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

[ToTBellHop]

without a chlorinated river there will be no mist screens or water cannons, jets, or the like. too close to people for spraying unhygienic water into the air. only possible to be used on a barge with on board chlorinated water supply.

That's not too difficult.

Not to say Paradise Bay is clean and you certainly get that crap sprayed on you. But, I agree with you. Lots of bacteria in the Discovery River that we don't need to aerate.

 

[ToTBellHop]

NOT fond of an amphitheatre being built right in the middle of Asia.
I have taken pictures in that area and fooled people that I was actually
in Asia. I don't think an Amphitheatre would enhance the theme . . . .

Isn't the 140 foot tree/oil rig in the background a giveaway? Maybe they are transitioning to a downtown Shanghai look.

 

[GoofGoof]

I would guess that they expect this will cause a significant uptick in attendance, which should cover the extra expense. When there are more guests in the park, more tickets are sold, and then it trickles down into additional food and merchandise. I would be surprised if they build an extra restaurant specifically for this show, at least for the time being

As for Flame Tree, I doubt it would be used for viewing space. The view from the back of WOC is terrible, and this seems to also be pointed in one direction. Hopefully the live performers will allow better views from a longer stretch of walkway, but I don't expect there to be much worth seeing from the "back". I suspect dinner packages will be more like Candlelight, Fantasmic! or WOC, where you eat dinner and are then given a ticket to your viewing area, rather than watching the show from the restaurant

Attendance should go up, but with multi-day tickets that's might not drive as much of an uptick in revenue. One of the biggest complaints about AK is its a 1/2 day park. People generally leave before dinner and go do something else (maybe off property). If you can keep people there into the night they will eat dinner and potentially drink too. Alcohol and food have huge markups. The goal of significant additional per guest spending is achieved.

I'm not saying they need to add a restaurant just for the show, but dinner packages at EPCOT and DHS are pretty popular so it makes a lot of sense to offer one at AK. As you stated it could be similar to Fantasmic where you get a ticket to a viewing area instead of sitting in the restaurant for the show. Either way AK needs more table service dining.

 

[twebber55]

Attendance should go up, but with multi-day tickets that's might not drive as much of an uptick in revenue. One of the biggest complaints about AK is its a 1/2 day park. People generally leave before dinner and go do something else (maybe off property). If you can keep people there into the night they will eat dinner and potentially drink too. Alcohol and food have huge markups. The goal of significant additional per guest spending is achieved.

I'm not saying they need to add a restaurant just for the show, but dinner packages at EPCOT and DHS are pretty popular so it makes a lot of sense to offer one at AK. As you stated it could be similar to Fantasmic where you get a ticket to a viewing area instead of sitting in the restaurant for the show. Either way AK needs more table service dining.

agree
i think they need one more table service restaurant. besides whats coming in Pandora, to accommodate the crowds

 

[flynnibus]

WDW needs to combat the problem of the entire property draining down to the MK every evening. The way to do that is to get people to stay in certain parks LONGER.. not do 2-3 things and then leave. Adding AK night entertainment is a way to help do that.

WDW has 4 parks... but effectively only uses 1-2 after 8pm. That contributes so much to the crowding. Extending the days at other parks helps diffuse things.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Really excited for this nighttime show.

Still interested to see what other rides and experiences they could add besides Avatar to help keep guests happy.
I've said it before, but 2-3 smaller rides (on the scale of Dumbo, Peter Pan, Norway, etc) would really go a looooong way to help guests enjoy AK.

I'm afraid if they add Avatar and the nighttime show (and night safari) that guests will complain there is not enough to do for a whole day.

 

[FutureWorld1982]

This is just pure speculation, but if they were to cut down the trees in front of Theater in the Wild, it would provide a pretty good viewing area next to the possible one across from EE. I kind of illustrated it on Google Maps, and the two together would work pretty well for the show.
View attachment 52732
Of course, that means a significant loss of trees, but that area feels like the least heinous place to do it.

I was imagining the exact same thing. I was also envisioning a new, secondary bridge (next to the existing one between Asia and DinoLand U.S.A.) that would connect the two amphitheaters.

 

[Bairstow]

without a chlorinated river there will be no mist screens or water cannons, jets, or the like. too close to people for spraying unhygienic water into the air. only possible to be used on a barge with on board chlorinated water supply.

Why not just pipe it in from somewhere?
I would imagine that the mist screens are much more particular about being fed clean water than the air cannons.

 

[ToTBellHop]

WDW needs to combat the problem of the entire property draining down to the MK every evening. The way to do that is to get people to stay in certain parks LONGER.. not do 2-3 things and then leave. Adding AK night entertainment is a way to help do that.

WDW has 4 parks... but effectively only uses 1-2 after 8pm. That contributes so much to the crowding. Extending the days at other parks helps diffuse things.

Each park should get new nighttime spectaculars. It would actually be relatively cheap to do (relative to new rides) and get tremendous bang for buck. It is odd that we get this new show, a new MK firework show, but keep the two oldest nighttime spectaculars on property.

 

[COProgressFan]

WDW needs to combat the problem of the entire property draining down to the MK every evening. The way to do that is to get people to stay in certain parks LONGER.. not do 2-3 things and then leave. Adding AK night entertainment is a way to help do that.

WDW has 4 parks... but effectively only uses 1-2 after 8pm. That contributes so much to the crowding. Extending the days at other parks helps diffuse things.

