KiteTails is Ending
Walt Disney World has announced that KiteTails at Animal Kingdom is ending. In this post, we’ll share details & dates, commentary about the news, entertainment in the new fiscal year, and our thoughts on this daytime kite show.
Here’s Walt Disney World’s official announcement: As you know, Disney KiteTails debuted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park for the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort. After this first year, we will transition the entertainment on Discovery River Lagoon to the Flotillas. The last flight for Disney KiteTails will be September 30, 2022.
We look forward to seeing our guests continue waving to their Disney Friends cruising by on Flotillas, embracing Disney pals with up-close encounters, and more to come as we introduce our Festive holiday season offerings in the months ahead.
KiteTails was first introduced on October 1 of last year for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. Aside from some statues of animated movie characters, it was the only Animal Kingdom addition for the World’s Most Magical Celebration.
At its start, KiteTails featured a pre-show of puppeteers with critters from Finding Nemo to parade through the stage. The theater was decorated with vibrant lanterns and banners, upbeat music plays in the lead-up to the show, and the colorful character puppets were a delight.
Following that, the main show consisting of massive kites of characters from The Lion King or Jungle Book gracefully danced around Discovery River Lagoon behind jet skis. Sometimes the kite dances were not so graceful, which is when KiteTails truly shined.
I actually like KiteTails.
It feels like an odd concoction cooked up late one night while raiding the fridge. It repurposed jet skis and kites leftover from Epcot Forever, and then added some gigantic lion, bear, ape, and bird kites. Boom, KiteTails was born.
The big things that KiteTails gets right are tone, atmosphere, and energy. Everything about KiteTails feels natural and pure. The performers give it their all, and the end result can fairly be summed up as cute and charming.
Of course, it’s controlled (sometimes) chaos that’s the highlight of the show. The team behind KiteTails quickly learned that it was the epic crash landings of the kites that was packing the people in the stands, and it was pretty fun to watch the “KiteFails.” It’s nice (and rare) to see at Disney production that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Just a good time all around.
However, KiteTails was not without problems. Crash landing kites is a great time for folks like me, but Simba nose-diving into the cheap seats or King Louie taking off for the trees might not have been what Walt Disney World had in mind for this show.
Beyond that, there are issues that make watching KiteTails uncomfortable or challenging. The amphitheater is unshaded, so guests who arrived early would be roasting in the sun and often have a “that was it?” reaction to the show. Some might even leave early and miss its highlight, the aforementioned epic KiteFails. There’s also the practical reality that kites are wind-dependent, and that caused many cancellations or modifications.
All of this is why, earlier this summer, Walt Disney World modified KiteTails. According to the company, they shifted the focus so guests would be able to experience KiteTails from anywhere around the Discovery River Lagoon, with shorter and more frequent performances throughout the day.
The idea behind this was that it would reposition KiteTails as a diversion rather than a standalone show that merited arriving early to see in full. This made sense to some degree.
Even though I enjoyed it, I’m very cognizant of the fact that KiteTails scored poorly and underwhelmed casual audiences–especially those who took time out of their day and arrived in advance to see a show. KiteTails doesn’t deliver in the “traditional” ways one would expect of a Disney entertainment production.
Unfortunately, the changes also minimized one of the big draws of the show: those up-close and personal KiteFails.
From my perspective, the only reason KiteTails “works” is because of the energetic performers who hype up the crowd, near-misses as the kites graze the water and unpredictably swing around, and the epic up-close crash-landings.
The earlier change turned KiteTails into seeing kites fly around while walking around Animal Kingdom. Colorful kites calmy gliding over the lagoon is cool, but chaos is cooler.
With that in mind, it’s easy to understand why KiteTails is coming to an end.
Guest satisfaction might’ve increased with the changes made earlier in the summer simply by virtue of lower expectations and less disappointment, but it’s likely that interest and awareness decreased. KiteTails is probably on few guests’ radars at this point, and families probably get more out of seeing characters of flotillas.
