Guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are getting a special treat along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail where they can get a rare glimpse of a newborn gorilla born Feb. 19. The critically endangered western lowland gorilla, whose gender is still unknown, is doing well and has already become an integral member of the gorilla family group which includes first-time mother, Kashata, father Gino, and two other females, Benga and Hope.

Members of the primate team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are encouraged by Kashata’s natural instincts at motherhood. First-time mothers often experience difficulty knowing the right things to do. They must learn to properly hold the baby and adapt to a demanding nursing schedule.

“Kashata has been a model mother from the moment the baby was born, said Matt Hohne, animal operations director for Disney’s Animal Programs. “She immediately knew how to properly hold the baby and her nursing skills have been exemplary.”

Since Kashata has been holding the baby close to her body, animal keepers have yet to determine the baby’s gender. Most gorilla mothers keep their offspring close for several months while the baby adjusts to the environment. In addition, gorilla babies typically nurse for approximately 12 months and may be weaned between the ages of four and five.

The new baby, which is yet to be named, is the third gorilla born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan which manages genetic diversity among species through detailed records of individual animals. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also participates in AZA Species Survival Plans for several other animals, including elephants, cotton-top tamarins and okapi. The first gorilla birth occurred in 1997 before Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened, and the second baby arrived in 1999.

Aside from breeding activities, Disney’s Animal Programs team remains active in gorilla conservation in other areas.
The team currently provides staff expertise for the creation of the first rescue and rehabilitation center in eastern Africa for orphaned gorillas to ultimately reintroduce them back into the wild. They have also developed an innovative training technique that enables team members to monitor the heart health of gorillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom by administering cardiac ultrasound exams on fully alert gorillas.

GORILLA FACTS:

• Gorillas are the largest of all primates, standing five to six feet tall and weighing up to 450 pounds.

• In the wild, western lowland gorillas are found in lowland tropical rainforests throughout western Africa.

• Gorilla habitat in Africa is quickly disappearing because of coltan mining, a mineral used to make batteries for electronics. Recycling cell phones or laptops may contribute to gorilla conservation.

You can sign up at disneyparksmobile.com/textmessaging. When you register, you can enter the specific dates of your visit to receive messages during your stay or just select the option of visiting multiple times per year. If you select multiple visits per year, you’re limited to getting the text information 12 days per year.

Here are all of the current text message options and their limits:

Wait Times
Text “Wait” followed by the name of the attraction.
Up to four times per day.

Park Hours
Get the park hours of any park.
Up to four times per day.

Character Locations
Text “Meet” followed by the name of the character.
One part of their site says there’s a limit of once per day, but their FAQ lists four times per day.

Resort Information
When you sign up and indicate which resort you’re staying at, you will receive information about your resort.

By signing up, you may also receive random exclusive offers. You also indicate your favorite character. You may just get a message from that character or information about them.

Universal Studios

Holiday Concert Series This season brings a new Holiday Concert Series in the new Music Plaza. Enjoy some of your all time holiday favorites as performed by Mannheim Steamroller (Dec. 5), Chris Isaak (Dec. 12) and Natalie Cole (Dec. 19).

Macy’s Holiday Parade – This seasonal favorite features authentic floats and balloons (including several brand new ones this year) direct from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. You’ll also enjoy festive street performers and talented marching bands from around the country, and of course Santa Claus himself. Afterwards stay for a spectacular tree lighting ceremony with music and a dazzling display of lights.

KidZone Holiday Show – Join your character friends as they dance to holiday hits in this live show.

Barney’s Christmas Show – Join Barney and his friends for a magical sing-along, clap-along show at A Day In The Park With Barney.

Blues Brothers Christmas Show- Add some rock and roll to your Christmas with the Blues Brothers! Catch them live, performing holiday favorites like “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” and “Blue Christmas” with snow on Delancey Street at the end of each show.

More Information

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Grinchmas – Seuss Landing is transformed into the wintry wonderland of Grinchmas featuring a live musical performance of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” Then stroll around the Whoville Wonky Tree Lot and take in the whimsical Wholiday decorations.

