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

[DVCOwner]

In my opinon, the nets around the ToL are a perfect microcosm of everything that is wrong with TDO these days. TDO knows there is a structural problem with the Tree of Life. Instead of fixing the issue, they apply a "temporary" fix by putting up all the nets and fences. Another example where show quality gets pushed aside for the budget. There is nothing inherently wrong with putting up the nets if they were there temporarily until a full refurb could be done; but, it has been years now. That is what is rotten in Orlando these days - temporary becomes permanent. Short term wins out of the long term.

I was being facitious earlier when I said "heavy LEDs" requiring the ToL to get refurbed. We all know that won't be the case as LEDs are lightweight. I'm sure TDO will put the refurb under the guise of reinforcing the ToL for the new show. If you believe that, then there is time share and wrist band they'd love to sell you too.

My fear is that the nets will stay and the paths around the Tree will remain closed as we know from history, once Disney taketh it rarely returneth.

You are great at finding a black lining in a silver cloud. Disney is start to spend money at Walt Disney World and I think some of that is going to go into fixing the problems. Many rehabs are underway and let us hope for more to come.

 

[danlb_2000]

The concept art seems to show seating.

Here is a map I posted from the permit that was filed back in January for the AK additions. For each drainage basin the permit lists the number of acres increase in buildings and decrease in pavement. So these are the area that are going to get large changes. Basin CDE is where Avatar is going, but you can see that basin FG, which is where this show will go, has an even larger number.

Basin A: .31
Basin CDE: 4.01
Basin FG: 4.12
Basin J: .72

 

[themonkeyisthesultan]

I wonder if there is anywhere they can squeeze in a table service restaurant with a big patio or deck overlooking the show? If they want us to stay until 9PM we have to eat somewhere. Leveraging off of the EPCOT idea of having waterfront dining with views of the show would likely be wildly popular.

Flametree Barbecue has a nice view of the water with Everest in the background, provided the show is designed to be seen from that angle.

 

[GoofGoof]

Flametree Barbecue has a nice view of the water with Everest in the background, provided the show is designed to be seen from that angle.

I was thinking about that. I wonder if they would consider converting it to a TS restaurant. I hope if they did they would relocate Flametree somewhere in the park. One of my favorites. In order to justify keeping the park open the extra time and adding nighttime entertainment they need to make money from something. They need to increase guest spending. Sit down dinner has to be part of it. I'm guessing Pandora will have a new sit down restaurant, but they could use a few more.

 

[doctornick]

I was thinking about that. I wonder if they would consider converting it to a TS restaurant. I hope if they did they would relocate Flametree somewhere in the park. One of my favorites. In order to justify keeping the park open the extra time and adding nighttime entertainment they need to make money from something. They need to increase guest spending. Sit down dinner has to be part of it. I'm guessing Pandora will have a new sit down restaurant, but they could use a few more.

Agreed, DAK could use another sit down place in addition to the "flex" one that is coming with Pandora, if they are going to have longer hours in the park.

 

[themonkeyisthesultan]

I think this is an interesting reply made to two people who mentioned a resemblance between the concept art and the transformation scene from "Brother Bear".

"Ryan and Kevin – You may be on to something there! That sequence in “Brother Bear” drew from Inuit legends related to the aurora borealis, a natural phenomenon described by some as “rivers of light in the sky.”

"

 

[Kman101]

As long as they moved Flametree somewhere else (it's also one of my favorites), I'd be OK with them using that space. It does have some really nice views.

 

[twebber55]

Here is a map I posted from the permit that was filed back in January for the AK additions. For each drainage basin the permit lists the number of acres increase in buildings and decrease in pavement. So these are the area that are going to get large changes. Basin CDE is where Avatar is going, but you can see that basin FG, which is where this show will go, has an even larger number.

Basin A: .31
Basin CDE: 4.01
Basin FG: 4.12
Basin J: .72

once again proving why you re one of the great posters on this site
well done

 

[DManRightHere]

Are there good viewing locations of the water? I thought the water seemed way below the pedestrian walkways.

 

[BacchusStoppus]

I still think Steve Davison is over rated and this show is 15 years too late.

 

[Bairstow]

I don't know if it was earlier in this conversation or in another one, but I put forward the idea of terraced viewing areas covered with artificial turf. Make them look something like terraced tea fields (which I think was what they were going for in the small area near the bridge between EE and the Nemo theater). The artificial turf won't get worn away by Guests like real grass would, but it would look green and nice the rest of the time.

Basically they'd look like the viewing areas for WoC, but grassy.

If they needed railings between sections and could keep the viewing areas closed during the day, they could install pop-up railings that stayed hidden during the day to keep the view open, but rose up before they opened the area to Guests for the show.

-Rob

This is a really clever idea.

 

[MarkTwain]

Agreed. And I know it is sacrilege to say, but I have not been head over heals in love with everything from Davison (most of his work is fantastic). There are shows on property now that I think are fantastic that are not from Davison.

I'd love to hear more of your opinion behind his shows from someone who loves his work. Interesting to see a different point of view.

I think his shows are great, but they definitely have a distinctive style: very big and extravagant, heavy on fantasy and often over-the-top (in a good way). I think that works great for castle parks and shows like World of Color, and seems especially perfect for what seems like his most frequent audience, Tokyo Disneyland. I do think for a more realism-based park like Animal Kingdom, a more subtle (but still spectacular) show might be appropriate, perhaps with the tone of like a nature-themed Illuminations. I'm not saying Davison couldn't pull it off, just that I'd be interested to see how another Imagineer could do it.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Flametree Barbecue has a nice view of the water with Everest in the background, provided the show is designed to be seen from that angle.

It's likely that this show would be 360 degrees. As such, I would expect Flametree to have a dinner package.

 

[twebber55]

It's likely that this show would be 360 degrees. As such, I would expect Flametree to have a dinner package.

BBQ and a night time show, im in

 

[FerretAfros]

I was thinking about that. I wonder if they would consider converting it to a TS restaurant. I hope if they did they would relocate Flametree somewhere in the park. One of my favorites. In order to justify keeping the park open the extra time and adding nighttime entertainment they need to make money from something. They need to increase guest spending. Sit down dinner has to be part of it. I'm guessing Pandora will have a new sit down restaurant, but they could use a few more.

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

 

[SpectroMan93]

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.

Of course, that means a significant loss of trees, but that area feels like the least heinous place to do it.

 

[flynnibus]

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.

Those areas are 90 deg of each other. That means one would be completely off axis.. or both need to be at least 45 off axis. Neither is good for a projection mist screen or forward looking stages. Given the concept art showed a central element, having both areas wouldn't work well. You can improve that by having more screens, and things moving around in the pond, but the concept art doesn't really play to that.

 

[dstrawn9889]

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.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Those areas are 90 deg of each other. That means one would be completely off axis.. or both need to be at least 45 off axis. Neither is good for a projection mist screen or forward looking stages. Given the concept art showed a central element, having both areas wouldn't work well. You can improve that by having more screens, and things moving around in the pond, but the concept art doesn't really play to that.

Right. I'm sure someone more talented with photo editing than me could do this, but by my rough approximation, the space, as is, is maybe 70% the size of Fantasmic!s seating. They could pretty easily expand the land into the Discovery River to get this space up to the seating amount given to Fantasmic!

 

[Atomicmickey]

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 . . . .