This also means that Walt Disney World is 0/3 on entertainment added for the 50th Anniversary. Disney Enchantment, Harmonious, and KiteTails now all have been announced as ending either this year or next. None of these were originally intended as temporary or limited-run.
Unlike the nighttime spectaculars, KiteTails won’t even survive through the end of the World’s Most Magical Celebration. That comes to a close at the end of March 2023. Meanwhile, KiteTails will wrap at the conclusion of the current fiscal year.
Speaking of which, the turning point for new fiscal years has long been a time for “entertainment watch” at Walt Disney World. Pre-closure, it was common for shows, streetmosphere, and other acts to come to an end shortly before the start of a new fiscal year.
Commonly, that entertainment would not receive a 1:1 replacement, but new replacement entertainment would debut around the start of the following calendar year. (In fairness, Walt Disney World typically adds a lot of entertainment for the holiday season, meaning holes in the entertainment lineup in October and January/February, but not so much November or December.)
That has not happened in the last two years, mostly because there’s nothing to cut.
To the contrary, entertainment was restored last year between late September and early October. World Showcase has been one big beneficiary of that, with more musical acts returning last fall and again this year for the start of the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival.
It remains to be seen what the start of the upcoming fiscal year will bring. There’s still not much to cut by historical standards, but we wouldn’t bet the farm on KiteTails being the only casualty of the new fiscal year.
Still, it’s more likely that more entertainment will be added or restored around the start of October 2022. At one point, Walt Disney World’s goal was operational normalcy by the start of the new fiscal year. (At a prior point, that was the goal a full year ago!) That won’t happen, but they’re still moving in that direction.
Either way, we’ll be monitoring performers’ Facebook pages for quiet announcements (good or bad), as well as Disney press releases or stealth web page updates. We’ll keep you posted and share other entertainment news if or when there’s more to share. So stay tuned!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about Disney KiteTails coming to an end? Will you miss seeing the KiteFails, or were you not a fan of this show at all? Hoping to hear more (positive) entertainment updates for EPCOT and Animal Kingdom? Expecting more good news…or further cuts on the horizon? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Bummer – I enjoyed KiteTails, although like you I can understand why it might be “more trouble than it’s worth.” But it was a fun, cute show. I loved that I didn’t feel the need to camp out for an hour plus ahead of time to get a good seat for a show. It was something I could just go watch if I felt like it, and that sort of thing makes my experience at Disney more enjoyable. It gets overwhelming when everything requires a huge wait (whether it’s on line, camping out for a spot for fireworks, etc.).
I liked KiteTails, especially the Jungle Book sequence. It was a nice place to have a lunch break. I wish there was more shade if they continue a daytime show there.
I’m so sad that I will miss out on seeing the crazy, glorious, mess! It sounds like the show that would make my day, just because traditional success was so unpredictable. Farewell, sweet kites, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
I’m so disappointed! It was a crazy, silly bright spot in an Animal Kingdom day. Just yesterday we eagerly hurried to sit down when we heard the music, only to be sadly surprised by only one kite. I think the Kite-fails were hilarious and made an unexpected ending to the show….a spontaneity that WDW lacks in all avenues now.
Btw, Tom..we followed your suggestion to go to MK the day of a Halloween party. We were able to practically walk on to every ride. It was amazing! Thanks for the tip…and for all you and Sarah do to keep us all informed!
They should have renamed the show “Kite Fails” and added funny cartoon music every time a kite failed (accidentally or on purpose).
Our trips were spaced out 53 weeks, entirely missing this show. As if I already wasn’t salty enough over RoL’s endless carrot waving ending in zilch. What is going on over there. Why can’t they figure out something that works?
Bob Chapek is confused on what over-deliver means and it’s importance.
This poor lake/pond/river just can’t catch a break. One day we’ll have an amazing lake/pond/river (?) show at Animal Kingdom. One day! Surely!
I don’t know why they don’t just install a less maintenance-intensive version of World of Color. That fountain format is beloved and adaptable to a range of different shows/properties.
“I don’t know why they don’t just install a less maintenance-intensive version of World of Color.”
