Disney’s Kite Tails opened on October 1st, 2021, as a part of the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World to not so great reviews. The show did meet the approval of Disney fans that regularly visited the parks but left guests that come once a year or less wanting more. This show features kites pulled behind jet skis to popular Disney music that have a bit of an awkward landing.
It originally started as a longer show with set start times, but in late May of 2022 this show became a walk by attraction. This means that there were no exact times that the show would take place and you had to luck into seeing it as you walked by Everest. The show was also modified to be a shorter version with fewer cast members involved.
This bay in Animal Kingdom seems to be a problem for Disney with Rivers of Light recently coming to a close and now Kite Tails. Animal kingdom will never be able to have a huge nighttime show that is filled with fireworks because of the animals whose homes are the park.
It seems Disney just cannot decide if they want Animal Kingdom to be a park to experience at night or not. Rivers of light opened at the beginning of 2017 right before Pandora the World of Avatar. Seeing Pandora at night had been such a huge part of the new lands opening Disney added the nighttime show as another draw to keep guests in Animal Kingdom after 7pm. We also saw Disney introduce after hours events in Animal Kingdom before the pandemic that have yet to return.
Enjoying Animal Kingdom at night seems to have been completely scrapped after the pandemic. Rivers of Light completed its last show on March 12, 2020, which was the day Walt Disney World was open before the park closures. Rivers of Light did not return when the parks reopened.
No doubt Disney is leaving money on the table by not offering something to keep guests in the park past dusk. Do you think we will get a nighttime offering in this bay to replace Kite Tails? I, for one, really hope that we do!
Will Disney make Animal Kingdom a full day park again? I am ready to be there past 7pm as the Tree of Life at night is one of my favorite beacons when lit up.