Disney’s Animal Kingdom News for October 25, 2017: Hours Changed

Change in Extra Magic Days: A subtle change is coming up next week for the park. For some time now, Extra Magic Hours have been the mornings of Saturday and Monday. Starting next week, Monday will no longer have the extra magic but instead that will happen on Tuesday. But don't get used to it. The month of November sees a lot of switching around.




Hair Wraps Anyone?: Hair wraps have returned to the park. Gone since early January of this year, the products have returned being added to the Island Mercantile on Discovery Island. The only other place to obtain these currently is at the Caribbean Beach Resort.

Park Hours for this week are...

Thursday October 26 9 am - 8:30 pm
Friday October 27 9 am - 8:30 pm
Saturday October 28 9 am- 8:30 pm Extra Magic Hour in the morning
Sunday  October 29 9 am- 8 pm
Monday October 30  9 am- 8 pm

Tuesday October 31 9 am- 8 pm Extra Magic Hour in the morning

Wednesday November 1 9 am- 8 pm

DAK Theme Spotlight: Reclaiming

The theme of the Maharajah Jungle Trek and Anandapur in general is the reclamation of nature on man's world. And it is seen everywhere along the trail. Like this overgrown statue. 

The trek itself was once the palace of the rajah which has long since been left to nature which is now reclaiming the old grand palace, leaving behind crumbling walls and columns. 

Within the land set aside by the people of Anandapur, wildlife hides among the nooks and crannies of the ruins, like the tiger above. This gives the entire trail a unique look among zoological exhibits. 

A long time ago we did a detailed look into the theme of the trail and all the details to it. And way back in episode 3 of Radio Harambe we did a walk through highlighting not only the details of the place but the animals that live there.  

So now, I just wanted to give you a look at the way imagineers demonstrated the more broad theme of the land. And the beautiful way they show nature taking back mankind's work. 

All throughout the trail "ancient" murals are shown broken among crumbling walls that once housed the hunting lodge of the Rajah. 

The best spots for this might be the aviary which was once the ball room of the lodge. Now reclaimed by the jungle and the beautiful birds that live there. 

So next time you walk through the jungle trek, don't just enjoy the animal life, but make sure you take notice of the design and aesthetic that transports you to the far away place. 

By Safari Mike 

Disney's Animal Kingdom News for October 19, 2017: Kali Goes Down

Baby Giraffes are Adorable: Who doesn't like a baby giraffe? Over at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Momma Rori recently gave birth to little Gemma. At birth, Gemma was about 6 feet tall and weighed just under 160 pounds. Hopefully, you will get to see the "little" one soon.

Courtesy of Disney

Kali Refurb: Starting January 2nd, Kali River Rapids will be undergoing its annual refurbishment. Like with many water based attractions, this rapids ride needs some TLC every year. The attraction will reopen on February 10th.

Park Hours for this week are...
Thursday October 19 9 am - 9 pm
Friday October 20 9 am - 9 pm
Saturday October 21 9 am- 9:30 pm Extra Magic Hour in the morning
Sunday  October 22 9 am- 9 pm
Monday October 23  9 am- 9 pm Extra Magic Hour in the morning

Tuesday October 24 9 am- 8:30 pm 

Wednesday October 25 9 am- 8:30 pm

Disney's Animal Kingdom News for October 4, 2017: More animal babies

Change in Hours Again: Hours at the park have been somewhat flexible the last few weeks. In September, the crowds get lighter so park hours shifted down to 8:30 pm. Now, as we close in on Columbus Day weekend, the park hours are moving back up. However, instead of a set time, it seems closing with vary between 9 and 9:30 pm. So keep an eye on that if you are down there this month.

Hooded Pittas: The Hooded Pitta is a songbird found in Southeast Asia, or in Disney's case, Anandapur. Apparently, the breeding pair at the park are having a difficult time raising chicks on their own. So Disney cast members at the Aviary Research Center have pulled the last set of eggs and are hand rearing the chicks. They have to be fed every 2 hours - including in the middle of the night, and hopefully, there will be some new birds added to the exhibit as a result.

photo courtesy of Disney

More Babies: Speaking of animal births, the sitatungas over at the Animal Kingdom Lodge recently added to their numbers. Over at the Disney's Animals, Science and Environment facebook page, you can see the adorable little antelope. The sitatunga is a swamp dwelling animal found throughout Central Africa. Although the animal is listed as of "Least Concern," habitat loss is a problem in the area, and its population is shrinking. In fact, it is now extinct in historic portions of its range.

photo courtesy of Disney

Tiger Babies: Yes, even more baby news. We reported quite some time ago that the Sumatran tigers had cubs. We now know there is a male and female cub. Apparently, they are doing well. They have started walking, and their eyes have opened. No word on names yet. Also, Disney continues to say the cubs will be off exhibit for "the next few months" meaning they will likely not be out until after the new year.


Park Hours for this week are...
Thursday October 5 9 am - 8:30 pm
Friday October 6 9 am - 9 pm
Saturday October 7 9 am- 9:30 pm Extra Magic Hour in the morning
Sunday  October 8 9 am- 9 pm
Monday October 9  9 am- 9:30 pm Extra Magic Hour in the morning

Tuesday October 10 9 am- 9 pm 

Wednesday October 11 9 am- 9 pm