Difference between pages "Disney's Animal Kingdom" and "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros"

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Disney's Animal Kingdom is a theme park located in Walt Disney World.
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The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros is an attraction located in the [[Mexico]] pavilion at [[Epcot]].
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{{Template:Infobox amusement park
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{{Infobox Disney ride
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| image=TreeOfLifeday.jpg
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| image=mexicoupdate2.jpg
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| caption='''The Tree of Life is the icon of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.'''
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| caption='''The entrance to the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros'''.
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| theme=Animals, nature, conservation
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| land=World Showcase
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| opening_date=April 22, 1998
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| opened= April 6, 2007
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| icon=The Tree of Life
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| vehicle_names= Mexico Cruiser
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}}
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| park= Epcot
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==Conception==
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| guests_per_vehicle=16
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Although the plans for Disney's Animal Kingdom began in 1989, the idea of the park can be traced back to Walt Disney himself. When designing the attraction the [[Jungle Cruise]] for Disneyland, Walt wanted guests to see real animals. He felt that being in close proximity to real animals would give guests a unique and exciting experience.  Eventually however, it was decided that real animals would be too unpredictable and each guest on the attraction would not get an equal experience. Because of this, when the Jungle Cruise opened it featured Audio Animatronic animals, which were much more predictable and consistent than live ones. Although Walt never got to see it, Disney's Animal Kingdom took his basic idea and expanded it to a much larger scale.
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| host= The Three Caballeros
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| duration=8:00
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| type= Boat Ride
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| custom_label_1    = Formally Known As
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| custom_value_1    = El Rio Del Tiempo (1982-2008)
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|custom_label_2= FastPass +
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|custom_value_2= No}}
  
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When Walt Disney World was ready to expand again in 1989, Michael Eisner (the CEO of Disney) tasked his Imagineers with creating a theme park based on animals. In 1990 a team of Imagineers led by Joe Rohde began brainstorming different ideas for the park and in 1992 the park layout was finally adopted. It was decided that the park would be part zoo and part theme park.  
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==Attraction History==
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The attraction that would one day be known as The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, began as a planned attraction for the Mexico pavilion titled "Las Tres Culturas de Mexico" (The Three Cultures of Mexico) <ref> http://www.lostepcot.com/worldshowcase.html </ref> . The ride was going to be an indoor/outdoor boat ride, which took guests through the history of Mexico, showcasing its diverse culture. Las Tres Culturas de Mexico took its ride structure from [["it's a small world"]], and even used a similar, repetitive theme song. The attraction’s storyline came from a Mayan myth which told about the Gods taking the gift of music from the jealous sun, and giving it to the songless Earth. The myth concludes with the idea that "Life was all music from that time on”.
  
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The idea for a new animal theme park was put on hold however during the early 1990s. A recession had hit the country, and theme parks were hit especially hard. Also complicating matters, Disney's newest park, Disneyland Paris, was not doing as well as Disney had expected. However in 1994 with the economy picking up and the recent success of the Disney movie “The Lion King” plans for a new theme park were once again put in motion. To this end, from 1992-1995 Disney Imagineers studied wild animals in their natural habit, focusing on Africa.
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Although Las Tres Culturas de Mexico was fully designed in time for EPCOT Center’s opening day, Disney initially wanted to push the attraction’s construction back until EPCOT Center's Phase II <ref name= "Martinvid"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?cat=10&paged=3 </ref>. According to these plans, the attraction’s lagoon and load area were to be built first, with space left open for the boat ride itself to be constructed at the later date <ref name= "Martinvid"/> . When other World Showcase attractions were put on hold (including the planned Japan attraction and Germany's Rhine River cruise) however, Disney realized that they did not have enough attractions for the parks expected capacity. Eventually, Disney decided that they would need to construct the Mexico attraction, which was now called El Rio Del Tiempo, in order to help meet capacity <ref name= "Martinvid"/> .  With both time and money running out, various cuts were made to the original designs for El Rio Del Tiempo. The whole attraction was moved indoors <ref name= "Martinvid"/> , and it was decided that the ride’s track would need to be shortened by 40%.  
  
