A limited and pricey event will begin soon. This info was recently posted on another site: Starting May 1, 2014 the DRC will be able to sell a new hard ticket event called Harambe Nights. Keep in mind, the marketing and promotional efforts will be delivered on 5/2 when George K makes the announcement during the Press Event. This is an exclusive event for about 1000 Guests per night and it will be located in Africa only. It is designed to target our high affinity audiences looking for premium WDW experiences and who have a strong connection to the Disney brand. Guests who like Candlelight or signature Food and Wine experiences are good examples of the target audience. It is important to note the rest of the park will not be open and there will not be any rides or attractions open during the event. Event Details: Event title & tagline: Harambe Nights - Celebrating the grandest tales and tastes of Africa. Dates: Saturday, June 7, 2014 – August 9, 2014 (10 event nights, Saturdays only) General Admission Price: $119 adults / $79 child, plus tax Floor/Premium Seating Price: $134 adult / $94 child, plus tax Parking is FREE! for those attending this event Notes on pricing: There are two different prices; the premium seats are considered better seating for the show only. There are about 150 of the 1000 seats that are considered premium while the rest are considered general seating. There are no other benefits other than better seats for the show. Key Elements: Overall Theme: Harambe Nights combines world-class theatrical entertainment alongside a sophisticated culinary experience in an immersive setting to celebrate the story of The Lion King in a never before seen way. Welcome Reception: From 7:00 – 7:30PM The evening reception will start with passed, savory appetizers and African-inspired wine & beer. As Guests enter the theatre, they’ll receive a snack to enjoy during the show! Show/Theatrical Experience: From 7:30 – 8:25PM The centerpiece of Harambe Nights - approx 55 minute theatrical entertainment offers Guests a never-before-seen-way to experience the story of The Lion King Lighting and scenic elements combine to re-create the immersive setting of the African Savannah. Celebrity narrators, along with a company of performers draw the Guests into the theatricality of an African ‘story circle.’ The narrative interweaves film excerpts of select classic scenes. The humor, heart, and stirring emotional power of the film will reach its height, as music of the film is performed by a live orchestra featuring soloists and Harambe’s very own village choir. Guests will experience anew Simba’s journey to ‘find his place’ as the Lion King, when scenes from the film come to life on the screen and in the theatre all around them! Street Party / Food & Beverage: From 8:25 – 10:30PM Harambe is transformed with special lighting and effects. African Tapas, specialty beverages and desserts are in abundance and there are F&B stations and groupings of tables for the Guests. An African band fills the entire area with Afro-pop rhythms and a dancer encourages the Guests to participate. The band entertains throughout the evening and appears back-to-back with an African DJ, a dancer and a specialty performer. Throughout the night, the DJ provides information for the Guests. A key to the experience is that the Guests are encouraged to GO WILD! participate, interact and join in with all the fun. The Marketplace is expanded, offering exclusive Lion King Merchandise. Some of your favorite Disney Characters, Specialty Stilt Walkers and Puppets appear throughout the evening (roaming, not M&G stations) “Kiss Goodnight”: From 10:00 – 10:30PM The evening will wrap up under the tree of life with desserts and cordials for a farewell ceremony under the stars.
That sounds awesome, and I will be there for some of those nights... now to see if the budget would allow for attendance.
Is anyone thinking about doing this? It would beat my family up for $396 for us to all go. It sounds interesting but very expensive. Opinions?
I'm strongly considering it this July. I'll be up there with just my mother - meeting family up there, but they probably wouldn't be in for any of this high end stuff - but my mother might...if wine is included!
Here's a link to the menu for Harambe Nights - it's similar to offerings at Jiko and Sanaa: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...ights-street-party-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/ African beers and wines will be served!
I thought about it for August as we will have my 17 year old niece with us and could leave them alone for a while. The price just seemed too high for me.
We don't have plans to be in Disney during the dates, but if we were, this would be a must do. With the food, drink, entertainment and duration, in Disney terms, this is actually a decent "value". To me, it seems comparable to a night of upscale entertainment in a big city. Now @Tim, I'm not sure about the value when you add in the kids, especially if they are not interested in the food options.
Agreed - I don't know that it's as much a value for the kids - unless they offer a discount 'kids' rate. It seems more appropriate for adults, especially when taking the alcohol inclusion as a factor, which makes the price much more reasonable along with the food. My other wonder is...will attending the Harambe nights also allow one access to the rest of the AK park, ie: will it be very specifically gated off or is the park still open for wandering, even if those other sections are closed? We photographers will be interested to know, as that could be a really key time to do some night shooting around AK, since there would be essentially nobody in Asia, Everest, etc sections...could be nice for some tripod shooting for the last hour or so of the event.
Here's a link to the Harambe Nights sneak peek with lots of food photos. Our party of six adults will be opting for a meal at Sanaa... two in our party dislike buffets yet they love the food at Sanaa and Jiko. The entertainment and the whole concept does sound amazing! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/...rambe-nights-in-disney-worlds-animal-kingdom/
It does sound like a night of fun. I cannot wait until my family will be able to take sometime off and relax. I am so ready to get up and get out.
Based on the reviews at DFB and ITM, I am a bit disappointed that the show I thought was going to be "Broadway Quality" is more a compilation of clips from the Lion King film, with a few performers thrown in the mix. And neither review had anything good to say about the "premium seating". It does seem like there are some opening night bugs that need to be worked out but you would think Disney has done enough special events that they should be able to get it right every time. As usual, the event also looks like it was oversold. @zackiedawg, regarding access to the rest of the park, it does not look like that was available.