Agree with this, but isn't it interesting how Disney created this problem in the first place? By regularly closing the other parks earlier than the MK (even Epcot with all its food/beverage offerings), the MK is often the only choice in the evenings.

It seems like this was actually part of their strategy for a number of years, as they reduced hours and reduced offerings at other parks (or failed to introduce new experiences to draw more guests, especially at night). Now as a result, the MK is so over crowded in the evenings as it is often the only place to go (and we get more pavement in the hub to boot!).

I welcome the additions to DAK, however, and hope the show can be created without the need to clearcut foliage.

 

[flynnibus]

Each park should get new nighttime spectaculars. It would actually be relatively cheap to do (relative to new rides) and get tremendous bang for buck. It is odd that we get this new show, a new MK firework show, but keep the two oldest nighttime spectaculars on property.

Remember there are different colors of money - OpEx and CapEx. Entertainment is labor intensive with higher paid staff and is operating expenses. Fireworks take expensive techs, etc that are not that elastic in their staffing. While a ride is very expensive, it has a long lifespan over which you have tax benefits, and is staffed by some of the cheapest labor on property

So I don't disagree that they should be acting to fill out the parks to make each greater destinations in their own self.. but there are reasons entertainment/shows can look unattractive and why they can be the first to be monkey'd with... especially if you are measured by keeping OpEx low, etc.

 

[flynnibus]

Agree with this, but isn't it interesting how Disney created this problem in the first place? By regularly closing the other parks earlier than the MK (even Epcot with all its food/beverage offerings), the MK is often the only choice in the evenings.

It seems like this was actually part of their strategy for a number of years, as they reduced hours and reduced offerings at other parks (or failed to introduce new experiences to draw more guests, especially at night). Now as a result, the MK is so over crowded in the evenings as it is often the only place to go (and we get more pavement in the hub to boot!).

Yes it is a self-inflicted problem. Examples like cutting nighttime entertainment, hours, the types of attractions, closing PI, failing to promote out of park activities, etc... they basically have created this big funnel to the MK.

I think it's all been a prolonged transformation of visiting patterns since the 9/11 cutbacks. Disney has let it snowball and encouraged it with it's own choices.

It is expensive to run 4 parks concurrently... doesn't it sound like a great idea to trim that number? But as they say, you keep cutting fat, eventually you start cutting muscle too. It's a challenging balancing act the company must find the best of all worlds in.. but of late they certainly have swung too far to one side.

 

[Bairstow]

It's really confusing to me why Disney continues to pump so much money into the Magic Kingdom- not just with New Fantasyland, but with constant, needless upgrades to Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, etc.

It's like they just can't help themselves from gilding the lily.

 

[flynnibus]

without a chlorinated river there will be no mist screens or water cannons, jets, or the like. too close to people for spraying unhygienic water into the air. only possible to be used on a barge with on board chlorinated water supply.

You're basing this on what?

Disneyland's dark water system is used for F! and is not clorinated. WoC's water supply isn't fully treated either.

 

[Matt_Black]

It's really confusing to me why Disney continues to pump so much money into the Magic Kingdom- not just with New Fantasyland, but with constant, needless upgrades to Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, etc.

It's like they just can't help themselves from gilding the lily.

You'd think it was the focal point of Walt Disney World or something, and the most popular theme park in the world.

 

[xdan0920]

It's really confusing to me why Disney continues to pump so much money into the Magic Kingdom- not just with New Fantasyland, but with constant, needless upgrades to Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, etc.

It's like they just can't help themselves from gilding the lily.

Not only were those upgrades needed, but MK needs MORE upgrades.

Unless you are being facetious, and I lost the plot here.

 

[Bairstow]

You'd think it was the focal point of Walt Disney World or something, and the most popular theme park in the world.

I'll give you that it's a strategy, but maybe not the best strategy if they want to maximize the earning potential of all four parks.
At least New Fantasyland is going to help with capacity.
Replacing the hitchhiking ghosts at Mansion with TV screens does not. At a certain point it just feels like they're fiddling.
Meanwhile, south of Vista Boulevard, entire theme parks are getting staler by the day.

 

[dstrawn9889]

'keep moving forward'

 

[doctornick]

Really excited for this nighttime show.

Still interested to see what other rides and experiences they could add besides Avatar to help keep guests happy.
I've said it before, but 2-3 smaller rides (on the scale of Dumbo, Peter Pan, Norway, etc) would really go a looooong way to help guests enjoy AK.

I'm afraid if they add Avatar and the nighttime show (and night safari) that guests will complain there is not enough to do for a whole day.

Exactly. They at least need to bring back another day parade to entertain crowds during the afternoon. But a few rides -- even small dark rides or flat rides -- would IMHO be critical to keep people occupied all day at DAK. Otherwise we might see a reverse phenomaina as to what happens today and have people go to another park in the morning and then go to DAK in the afternoon to ride the rides and see the night time show.

 

[DocMcHulk]

This is just pure speculation, but if they were to cut down the trees in front of Theater in the Wild, it would provide a pretty good viewing area next to the possible one across from EE. I kind of illustrated it on Google Maps, and the two together would work pretty well for the show.
View attachment 52732
Of course, that means a significant loss of trees, but that area feels like the least heinous place to do it.

They could build out into the water too.