Take a Tour of Pandora with Joe Rohde with D23 and AP Previews Book Up Quickly

On Friday May 19, D23 members have a chance of a lifetime by spending an afternoon touring Pandora: The World of Avatar before it opens with Joe Rohde, Portfolio Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. Rohde was the lead imagineer for Pandora: The World of Avatar and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Tickets for the even is $250/person plus a $5 processing fee. Tickets for the event will go on sale beginning Wednesday, April 5 at 10 a.m. PDT/ 1 p.m. EDT. Here is what guests can expect:

OVERVIEW:
Be among the first to explore Pandora – The World of Avatar not only before it opens to the public, but with Joe Rohde, Portfolio Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering! In addition to a guided walk-through of the exotic new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park with Joe, attendees will enjoy lunch at Tiffins with Mr. Rohde and fellow D23 Members.

DETAILS:
Experience begins at 11:00 a.m. and will last approximately three hours. Check-in will begin in front of Tiffins restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Please do not arrive before 10:45 a.m.

Attendees are invited to return to Pandora – The World of Avatar to join an exploration window on their own from 3 – 5 p.m. the same day.

Available to Gold and Gold Family Members
You will be required to show a photo ID. Members will be required to show their D23 Membership Card.

Before Pandora – The World of Avatar opens May 27 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, D23 is thrilled to transport a limited number of members to the all-new land for a once-in-a-lifetime afternoon with Joe Rohde, Portfolio Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering!

Guests will travel to Pandora – The World of Avatar with Joe to explore the Valley of Mo’ara, a verdant terrain sprawling beneath mountains that appear to float in the sky. Throughout the guided tour, guests will learn how the thriving Pandoran landscape conveys intrinsic park messages of the value of nature, transformation through adventure, conservation and stewardship.

In addition to the D23-exclusive tour, guests will join Joe for lunch at Tiffins—a restaurant that celebrates the adventures of traveling.

That afternoon, attendees are invited to return to Pandora to join an exploration window on their own from 3 – 5 p.m. During this time, guests will also have the opportunity to soar on the back of a mountain banshee during Avatar Flight of Passage, and venture deep into the bioluminescent rainforest during the Na’vi River Journey.*

This once-in-a-lifetime experience wouldn’t be complete without a custom gift, created exclusively for you.

*Event is subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather. As this is an early exploration of Pandora – The World of Avatar, please note that access to some areas of the Valley of Mo’ara on Pandora may be limited during your visit.

NOTE

• D23 Gold and Gold Family Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest.
• Due to the nature of this experience, all attendees must be at least 21 years of age or older to partake in this D23 event.
• This event does not include admission to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Guests will need to have or purchase admission to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to attend. If planning to use a Walt Disney World Annual Passport to attend, each guest should check blockout dates to verify that the pass is valid for admission on Friday, May 19.
• A very limited number of tickets are available. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event.
• All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable.

Also today, Annual Passholder registration for previews of Pandora: The World of Avatar opened and booked up within hours of opening. The previews for Annual Passholders will take place between May 13 through May 22. Here are the details for their previews:

• All Guests must be Passholders in order to register for a time slot to preview Pandora – The World of Avatar.
• Guests may only register for one (1) time slot over the course of the preview period.
• If an Annual Passholder would like to register a Guest to accompany them, that Guest must also have a valid annual pass for admission to the event’s theme park location on the date of the event, be listed on your Family &
• Friends list and have opted to share “All My Plans” with you.
• Passholders with confirmed reservations will receive an additional email with details on how to check in for this experience, by May 12, 2017.
• All Guests must present their valid annual pass (or linked MagicBand), government issued ID and confirmation page to a Cast Member in order to enter Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park and Pandora – The World of Avatar on the date of your preview.
• Availability is subject to change without notice.
• Event is subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather.
• Guests must meet appropriate boarding and height requirements for the attractions.
• Capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Due to limited capacity, modifications to existing reservations will not be available.
• Limit one reservation per Passholder. Reservations are nontransferable and void if sold or otherwise transferred.

Pandora: The World of Avatar will open to all guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom on May 27, 2017. 

Source: D23.com

It's Happening: Rivers of Light to Debut Next Week, Dining Packages Announced

The news we never thought was coming is finally official. Rivers of Light at Disney's Animal Kingdom will debut next Friday, February 17. Shows of the new nighttime spectacular will occur every other day on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday's after the official debut next Friday. 

The shows will occur once a day at 7:15 until April 8th. On April 9, the show will move to daily showings twice a night. This is coming from Disney World's website, an official announcement on the Disney Parks Blog should come later today. 

