Disney today announced opening dates for all of their “Awaken Summer” offerings, so here is a full breakdown –
MAY 27TH – Kilimanjaro Safaris nighttime safaris, Tree of Life Awakenings, Tiffins Restaurant & Nomad Lounge
Beginning May 27, the park will awaken at night with new rich experiences under the stars. There’s an exciting lineup of new experiences coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom after the sun sets, including nightly awakenings of the park’s iconic Tree of Life. Beginning May 27, animal spirits will be brought to life each night by magical fireflies that reveal colorful stories of wonder and enchantment along with other amazing sights at the tree.
After the sun sets, you’ll also be able to explore Kilimanjaro Safaris and see the nighttime behavior of the wildlife and better tune into the unique vocalization of the animals like never before. Among the new experiences, the village of Harambe in Africa will become the place to enjoy “Wildlife Parti” and the spirited community of Discovery Island will come together to celebrate their love of the natural world with the Discovery Island Carnivale.
FastPass+ and dining packages for Disney’s Animal Kingdom night experiences will become available beginning tomorrow, May 21.
MAY 28th – The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic
And the park’s Discovery River will awaken at night and become a stunning stage for performances of the limited-engagement show The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic, inspired by the hit live-action film Disney’s The Jungle Book. Shows will feature memorable moments from the film, including the iconic Shere Khan, and will be filled with music and special effects that celebrate the movie and classic songs, infused with an Indian influence.
JUNE 21ST – Frozen Ever After, Royal Sommerhus
Two new “Frozen” experiences – the Frozen Ever After attraction and the adjacent Royal Sommerhus – will officially open their doors this June 21.
Located in the Norway pavilion at the park, Frozen Ever After offers guests an adventurous boat tour through the kingdom of Arendelle. Guests are first transported to the “Summer Snow Day” Celebration where Queen Elsa embraces her magical powers to create a beautiful “winter-in-summer” day for the entire kingdom. Next, guests will pass Troll Valley on their way up the icy North Mountain to Queen Elsa’s Ice Palace before their return trip to the Bay of Arendelle.
Fastpass+ will be available for Frozen Ever After. Guests can begin booking FastPass+ for this experience on Saturday, May 21.
The nearby Royal Sommerhus, Anna and Elsa’s summer home, will open its doors to guests and the royal sisters themselves will be there for greeting opportunities.
The Norway Pavilion will open at 9 a.m., along with the Future World area of Epcot.
JUNE 17TH – Soarin’ Around the World
The new film, Soarin’ Around the World, debuts June 17 at Disney California Adventure park at Disneyland Resort and Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort the day after its world premiere at Shanghai Disneyland and highlights landmarks from across the globe.
JUNE 17TH – Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
This new nighttime show, which will be the most elaborate fireworks display in this park’s history, will begin nightly performances on June 17. This elaborate show will combine fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects and video projections that will turn the park’s Chinese Theater and other buildings into the twin suns of Tatooine, a field of battle droids, the trench of the Death Star, Starkiller Base and other Star Wars destinations. And the show, which will feature music from throughout the film franchise, will be punctuated with a tower of fire and spotlight beams, creating a massive lightsaber in the sky.
JUNE 17TH – Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire
“Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” brings to life beloved Disney stories both classic and contemporary in a spectacular performance featuring an original song, memorable music, lively dancing, delightful costumes and special effects magic. Mickey and his troupe of Merry Makers have invited friends from other lands to join them in a grand celebration. So in addition to favorites like Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Goofy, the show also brings together a wonderful cast of characters from some of Disney’s newest classics: “Frozen,” “Tangled” and “The Princess and the Frog.”
“Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” celebrates the unique stories of the citizens who make up this magical kingdom and the wonderful things that can happen when we try new things, go to new places and get to know new friends.
Nuts! Going to miss the Frozen ride by 1 day! Think they’ll have a soft opening and we could sneak a ride in the weekend before?
I think I’m most excited about the Star Wars show at Hollywood Studios. We were blown away by Symphony in the Stars.
Sucks. Was bad enough when the initial Frozen news came out, then comes the star wars show and the Mickey show, along with the new Soarin’. We’ll be missing it all by 3 days. Totally shafts the Memorial Day/early June crowd.