Everest opens when? And what's after Everest at AK?

[captsmith84]

Greetings all you people out there. I have some great news! I just saved a load of money on my car insurance by... err, nvm. LOL Anyway, expect Everest to be on soft opening beginning Feb 2nd. This soft opening means that Everest will be open almost on a daily basis from Feb. 2nd until the week around the grand opening April 7th. It is not guaranteed that you will get to ride, but it can be expected. During this time Everest will be in a test and adjust phase for the line queue... odd patterns of lines can be expected. And Everest will not be open everyday. Construction is still taking place on the ride to seal the inside to make the attraction pitch black on the backwards portions. When construction takes place, the ride will be closed, sometimes all day. Going to the attraction will be more of a hit or miss for the next two months, however it is under an official soft-opening beginning Feb. 2nd. This is being published in all marketing materials as well. But remember, during a soft-opening period, the ride is not always going to be open. If you go, I wish you the best of luck!

Now for the other part of this post. Everest is the first part of a project to get guests to stay later in the Animal Kingdom theme park. (And extend the park's hours)

This part is all highly rumored, so please, take it with a grain of salt, but know that it has a bit of merit to it.

On the drawing board is a new buffet-style full service restaurant in Asia, along with a new show set to open this Fall replacing the Tarzan Rocks show, and an un-announced (and in very early stages of planning) nighttime show for Discovery Lake in front of Everest. The show replacing Tarzan Rocks is highly rumored to be based upon Finding Nemo, however I can still not confirm this as fact. The nighttime show is too early in concept development to even be treated as something that will ever happen. The potential is there, but it's just way too early in the design of the show to even say that there will be a green light for construction.

Someone on another site said that Imagineers were looking at the boat docks on Discovery River to convert them into something. No word if this is for the rumored restaurant, an area for storing floats for a nighttime show, or a new atttraction based on the river. I'll keep you updated.

Anyway, that's the latest from the peanut gallery. On Everest and the Animal Kingdom in general. And that's the way the cookie crumbles, I'm Bru... I mean Bill.

[tloolgb]

Ha! Wasnt the full serve restaurant supposed to open with Everest? More brilliant planning I see. See if the park will stay open late without a restaurant...then see if they want to build one. A bit backwards me thinks.

[yoyoflamingo]

Maybe the Discovery Lake show is the old Noah's Ark show that I read about somewhere planned for Crescent Lake? Or was that just a rumored idea?

[TheManator]

If Nemo is confirmed, does this mean DAK will have another part of it's park, Austrailia?

[captsmith84]

Originally Posted by TheManator

If Nemo is confirmed, does this mean DAK will have another part of it's park, Austrailia?

No, not really. That theatre is in Dinoland.

[captsmith84]

Originally Posted by tloolgb

Ha! Wasnt the full serve restaurant supposed to open with Everest? More brilliant planning I see. See if the park will stay open late without a restaurant...then see if they want to build one. A bit backwards me thinks.

Not at all... first the ride, then the restaurant, then the lagoon show. It worked with Epcot, it can work at AK. If you don't have all the elements though, it won't (and doesn't) work.

[captsmith84]

Originally Posted by yoyoflamingo

Maybe the Discovery Lake show is the old Noah's Ark show that I read about somewhere planned for Crescent Lake? Or was that just a rumored idea?

Like I said, it's a rumored show very early in concept. Nothing more.

[tloolgb]

Originally Posted by Bill

Not at all... first the ride, then the restaurant, then the lagoon show. It worked with Epcot, it can work at AK. If you don't have all the elements though, it won't (and doesn't) work.

...
Except EPCOT had sit downs when it opened...it was ready to stay open late...AK is gonna have a hard time staying open late right now with no nicer place for dinner in my opinion.

I also think if the lagoon part by Everest is going to have a night show the Everest side of the lagoon could use a bar and fast food place too to not have to walk food/drink from Africa or Restaurantosaurus.

[WDW1974]

Bill, thanks for the update.

It does look like a Nemo show will indeed be replacing Tarzan.

As for the restaurant, why, why does it have to be a buffet?

Haven't heard anything about a nighttime show, but it would be nice.

[TDLFAN]

Originally Posted by yoyoflamingo

Maybe the Discovery Lake show is the old Noah's Ark show that I read about somewhere planned for Crescent Lake? Or was that just a rumored idea?

The Noah's Ark show was one of the many shows introduces as "soon to be at WDW..." during the "Disney Decade" presentation in late 1989 by Eisner, which included such plans as a baby Herman buggy ride, a Dick Tracy dark ride and many other failed ideas. Some Disney decade it turned out to be.

[danyoung]

Thanks for the info, Bill. I just have one question - can a buffet restaurant be full service?

[captsmith84]

Originally Posted by tloolgb

...
Except EPCOT had sit downs when it opened...it was ready to stay open late...AK is gonna have a hard time staying open late right now with no nicer place for dinner in my opinion.

I also think if the lagoon part by Everest is going to have a night show the Everest side of the lagoon could use a bar and fast food place too to not have to walk food/drink from Africa or Restaurantosaurus.

Before the lagoon show was added, people would leave Epcot early in the day around 6.

[captsmith84]

Originally Posted by danyoung

Thanks for the info, Bill. I just have one question - can a buffet restaurant be full service?

Well, I guess? No clue really. lol. It's what I was told. Go figure.

[tloolgb]

Yes it can, the Crystal Palace is. Chef Mickey's is. I mean you get up to the buffet bar yourself but you are seated, have a server and all. That's probably what they are thinking when they say "Full Service Buffet"...Crystal Palace.

[Speedway]

So basically Golden Corrall with Mickey.

This night-time show intrigues me. Very cool me thinks.