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Although the plans were now moving forward, within Disney there was much debate over whether the new park was a good idea. Many worried that the public would not want to visit a zoo while on vacation. Besides the fact that there were zoos all over the country, Disney also worried that people thought of zoos as depressing places with caged animals. Despite this, Joe Rohde and his Imagineers still believed in their idea. They explained that the animals would be living in a re-creation of their natural habitat. There would be no fences, but natural boundaries (such as moats or rocks) that the animals would not cross.  Animal Kingdom would not be a zoo, but a place of conservation that taught guests the importance of nature.
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Following a very quick construction, El Rio Del Tiempo opened with the rest of EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982. Although the attraction had been quite popular at the time of its opening, attendance began to drop during the 1990s. During this time, rumors were prevalent that the attraction would be replaced by a new Donald Duck attraction; however when El Rio Del Tiempo closed for refurbishment in 1999 no such change took place <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/el-rio-del-tiempo/news/27jul1999-el-rio-del-tiempo-refurbishment-update.htm </ref>.  Instead, at this time the attraction was cleaned up and given new paint, just in time for Epcot’s Millennium Celebration.  
  
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Although the idea of the park was eventually seen as feasible, Michael Eisner and other executives worried that simply seeing animals would not be exciting enough for guests. Joe Rohde and his Imagineers however felt (like Walt Disney decades before) that being in such close proximity to wild animals would be thrilling to guests. To prove his point, Joe brought a 400 pound tiger into a meeting. The tiger walked around the table while Joe was giving a speech to persuade the company to build the park. The tiger went right next to Michael Eisner before eventually exiting the room. After the demonstration Eisner had to agree with Joe Rohde. He announced the park in June of 1995 and Disney’s Wild Kingdom (as it was then called) was green lit for construction.
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On January 2, 2007, El Rio Del Tiempo was closed for a major refurbishment <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/el-rio-del-tiempo.htm </ref>. When the ride reopened on April 6, it featured a brand new storyline and was renamed The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros </ref>. True to its name, the Disney characters José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles, and Donald Duck, from the 1944 Disney movie The Three Caballeros were added to the attraction and the plot was changed so that Jose and Panchito now searched throughout Mexico for Donald.  In order to tell the new story, HD screens were added to many of the attraction’s scenes and a new soundtrack was given to the ride <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros </ref>. At this time the San Angel Inn was expanded into an area that was previously part of El Rio Del Tiempo <Ref name= "epcotbook">The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia: A Guide to Walt Disney World's Greatest Theme Park  </ref>.  
  
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==Construction==
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On December 4, 2015 Animatronics of the Three Caballeros were added to The Gran Fiesta Tour's finale <ref name= "D23"> https://d23.com/after-35-years-historic-three-caballeros-figures-return-to-walt-disney-world-resort/ </ref>. The figures had previously appeared in the former [[Magic Kingdom]] attraction the [[Mickey Mouse Revue]]. The figures had been absent from Walt Disney World for 35 years <ref name= "D23"/>.
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Construction on Disney's Animal began in August of 1995. Like other Disney theme parks, Animal Kingdom was to be made up of various "lands". When designing the park, the lands in Disney's Animal Kingdom were going to be: The Oasis, Safari Village, Africa, Asia, Conservation Station, DinoLand USA and Beastly Kingdom. Through these lands Animal Kingdom was to represent three groups of animals: current living animals, extinct animals, and mythological animals.  
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Animal Kingdom cost nearly one billion dollars to build. Four million cubic yards of dirt were moved and nearly 40,000 plants were added during the parks construction. During this process it was decided that the plants in Animal Kingdom would need to be in the ground for two growing seasons before the animals arrived. This meant that the construction team had until the spring of 1996 to get all the plants in place. This deadline was met, and the fall of 1997 the animals were brought in to the park. They came from various zoo's or wildlife preserves around the world. A few animals were also from the wild, but were too injured to be re-released. In total Animal Kingdom is home to over 1,700 animals.  
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==Plot==
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===El Rio Del Tiempo <ref name= "epcotbook"/>===
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[[Image:ElDancersskel.jpg|300px|thumb|The mariachi skeletons in Festival of the Children scene in El Rio Del Tiempo]]
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El Rio Del Tiempo began with guests boarding their boats and heading off towards a large Mayan pyramid. The boats then entered ancient ruins. Here, a statue of a Mayan High Priest would come to life and speak to the passing boats. The attraction’s narrator also told guests that long ago a great civilization had flourished in Mexico. All around the room, guests could see various natives performing different rituals. The first ritual that guests saw was an elaborate dance titled "Nature and Science". This dance spoke to the native's understanding of man's relationship with the universe. The second ritual performed was titled "Mathematics and Astronomy". This dance highlighted the advanced understanding that the people had about these subjects (including their understanding of absolute zero). Finally, the third ritual shown was titled "Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. This dance spoke of the native's views on the never ending struggle between good and evil, as personified in a battle between the feathered serpent of light and the tiger god of darkness. Before exiting ancient Mexico, guests would see Aztec King Moctezuma II (who would lose his kingdom to Spain) predicting the subjugation of his people.
  
