Disney KiteTails has had a wild debut at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The daytime kite show has been a topic of conversation on social media, largely due to the somewhat shocking way that the massive balloon/kite characters land after flying around the Discovery River Theater. Having watched a few shows now, it’s clear that while the crowd certainly enjoys the way giant balloon characters zip through the air, the landing is more of a mixed bag of crowd reactions.
Having spoken with managers in the area, they confirm that the “crashing” of the kites into the stands on the Asia side of the Discovery River Theater is an expected, ideal outcome. When a large balloon character lands in the stands, everything is going to plan. When a balloon lands in the water, that could be an event that could cause the show to end or be delayed. Here’s a short video of Baloo landing in the water and causing a delay in the show. If you can’t see the video immediately below, you may have to disable ad-blockers.
Here are some photos of the incorrect water landing sequence.
Performers had to take a few minutes to retrieve Baloo and store the kite away before resuming the show.
Here’s a look at the proper landing sequence for King Louie from the same show.
Here’s video from the closest guest-accessible seating next to the landing zone.
Disney has specifically covered the potentially sharp bleacher seating to create a landing zone for the kites.
We’re told that Disney is aware of the optics of having a character from a Disney movie essentially dive into the stands in a manner that looks unplanned. Therefore, Disney is reportedly thinking of theming the landing zone a bit better to show that it is a target they’re trying to hit. It’s unclear what the end result might look like, but the show appears to very much be a work in progress as Disney receives guest feedback.
We’ll have more from Disney KiteTails next week, including our full review of the show!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news and photos from around the Disney Parks!
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