With the upcoming Lion King movie, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is ablaze with excitement, and all sorts of projects are happening around the park. There’s a lot going on, including the opening of the Otter Grotto, a new Club 33 is beginning construction, a new pop-up lounge has popped up, and we’ll introduce you to Grace the baby gorilla.
The Lion’s Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is very excited about the release of The Lion King. Around the park, you can find banners celebrating the remake, movie merchandise, and a beautiful mural at Tiffins. The Lion King roars into theaters July 19, 2019.
The banners are bright and colorful and they fit in beautifully with the landscaping. I love the art style, it looks like hand drawn stained glass in a way.
Over at Mombasa Marketplace, they are celebrating The Lion King’s release with some movie merchandise.
Over at Tiffins, there is a gorgeous mural of the iconic opening scene from The Lion King.
While not inherently Lion King related, there are some fascinating masks mounted on the walls inside which show how well suited this park is to a Lion King celebration.
Tree of Life Trails
The Tree of Life Trails have reopened. It’s great to be able to walk around the lush gardens again.
Anyone know what this new building is?
When is the last time you took a trip through the Tree of Life Gardens?
Otter Grotto is Open!
The otters at the Otter Grotto are ready for visiting. The Grotto was closed for a little over a year for refurbishment and reopened in April.
We didn’t see any otters at play in the Otter Grotto (I really like saying that) while we were there. Have you seen them?
Club 33 Lounge at the Animal Kingdom
Club 33 is setting up outposts in all four the Walt Disney World theme parks and already has a home at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and the Magic Kingdom. Let’s check out the Animal Kingdom location of the new Club 33 Lounge.
First things to pop up are construction walls as the Club begins to break ground.
Club 33 is going to be located between Pandora and Harambe.
That will put the new club near the Lion King show and the park’s most popular attraction. Though, I’m sure the club members were holding out hope for a location with a window on one of the savannas of the Kilimanjaro Safari.
Harambe Market
There are some construction walls up in the Harambe market.
I really wish that the Harambe Market didn’t close so early! It’s a beautiful space which is rarely fully open.
The Baby Gorilla
Grace, a baby western lowland gorilla, was born on May 1, 2019 to Kashata and Gino.
Isn’t she adorable?
Let’s Head Over to Asia!
Everything looks good here. But I’ll take you with me on my stroll anyway. You appreciate the pictures, right?!
Onward to Expedition Everest!
I love the front seat of Expedition Everest, especially the view from the top of the mountain.
Rivers of Light Stage
Rivers of Light has reopened with a new IP-based show. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see it during our visit. But here’s some video and photos from Disneyland. Looks a lot less boring that the original version of the show:
The Tree of Life also has new nightly projections inspired by the Lion King:
Have you seen the new shows? What do you think about them?
Restaurantosaurus Pop-Up Lounge!
There’s a new pop-up lounge in Dinoland, USA.
The lounge is open from 5:00 P.M. every evening until park close. This is an experiment for the busy summer months. If it’s popular enough, maybe it will stick around!
Have you had a chance to experience the Restaurantosaurus lounge?
Pandora
The crowds are still heavy over at Flight of Passage. Do you think Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is going to make it easier to get a FastPass in Pandora?
The animals are spraying again. According to the signage, this is a hunting mechanism. Whenever anyone or thing gets too close to the pond, the animals spray water jets to capture prey.
And now some great shots of the area!
How do you feel about Club 33 being added to all the WDW parks? How about IP being injected into Rivers of Light? Do you think Lion King is a natural fit for the park? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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