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[[Image:AnimalKingdomSerfariElands.jpg|300px|thumb|Elands grazing on the Kilimanjaro Safari]]
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After passing through ancient times, guests arrived a scene titled Festival of the Children, which represented Mexico’s period of colonization. In the this scene, Audio Animatronic dolls danced and celebrated, as the narrator told guests that Mexico’s ancient culture still thrived. During the Festival, the dolls sang [[Vistas De Mexico]], a song written by X Atencio and Armando Corral. After exiting the colonization scene, guests entered modern times. Screens in this room featured:
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As construction continued, funds for the new park began to dwindle. Eventually it was decided that Animal Kingdom would have to open in three phases. The first phase would consist of The Oasis, Safari Village, Africa, Conservation Station, and an unfinished Asia. Also included in phase one would be either DinoLand USA or Beastly Kingdom. Disney eventually decided to build DinoLand USA, possibly due to the new movie “Dinosaur” that was to be released in 2000.
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Phase II was planned to be the completion of Asia, along with the construction of Beastly Kingdom. Due to the park not being completed on opening day, Camp Minnie-Mickey, a place where guests could meet various Disney characters, was created as a temporary land. Camp Minnie-Mickey was to be essentially a place holder until Beastly Kingdom could be built. 
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* A parasailing boat by a lakeside resort
  
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Like the other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom also has an icon “The Tree of Life”. The Tree of Life stands 145 feet tall and is made of mostly steel. Imagineers had a hard time figuring out how to make the tree look authentic, while being able to withstand hurricane winds. On top of all that, the tree would also have to house the 3D attraction [[It's Tough to be a Bug!]]. The solution Imagineering came up with was actually fairly simple. First, they took the structure of an oil rig for the base. 45 secondary branches were then added to the tree, followed by 756 tertiary branches and finally 891 end branches. The Tree was then covered with 102,583 manmade leaves. 20 artisans then carved over 300 animals into the tree. When the Tree of Life was completed it looked as if the animals themselves were making up the tree. Construction on Disney's Animal Kingdom finished in the spring of 1998.
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* A mariachi band
  
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==Opening Day==
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* Cliff divers
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Disney's Animal Kingdom opened on April 22, 1998 (Earth Day). At the opening of the park, the song “The Circle of Life” from Disney's The Lion King played as guests were showered with rose pedals. A half hour after the park had opened; the parking lot was filled to capacity, while 45 minutes later the park itself was filled to capacity. The first official guests to Disney's Animal Kingdom were the Werikhas family. They were greeted by Roy E. Disney and given lifetime passes. Unlike previous theme park openings, the event was not a star studded one (however Drew Carey did make an appearance in Camp Minnie-Mickey to film a television clip for ABC). Some 5,000 reporters were also on hand as Disney CEO Michael Eisner read the park’s dedication:
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{{Quotation|Welcome to a kingdom of animals… real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.|
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* A white sand beach
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Michael Eisner April 22, 1998}}
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==History After Opening Day==
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* A scuba diver
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Although relatively young compared to the other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom has gone through several changes. In 1999 Asia was finally completed. Added to the land were the popular attractions the [[Maharajah Jungle Trek]] and the [[Kali River Rapids]]. The [[Discovery River Boats]] (which were once located in Asia) closed with the opening of the new attractions.
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In 2000 many of Animal Kingdoms lands were renamed. The former Safari Village became Discovery Island and Conservation Station became Rifiki's Planet Watch. The change in name to Discovery Island coincided with the closing of the Discovery Island attraction in Bay Lake. Also changing its name at this time was the popular DinoLand USA attraction [[Countdown To Extinction]]. That ride was re-named after and slightly altered to tie into the 2000 Disney movie [[Dinosaur]].  
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Following these sights, guests entered a city where two rival merchants attempted to sell their goods. The merchants would follow guests along the river, until the boats reached the attractions finale. The end of El Rio Del Tiempo featured a large fiesta inside the city. On their left, guests could see marionettes riding a carousel, as fireworks went off in the night sky. The dolls in this room sang [[Fiestas De Mexico]] which carried on until guests reached the unloading area. Before disembarking the narrator would tell guests.
  