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SeaWorld

Polar Express – The Wild Arctic simulator ride is transformed into the Polar Express Experience. When the ride is done, you’ll be at the North Pole and can visit Santa and his northern animal friends.

Winter Wonderland on Ice – This all-new holiday-themed ice-skating show can be seen at Bayside Stadium and will be performed on select nights through Jan. 3. The show includes water fountains, fireworks, and, of course, ice skaters.

Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas – Sea lions Clyde and Seamore, along with a few mischievous otters and a walrus or two, offer up comedy in this new Christmas show that runs on select nights from Nov. 27 through Jan. 3.

A Sesame Street Christmas – This new musical show features Abby Cadabby, Elmo, Big Bird, and other popular Sesame Street characters. Abby has never heard of Christmas and her friends help explain the holiday spirit to her. Sesame Street character meet-and-greets are available after each show.

Shamu Christmas … Miracles – A choir, holiday music and sights help Shamu tell the story of peace and friendship.

More Information

Magic Kingdom

Castle Dreamlights! – Guests can behold twinkling lights of one of Disney’s newest holiday traditions – Castle Dreamlights! Donning their holiday finest, Cinderella and friends take to the Cinderella Castle stage daily for a dream-come-true, light-the-night moment. With 200,000 sparkling, jewel-like crystals adorning the iconic castle, the glistening light-show spectacular signals the beginning of Disney’s seasonal merriment.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – The theme park hosts the long-running Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights. During this special-ticket event, guests are treated to the new stage show “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas!,” “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade,” “Holiday Wishes-Celebrate the Spirit of the Season” fireworks spectacular, plus special shows featuring Disney characters decked out in their holiday finest, carolers, festive tree lightings and more. And while forecasters predict the first snowfall of the season will swirl a winter-like effect down Main Street, U.S.A, guests can take heart: there’s hot cocoa and cookies to add a warm spirit, plus apple slices and apple juice. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates are: Dec. 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18.

More Information

Epcot

Candlelight Processional – Held daily at World Showcase, America Gardens Theatre at 5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m., the Candlelight Processional is a joyous retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a glorious mass choir. Upcoming presenters are:
Dec. 2 John O’Hurley
Dec. 3 – 5 Steven Curtis Chapman
Dec. 6 – 8 Anika Noni Rose
Dec. 9 – 11 Andy Garcia
Dec. 12 – 13 To be announced
Dec. 14 – 17 Abigail Breslin
Dec. 18 – 20 Whoopi Goldberg
Dec. 21 – 23 Brian Dennehy
Dec. 24 -26 Edward James Olmos
Dec. 27 – 30 Angela Bassett / Courtney B. Vance

Gospel Choir – Joyful! A Gospel Celebration of the Season featuring D’Vine Voices will appear through Dec. 26 on the Fountain Stage at 1:15, 2:15, 3:15 and 4:15 p.m.

Holiday storytellers – International holiday traditions unfold throughout World Showcase Nov. 27-Dec. 30 when storytellers such as Pere Noel in France, La Befana in Italy and Santa Claus in The American Adventure share the traditions of the season and spread the message of goodwill. As a “nightcap” to each day, “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” – a kaleidoscope of lasers, lights, fireworks and music – takes on a spirited holiday finale.

More Information

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – Bathed in bulbs of brilliance, the Streets of America glow with millions of dancing lights and animated displays through Jan. 4, 2010. Amid gently falling snow, guests will bask in the glow as twirling carousels, melodic angels, colorful wreaths, marching toy soldiers and Santa and his reindeer move to high-energy music and 3-D effects, creating a dazzling symphony for the senses.

More Information

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade – This whimsical spectacle is a theatrical showcase of characters, floats and puppetry with a holiday world-beat twist. Guests can meet Disney characters decked out in their holiday best at Camp Minnie-Mickey, which also features live seasonal entertainment, holiday photo opportunities and decorative Christmas trees.