When the show moves to daily, there will be two showings at 8:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. The only day the show is not available after that is May 24, which is presumed media preview of Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Also, dining packages for Rivers of Light were made available at Tiffins and Tusker House Restaurant. At Tusker House for breakfast it will cost $39 for adults and $23 for children ages 3-9. For lunch and dinner, adults will be $52 and it will be $32 for children ages 3-9. For Tiffins the dining package will be available for lunch and dinner where adults will cost $67 and children ages 3-9 will cost $26. For more details on the dining packages visit the Walt Disney World website here.

Is Rivers of Light Delayed Until May 2017?; DINOSAUR Refurbishment Extended a Month Longer

Is Rivers of Light Delayed Until May 2017?:

The Rivers of Light saga continues to be a mystery as today some revelation on the nighttime spectacular may have been leaked today. A discovery by several people on Disney World's website revealed that dining packages for the new show leaked  to show that they would begin May 1, 2017. 

In those details it revealed that three restaurants would be available in Tusker House and Flame Tree Barbecue, but the third option remained unnamed. One would think that option is Tiffins as that is Animal Kingdom's newest signature restaurant. However, the dining package page on the website was removed by late morning. 

Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Rivers of Light was just about ready to debut. Many were saying that it would be ready in the coming weeks if not by late Fall. Could Disney really be delaying the show for more than a year after it was originally slated to debut. Disney has yet to confirm any kind of official debut of Rivers of Light to this moment. In fact we are still waiting on an update about the nighttime show since it was delayed in April. 

If the May 1, 2017 date is really the official debut for Rivers of Light, it is kind of disappointing. The preview that Disney showed to the media looked really amazing. The anticipation for this nighttime spectacular is overwhelming and as always stay tuned for when we get official word on the debut of Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom.

DINOSAUR Refurbishment Extended a Month Longer:

DINOSAUR at Disney's Animal Kingdom was supposed to reopen next week on October 17. However, several guests have reported of receiving emails that their FastPass+ reservations for the attraction have been cancelled for the next 30 days. The new re-opening date for the attraction is now extended to November 20, 2016.

Have you had a FastPass+ reservation cancelled for DINOSAUR?

"Jungle Book: Alive with Magic" and More Awaken Animal Kingdom at Night Beginning Memorial Weekend

Tonight, during their Awaken Summer media preview, Disney World announced that "Jungle Book: Alive with Magic" show will open on the Discovery River beginning Memorial Day as the show and other nighttime experiences will begin as they awaken Animal Kingdom at night. "Jungle Book: Alive with Magic" will take place of Rivers of Light until it is ready. The media did get a small preview of Rivers of Light but it wasn't the full show. Here is the announcement from the Disney Parks Blog:

“Jungle Book: Alive with Magic” Show – For the summer, Discovery River will become the stage for a limited-engagement show inspired by Disney’s hit live-action film “The Jungle Book.” “Jungle Book: Alive with Magic” is filled with music and special effects that celebrates the new film and the classic songs, now infused with an Indian influence.

The Tree of Life Awakens – Disney Parks Blog author Thomas Smith previously shared the first look at this amazing sight, in which the park’s iconic Tree of Life undergoes an extraordinary “awakening.” You can expect to see animal spirits come to life throughout the evening by magical fireflies. Each scene appears to emanate from within the tree itself and reveals stories of wonder.

Kilimanjaro Safaris After Dark – Guests can enjoy Kilimanjaro Safaris in the evening hours, thanks to special lighting that will allow guests to explore the savanna – and its inhabitants – well into the night.

Harambe Wildlife Parti – Guests can turn into “party animals” at the Harambe Wildlife Parti and enjoy lively African music, exotic foods and drinks, and explore the local marketplace.

Discovery Island Carnivale – On Discovery Island, guests can join the local community in their celebration of their love for nature in this party that features music, dancers, stilt walkers, food and more.

Tiffins – Guests can enjoy the park’s newest eatery, Tiffins, for both lunch and dinner. Check out this previous post for a peek at what to expect from the menu.

Nighttime Attractions – The park’s attractions, now operating in the nighttime hours, will take on a whole new life. For the first time, guests will be able to experience the thrill of attractions like Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids – surrounded by darkness. They’ll also be able to enjoy colorful midway games and attractions in DinoLand, U.S.A.

Rivers of Light clearly won't be ready now until the fall at least but what the media saw tonight looks truly amazing and I can't wait to see it once it is completed. In the meantime these other new nighttime experiences at Animal Kingdom will surely keep us occupied while we wait for this amazing new nighttime spectacular. Animal Kingdom will truly be awakened with the new nighttime experiences.