Rivers of Light | |
---|---|
Disney's Animal Kingdom | |
Name | Rivers of Light: We Are One (2019–2020) |
Area | Asia |
Status | Removed |
Soft opening date | February 10, 2017 [1] [2] [3] |
Opening date | February 17, 2017 (original) May 24, 2019 (We Are One) |
Closing date | May 23, 2019 (original) March 15, 2020 (We Are One) |
Replaced | The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic |
Replaced by | Disney KiteTails |
Ride statistics | |
Attraction type | Live hydrotechnic show |
Designer | Walt Disney Creative Entertainment |
Theme | Natural world |
Music | Don L. Harper, Mark Mancina, and Dave Metzger |
Audience capacity | 5,000 [4] per show |
FastPass+ available | |
Rivers of Light was a nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort. Located in the park's Discovery River lagoon between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest, [5] the show featured water fountains, mist screens, floating lanterns, fire effects, lasers, lights, fog, projection mapping, and until September 2018, live performers. [6] Lakeside seating areas were able to accommodate 5,000 guests. [4]
Rivers of Light was initially developed as a nighttime parade by Steve Davison, but due to the need of infrastructural changes to Discovery Island to necessitate better viewing that would diminish the horticultural character of the area, this version of the project was cancelled in 2008. [7] Following the debut of World of Color , the concept for Rivers of Light was revisited and took on the form of a nighttime lagoon show; it first announced in October 2013 as part of the park's expansion plans, which included Pandora–The World of Avatar and a nocturnal version of Kilimanjaro Safaris. [8] [9] Construction began in 2014. [10] Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Creative Entertainment designed the show along with longtime collaborators Michael Curry, Don L. Harper and Mark Mancina. [11]
The show was originally set to premiere on April 22, 2016, Earth Day and the park's 18th anniversary. [12] [13] However, on April 5, 2016, it was announced that the show had been delayed and would not be able to meet the April 22 premiere date. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] A portion of the show was previewed to media on April 19, 2016, when it was also announced that The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic , a limited-engagement show based on the 2016 live-action film, would fill the space of the delayed Rivers of Light night-time show. [19] [20] The show ran until September 5, 2016. [21] On February 9, 2017, it was announced that Rivers of Light would open on February 17, 2017. [22] The show began previews on February 10, 2017. [1] [2] [3]
A retooled version of the show featuring animated characters, titled Rivers of Light: We Are One, debuted on Memorial Day Weekend 2019. [23] The show was suspended in March 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and in July 2020, park officials confirmed rumors that the show would be retired. [24]
Before the show begins, four lotus floats gradually drift onto the Discovery River Lagoon while fireflies awaken and the shadows of the four Animal Spirit Guides can be seen moving through the trees. The fireflies function as a visual element throughout the show, seemingly illuminating barges and occasionally accenting visual elements projected on water screens.
The show begins with the arrival of two teams of mystical storytellers on their respective lantern sailboats, playing a musical fanfare accompanied by the cries of animals. On the Asia side of the lagoon are Shaman Aditya (whose instrument is a horn) and Acolyte Ketu, representing the element of fire. On the Dinoland side of the lagoon are Shaman Aseema (whose instrument is a flute) and her Acolyte Ambu, representing the element of water. These characters are silent and communicate only through pantomime, dance, shadow puppetry, and music, leaving a narrator to explain what we are about to see. These performers were removed on September 29, 2018 as the result of budget cuts. [25]
Of all the gleaming planets in our vast universe, it is only here on Earth that water and light harmoniously unite to create the wonder of life. We most graciously welcome you to a timeless celebration of water and light with roots as far reaching as time itself. Here, where the forces of nature meet in harmony, the spirits of the animals are free to dance together in the night sky creating Rivers of Light. We are united in this special place to celebrate the magnificence and wonder of all living creatures, for in life we are all one.
As the narration ends, the storytellers introduce us to the four Animal Spirit guides, each representing one of the four elements. [26] Taking the form of large sculpted lantern barges, they consist of a Tiger (representing Fire), an African Elephant and her calf (representing Earth), a Sea Turtle and its offspring (representing Water), and a Great Horned Owl with her owlets (representing Air). Moving across the lagoon and changing color to the music, the Animal Spirits begin to leave their lanterns one by one and take to the sky in an astral form, bringing the lotuses to life and heralding the arrival of the Temple Lotus.
After the animal spirits have left their lanterns, the lotuses take center stage, flanking the central Temple Lotus barge. Aseema conducts the lotuses in their fountain ballet and has the shadow puppet-like figures of the turtle and owls dance amongst them on the water while the storytellers provide percussion.