Outside the Orlando theme parks

Busch Gardens – Christmas on Ice at the Stanleyville Theater.
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ICE! at Gaylord Palms Resort – It’s rooms full of hand carved Ice. Tag along on Santa’s journey, beginning with an encounter with Old Man Winter, through an arctic forest, and into the middle of a Christmas Carnival, complete with a life-size carousel. Next, chill-seekers will explore Santa’s ornament room, climb onto his oversized knee, and watch as he and reindeer take flight (yes, the ice slides are back) Then view the Nativity finale, hand carved from crystal clear ice.
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Now Snowing in Celebration, Fla. – This “Snowing” event, offers an all new ice rink this year. Now Snowing is a month long Winter Wonderland Spectacular featuring strolling Charles Dickens Carolers, photos with Santa, horse drawn carriage rides, the Celebration Express train, and nightly snowfall at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
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Bok Tower Gardens Christmas at Pinewood – Designers will deck the halls of the 20-room, 1930s Pinewood Estate with elegant and elaborate decorations.
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Holiday Lights Zipline Safari – Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida has announced their new Holiday Lights Zipline Safari that takes guests through the Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation Area fifty‐five feet off the ground amid dancing colorful lights and music.
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Wild Wonderland at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo - Millions of twinkling lights and glimmering holiday displays light up the night. Meet Santa and his real reindeer. See a Frozen Forest with crystal animals, trees and dancing fountains set to the sounds of festive music. Hear the jingle bells ring on a special holiday horse-drawn carriage ride.
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Silver Spring’s Festival of Lights – More than a million twinkling lights and neon displays will be on display throughout the park from dusk until 8:30 p.m. Nightly activities will include Miss Molly’s Storytelling (Except Dec. 24) in the Silver River Theater, local choirs on the weekends singing songs of the season, strolling carolers, the famous lighted boat parade, shopping in the Silver Springs specialty stores, and of course don’t forget to visit with Santa Clause (through Dec. 24).
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Holy Land Experience Festive musicals and engaging presentations unfold throughout the day and help tell the tender story of the birth of the Christ child. All new for 2009 “Eyewitness to His Glory” is the Christmas story as you’ve never seen it before. Other shows include Come To The Manger, The True Story of St. Nicholas, Ye Olde Christmas Carols and Glorious Impossible.
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Light Up UCF – The area’s biggest free holiday light show, free outdoor Holiday Film Festival and Orlando’s largest outdoor skating rink. For 2009, Light Up UCF is offering all-new rides and attractions including Santa’s Village, the Arctic Glide Ice Slide, Kris Kringle’s Carousel and McDonald’s Ferris Wheel.
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Following on the heels of a number of iPhone apps that purportedly provide access to Disney theme park attraction wait times (through user submissions) comes Disney’s first official cell phone app called Mobile Magic. This app, however, will as of now not be available on the iPhone but rather compatible Verizon Wireless network phones.

The screenshots in the post come from the official Disney Parks blog which today offered a preview of the upcoming application.

Features to be included in the application do include attraction wait times, which will be taken from Disney’s own park information. Specific wait times will only be available to users of the application while physically located inside a park. The phone will use GPS to determine the user’s location. When outside the park, users will only see vague wait descriptions like “moderate” and “high.”

In addition to wait times, other details listed in the application will be the next available Fastpass return time as well as character appearance information. Park maps will be accessible from within the parks allowing users to quickly see where in the park they are currently standing and what attractions and restaurants surround them.

The Mobile Magic application will be available for purchase and download to Verizon Wireless customers beginning in November and will cost $9.99 per six months of service, which works out to roughly $1.67 per month or a little less than $0.06 per day.

To purchase the application, guests will text MAGIC to 2777 from a Verizon phone.

For those not on the Verizon network, Disney does offer mobile Web sites, m.disneyworld.com and m.disneyland.com, which can be accessed through a cell phone browser. However, these sites only contain basic park information like park hours and entertainment schedules and will only show the limited information about wait times and Fastpass return times, not specifics. The specific information is exclusive to Verizon application users, for now. But there’s certainly no shortage of comments on the official Disney Parks blog post about the application from Disney fans hoping an iPhone version will come next.