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In 2001 change came to DinoLand USA with the addition of Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama. This mini land housed Midway Games (later renamed Fossil Fun Games) and the [[TriceraTop Spin]]. The following year on March 31, 2002, Primeval Whirl was added to the area.
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{{Quotation| “Goodbye. We will meet again, until then, may you always be delighted with the beauty of Mexico"}}
  
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[[Image:ExpeditionEverestAtday.jpg|300px|thumb|Expedition Everest opened in 2006.]]
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===The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros===
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The next major set of changes came to Animal Kingdom in 2006. In DinoLand USA, Finding Nemo- the Musical replaced Tarzan Rocks, which had been there since 1999. Also in 2006, the “E-Ticket” roller coaster [[Expedition Everest]] was built in Asia. The attraction is a roller coaster set in the Himalayas, and includes a close encounter with the fabled Yeti. By including the Yeti in the attraction, Disney's Animal Kingdom finally featured a mythical creature (which had been promised since the park’s dedication). In 2008 the popular Yak and Yeti restaurant opened in Asia as did Donald's Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House Restaurant.  
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[[Image:ThreeCaballerosfinale2.jpg|350px|thumb|The Three Caballeros reunited at the end of the Gran Fiesta Tour. Photo: D23]]
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The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros also begins with guests boarding longboats and sailing of towards a Mayan pyramid. As guests progress past the pyramid, they come across a screen which shows Panchito Pistoles and José Carioca -two members of the famous Three Caballeros. Guests learn that the trio is supposed to perform a concert in Mexico City, but unfortunately, Donald Duck (the third member of the group) is nowhere to be found. In order to reunite the trio in time for the concert, Jose and Panchito board their magic carpet Pepe and set off to find Donald. As Panchito and Jose fly high above Mexico, Donald Duck is shown below wearing souvenirs and taking photos. As guests enter the next scene, they see that Panchito and Jose are still searching for Donald. Other screens in the room show  points of interest in Mexico, including a Mayan pyramid and a gondola.  
  
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In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey was closed in order to make way for a new area of the park based on the 2009 James Cameron film “Avatar”. Following the land's closure the [[Festival of the Lion King]] attraction was relocated to a new section of Africa called “New Harambe”. In 2015 the “ Harambe Marketplace opened to guests. The new area was themed around a “Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower”. Inside the Harambe Marketplace guests can visit various food vendors who sell African inspired quinine.  
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At this point in the attraction, guests enter the Mexico’s Colonization scene. Similar to [[it’s a small world]] the scene features various dolls dancing and singing. The colonization is essentially the same as it was when the ride was known as El Rio Del Tiempo, with the only change to the scene being the addition of a Donald Duck piñata and changes to the attraction's soundtrack.  
  
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===Beastly Kingdomme===
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Continuing on, guests enter the next room where they see Donald chasing after a parasailing boat, that is driving away with his swimsuit. Overhead, Jose and Panchito leave a smoke message for Donald, which reads, “donde esta Donald?” (where is Donald). Moving forward, guests see that Jose and Panchito are now looking for Donald in a Mexican restaurant. When they ask a waiter if he has seen a duck, the man humorously shows them a roasted duck, causing them to flee. Meanwhile, across the room, Donald is shown attempting to rock dive, with predictably disastrous results. 
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One change that has yet to (and may never) come to Animal Kingdom is the addition of Beastly Kingdomme. Despite a dragon being featured on the park's logo, there are currently no plans to build the land. Camp Minnie-Mickey proved to be popular with guests, and thus the land set aside for Beastly Kingdom remained in use and is now set aside for a land based on Avatar. Despite this, remnants of the planned Beastly Kingdom can still be found including:
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*The parking lot contains a section named "Unicorn."
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As dusk sets on Mexico, Panchito and Jose continue to search for Donald in the air. Unknown to them however, Donald is actually scuba diving below. Exasperated, Jose proclaims that the show is about to start. As guests enter the next room, they see a mariachi band playing as women dance. Jose and Panchito are finally able to find Donald, and although they need to pull him away from the women, the trio is eventually able to make it to their concert. The attraction’s finale then takes place in Mexico City, as fireworks shoot overhead and Jose, Panchito, and Donald perform their signature song, “The Three Caballeros”. After witnessing the concert, guests return to the loading dock.
  
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*A detailed dragonhead statue sits atop one of the ticket booths at the park's entrance.
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==Cast==
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'''Donald Duck'''-Tony Anselmo
  
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*In the first couple years of the parks existence, blasts of fire would be spewed from a cave at the edge of the water near Camp Minnie-Mickey.
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'''José Carioca'''-Rob Paulsen
  
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*Burnt suits of armor were located just outside the cave entrance and when the Discovery Boats passed this scene, guests were told by the boat's captain that the fire was created by a fire-breathing dragon inside the cave.
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'''Panchito Pistoles'''-Carlos Alazraqui
  