After the Dance of the Lotus ends, Aditya plays his horn to call the Tiger spirit into action, who proceeds to leapfrog across the lotuses and begin a journey through the different realms of the Animal Spirits. Accompanied by the original song "We Are One" and utilizing footage taken from the Disneynature documentary series, we travel through the tiger's dense jungles, the sea turtle's ocean home and the savanna of the African Elephant. The song is interrupted by a scene taken from African Cats , where a lion chases after a mother cheetah on its territory, who manages to make a narrow escape and get her cubs to safety. Aseema and her boat reappear and she sends the owl up from her boat to take us to the snowy regions of Alaska seen in Bears and the song resumes with a montage of animal families, ending on a flock of flamingos and the sounds of Aseema and Aditya's instruments as the two boats go back to center stage.
In a scene inspired visually and musically by the "Transformation" sequence in Brother Bear , the storytellers call upon the aurora borealis (the titular "Rivers of Light"), which starts to appear over the lagoon. Spirits of countless animals begin rushing and marching through the lights as the storytellers bask in the beautiful glow. The aurora fades on an image of a humpback whale breach and gives way to the night sky and animals in the constellations. As the Animal Spirit Guides return to their lantern barges, the narrator returns for concluding remarks.
Within each of us is a light. A light that shines in all living things. Here where fire and water bridge the earth and sky, our light rises on the wind to join the stars. As we journey on this great earth, may we remember the light we share? May we celebrate our bond with the natural world and the wonders that flow on Rivers of Light.
The Temple Lotus opens up to reveal a tower of fire that blasts to the beat of a grand finale reprise of We Are One. The animals return and the fireflies emerge from the Tree of Life in the form of spotlights.
The Music from Rivers of Light & Tree of Life Awakenings Shows | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
Released | June 2, 2017 |
Studio |
|
Length | 37:51 |
Label | Walt Disney |
Producer |
|
The music for River of Light was composed by Don Harper, Mark Mancina, and Dave Metzger, with lyrics by Miriam Stockley and Mancina. The entire soundtrack for the show, as well as that of Tree of Life: Awakenings, was released in a combined soundtrack album by Walt Disney Records on June 2, 2017.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Awakening" (chants by Miriam Stockley) | Don Harper | 2:06 |
2. | "Act 1: Prologue" | Mark Mancina, Dave Metzger | 1:27 |
3. | "Act 2: Parade of the Animal Spirit Guides" (chants by Miriam Stockley) | Don Harper | 2:42 |
4. | "Act 3: Dance of the Lotus" | Don Harper | 2:32 |
5. | "Act 4: We Are One" (chants by Miriam Stockley) | Mark Mancina, Don Harper | 4:31 |
6. | "Act 5: Rivers of Light" (chants by Miriam Stockley) | Mark Mancina, Don Harper, Dave Metzger | 3:45 |
7. | "Afterglow" (chants by Miriam Stockley) | Mark Mancina | 3:11 |
8. | "Rendezvous" | Andrew Lockington | 4:09 |
9. | "Journey" | Andrew Lockington | 3:53 |
10. | "Gift Giver" | Andrew Lockington | 4:38 |
11. | "Disney Medley" | Andrew Lockington 1 | 4:57 |
Total length: | 37:51 |
Rivers of Light consisted of 11 show barges that are all computer controlled. Each barge consists of 4 thrusters in a square configuration with the exception of the two lantern sailboat barges, which previously carried the show's live cast, two pairs of Shaman storytellers and their apprentices, representing different elements. [27]
Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences division. The park opened on October 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center, the second of four theme parks built at the resort. Often referred to as a "permanent world's fair", Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, particularly technological innovation and international culture and is known for its iconic landmark Spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, it is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha). The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at the resort. The park is dedicated and themed around natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney.
Disney Transport is the public transit system of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida, United States. It offers guests a variety of fare-free options to navigate the resort, including buses, the Walt Disney World Monorail System, the Disney Skyliner gondola lift system, and watercraft. This network facilitates movement between the resort's four theme parks, its shopping district, and all Disney-owned lodging on the property. Additionally, Disney Transport operates trams, providing assistance navigating large parking lots, and the Minnie Van rideshare service, offering on-demand, point-to-point transportation.
Walt Disney Studios Park is the second of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. which opened on 16 March 2002. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Upon opening, it was dedicated to show business, movie themes, production, and behind-the-scenes, but in the 2010s, in a similar manner to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida, it began to distance itself from the original studio backlot theming and entered a new direction of attraction development inspired by iconic Disney stories. The park is represented by the Earffel Tower, a water tower with Mickey Mouse ears similar to the one formerly located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which in turn was inspired by the water tower at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.
Fantasmic! is a nighttime show at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. The show formerly operated at Tokyo DisneySea. It features fireworks, characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats, and mist screen projections. The narrative of Fantasmic! is a voyage through Mickey Mouse's imagination that culminates in a battle against the Disney Villains.