With my mother-in-law visiting and the colder weather we’re finally getting, we decided to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom yesterday. Most of the animals were out enjoying the weather, but some looked like they were a bit cold.

Sometimes I see things like these bird nests and think it’s a bit of Disney magic – that Disney built those nice nests for the birds. But while watching these birds I saw another bird carrying a large twig in his mouth, adding it to the nest. Surprise.

This cast member was set up in the Island Merchantile store, personalizing your holiday merchandise for $3 per word.

Disney was using this Fastpass area near It’s Tough To Be A Bug as test for getting all of your Fastpasses in one location. I guess the test has ended for now.

This lively group called Village Beatniks had the crowd dancing and moving.

This offer caught my eye. The 20 exclusive Disney pictures sound cool, but I wonder how nice they’d look on a tiny screen.

I miss McDonald’s french fries. This food stand in Dinoland U.S.A. now serves turkey legs since McDonald’s food is no longer served in any of the Disney World parks.

This new character meet and greet area has gone to the dogs. Goofy and Pluto have been making regular appearances in Dinoland for a long time. Now they have their own stand.

I’ve noticed a lot more ride T-shirts in gift shops around the parks. It’s nice to see so many different design choices. If you’re a fan of Expedition Everest, just look at all of the options. They had even more designs available. Click on the photos for a larger view.

A guest in front of us pointed out the hidden Mickey in this picture in the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Thumper from “Bambi” is new character appearing in the Camp Minnie-Mickey area of Animal Kingdom. Although I didn’t get to see her, Miss Bunny also appears with Thumper on occasion.

We’ll end the update with a look at some other characters I spotted in Camp Minnie-Mickey. As you can see, they had quite a few more characters besides the usual Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald.

Starting Monday, Florida residents will have a new option for annual passes to Walt Disney World. For $169, the Florida Resident Weekday Select Pass will allow access to all four of the Walt Disney World theme parks on weekdays, but with a few restrictions.

The new Weekday pass will have the same blockout dates as the current Florida Resident Seasonal Pass. So the weekday pass will allow access each weekday except between these dates:
Dec. 21, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010
March 29, 2010 to April 11, 2010
June 14, 2010 to Aug. 19, 2010
Dec. 20, 2010 to Jan 2, 2011

The cost of parking, currently $14 per day, is also not included with the pass. A child’s pass is $149.

Here are all of the current annual pass options for Florida Residents:

Premium Annual Pass: $489 – No blockout dates – Free parking – includes DisneyQuest, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and Disney′s Oak Trail Golf Course.

Annual Pass: $369 – No blockout dates – Free parking

Seasonal Pass: $249 – Includes blockout dates – Parking not included

Weekday Select Pass: $169 – Weekdays only – Includes blockout dates – Parking not included

Epcot After 4 Pass: $139 – Valid for Epcot only – Valid only after 4 p.m. each day – No blockout dates – Parking not included

The new Kidani Village expansion wing is scheduled to open Sept. 1. It will feature 160 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas. The additional rooms complete the build-out of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas for a total of 449 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The new six-acre Pembe Savanna, adjacent to the expansion, will treat Kidani guests to a rare look at okapis, a typically shy animal closely related to the giraffe. The distinctly marked okapis, along with red river hogs, impala, waterbuck, blue cranes and spur-winged geese, will claim Pembe Savanna as their new home.

For more on Kidani Village and its new restaurant, Sanaa, get your copy of the Summer 2009 issue of Orlando Attractions Magazine.
Photo by Gene Duncan

The Flights of Wonder show has been performed daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for years now. But you may not have known how famous one of the stars of the show really is.

Groucho, the singing parrot has been named the World’s Best Singing Parrot on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He’s also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and many others. Today he is still one in a million, able to sing seven full songs which include: How Much is that Doggy in the Window?, Camptown Races, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Alouetta and Jingle Bells.