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==Backstory==
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==See the Attraction!==
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According to The World According to Jack the backstory for Disney's Animal Kingdom states
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To see The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros or El Rio Del Tiempo, click play below.
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{{Quotation|'Once upon a time, no vegetation would grow on Discovery Island. There were no trees, no shrubs, no flowers, nothing. It was a barren piece of land. Then, one day, a tiny ant planted a seed and made a wish. He asked for a tree to grow – a tree large enough to provide shelter for all the animals. Magically, the ant’s wish came true and a tree began to grow -- and it kept growing until there was room beneath its limbs for all the animals from A (ants) to Z (zebras). And as the tree continued to reach for the heavens, the images of all the animals that took shelter beneath its shade appeared on its trunk, roots, and branches.|http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2012/06/tree_of_life_at_disneys_animal.html}}
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==Current Lands==
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===El Rio Del Tiempo===
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To see the current Animal Kingdom map [https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/media/wdpro-assets/parks-and-tickets/destinations/animal-kingdom/Disneys_Animal_Kingdom.pdf '''Click Here'''.]
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===Oasis===
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Located at the front of the park, the Oasis is the first land guest’s encounter. Guest services and the Rain Forest Cafe are located here. The Oasis leads to the park's hub “Discovery Island”.
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'''[[Oasis Exhibits]]'''- This walking trail allows guests to see many animals including the giant anteater, wallabies, exotic boar and more.
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{{#ev:youtube|RZ-YiSAVf8k|420}}
  
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===Discovery Island===
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===The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros===
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Originally called Safari Village, Discovery Island is the hub of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. From Discovery Island guests can get to all the park’s other lands except for Rafiki's Planet Watch. Disney's Animal Kingdom's icon “The Tree of Life” can be found on Discovery Island.
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'''[[It's Tough to be a Bug!]]'''- On this 4D attraction, guests enter the world of the Disney-Pixar movie ''A Bugs Life''. Here they meet up with Flick, Dot, and even Hopper as they learn some of the challenges of being a bug.
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{{#ev:youtube|NrQDKY9LVmQ|420}}
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'''[[Discovery Island Trails]]'''- On this short walking trail, guests can find Galapagos tortoises, lemurs, kangaroos and other exotic animals.
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===Africa===
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Home to the popular Kilimanjaro Safari, the Africa section of the park takes place in the fictional African village of Harambe. According to the land's backstory, Harambe was once a colony, but it gained its freedom in 1961 after a peaceful revolution. Harambe is currently home to a wildlife reserve, where tourists can see some of Africa's most interesting animals. In 2014 the Africa section of the park was expanded to house the relocated Festival of the Lion King.
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[[Image:AnimalKingdomGuideMap2015.jpg|thumb|350px|The 2015 Animal Kingdom map (click to enlarge)]]
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'''[[Kilimanjaro Safaris]]'''- On this 22 minute safari, guests ride through the Savannah Desert in East Africa. Along the way, the trams come face to face with: elephants, lions, cheetahs, rhinos and much more. The safari is usually operational from park opening until sundown.
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'''[[Pangani Forest Exploration Trail]]'''- On this 3/8 of a mile walking trail, guests can observe some of Africa's most exotic animals. Okapis, meerkat, hippos, and Western Lowland Gorillas can all be seen here.
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'''[[Wildlife Express Train]]'''- This seven minute train ride transports guests from the African village of Harambe to Rafiki's Planet Watch and vice versa.
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'''[[Festival of the Lion King]]'''- This Broadway style show uses puppetry, song, dance and special effects to tell the story of Disney's The Lion King.
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'''Wild Africa Trek'''- This three hour tour allows guests to trek through the African wilderness and the Savannah Desert where they can get an up close look at various African animals. The tour requires guests to pay an additional cost.
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===Rafiki's Planet Watch===
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Rafkik's Planet Watch was originally called Conservation Station and it is the only land not accessible from Discovery Island. In order to get to Rafiki's Planet Watch guests must board the Wildlife Express Train which travels between Africa and the Planet Watch.
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'''[[Wildlife Express Train]]'''- This seven minute train ride transports guests from the African village of Harambe to Rafiki's Planet Watch and vice versa.
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'''[[Habitat Habit!]]'''- This short walking trail features various exhibits that teach guests how they can help conserve the environment. The trail is also home to a small group of Cotton-top Tamarin monkeys.
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'''[[Conservation Station]]'''- At Conservation Station, guests can get an in-depth look at how Disney takes care of the animals located within Disney's Animal Kingdom. Interactive exhibits and live animals also help guests learn about various animal habitats.
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'''[[Affection Section]]'''- This small petting zoo features domesticated animals from all over the world!
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===Asia===
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Perhaps the most popular land in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Asia was not complete until 1999. The land is home to Disney's newest attraction [[Expedition Everest]].
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'''Flight of Wonders'''- In this show, guests can see various tricks performed by all kinds of exotic birds.
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'''[[Maharajah Jungle Trek]]'''- This walking trail takes guests through the ruins of an ancient palace. Here, guests encounter giant fruit bats, Komodo dragons and even tigers!
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'''[[Kali River Rapids]]'''- This raft ride takes guests down the Chakranadi River in true whitewater fashion. The Kali River Rapids also shows guests the danger of illegal logging and habitat destruction.
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'''[[Expedition Everest]]'''- This high speed roller coaster takes guests on a frantic journey through the Mount Everest as they search for the mythical Yeti.
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===DinoLand USA===
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DinoLand USA is home to the [[Dino Institute]], which allows guests to travel back in time and come face to face with dinosaurs. In 2001 the land was expanded to include Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama. This new area is themed like a roadside attraction which was built to capitalize on the success of the nearby institute.
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'''[[DINOSAUR]]'''- Housed inside the Dino Institute, this dark ride allows guests to board Time Rovers and travel back to the Cretaceous period, where they come face to face with various dinosaurs. The attraction was known as Countdown to Extinction from 1998-2000.
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'''Finding Nemo- The Musical'''- This Broadway style show is a musical retelling of the Disney-Pixar movie Finding Nemo.  The show runs for approximately 35 minutes.
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'''[[Fossil Fun Games]]'''- The Fossil Fun Games are a group of dinosaur themed carnival-style games found in Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama.
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'''Primeval Whirl'''- This mild roller coaster takes guests back to the time of the dinosaurs.
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'''[[TriceraTop Spin]]'''- This hub and spoke attraction allows guests to climb aboard a dinosaur and take a spin above DinoLand USA.
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'''The Boneyard Playground'''- This kid friendly playground features not only slides and water guns, but also a large sand pit where young guests can dig up dinosaur bones.
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==Former Lands==
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===Camp Minnie-Mickey===
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Originally intended to be a temporary land, Camp Minnie-Mickey was located where Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be built. Here, guests could meet their favorite Disney characters including Mickey, Minnie, and Donald. The main attraction located in Camp Minnie-Mickey was the Broadway style show [[Festival of the Lion King]]. In 2014 Camp Minnie-Mickey closed in order to make room for a new land based on James Cameron's film Avatar. Following Camp Minnie-Mickey's closure Festival of the Lion King was relocated to the Africa section of the park.
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==Fun Facts and Trivia==
 
