Disney is currently working on fulfilling the request many people have made evident by putting in an effort to make Animal Kingdom an “all day” park for guests of every demographic.
With new attractions and showings like Rivers of Light, a night time Kilimanjaro Safaris, Carnivale, etc… seeing constructions walls around the park is inevitable.
Here is a sunset shot of the new Avatar expansion, Pandora – The World of Avatar (expected opening sometime in 2017) from the Animal Kingdom parking lot. You can see the massive structures and “floating mountains” really starting to take shape in the land of Pandora. The expansion is going to house just 2 attractions, but the technology used is going to change the landscape of theme park entertainment forever.
Below you’ll see refurb being done to the Flame Tree Barbecue. The seating down by the water could potentially be a nice secret spot for Rivers of Light.
Walls are up behind the bathrooms at the Festival of the Lion King. Not quite sure what will be behind there. Could just be a designated smoking area.
There’s also bus stop refurbishment in the parking lot. It looks like third party bus stops will now have shaded waiting areas on both sides of the road.
Some horticulture work being done around the tree of life. Making sure all of the water-ways and scenery is ready for the Rivers of Light debut.
Lastly, a gallery completely devoted to Rivers of Light. This nighttime spectacular sadly has been postponed. The original debut date was set for none other than Earth Day and the park’s birthday (April 22nd), but production woes have slowed down the rollout of this performance. Cast member and Annual Passholder preview dates were announced two weeks ago, and several days later Disney announced the delaying of this debut. This is a good decision in my opinion, because Disney is recognizing that things are not right, and want to make sure everything is in tip-top shape before guests experience these offerings.