Hatched in 1986 in Kalamazoo, Mich. and raised by Theresa Barylock, Groucho is a yellow naped amazon parrot and his ability to articulate will amaze you. The animal care staff would like for us to warn you that owning a parrot does not guarantee that you will end up with a singing sensation like Groucho. For the most part, parrots chew, bite and squawk loudly.

Here’s another video of him during the show taken by park guest Rex Hughes, Jr.

It’s our first quarterly issue and the first of our new and improved editions featuring nearly 20% more pages, thicker paper, more high-quality photography, and more articles than ever before.

Feature articles in this issue include:
• COVER STORY: Hitch a Ride on a Giant Stingray
with SeaWorld’s Manta, Florida’s First Flying Roller Coaster.

• Slip Slide Away at Disney’s Water Parks
Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach offer cool retreats year-round.

• Skipper Ben’s Top 10 Ways to Beat the Heat

• Magical Memories
Contest winner looks back at his year as Disney’s Chief Magic Official.

• Africa, Animals and Art
Kidani Village expands upon the culture found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

• Africa meets India at Sanaa
Disney’s newest restaurant dishes up African cuisine with Indian flavors.

• Stitch invades Tomorrowland in Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration.

And if you subscribe now at our new low price of $19.99, you’ll be among the first to receive the new Summer 2009 issue when it begins to mail out next week. But hurry or you’ll miss it!

Again, you can preview and pre-order the Summer 2009 issue here.

The animal care team at Disney World has been busy since last Mother’s Day, assisting with the births of more than 440 animals and more importantly, helping to ensure that the relationship between mother and child remains uncompromised.

For example, animal care experts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom were recently monitoring two baby vultures hatched from two different sets of new parents. One pair adapted quickly to their new parenting roles, while the other pair struggled and had difficulty feeding their new offspring. Concerned about malnourishment, the animal husbandry team intervened by providing supplemental food to the smaller bird. Eventually, the struggling parents began copying the behaviors of the adept parents and improved their parenting skills. Their efforts have been successful and today, both young chicks are of equal size.

“Disney’s Animal Programs team constantly balances animals’ physical needs such as food and shelter with the social needs of both mother and child.” said Matt Hohne, animal operations director at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “By sharing this information with guests and with other researchers, Disney’s Animal Programs hopes to protect species and learn more about breeding, animal behavior, health and natural habitats, which are paramount to the success of long-term conservation efforts.”

Among mammals, nearly all of the primary caregivers are mothers, but in some groups, it may take an entire village to raise a child. For instance, Disney World welcomed a black and white colobus monkey baby – the first of its species born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Animal keepers are typically more anxious about the parenting skills of any first-time mother, but this baby continues to thrive under the attentive and watchful eyes of first-time mother, Kabibi. She’s also getting some extra help from three other adults that take turns watching the baby while the mother sleeps or eats.

Last June, second-time mother Moyo gave birth to a 327-pound male elephant calf – the heaviest animal yet to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. During the baby’s first days, mother and son bonded quickly and the animal care team soon became confident about the calf’s future since nursing was early and successful. Some of that confidence may be attributed to experience. Having groomed and nursed a first-born, Moyo quickly remembered her prior parenting skills.

At Disney‘s Animal Kingdom, animal experts carefully monitor the progress of mother and baby, starting with the infant’s eating habits and activity levels. They also closely watch the care-giving habits of the mother to ensure the baby receives appropriate care and grooming. This level of attention is maintained not only during infancy but throughout an animal’s entire lifespan.

Through successful breeding programs, Disney’s animal experts are helping to increase the population of endangered animals such as the Key Largo woodrat and the Micronesian kingfisher. The goal is to eventually reintroduce these captive-born animals in the wild. Such was the case with a pair of endangered white rhinos that were born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and transferred to a wildlife preserve in Africa. This was the first reintroduction of white rhinos from the United States to Africa and marked the beginning of efforts to re-establish a rhino population -- extinct since 1972 when white rhinos were a casualty of civil unrest in the region.