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
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*Straws, balloons and cup lids are not used inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom to protect the animals from potential choking hazards.
 
  
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*Two Micronesian Kingfisher chicks were hatched at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, raising the world population of these birds by 3 percent.
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* Animator Eric Goldberg was responsible for animating The Three Caballeros for the Gran Fiesta Tour <ref> http://www.chuckjones.com/artists/eric-goldberg/ </ref> <ref> http://www.mainstgazette.com/2012/03/el-rio-del-tiempo.html </ref>.
  
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*Disney’s Animal Kingdom contains live plants from every continent on Earth except Antarctica.
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* X Atencio and Armando Corral wrote the music for El Rio Del Tiempo, some of which is reused in The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros <ref> http://www.disboards.com/threads/el-rio-del-tiempo-song-got-the-lyrics.637690/ </ref>.
  
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*There are over 61,000 costume pieces worn by Animal Kingdom cast members.
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* In the scene where all of the Audio Animatronic dolls are singing, guests can catch a glimpse of a Donald Duck piñata <ref>https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3445/3268057872_c50253fff1.jpg </ref>.
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*At over 500 acres, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is large enough to fit the [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Epcot]], and [[Disney’s Hollywood Studios]] inside of it.
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+
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*In the early 2000s Disney promoted Animal Kingdom with the prashe NăHTăZū!(pronounced "not a zoo").
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==References==
 
==References==
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http://www.magicalmountain.net/animal-kingdom/disneys-animal-kingdom.aspx
 
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http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/disneys-animal-kingdom/
 
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http://allears.net/ae/issue187.htm
 
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http://saitonews.tripod.com/daknews2.html
 
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http://www.orlando-florida.net/walt-disney-world/resources/timeline.htm
 
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http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/The-Tree-of-Life.htm
 
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http://zoo.findthebest.com/q/19/70/How-many-animals-are-at-the-Disney-s-Animal-Kingdom-in-Orlando-Florida
 
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http://traveltips.usatoday.com/information-animal-kingdom-disney-world-10688.html
 
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http://zannaland.com/remembering-disneys-animal-kingdom-opening-day-april-22-1998/
 
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http://www.florida-project.com/disney-animal-kingdom-guidemaps
 
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http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_oas.htm
 
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http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/animalkingdom/ak-safari-tree.htm
 

Revision as of 11:02, 26 January 2016

The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros is an attraction located in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot.

