opened early. I walked into the entrance about 8:30 and was in line at FoP over the bridge leading to Africa by 8:45.

 

[disneygeek90]

https://www.wdwmagic.com/attraction...ys-animal-kingdom-anniversary-celebration.htm

Surely this wasn't the whole thing?

Edit: Found it.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

My wife's favorite park is DAK. On a return trip to WDW, she would love to have a Savanna Room at DAKL. Kinda neat that the 20th is low key. Getting to meet Joe, would be awesome. I thought it interesting that there was a lot of negative comments about the celebration. I would think if Disney pumped it up and went over the top everyone would have complained about the crowds, the heat, long lines, not being worth it. Just saying is all.

 

[Clyde Birdbrain]

I got my photo with Joe Rohde and he signed my park map! I didn't even have the green wrist band that came with the print that they said you needed!

You got into the ceremony AND met Joe Rohde without buying the print?! Man, I should have hung out with you yesterday. After CMs told me that the ceremony had moved indoors and was for invited guests only I got in line for the print. No one I asked could tell me how much the print was. After a while I heard someone say it was $55, so I got out of line. I didn't want to spend that much. I asked a CM if it was possible to meet Joe Rohde without the print and I was told no. Around 3pm I went to check out the signing to watch the imagineer from a distance and I saw that hardly anyone in line had the print and people were getting anything signed from park maps to tote bags and t-shirts. I went to the back of the line, but it had just closed. I'll try this again in 5 years.

 

[wdwmagic]

Surely this wasn't the whole thing?

That was highlights.

Here is the full thing

 

[EricsBiscuit]

You got into the ceremony AND met Joe Rohde without buying the print?! Man, I should have hung out with you yesterday. After CMs told me that the ceremony had moved indoors and was for invited guests only I got in line for the print. No one I asked could tell me how much the print was. After a while I heard someone say it was $55, so I got out of line. I didn't want to spend that much. I asked a CM if it was possible to meet Joe Rohde without the print and I was told no. Around 3pm I went to check out the signing to watch the imagineer from a distance and I saw that hardly anyone in line had the print and people were getting anything signed from park maps to tote bags and t-shirts. I went to the back of the line, but it had just closed. I'll try this again in 5 years.

I got in the line around 2:00~ when they still had it open. The CM said since I don't have a wrist band I wasn't guaranteed to meet him and I waited like 25-30 minutes but I finally got to meet him.

 

[Walt d]

"Special photo ops!"
"Backstage tours!" (Additional fee required, no doubt)
"Limited edition merchandise!!"
"A DJ-powered dance party!!!"

The quality of big anniversary celebrations sure have fallen at Disney... right off a cliff.

I did not think ak was going to be that great. On my first vist, then by the end of the day i, found out i was wrong . All the work joe. And every put in, wow. On one of my Safari trips. The truck had to stop as a big, rhino rolled in a mud puddle in front of the truck. To get mud on him, as it got hotter out just like a puppy. That was, no anima Tronics there! Ak rocks!