Kilimanjaro Safaris is a safari attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It simulates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa.
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was a nighttime show performed nightly at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The show utilized fireworks, pyrotechnics, water fountains, fire effects, lasers, searchlights, and a large rotating globe with curved LED screens to create a visual production on the park's World Showcase Lagoon.
World of Color is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars Steve Davison, and designed by Disney Live Entertainment, the show has 1,200 water fountains and includes lights, fire, lasers, and fog, with high-definition projections on mist screens. The show is inspired by Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color anthology television series, as evidenced by the use of its eponymous theme song written by the Sherman Brothers.
Tokyo DisneySea is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual property from The Walt Disney Company. In 2023, Tokyo DisneySea hosted 12.4 million visitors, making it the seventh-most visited theme park in the world and the third-most visited in Japan.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a steel roller coaster located at Magic Kingdom and Shanghai Disneyland Park. Manufactured by Vekoma, the roller coaster is situated in the Fantasyland sections of both parks. The Magic Kingdom version opened to the public on May 28, 2014, as part of a major park expansion called New Fantasyland as part of the section of Enchanted Forest, while the Shanghai version opened on June 16, 2016. The ride is themed to Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length, traditionally-animated feature film.
BraviSEAmo! was a nighttime water show at Tokyo DisneySea. The show featured water, pyrotechnic, and firework effects and was performed on the lagoon of the Mediterranean Harbor. The show was directed by Yves Pépin from ECA2 and used little dialogue, instead featuring an orchestral score by Gavin Greenaway. BraviSEAmo! replaced Tokyo DisneySea's earlier nighttime show DisneySea Symphony, and was replaced by a new version of Fantasmic! in 2011. The show ran from July 17, 2004 to November 13, 2010 and was sponsored by NTT DoCoMo throughout its run.
Pandora – The World of Avatar is a themed area inspired by James Cameron's Avatar located within Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Set generations into the future after the events of the Avatar films, the area is based upon the fictional habitable exomoon, Pandora, and features Pandora's floating mountains, alien wildlife, and bioluminescent plants. Spanning 12 acres (4.9 ha), Pandora – The World of Avatar includes two major attractions, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, as well as retail and dining outlets.
The Jungle Book is a Disney media franchise that commenced in 1967 with the theatrical release of the 1967 feature film. It is based on Rudyard Kipling's works of the same name. The franchise includes a 2003 sequel to the animated film and three live-action films produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
Once Upon a Time was a nighttime spectacular at Magic Kingdom, which was originally known in Magic Kingdom as its full name, Once Upon A Time: Where Stories Take You Anywhere and formerly at Tokyo Disneyland. Similar to Celebrate the Magic and Disney Dreams!, the Tokyo show premiered on May 29, 2014, and utilizes fireworks, lasers, fire, projection mapping, and searchlights during the 19-minute presentation. The Magic Kingdom version is shorter and utilizes less pyrotechnics and no fire.
The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic was a short lived nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort. The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic was located in the park's Discovery River. The show was limited-time engagement and filled the space of the delayed Rivers of Light night-time show, presumably until Rivers of Light was ready. The show featured music from the film, adding an Indian influence. The show opened on May 28, 2016, with a soft opening the night before.
Na'vi River Journey is a dark ride attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom's Pandora – The World of Avatar. The ride takes guests through the Kasvapan River of Pandora from the 2009 film Avatar, showcasing native animals and bioluminescent flora, with inclusion of complex Audio-Animatronics.
Happily Ever After is a fireworks and projection mapping show which debuted at the Magic Kingdom on May 12, 2017. Unlike its predecessor, Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, the show includes projection mapping, lasers, and searchlights, in addition to pyrotechnics, featuring characters from a wide array of Disney films, and music arranged by Tim Heintz. The show's theme song of the same name was written by Adam Watts, Melissa Peirce, and Andy Dodd, and performed by Angie Keilhauer and Jordan Fisher; it is adapted from Hong Kong Disneyland's 10th anniversary celebration and Shanghai Disneyland's Mickey's Storybook Adventure.
Harmonious was a multimedia, fireworks-based nighttime spectacular at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Intended as the long-term replacement for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, Harmonious showcased and celebrated the cultures and stories of the world that have inspired various Disney films and music, and how it can unite us all, overcoming any language or border. The show utilized pyrotechnics, choreographed water fountains, water curtains, lasers, searchlights, and LED screens to present a 360° audio-visual experience on the park's World Showcase Lagoon. The primary show equipment was notably housed on a collective of floating barges that were permanently moored at the center of the lagoon. Before its retirement, Harmonious was described as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created by Disney Live Entertainment.