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
Mexicoupdate2.jpg
The entrance to the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros.
Epcot
Land World Showcase
Attraction type Boat Ride
Opening date April 6, 2007
Hosted by The Three Caballeros
Vehicle names Mexico Cruiser
Vehicle capacity 16
Ride duration 8:00 minutes
Formally Known As El Rio Del Tiempo (1982-2008)
FastPass + No

Attraction History

The attraction that would one day be known as The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, began as a planned attraction for the Mexico pavilion titled "Las Tres Culturas de Mexico" (The Three Cultures of Mexico) [1] . The ride was going to be an indoor/outdoor boat ride, which took guests through the history of Mexico, showcasing its diverse culture. Las Tres Culturas de Mexico took its ride structure from "it's a small world", and even used a similar, repetitive theme song. The attraction’s storyline came from a Mayan myth which told about the Gods taking the gift of music from the jealous sun, and giving it to the songless Earth. The myth concludes with the idea that "Life was all music from that time on”.

Although Las Tres Culturas de Mexico was fully designed in time for EPCOT Center’s opening day, Disney initially wanted to push the attraction’s construction back until EPCOT Center's Phase II [2]. According to these plans, the attraction’s lagoon and load area were to be built first, with space left open for the boat ride itself to be constructed at the later date [2] . When other World Showcase attractions were put on hold (including the planned Japan attraction and Germany's Rhine River cruise) however, Disney realized that they did not have enough attractions for the parks expected capacity. Eventually, Disney decided that they would need to construct the Mexico attraction, which was now called El Rio Del Tiempo, in order to help meet capacity [2] . With both time and money running out, various cuts were made to the original designs for El Rio Del Tiempo. The whole attraction was moved indoors [2] , and it was decided that the ride’s track would need to be shortened by 40%.

Following a very quick construction, El Rio Del Tiempo opened with the rest of EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982. Although the attraction had been quite popular at the time of its opening, attendance began to drop during the 1990s. During this time, rumors were prevalent that the attraction would be replaced by a new Donald Duck attraction; however when El Rio Del Tiempo closed for refurbishment in 1999 no such change took place [3]. Instead, at this time the attraction was cleaned up and given new paint, just in time for Epcot’s Millennium Celebration.

On January 2, 2007, El Rio Del Tiempo was closed for a major refurbishment [4]. When the ride reopened on April 6, it featured a brand new storyline and was renamed The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros [5]. True to its name, the Disney characters José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles, and Donald Duck, from the 1944 Disney movie The Three Caballeros were added to the attraction and the plot was changed so that Jose and Panchito now searched throughout Mexico for Donald. In order to tell the new story, HD screens were added to many of the attraction’s scenes and a new soundtrack was given to the ride [6]. At this time the San Angel Inn was expanded into an area that was previously part of El Rio Del Tiempo [7].

On December 4, 2015 Animatronics of the Three Caballeros were added to The Gran Fiesta Tour's finale [8]. The figures had previously appeared in the former Magic Kingdom attraction the Mickey Mouse Revue. The figures had been absent from Walt Disney World for 35 years [8].

Plot

El Rio Del Tiempo [7]

The mariachi skeletons in Festival of the Children scene in El Rio Del Tiempo

El Rio Del Tiempo began with guests boarding their boats and heading off towards a large Mayan pyramid. The boats then entered ancient ruins. Here, a statue of a Mayan High Priest would come to life and speak to the passing boats. The attraction’s narrator also told guests that long ago a great civilization had flourished in Mexico. All around the room, guests could see various natives performing different rituals. The first ritual that guests saw was an elaborate dance titled "Nature and Science". This dance spoke to the native's understanding of man's relationship with the universe. The second ritual performed was titled "Mathematics and Astronomy". This dance highlighted the advanced understanding that the people had about these subjects (including their understanding of absolute zero). Finally, the third ritual shown was titled "Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. This dance spoke of the native's views on the never ending struggle between good and evil, as personified in a battle between the feathered serpent of light and the tiger god of darkness. Before exiting ancient Mexico, guests would see Aztec King Moctezuma II (who would lose his kingdom to Spain) predicting the subjugation of his people.

