Remembering Disney KiteTails Before It Ends

It’s hard to believe Walt Disney World is almost 51 years old. It feels like just yesterday WDW kicked off its 50th Anniversary celebration, which began on October 1, 2021.

When the ear-idescence was sprinkled over Walt Disney World for its golden anniversary, the festivities came with a makeover for Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom, brand new nighttime firework shows across the parks, and some extra special limited-time shows.

Disney KiteTails launched on WDW’s anniversary at Animal Kingdom and featured a unique combination of some classic animal characters soaring through the sky to classic tunes.

For the last year, KiteTails has looked arguably different from the show’s concept art and was met with mixed reviews from guests. Nevertheless, loveable characters like Simba, Zazu, Baloo, and King Louis came to life in the sky above the Discovery River Lagoon several times a day during the world’s most magical celebration.

But much like Wishes, Spectromagic, and as of late, Fantasmic, all good things must come to an end, so let’s look back on Disney’s KiteTails before they take their final flight on September 30, 2022.

KiteTails started off with two unique 10-minute shows that ran throughout the day – one starring The Lion King and the other starring The Jungle Book – and featured not only kites and songs but several cast members dancing along on land with smaller kites and props. But as time went on and the show’s popularity dwindled, so did the quality, becoming mere-minutes-long shows of only the major character kites flying in circles to music.

On my most recent trip to WDW – my first since the 50th anniversary – my sole reason for trekking to Animal Kingdom was to catch this show for the first and last time. I spent about two hours in the park and saw two showings within an hour. The only one I missed was Mufasa and Zazu flying to “Circle of Life.”

After grabbing lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue, a cast member suggested I take my food down to the tables overlooking Discovery River Lagoon for a perfect viewing of the next showings.

I had just missed Mufasa and Zazu by the time I sat down at a table right by the railings, but the next 15 minutes flew by, and before I knew it, I could see some cast members getting Simba ready to soar. It turned out this location was right by one of the docks where they prepare for the show and is where you’ll see a character fly right by up close and personal as the show begins!

The first show I saw was set to The Lion King and starred Simba, who amazed all of us, watching as his bright colors shone before us as he entered the sky, flying around to his anthem, “Just Can’t Wait To Be King.” Simba was later joined by Zazu and Timone, and Pumbaa as they flew past each other to “Hakuna Matata.”

But the show’s ending will either have the adults chuckling or leave your 5-year-old traumatized. They warn you before the show starts that you’ll see the kites both take off and land in designated landing spots, but it turns out lions and warthogs can’t quite stick a landing.

When the show ends, the cast members will gently land the kites, forcing the characters to either splash in the water or crash onto the ground in a less-than-magical finale.

The next showing I saw was on my walk to Dinoland when I spotted a big, blue Baloo flying over the lagoon to “Bare Necessities,” later joined by a vibrant, orange King Louis while “I Wanna Be Like You” played.

I’d call KiteTails a fun little surprise to spot throughout your day at Animal Kingdom with an anticlimactic ending.

Did you get to see KiteTails’ short-lived run at Animal Kingdom? What did you think?

The Freeform ’31 Days of Halloween’ is Back for 2022

The spooky season is coming up, and if Hulaween‘s horror offerings are too adult, and the Disney Channel’s not-so-scary family fare isn’t your thing, then the Freeform channel’s “31 Days of Halloween” should be just right. The Highlights The Freeform “31 Days of Halloween” schedule starts October 1 at 7am ET, and runs until the… Read More »The Freeform ’31 Days of Halloween’ is Back for 2022

The post The Freeform ’31 Days of Halloween’ is Back for 2022 appeared first on The Disney Blog.

UPDATE: Disney Springs Closed Again Today Due to Hurricane Ian

Walt Disney World has confirmed that Disney Springs will remain closed today due to Hurricane Ian.

In the initial closing announcement, Disney had closed the shopping and dining district for Wednesday only, with an announcement for Thursday to come later. While the bulk of the storm has passed over Central Florida, they have decided to keep Disney Springs closed.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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Will Disney Release the Missing Episode from the New Season of Bluey

When Disney+ released Season 3 of Bluey, some observant fans noticed an episode was missing. Here is what we are hearing about the “Family Meeting” episode. Bluey For those who have not been formally introduced, Bluey is a smash hit children’s TV series streaming on Disney+. This amazing cartoon comes to viewers all the way from Australia. The […]

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Figment Movie Coming, Walt Disney World Resorts Roll Out Meal Kits and Special Activities for Guests During Ian, and More: Daily Recap (9/28/22)

We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

mickeys boo to you parade mnsshp 2022 3

EPCOT

figment

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

hurricane dakl

New Merchandise

wdw 50th jungle cruise plush set amazon treasure truck 1

Other Walt Disney World News

hurricane ian

Disneyland Resort

Toontown El CapiTOON Theater painting

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Magic docked at Castaway Cay

WDW News Today

Character Breakfast Returns to Ohana

🔴LIVE Trapped in Walt Disney World Hotel During Hurricane Ian with Tom

Silenzio Bruno But Can’t Silenzio Us When We Start Talking About Pixar’s Luca on Disney+!

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

The post Figment Movie Coming, Walt Disney World Resorts Roll Out Meal Kits and Special Activities for Guests During Ian, and More: Daily Recap (9/28/22) appeared first on WDW News Today.