^ This.^
We enjoyed kite tails- was something different for sure. Unfortunately this means one less thing at an already kind of dull park . We skipped it this past April and are skipping it again this December. Hopefully some of the stuff they mentioned does come to AK but my kids will probably have kids by then.
I won’t deny that DAK doesn’t have enough to round out a day, but since your last visit, Finding Nemo: Big Blue & Beyond has debuted and the full Festival of the Lion King is back. Both are fantastic and help fill a bit more of the day.
So close, but it looks like I’ll miss the last show. It feels like a low key entertainment, like when characters would go waterskiing around WDW. (There’s an elevator pitch for an AK stadium show: The Jungle Book/The Lion King/Coco on Melted Ice!)
I’d like to see a return of a daytime parade, Mickeys Jammin’ Jungle Parade sure seemed popular, and I’ve got to imagine somebody is getting a memo about having specific dates for near future openings for Destination D23 next year. Announce new entertainment at the con (“New Animal Kingdom Parade starting Jan 2024!), and bury the official cancellation announcements afterwards, like Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars movie and KiteTails.
I am sorry to see KiteTails go, but SO glad we got to see it during our visit last year. It was very entertaining! I hope some other attractions/shows appear in the future that provide similar fun and excitement.
They need to bulldoze the entire right side of animal kingdom from Dinoland up until Asia. Hard to comprehend that Disney doesn’t employ a single person with the imagination or creativity to use that space!!
Our whole family really enjoyed KiteTails – it was a fun break in the day and the kids loved watching the kites crash. It was charming, silly, and just made me smile! It was a reminder during a day of long lines and pressure to make a trip “worth the money” that it is enough to just be present and enjoy funny moments with the ones you love. I found it to be a nice stress-relief midday, something that didn’t require a long wait or much planning, and wish Disney offered more opportunities like this. RIP Kite Tails!
that theater needs a nighttime show. there’s no shade, so a daytime show doesn’t make a lot of sense, though disney seems adverse to the foreign concept known as “shade”. i would love to see a World of Color style nighttime show there. it’s a perfect location, with seating!
that said, i didn’t get to see the disaster this show was, and for that, i will be disappointed.
They need to bring back River of light. This show put me in tears it rounds out the complete experience of a day at animal kingdom- instills the message and theme that we are all one with nature and the animals. Without rivers of light it feels like there is some thing missing. Disney needs to get it together and bring this back.
My family loved Rivers of Light. I know we are in the minority. During our first trip when we saw it my daughter asked me to turn it (Rivers of Light) back on when it ended. One of my favorite Disney memories.
We LOVED the River of Lights show. I wish they would bring it back as well. Was a great end to the day at Animal Kingdom.
I loved Rivers of Light. It was a beautiful show similar to Illuminations at Epcot.
I’ve never seen it, so I’ll have to check out a YouTube video now that it’s gone. It did not sound great by any means, but also not expensive to put on and something using the lake was a nice thought.
There’s no way this translates to YouTube. It just hits differently when you can feel the breeze from a crashing kite on your face.
We laughed so hard watching Kite Tails while the rest of our group rode Everest. Disney needs to bring back a variety of entertainment options. Is it something I would wait an hour to watch? No. Is it a highlight from our family’s day at the animal Kingdom? Yes. just the opportunity to sit together and giggle as the kites flew around and crashed was an unexpected delight. most of my favorite memories at Disney world are not of show stopping glamor, but the opportunities to make memories with people I care about. Happily ever after fireworks show is a great example. The fireworks are fantastic, but the emotional reaction that people have to the composition of the music and singing it alongside people we care about is why people go to Disney.
100%.
Glad to see it go. It was lame. Hoping they bring back something truely beautiful along the lines of Rivers of Light. Knowing Cheapek, it will be another cost cutting lame show.
Rivers of Light (which I also liked) similarly suffered from poor guest satisfaction scores and drew weak numbers.
Just putting it out there as the average guest would lump both of these things together in the “lame” pile.