
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is bidding farewell to its final vestiges of the pandemic era.
As we approach the five-year mark of the resort closing for COVID-19, Walt Disney World has officially retired its last flotilla at the park, once a hallmark of its creative solution to social distancing restrictions.
When Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020 after a months-long closure, significant changes greeted guests. Park reservations were introduced to control capacity, traditional character meet-and-greets were suspended, and fireworks displays were paused.
To fill the void left by these restrictions, Animal Kingdom debuted character flotillas, featuring beloved characters like Goofy and Pocahontas sailing along Discovery River to interact with guests at a distance.
These have proven so popular that some have even expressed a desire for Disney to keep them at the parks full-time, pandemic or no pandemic.
New Replacement for Flotilla Drummers
While most pandemic-era features have faded over the years, one flotilla act remained: the Discovery Island Drummers. Originally part of the Pandora—The World of Avatar experience, the drummers adapted to the flotilla format but are now officially retired as of this week.
In their place, the Eco-Rhythmics Drummers have taken the stage near the Cementosaurus in the recently closed DinoLand U.S.A., performing hourly shows throughout the day.
This change is part of a larger evolution at Animal Kingdom. DinoLand U.S.A. is making way for a Tropical Americas-themed land inspired by Encanto (2021) and the Indiana Jones franchise. Although not everyone is happy about the prospect, the new land officially broke ground today, just days after Disney said a permanent farewell to the area’s predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Tree of Life is also preparing for a cinematic update with Zootopia: Better Zoogether!—a family-friendly 3D experience replacing It’s Tough to Be a Bug! This has generally gone over better with fans than Tropical Americas, primarily because It’s Tough to Be a Bug! was, well, terrifying. Considering we once thought Zootopia would actually replace DinoLand, this is also the better solution.
How do you feel about Animal Kingdom axing the flotillas?