Last month, Disney told Cast Members that the Rivers of Light show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom would be closing for good.
The memo to Cast Members, which also informed them that Primeval Whirl and Stitch’s Great Escape will remain closed for good, didn’t suggest any of Disney’s plans for the future.
Could a new night time show be coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Don’t get your hopes up…
According to WDWMagic forum user Martin Smith, Disney doesn’t have any plans to develop a new show at this time:
“No plans for a replacement at the moment. Given the current climate that’s possibly to be expected.”
It’s fair to say Smith’s information doesn’t come as much of a surprise to us.
Publicly, Disney has said that they intend to reduce capital expenditures for the foreseeable future. The current climate has passed projects and may have cancelled others.
It’s fair to suggest that Disney’s investment to bring a night time show to Disney’s Animal Kingdom was significant.
The vast, purpose built, seating areas can hold approximately 5,000 guests per show. The infrastructure transformed the area around the main waterway significantly, making it unlikely Disney will completely abandon their investment.
It’s possible Disney will revisit the idea of a late show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the future, however we will have to wait until the current climate changes.
