New nighttime show 'Rivers of Light' confirmed to be coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[TTA94]

The first time I saw WOC I was in literally jaw-dropping awe. It is BY FAR the most amazing show that Disney has ever produced. Although physically much smaller, I'm hoping that ROL has the same effect on me. But WOC is a hard act to follow...

I think a lot of people are expecting RoL to be like WoC, and that mindset and expectation could make RoL be a disappointment. It seems the only fountains in RoL will be the Lotus flowers.

 

[Cesar R M]

I think a lot of people are expecting RoL to be like WoC, and that mindset and expectation could make RoL be a disappointment. It seems the only fountains in RoL will be the Lotus flowers.

and the water canons(for projections)?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I don't think anyone expects ROL to be WOC. It's brutally obvious that it's not a giant fountain show. Just because it takes place on water doesn't mean it's going to be WOC.

 

[RandySavage]

^What I'm expecting is RoL to have a similar caliber impact as World of Color (or Wishes, IllumiNations or Fantasmic), though obviously through different means than fireworks or a multitude of synchronized fountains. It still needs to be an inspiring grand finale to a day at the park.

The comment posted here recently about "expect a close-up version of the middle act of IllumiNations" has put my expectations in check. I'm hoping they've figured out a way to have a much bigger impact than the middle part of IllumiNations, without the aid of pyrotechnics or massive fountain platform.

 

[FigmentForver96]

^What I'm expecting is RoL to have a similar caliber impact as World of Color (or Wishes, IllumiNations or Fantasmic), though obviously through different means than fireworks or a multitude of synchronized fountains. It still needs to be an inspiring grand finale to a day at the park.

The comment posted here recently about "expect a close-up version of the middle act of IllumiNations" has put my expectations in check. I'm hoping they've figured out a way to have a much bigger impact than the middle part of IllumiNations, without the aid of pyrotechnics or massive fountain platform.

Anyone who goes in thinking this is going to be the next HUGE nighttime spectacular deserves to be disappointed. This show, if it as described, will be a beautiful and elegant end to a park that is above all other stateside theme parks in beauty and majesty.

 

[Lirael]

It's vexing to see all the new, and usually unwanted, offerings being put out by disney while still waiting for anything surrounding this.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

This is totally beside the point of all of this...but...

Anyone know if the Yeti shrine got moved or if it is right where they left it?

I was always curious as to what might happen to it once this project started...?

 

[ChrisM]

Rohde's been around the park at night recently it seems. He posted this pic with his usual verbose narrative.

Night at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The park is quite compelling after dark. I have always loved walking around after dark in the various villages and towns we've encountered on our travels. Very often, even in touristic places, night brings a total change of mood. In Bali, for example, a bustling daytime street becomes a quiet playground lit only by pools of fluorescent light where kids ride scooters and people sit and talk quietly, music echoing from a nearby temple. Vendors no longer single you out for a pitch. That's work. Work is over. In Africa, in Lamu, much the same. Lamu is Muslim, highly influenced by the seagoing Arab cultures of the Southern Arabian peninsula, like Oman. In Arabic culture there is a concept called Samar. It sort of means that quiet congenial feeling when people gather after dark to tell stories, listen to poetry and music, and be together. We in the west tend to traditionally see night as a negative, something to be lit up brightly until it no longer really exists, like Times Square, where peregrine falcons hunt at midnite. But night is essential, as dreams are essential. We should let night be night, and enjoy living in two worlds instead of only one.

"Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality.
But...there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real,
but not as brightly lit... a darkside."

 

[DisneyJeff]

I don't know if this has been posted or not, but on the AK After Dark Attraction page on the WDW website they do state "Disney's Animal Kingdom Park Comes to Life Nightly on April 22, 2016", although no show times or FP+ information is provided (yet).

 

[Cletus]

 

[deere839]

got a feeling it might be budget cuts not to do FP for nightly shows if that's the case first come first serve for the seats

 

[ChristianG]

WHOAH

 

[Andrew C]

Shoulda put that in a spoiler!

 

[ToTBellHop]

got a feeling it might be budget cuts not to do FP for nightly shows if that's the case first come first serve for the seats

They are still using FP for shows (incl. Fantasmic) just not fireworks. Disney may be cheap but they understand crowd control is vital for this show.

 

[Brian Swan]

and the water canons(for projections)?

Based on the concept art, I certainly expect to see mist screens for projections, similar to what are used in F! (and on a much larger scale, WOC). Water cannons are the hydraulic/pneumatic systems used to shoot water 50-plus feet into the air (as in WOC). I don't expect to see those in RoL; they would have had to drain the river to install them, and it has been established that water table and ground stability issues would not make them feasible for AK.

And for the record, I'm not expecting this to be anything like WOC. The sheer size of WOC is what makes it jaw-dropping. I'm expecting the "awe" factor of RoL to come from the number of components and the overall effect of combining many lighting elements with practical floats, live performers, some fountains, and music. It will be a more "intimate" experience filled with many details that will make it unique (and a good parallel with the park, whose beauty is really in the details). If the quality of the recent DLR night time shows is any indicator, this may well become the best that WDW has to offer.

 

[skimbob]

I think ROL will add a little something to an already awesome park. I know I am in the minority but AK is my favorite of the four parks.

 

[wdwmagic]

Some photoshopping work?

I've since heard it is genuine.

 

[dgp602]

Wow. This isn't concept art or photo shop right?

 

[TalkingHead]

Anyone who goes in thinking this is going to be the next HUGE nighttime spectacular deserves to be disappointed. This show, if it as described, will be a beautiful and elegant end to a park that is above all other stateside theme parks in beauty and majesty.

Disney has set the expectation that the nighttime "entertainment" will be a jaw-dropping spectacle. If they serve up a restrained, minimalist, cerebral show, you can bet that most guests will walk away disappointed. That's not what Disney has conditioned the audience to expect. But it's all academic until the show opens.

There does seem to be chatter that this may not be a "typical" crowd pleaser. We'll see.

 

[FigmentForver96]

Disney has set the expectation that the nighttime "entertainment" will be a jaw-dropping spectacle. If they serve up a restrained, minimalist, cerebral show, you can bet that most guests will walk away disappointed. That's not what Disney has conditioned the audience to expect. But it's all academic until the show opens.

There does seem to be chatter that this may not be a "typical" crowd pleaser. We'll see.

From the art and what I've seen, and this is only going off what has been released, it will be big in a different way. My point is people going expecting something like World of Color, Fantasmic! Or Illuminations is practically asking to be let down.