While visiting Discovery River Amphitheater in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we found a speaker pole donning new banners in the themed cultural stylings of Tibet and Nepal.
New Speaker Pole Installed in Discovery River Amphitheater
The speaker pole is dressed up with red and gold and follows the same cultural motifs found throughout Asia in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The post features a red skirt with mustard-yellow fringes.
The top of the speaker pole is golden with decorative filigree and finial.
An additional orange fabric can be seen beneath the new speaker pole.
Four lights are attached to the post just below the speakers and their decorative fabric coverings.
The other speaker poles have not yet received this new decorative theming treatment at Discovery River Amphitheater inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Discovery River Amphitheater
The Discovery River Amphitheater has been home to many shows over the years within Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Most recently, the space featured the Disney’s KiteTails show, a daytime lagoon performance that began for guests on October 1, 2021 as part of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary event and ended in September of the following year.
The show featured large kites designed to resemble characters from either “The Lion King” or “The Jungle Book.” The amphitheater alternated showings of the two stories throughout the day.
The show debuted with a pre-show that featured Cast Members with hand-held kites dancing in front of guests in the main seating area. Music from the accompanying film played through speaker poles, similar to the one shown above. The pre-show was removed from KiteTails in June 2022, as part of the budget cuts to the show, before it was announced to be completely canceled on September 14, 2022. The last showing was September 30, 2022.
We were able to capture the full, original versions of both available shows. Check them out below.
“The Lion King” version of the now defunct Kitetails is shown above. This footage also includes the pre-show that debuted with the performance.
We also have the full version of “The Jungle Book” available to view. You’ll notice the pre-show was the same for both shows.
Disney’s KiteTails proved to have some difficulties and was cancelled less than a year after its commencement. Kites routinely crashing into the unused seating made the kites wear out more quickly over time, needing frequent repairs.
Kites also collided with Cast Members occasionally and Jet Skis flipped over mid-show. The performances were fraught with complications.
Check out some historic coverage of Disney’s KiteTails below:
- PHOTOS, VIDEO: New Look at Disney KiteTails Coming Soon to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- PHOTOS, VIDEO: Watch Disney KiteTails Take Flight With “The Jungle Book” Full Show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- PHOTOS, VIDEO: Soar with ‘The Lion King’ Version of Disney KiteTails at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- PHOTOS, VIDEO: Baloo Stuck in Tree During Disney KiteTails Performance at Animal Kingdom
- Disney KiteTails Performances Canceled Due to ‘Unforeseen Circumstances’ at Animal Kingdom
- Showtimes Removed for Future KiteTails Performances at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
With the new décor arriving at the amphitheater, perhaps a new show will soon fill this space. What kind of show would you like to see debut at the Discovery River Amphitheater in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? We’d love to hear your ideas about it in the comments below.
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