The Walt Disney World Resort just lost part of its history–this time, one very meme-worthy yet ill-fated attraction.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is undergoing a major transformation. The changes will see DinoLand U.S.A. completely eradicated from the theme park with the Tropical Americas-inspired Pueblo Esperanza taking its place. There, two signature attractions will anchor the space, one inspired by the Encanto franchise and another by the Indiana Jones movies.
While Disney confirmed it will remain open through 2025, it is largely expected that the DINOSAUR ride will be transformed into a Disneyland Resort-style Indy attraction, while Encanto takes the another area. Recently, the DinoRama sign was removed, and, before that, three locations–including TriceraTop Spin–were closed permanently at the park.
It’s not all happening in DinoLand, though. Over at the Tree of Life, It’s Tough to be a Bug! will eventually cease, with a Zootopia-themed show, Zootopia: Better Zoogether, taking its place. As Magic Kingdom prepares to lose Frontierland as guests know it, so too will Animal Kingdom be transformed for future generations.
New Demolition Update at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is known for a lot of key e-ticket attractions but for the resort’s 50th anniversary–The World’s Most Magical Celebration–the parks offered new experiences for guests to enjoy while they joined in on the festivities. One of these was Disney KiteTails.
KiteTails was one of the most ambitious, and unintentionally hilarious (some called it a “car crash”), entertainment offerings at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom has always leaned into unique, spectacle-driven entertainment. That’s exactly what Disney aimed to do when it launched KiteTails on October 1, 2021, as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World.
This high-flying show took over Discovery River Lagoon, with performers on jet skis launching massive, 30-foot-long kites themed to classic Disney films like The Lion King and The Jungle Book. As beloved soundtracks filled the air, guests watched as Baloo, Simba, Zazu, and more soared above the water. But what Disney didn’t plan for was KiteTails’ viral appeal—not because of its grandeur, but because of its frequent and comical crash landings.
Instead of graceful finales, the giant kites often dove headfirst into empty seating areas or splashed into the water, leading to a wave of internet memes and laughter from fans. Despite Disney’s best efforts to adjust the show, KiteTails slowly evolved into a more casual pop-up experience, with fewer showtimes and smaller-scale performances before quietly ending on September 30, 2022.
Now, new reports have shown that the wooden structures that allowed KiteTails to operate on the lagoon have been disassembled and removed at Animal Kingdom.
“The wooden docks built for the short-lived KiteTails show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have now been removed,” WDWMagic wrote. “These structures were originally installed along Discovery River as launch points for the large kites featured in the show. The metal pilings used to support the docks remain, though it’s unclear whether these will also be removed or left in place.”
At this time, there are currently no plans to revive the Discovery River location with new entertainment.
While it may not have become an iconic staple like Festival of the Lion King, it certainly left behind a legacy of unintended magic—and some of the funniest guest videos to ever come out of Walt Disney World.
Do you think there should be new entertainment in Animal Kingdom? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
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