Good Friday morning, everyone. Landon here!
The day has finally arrived at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Tomorrow, the wild animal park - and one of my favorites - will celebrate its 25th anniversary! Can you believe it? The theme park is Walt Disney World’s youngest park but also its biggest. Just a little bit of history, plans to develop Disney’s Animal Kingdom were first announced back on June 20, 1995. A couple months later, a groundbreaking ceremony took place and just a few months after that in December, the first tree was planted.🌱
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On June 12, 1996, a giraffe named Miles was the first animal to arrive. 🦒 Just a couple years later, on April 22, 1998, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened its doors to guests. The park has evolved over time with some of its attractions and shows fading away. Things like the Discovery River Boats, Journey Into Jungle Book, Tarzan Rocks! (debuted in 1999) and Primeval Whirl. Before “Pandora: The World of Avatar” amazed guests. who remembers Camp Minnie-Mickey? Some of my favorite things from the past was Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade (debuted in 2001).
I also enjoyed Rivers of Light … I know, some people didn’t care for it, but I thought it was great. That music was great. 🎵 Hakuna Matata
Today, the park is home to more than 2,000 animals, representing approximately 300 species – all managed and cared for under the guidelines of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. 🐘 Some opening day animals are still there! I got to learn about them this week. Tomorrow, on Earth Day, Walt Disney World plans to celebrate the milestone birthday with some special surprises including special PhotoPass opportunities 📸, merchandise, characters meet-and-greets and food and drinks.
Have you had any fun adventures at Disney’s Animal Kingdom over the past 25 years? I would love to hear them! Email me at lmcreynolds@wkmg.com.
One more thing at Animal Kingdom … how many of you have visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom lodge and talked with the cultural representatives, who are from Africa? I had the chance to talk with some of them who have returned to the resort. Their stories were fantastic. Say HELLO 👋 next time you’re there.
This is HALLOWEEN 🎃
Get those Jack-o’-lanterns out because we’re halfway to the Halloween season. This week, Walt Disney World announced the dates for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. 👻 The party will scare up some good fun beginning Aug. 11 and tickets will be available first for Walt Disney World resort guests. 👻 For those of you who have not been before, let me tell you it’s a TON of fun. Not only are the lines short for some of your favorite attractions, but you WILL walk out with a huge bag of some of your favorite candy including M&M’s, Skittles and Snickers.
Not only that, the nighttime spectacular “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular,” features Jack Skellington and a ton of goolish friends. 🕷️ The party is also a fun time to get creative and dress up like some of your favorite Disney characters.
Speaking of Halloween - be sure and head to the parks this weekend - they’re rolling out some special Halloween treats you might want to try.
Passholder perks 😃
Just as Walt Disney World started selling its annual passes for the first time in more than a year (hopefully you were able to get one 😬), we got some news out at Universal Orlando.
This week, the theme park announced that beginning next month, passholders will get a lineup of special limited-time perks including hotel discounts, exclusive foods and an awesome looking “Jurassic Park” 🦖 inspired UOAP magnet. 🤩 Not only that, at Island’s of Adventure, the theme park will officially open its new Universal Orlando passholder lounge. If you’re not an annual passholder, here is a link for more information.
A refreshed look ⛺🖌️
A collection of improvement projects are underway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. ⛺ This week, Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Vacation Club announced proposed plans to bring refreshed cabin hideaways to the resort that has been beloved by Disney guests for more than 50 years. Disney said each proposed, stand-alone cabin offers spacious accommodations, sleeping up to six adults, and features a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen and private patio.
The cabins are not the only thing changing out at Fort Wilderness. One dining experience, which I just experienced for the first time not long ago, has now closed to bring even more fun for future guests. What do you think of these new cabins? I can’t wait to see the final product. 👍
I’ll ‘sea’ you there 🏄♂️
Swimming our way over to SeaWorld Orlando this week, we got some news about “Pipeline: The Surf Coaster.” 🌊 The theme park posted an “updates” video on the coaster on social media. Within that video we received the news that the new coaster will in fact open NEXT MONTH! Thrill seekers get ready. This coaster will have you feeling as though you’re surfing the waves as it races up to heights of 110 feet in the air along the 2,950-feet of track. Passholders will be among the first riders to experience this attraction. More details about that will be coming soon.
Annual passholders should swing by the park this weekend for Earth Day. 🌍 Now through April 30, passholders can grab an awesome Earth Day pin for free at the SeaWorld Rescue Store.
One word: ADORABLE 🥰
Finally this week, I had to bring you some news out of Gatorland.
The reptile park has hundreds of alligators swimming around, but it also some new cats you HAVE to see. 😍 Say hello to panther siblings Yuma and Sakari. A park in the northeast reached out to Gatorland and asked if they had room for the two cubs and they happily took them in, with room to spare. Both cubs can be found running and even diving into a pond in the park’s Panther Springs habitat. They’re pretty small now but when full grown, Gatorland said both cats will weigh up to 150 pounds. I could have sat there for hours just watching them play.
The park has some other cool cats including Jabari and Lomasi, two bobcats. 🐈
🎢 Loop-the-loop thrills
🤹 Getting an inside look at the new acts at Disney and Cirque’s “Drawn to Life”
🏃 runDisney Virtual Summer Series shows of Disney100 medals, registration opening soon
🎟️ A 2-day Disney water park deal you should NOT miss
🎶 Weekend concerts 🎶
💐 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival: A Flock of Seagulls (April 22) , Jo Dee Messina (April 23)
🐬 SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival: Tito Nieves (April 22), Kameron Marlowe (April 23)
That will do it from me this week!
I hope you all have an incredible weekend - and I’ll see you again next Friday!
-Landon 😎