Earth Week Experiences Spark Curiosity About Wildlife and Inspire Conservation Efforts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (March 22, 2021) – While Disney theme parks celebrate all living things every day, during the upcoming Earth Week Celebration there’s an added opportunity for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park guests to connect with the magic of nature through engaging activities designed to educate and inspire the whole family.

From April 18 to 24, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will host limited-time experiences including unique Disney character appearances, fun learning opportunities, specialty merchandise, themed food and beverage, a new Wilderness Explorer activity and more.

• • The Animation Experience at Conservation Station shows how Disney Artists bring favorite characters to life by using animals for inspiration. For the Earth Week Celebration, guests can learn to draw characters – including Dumbo, Terk, Squirt, Shere Khan, Simba and Scar – whose real-life counterparts represent amazing stories of conservation work around the globe.
  • Catch a glimpse of some special characters who will join other favorite Disney pals on Discovery River Character Cruises.
  • Nosh around the park sampling Earth Week eats, including a selection of limited-time specialty cupcakes: the Creature Comfort’s Honey Bee Cupcake, the strawberry-flavored Flamingo Cupcake at Flame Tree Barbecue or the Sea Turtle Graham Cracker Cupcake. Specialty beverages include The Red Crowned Crane, a frozen Coke topped with frozen Cherry Coke and strawberry cotton candy; adults can spice it up with Captain Morgan Rum.
  • Set out on a series of self-guided, nature-themed challenges and earn a special Wilderness Explorer limited-time Earth Day Nature badge.
  • Hunt for an Earth Day 2021 limited-edition Te Fiti Moana trading pin. Guests can also support the Disney Conservation Fund by purchasing a cuddly plush inspired by species that call Disney’s Animal Kingdom home; or check out Island Mercantile’s eco-friendly water bottles, tumblers and reusable bags that promote sustainability.
  • Any time guests visit the park, they can marvel at unique animals and meet the newest arrivals. Most recently, the park welcomed the birth of Ranger, and guests can get a glimpse of the rambunctious 5-month-old calf and his rhino family on a journey aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris. While on safari, also keep an eye out for two young Masai giraffe who were born a few months ago, and playful Nigerian dwarf goats that hang out at the warden’s outpost.
  • Beginning April 2, watch as artisans transform 40 tons of sand into a detailed sculpture celebrating National Geographic’s “Secrets of the Whales,” an original series streaming on Disney+ on Earth Day. The intricate sculpted masterpiece will be located on the Discovery Island Stage until April 30.

For more information on how Disney cares for animals and helps protect species in the wild, visit DisneyAnimals.com, check out “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on Disney+, streaming now, Disney Park Wild Sights, a short form video mini-series exclusive to the My Disney Experience app, or follow along on Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Instagram (@DrMarkAtDisney) and Facebook (@DisneyASE) pages.

###

Grand Opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT Set for Oct. 1, 2021, in Honor of Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary

‘The World’s Most Magical Celebration’ will also include opening of La Crêperie de Paris as part of newly expanded France pavilion

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (March 9, 2021) – During today’s virtual annual meeting of shareholders of The Walt Disney Company, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced the grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT will be Oct. 1, 2021. This new family-friendly attraction will officially debut as part of the kickoff for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” honoring Walt Disney World Resort’s 50^th anniversary.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure invites guests into the flavorful world of Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning “Ratatouille,” where they will feel as if they shrink to the size of Chef Remy and scurry through Gusteau’s famous restaurant. Guests will find Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in a newly expanded area of the park’s France pavilion, where the real is made fantastic in a reimagining of Paris inspired by the film.

Also debuting Oct. 1 in this section of the pavilion will be a delicious new restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options. The menu will feature sweet crepes, savory buckwheat galettes (naturally gluten friendly) and authentic French hard cider. The attraction, restaurant and pavilion expansion are all part of the historic transformation of EPCOT currently underway, bringing a breadth of new experiences to the park in a celebration of curiosity, discovery and the magic of possibility.

“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” begins Oct. 1 on the 50^th anniversary of Walt Disney World. This 18-month event will feature new experiences at the resort’s four theme parks and beyond, where shimmering EARidescent décor will appear as if by magic. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and La Crêperie de Paris will now join in the festivities for this landmark occasion; more details about the celebration will be announced in the future.

For more on the transformation of EPCOT and “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” visit WDWNews.com and DisneyParksBlog.com.

###