Uncle Walt's Insider Animal Kingdom Archives - Page 4 of 10

Where Cinderella Castle used to be. Photo © 2020 Google Earth (modified a bit).

Cinderella Castle “sent out for cleaning”

Disney takes advantage of the park shutdown to do some major maintenance. WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- The Disney parks, like so many businesses during the coronavirus shutdown, are taking a financial hit without guests (other than our Uncle Walt, of course). Still, they are finding some advantages to the closure. With no guests around, Disney is able to do some major repairs and cleaning to the parks. A recent aerial photograph shows that Cinderella Castle is not in its usual Magic Kingdom ...

The Tree of Life strikes oil. Photo by Jaimie Michaels [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr, and John Trost [CC0] via Wikimedia.

BREAKING: Tree of Life strikes oil

Black gold. Texas tea. WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Details are sketchy, but apparently the oil rig used to construct the Tree of Life is more than just a frame. Guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Spa, and Nahtazu are reporting a plume of oil sprouting from the top of the Tree. The situation is changing quickly, but reports are coming in that Cast Members are trying to hold umbrellas over some of the animals to shield them from the rain ...

February 18, 2020 by Marty in Florida

He has to holler just to be heard, but with every word he drops knowledge. Photos by Steve Wise & Ken Lund [CC BY-SA 2.0] & Steve Jurvetson [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr, all jumbled up and remixed by Marty.

Lin-Manuel Miranda dedicates Disney’s Hall of Treasury Secretaries

The "Hamilton" star took a break from shooting "Mary Poppins Returns Again: the Cash-in." WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Tucked into a corner of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Spa, between Africa and Pandora, is a new attraction: Disney's Hall of Treasury Secretaries. The new show features animatronics of every U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, from Alexander Hamilton all the way up to whoever holds that job today. Hamilton writer/composer/star/prop guy Lin-Manuel Miranda was on hand to dedicate the attraction. Manuel dazzled the ...

February 7, 2020 by Marty in Florida

Construction continues on the second-largest Ferris wheel in Central Florida. Photo by BrokenSphere [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikipedia Commons.

“Almost record-setting” Ferris wheel coming to Animal Kingdom

When completed, the new "Wheel of Life" will be the second-tallest in Central Florida. WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Spa continues to expand. And now the Tree of Life will be complemented by a large Ferris wheel, to open in the Spring of next year! "We are tremendously excited about this new addition to the park," says Disney (the company) spokesperson Jun Disney (no relation). "The hat is coming down again, and the new 'Wheel of Life' ...

June 20, 2019 by Marty in Florida

True Tales of Stupid Guests: Episode 10

"True Tales: from the files of Stupid Guest Tricks" is an ongoing series, where we share believable stories of park guests' unbelievable stupidity. FROM STUPID GUEST TRICKS -- StupidGuestTricks.com is a website founded to provide Disney Cast Members and other theme park employees a place to vent about some of the idiots they've dealt with. Most Cast Members will tell you that 99% of the guests they deal with are wonderful, but there's always that 1% that lead to aggravation -- and ...

June 10, 2019 by Marty in California, Florida, Spotlight