Celebrate Christmas/NYE at DAK

[wumbology]

A few months ago I posted a series of ideas of how Disney's Animal Kingdom could and should celebrate a number of holidays throughout the year. I feel that DAK gets ignored by WDW and could be used much more for special events.

In terms of Christmas and New Year's Eve:

Christmas/Holiday Season: Camp Minnie-Mickey should be the center of DAK's Holiday celebrations. The land's rustic setting fits it well. Another Christmas tree, (besides the park's main one,) should be in this land. The old Pocahontas theater should be used for a simple but fun Christmas show, (maybe similar to Minnie's Christmas Party.) Hot chocolate and cookies should be available at the Campfire Treats location. Characters in their little huts could have special Holiday costumes, (which I think they might already have?) Santa can be available for meeting in one of the locations. Festival of the Lion King can remain unchanged.

Meanwhile, the Jingle Jungle parade will run. Now, this might be a little bit of a stretch, but Disney should run the Jingle Jungle parade at night, (with special lighting,) or make a whole new nighttime DAK holiday parade, (not so likely...) If Disney felt so inclined, they could put over-sized ornaments on the Tree of Life... Then again, maybe not.

I was thinking of some way to incorporate Africa and Asia, but it wouldn't seem very tasteful. They could, however, bring in an extension of the Holidays Around the World program from Epcot's World Showcase, and have storytellers in Africa, and maybe two in Asia, (one for India, one for Nepal/Tibet.)

And, I hear that the Lights of Winter aren't very busy right now. Might those fit on Discovery Island? I don't know...

New Year's Eve: To relieve the crowds from other parks, Animal Kingdom could have a small party. For this, I imagine that not all of the park would be open. At most, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, DinoLand U.S.A., and Expedition: Everest. They could have projections and light shows on the Tree of Life, celebrating the new year. When the countdown to midnight happens, the numbers can be projected on the Tree, on Everest, and on surfaces in DinoLand and Camp, (like the concreteasaurus.) Then, synchronized lighting and confetti blasts could substitute for fireworks blasts when midnight comes around.

How do you guys think the holidays can be celebrated at Animal Kingdom?

[Bill]

Fireworks. They don't bother the animals at all, marketing just wants you to believe that.

[KingEric]

Fireworks. They don't bother the animals at all, marketing just wants you to believe that.

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have proved this.

[Bill]

Actually, Disney proved it. Fireworks were part of the grand opening of Everest, and they did a full fireworks show in the parking lot on NYE in 1999-2000.