Disney launch 'Limited Time Magic' for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in 2013

JimboJones123

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
The Halloween Show at the Diamond Horseshoe was just fantastic. The Cadaver Dans sang Boo to you, The Headless Horseman Song, HM, Ghostriders in the Sky, Home on the Range. The Magician and Pianist were both wonderfully fun as well. The hostess chick was kinda bland. It was mostly due to her lack of scripting. She was given much more fluidity to ad lib and it did not work out well. If they would have scripted her a few more songs and actual direction instead of begging for birthdays and anniversaries like every other Disney show/meal does, it would have been better.
 
JimboJones123

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
I was lucky enough to catch Billy Hill & the Hillbillies at DL in the Golden Horseshoe a few years ago.

With both shows, they mentioned several times how honored they were to be performing on those specific stages.
 
nepalostparks

nepalostparks

Well-Known Member
So now that the week is over (didn't want to spoil it for anyone else who was going to it), here's the details on my experience on the backstage tour at Animal Kingdom.

Check in was painless, just gave my name outside the gate at the little table they had set up for us and waited until the appointed start time. They took us through the main gate, then off the to the left where we exited backstage near the entrance to Rainforest Cafe.

The group was split between two vans - we each got the same experience, just in a different order. Our group first went to the lion barn, which required taking the backstage road around the west side of the park. We passed the current and new Festival of the Lion King buildings. The new building structure looks complete, but it looked just about empty inside at this point through the large wall section that was not yet installed (likely for easy access with all the work to be done).

At the lion barn, we met two trainers/keepers, who detailed their experience and the routines for the lions. On our visit, the older pair of lions - Nairobi and Savanna, if memory serves me - were in the barn while the younger group was on show. We got to see the two lions through two sets of fences. We heard about their diet, health care, how the collect samples of blood, urine and feces (yes, it was detailed), and about their normal routines. The keepers also talked about their own career paths, as one of the people in our group was in college and her career goal was to become a big cat keeper in a zoo. Also worth noting, the area we visited had two other barns next door - warthogs, and one of the hoofed animal bars which kept some of the savanna animals.

Our next stop was the animal care center. One of the vets showed us a number of the projects both inside and outside the park that they participate in - everything from research and conservation projects around the world to helping local Florida birds and reptiles recover after accidents. We also went into the hospital rooms themselves, including the on-stage exam/operating room. Again, lots of very detailed information about the equipment and procedures used for animals both large and small.

After that, we returned back to the front of the park, and re-entered in the same place we left, near Rainforest Cafe.

Overall, it was a very interesting glimpse into the care for the animals at Animal Kingdom, and being able to see backstage was a real treat as well, since not everyone gets that opportunity.

A few things that I thought were less than stellar included the lack of bottled water on the tour. The tour itself only lasted about 90 minutes, but it would have been nice to have a bottle provided either at the start or along the way, since we did spend some of our time out in the heat and sun at the lion barn. Also, while they did tell us no photography backstage, I learned that some groups last week were allowed to take pictures at the animal hospital, although our group was not given that opportunity. The tour group on the first day also apparently received a special pin commemorating the experience - our group did not receive that. Not sure if it was only the first day's group, or if they just forgot it on ours.
 
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RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
nepalostparks said:
So now that the week is over (didn't want to spoil it for anyone else who was going to it), here's the details on my experience on the backstage tour at Animal Kingdom.

Check in was painless, just gave my name outside the gate at the little table they had set up for us and waited until the appointed start time. They took us through the main gate, then off the to the left where we exited backstage near the entrance to Rainforest Cafe.

The group was split between two vans - we each got the same experience, just in a different order. Our group first went to the lion barn, which required taking the backstage road around the west side of the park. We passed the current and new Festival of the Lion King buildings. The new building structure looks complete, but it looked just about empty inside at this point through the large wall section that was not yet installed (likely for easy access with all the work to be done).

At the lion barn, we met two trainers/keepers, who detailed their experience and the routines for the lions. On our visit, the older pair of lions - Nairobi and Savanna, if memory serves me - were in the barn while the younger group was on show. We got to see the two lions through two sets of fences. We heard about their diet, health care, how the collect samples of blood, urine and feces (yes, it was detailed), and about their normal routines. The keepers also talked about their own career paths, as one of the people in our group was in college and her career goal was to become a big cat keeper in a zoo. Also worth noting, the area we visited had two other barns next door - warthogs, and one of the hoofed animal bars which kept some of the savanna animals.

Our next stop was the animal care center. One of the vets showed us a number of the projects both inside and outside the park that they participate in - everything from research and conservation projects around the world to helping local Florida birds and reptiles recover after accidents. We also went into the hospital rooms themselves, including the on-stage exam/operating room. Again, lots of very detailed information about the equipment and procedures used for animals both large and small.

After that, we returned back to the front of the park, and re-entered in the same place we left, near Rainforest Cafe.

Overall, it was a very interesting glimpse into the care for the animals at Animal Kingdom, and being able to see backstage was a real treat as well, since not everyone gets that opportunity.

A few things that I thought were less than stellar included the lack of bottled water on the tour. The tour itself only lasted about 90 minutes, but it would have been nice to have a bottle provided either at the start or along the way, since we did spend some of our time out in the heat and sun at the lion barn. Also, while they did tell us no photography backstage, I learned that some groups last week were allowed to take pictures at the animal hospital, although our group was not given that opportunity. The tour group on the first day also apparently received a special pin commemorating the experience - our group did no receive that. Not sure if it was only the first day's group, or if they just forgot it on ours.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing. I had heard that they brought in a younger pair of lions but have yet to hear it confirmed.
 
nepalostparks

nepalostparks

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Thanks for sharing. I had heard that they brought in a younger pair of lions but have yet to hear it confirmed.
Click to expand...

The second set is one male and two females I believe. One of the things they detailed on the tour is that they are currently giving the two females birth control, as they do not feel it is in the best interest to have either of them having offspring at this point, although they do intend to have them do so at a later point.
 
dreamfinder

dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Thanks for sharing. I had heard that they brought in a younger pair of lions but have yet to hear it confirmed.
Click to expand...
nepalostparks said:
The second set is one male and two females I believe.
Click to expand...

Our last trip did have 3 lions out, the CM on the safaris did say it was one male, 2 females, and they were younger so they were hoping that they would be a bit more energetic for guests. That last part may have just been his own commentary.
 

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