Rivers of Light to debut April 22 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
(UPDATE: Disney has delayed the debut of Rivers of Light. No date has yet been announced.)
The Animal Kingdom’s nighttime show, Rivers of Light, will debut April 22, Disney announced today. The date is auspicious because it is both Earth Day and the anniversary of the park’s opening day in 1998.
The show takes place in the Asia section of the park, not far from Expedition Everest. Disney has built extensive seating along the Discovery River, and there is a potentially spectacular view from the seating along the river behind the Flame Tree Barbecue.
Here’s how the Disney Parks blog describes the show: “(It) will depict an ancient lantern festival guided by two storytellers who call forth four animal Spirit Guides: an Asian Tiger, Tropical Turtle, African Elephant and Great Horned Owl. These Spirit Guides return at different points during the show to lead the audience through their journey through the Rivers of Light.”
The April 22 show is billed as the “official debut,” so there’s the potential for a soft opening before that day.
Lots of questions remain, including how many shows will happen each night (potentially three), when FastPasses will be available, and whether there will be dining packages available. Disney may answer those questions — and more — during a live chat on the Disney Parks Blog on Tuesday, March 8, at 1:15 p.m. Two of the show’s creative team members, two of the show’s creative team members, Michael Jung and Mark Renfrow, will be on hand to answer questions. Get your questions in now.
Disney also shared this glimpse into the new show:
