Festival of the Lion King moving to Africa

[Cosmic Commando]

Can't you already see the buildings on the train ride?

That IS the train ride.

 

[James Edwards]

Why not put the Festival of the Lion King Into Rafaki's planet watch. They could add a childrens coaster, themed Pumba, and a circle of life carousel and rename the land Simba's Prideland.

 

[raven]

Just by looking at Google Maps, it could fit behind Tusker House. There's a stub of a path between Tusker House and the river that could be extended and the theater could be put back there, with easy access to the backstage road.

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

 

[JustInTime]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

Thanks for that. You practically made my day.

 

[drew81]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

I would like to know if any of this love will be new animal exhibits.

 

[cheezbat]

Aside from Avatarland, I'm really curious what other 'love' well be seeing.

Any hints?

 

[NoChesterHester]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

While this gives me hope, I was really looking forward to Rafiki's being a thing of the past. It is so out of place in a park that is so expertly executed in theme.

I know... the park needs more capacity, not less.

I'm hoping the "love" adds some mid level attractions. More then anything AK needs some nicely themed smallish rides to make the little ones happy. The other "love" it needs is some spots for AC...

 

[Redsky89]

The move would make sense to me. The movie takes place in Africa...so have the show in Africa lol.

 

[RSoxNo1]

What? Worried that you might be able to see a show building from the train ride?

I don't think it belongs right in the village like Mombasa Marketplace or Tamu Tamu, but I think you could have a path leading behind the village with some Harambe-appropriate signage pointing you in the direction of the show. Like I said earlier, there is pretty much no chance that you just stumble upon FotLK right now. The healthy crowds that it gets are all people seeking it out, so it doesn't need to be in your face in the village.

Definitely not the show building issue. That's easy enough to either hide or ignore. The train station and the subsequent loop it travels in is in a horrible spot. It's up against the Maharajah Jungle Trek and short of a long winding pathway there's really no logical way to get to the path North of Asia. While this isn't an immediate concern, if they're going to move Festival of the Lion King they can address this issue as part of it.

While I don't disagree with you as a giant panda environment would be a major positive addition to the park, I thought there were issues with incorporating them due to their very particular environmental needs. If memory serves me well (and it rarely does), whenever this topic has been broached, posters seem to indicate that the Powers That Be wouldn't be interested in the added complexity/inflexibility a giant panda exhibit would require.

I know the enclosure specifications are very strict, but there have been rumors about this for a while. With Shanghai moving forward it seems that there may be more to the rumor. Don't get me wrong, if they wanted to add rides between now and Avatar, that would be great too, but I think Pandas is a more realistic option.

I believe the last plans that where being thrown around was to remove flights of wonder and place the new FoLK in that location. There was also talk of using the version from Hong Kong.

Flights of Wonder is in Asia, but I could see this as a possibility. What are the differences between the Florida and Hong Kong versions?

Doesn't Disney still have a lengthy contract with Steve Martin/Natural Encounters Inc for Flights of Wonder?

I've never heard anything about Steve Martin or Natural Encounters being at all connected to the Animal Kingdom.

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

Thanks for the info, I assume Jungle Trek infrastructure will also be relocated?

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

This makes SOOO much sense! I'm glad it's actually happening!

 

[jt04]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

This is awesome news. I can't picture the new walkway but I certainly understand the logic of it. Necessary and very welcome to ease congestion.

Any hints on increased show capacity and other enhancements? I am really hoping for an immersively themed theater environment worthy of the attraction.

Do you know if this will open with the closing of the current show? If so, I would assume that would mean construction would start very soon so that Avatar construction can commence also.

 

[drew81]

I've never heard anything about Steve Martin or Natural Encounters being at all connected to the Animal Kingdom.

He helped develop Flights and his company still runs it as far as I know.

 

[startraveler]

As of last October I know the flights of wonder was run by Steve Martin. The bird handler CMs were not Disney employees. But it sounds like that won't be the location.

 

[rioriz]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

Well seems like the doom and gloom may have been for nothing...thanks for the info

 

[jt04]

Well seems like the doom and gloom may have been for nothing...thanks for the info

It inevitably is. My favorite was all those reasons we were given by some of why it couldn't go in this location.

Engineers can always find a way. When in doubt just build a bridge.

 

[Alektronic]

This makes SOOO much sense! I'm glad it's actually happening!

Remember, things being planned and things actually happening are two different things, everything still is being planned and a lot of things can change between then and now. When they start the actual construction, then you will know if it is actually happening.

 

[Ignohippo]

Well,m

Remember, things being planned and things actually happening are two different things, everything still is being planned and a lot of things can change between then and now. When they start the actual construction, then you will know if it is actually happening.

Well, when the company CEO is the one behind the effort, you can almost guarantee it'll happen. More likely when, and not if.

 

[autigger]

Yep. This is the spot where it will be moving to. It will also have it's own restrooms, extensive queue (with FP) and have a separate connecting walkway to Discovery Island as well.

AK will be getting some much needed love over the next several years.

Very good news. This make so much sense. Thank you for posting.

Animal Kingdom is the Orlando park with the most potential. If Disney would put the same kind of emphasis on Animal Kingdom as they just did at DCA, it could rival Tokyo DisneySea.

 

[Alektronic]

Well,m

Well, when the company CEO is the one behind the effort, you can almost guarantee it'll happen. More likely when, and not if.

The CEO said they are moving FotLK behind Tusker House and adding an separate entrance?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Well,m

Well, when the company CEO is the one behind the effort, you can almost guarantee it'll happen. More likely when, and not if.

The CEO said Avatarland is being built (rather testily). I highly doubt that even if Iger is aware there is a show called FotLK at Animal Kingdom (which he very well may NOT be aware of), he most likely has no awareness (nor would he care) about it being moved. He cares that Avatar is done and done with a reasonable budget.