It’s always exciting when an animal welcomes a new addition to the world! 13 year old Kendi, a white rhino at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, gave birth to a new male baby rhino on May 4. The little one has yet to be named, but this is Kendi’s fourth child and the ninth white rhino born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Says Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., vice president of Animals, Science and Environment for Disney Parks:
The birth of a white rhino calf is certainly something to celebrate since the population of this species …

During Tuesday’s annual meeting, Bob Iger, the president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company told attendees that the company is busy planning ways to bring Marvel characters, as well as other characters that appeal to boys, into Disney theme parks.
Rumors of bringing Marvel characters to Disney Parks have been hinted at since 2009, when Disney acquired the comic company. So far, only Marvel merchandise has made an appearance at any of the parks – but that might not hold true for long.
Says Iger:
We’re working on some concepts. It’s our …

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction will be undergoing renovations this spring. The renovations are designed to enable guests to see more of their favorite wildlife, specifically zebras.
In order to make these renovations happen, Walt Disney Imagineering will remove the Audio-Animatronics “Little Red” elephant and other set pieces to make room for more animals. Once the set pieces are removed, the area will be reconstructed as additional savannah space and include a new watering hole for the wildlife.
While the renovations are underway, the attraction will remain open for …

In plans that were revealed Tuesday, the White House has announced that President Barack Obama will be paying a visit to Walt Disney World later today.  The president is expected to reveal policies that will give U.S. tourism a boost.
Central to the president’s message will be the push for visa reform, especially for countries like Brazil and China.  The process for obtaining visas to visit the U.S. from both countries is arduous, and require in-person interviews and several days’ wait to gain permission to travel here.
Air Force One will be …

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) announced the winners of their 18th Annual Thea Awards, and several Disney attractions, as well as an Imagineer, were honored.
Star Tours – The Adventure Continues at both Disneyland park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios were honored with the Award for Outstanding Achievement – Attraction Refresh, based on the extensive remake of the popular ride. Additionally, the Magic Kingdom show “The Magic, The Memories & You” received the Award for Outstanding Achievement – Show Spectacular.
The Animation Magic show aboard the Disney Fantasy, located in the Animator’s Palate …

We let you know a few weeks ago that James Cameron was spotted at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Park to get inspiration for the park’s upcoming addition, a themed land based on the film Avatar. Now, Cameron, along with his Lightstorm Entertainment production partner Jon Landau, have taken their Disney park exploring to the West Coast.
On Friday, Cameron and Landau took a tour of the Cars Land expansion site at Disney California Adventure, along with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Tom Staggs and a team of Walt Disney …

Walt Disney World Passholders are in for a special treat this holiday season. Beginning December 2, simply stop by Disney Outfitters in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a complimentary 2012 calendar!
The calendar will feature 12 Disney art prints (November’s is shown) as well as a list of passholder dates to keep as a handy reference. In order to claim your free calendar, you must present your pass and photo I.D. Also, passholders are limited to one free calendar per household.
Are you excited to get your passholder calendar?  Leave a comment below!
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We let you know a few weeks ago about the brand-new themed land, based on the film Avatar, that will be coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World in a few years. An exciting development in the project’s progress came this week, when filmmaker James Cameron, along with his producing partner Jon Landau, took time to tour and explore the park. They were joined by Joe Rohde, an Imagineer who was heavily influential in the development of Animal Kingdom, and Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Tom …

The news of a partnership between Disney and James Cameron’s company set the Disney fan space abuzz yesterday, and while it’s far from dying down, answered some of fans’ most pressing questions.
The partnership between Disney and Cameron’s company, Lightstorm Entertainment, will bring AVATAR Land to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  Cameron directed the blockbuster film, and has two follow-up sequels in development for release in the near future.
The most interesting detail to come from the Q&A session, during which questions were fielded by Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs, had to do with the …

What began as rumor early today has now been confirmed:  as of this writing, Disney is announcing a partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring Cameron’s visionary story, AVATAR, to life at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.
According to a press conference being held presently at Walt Disney Imagineering, Cameron and his producing partner, Jon Landau, will serve as creative consultants on projects highlighting the characters and experiences in the film.  No word yet on what an attraction might look like, but it “will take our guests deep into …