After passing through ancient times, guests arrived a scene titled Festival of the Children, which represented Mexico’s period of colonization. In the this scene, Audio Animatronic dolls danced and celebrated, as the narrator told guests that Mexico’s ancient culture still thrived. During the Festival, the dolls sang Vistas De Mexico, a song written by X Atencio and Armando Corral. After exiting the colonization scene, guests entered modern times. Screens in this room featured:

  • A parasailing boat by a lakeside resort
  • A mariachi band
  • Cliff divers
  • A white sand beach
  • A scuba diver

Following these sights, guests entered a city where two rival merchants attempted to sell their goods. The merchants would follow guests along the river, until the boats reached the attractions finale. The end of El Rio Del Tiempo featured a large fiesta inside the city. On their left, guests could see marionettes riding a carousel, as fireworks went off in the night sky. The dolls in this room sang Fiestas De Mexico which carried on until guests reached the unloading area. Before disembarking the narrator would tell guests.

“Goodbye. We will meet again, until then, may you always be delighted with the beauty of Mexico"

The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

The Three Caballeros reunited at the end of the Gran Fiesta Tour. Photo: D23

The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros also begins with guests boarding longboats and sailing of towards a Mayan pyramid. As guests progress past the pyramid, they come across a screen which shows Panchito Pistoles and José Carioca -two members of the famous Three Caballeros. Guests learn that the trio is supposed to perform a concert in Mexico City, but unfortunately, Donald Duck (the third member of the group) is nowhere to be found. In order to reunite the trio in time for the concert, Jose and Panchito board their magic carpet Pepe and set off to find Donald. As Panchito and Jose fly high above Mexico, Donald Duck is shown below wearing souvenirs and taking photos. As guests enter the next scene, they see that Panchito and Jose are still searching for Donald. Other screens in the room show points of interest in Mexico, including a Mayan pyramid and a gondola.

At this point in the attraction, guests enter the Mexico’s Colonization scene. Similar to it’s a small world the scene features various dolls dancing and singing. The colonization is essentially the same as it was when the ride was known as El Rio Del Tiempo, with the only change to the scene being the addition of a Donald Duck piñata and changes to the attraction's soundtrack.

Continuing on, guests enter the next room where they see Donald chasing after a parasailing boat, that is driving away with his swimsuit. Overhead, Jose and Panchito leave a smoke message for Donald, which reads, “donde esta Donald?” (where is Donald). Moving forward, guests see that Jose and Panchito are now looking for Donald in a Mexican restaurant. When they ask a waiter if he has seen a duck, the man humorously shows them a roasted duck, causing them to flee. Meanwhile, across the room, Donald is shown attempting to rock dive, with predictably disastrous results.

As dusk sets on Mexico, Panchito and Jose continue to search for Donald in the air. Unknown to them however, Donald is actually scuba diving below. Exasperated, Jose proclaims that the show is about to start. As guests enter the next room, they see a mariachi band playing as women dance. Jose and Panchito are finally able to find Donald, and although they need to pull him away from the women, the trio is eventually able to make it to their concert. The attraction’s finale then takes place in Mexico City, as fireworks shoot overhead and Jose, Panchito, and Donald perform their signature song, “The Three Caballeros”. After witnessing the concert, guests return to the loading dock.

Cast

Donald Duck-Tony Anselmo

José Carioca-Rob Paulsen

Panchito Pistoles-Carlos Alazraqui

See the Attraction!

To see The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros or El Rio Del Tiempo, click play below.

El Rio Del Tiempo

The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • Animator Eric Goldberg was responsible for animating The Three Caballeros for the Gran Fiesta Tour [9] [10].
  • X Atencio and Armando Corral wrote the music for El Rio Del Tiempo, some of which is reused in The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros [11].
  • In the scene where all of the Audio Animatronic dolls are singing, guests can catch a glimpse of a Donald Duck piñata [12].

References

  1. ↑ http://www.lostepcot.com/worldshowcase.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.martinsvids.net/?cat=10&paged=3
  3. ↑ http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/el-rio-del-tiempo/news/27jul1999-el-rio-del-tiempo-refurbishment-update.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/el-rio-del-tiempo.htm
  5. ↑ https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros
  6. ↑ https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia: A Guide to Walt Disney World's Greatest Theme Park
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://d23.com/after-35-years-historic-three-caballeros-figures-return-to-walt-disney-world-resort/
  9. ↑ http://www.chuckjones.com/artists/eric-goldberg/
  10. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2012/03/el-rio-del-tiempo.html
  11. ↑ http://www.disboards.com/threads/el-rio-del-tiempo-song-got-the-lyrics.637690/
  12. ↑ https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3445/3268057872_c50253fff1.jpg
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