PHOTOS - Crane working on The Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

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Crane working on the Tree of Life

Posted: Wednesday January 20, 2016 12:13pm EST by WDWMAGIC Staff

A high-reach crane is currently onsite at Disney's Animal Kingdom working on The Tree of Life.

Crane working on the Tree of Life

Later this year, Disney is expected to unveil new nighttime entertainment, including Rivers of Light, and new lighting effects on The Tree of Life, which are presumably what we can see being worked on today.

Concept art of Disney's Animal Kingdom nighttime entertainment

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ToTBellHopJan 22, 2016

Definitely includes projection. And special lighting. It should be a step up from Celebrate the Magic.

djkidkazJan 22, 2016

Right, they keep showing the butterflies moving around the base. It definitely looks like a projection.

TTA94Jan 22, 2016

So ToL will have both lighted leaves and projections? I'm pretty sure projections are a given based on the concept art.

mm121Jan 22, 2016

it would be really difficult and unsafe to work up there at night time since it would be like pitch black dark not to mention they'd have to pay the workers alot more. they do the castle lights during the daytime i believe so guessing they've been replacing the leaves to make them light up and glow pretty sure its the leaves that light up, not a projection show and theres been no word on projection towers being built so that seems un likely for the ToL area barges is a possibility at least for part of the journey, then just slow and steady with some lookouts and its probably a bit easier since the whole areas being renovated if a tree is in the way or something they can possibly just remove it then replace it later

dreamfinderJan 21, 2016

Saw a couple cranes on barges the other week. Maybe bring it in that way? But heck, I've seen some really damn good heavy equipment operators who can move those things like ballet.

The_JobuJan 21, 2016

Looks cool. Hope these are running by the time I visit at the end of April.

djkidkazJan 21, 2016

I assume this is just the castle projection show being used on the TOL with a different theme?

flyerjabJan 20, 2016

We were there today from 10 AM to about 1 PM. They were working on the ToL the entire time. In fact, they were working on every project like their lives depended on it. The crews on the floating mountains and the RoL locations were spread out every where and were just non-stop the entire time. I feel like the pace has been ratcheted up a bit since the start of the new year.

Texas84Jan 20, 2016

Yeah, this was from May. Always wondered how they got that thing back there. :)

allgigglesJan 20, 2016

Yes, that crane/boomlift/whatever was definitely parked by the tree when we were there in June 2015. It's in our photopass pictures. Also saw it in a friend's pictures from August. ;-/

toolsnspoolsJan 20, 2016

I was in town for an IBM convention and they had about 10,000 guests in the park. For the most part, they put out food carts and opened a few rides, most of Dinoland and EE were opened. They had character meet-n-greets and the such as well. I'm also a DVC member and look forward to what they will have to offer. If it's anything like the Typhoon Lagoon event, it should be pretty sweet.

jhastings74Jan 20, 2016

When I worked there as a CM in Dinoland, I used to LOVE working til park close. The park would be empty, it would be dark and the lights would all be on, and the shortcut I would take along the Cretaceous Trail still had the dinosaur sounds playing on the speakers. It was pretty surreal...but an experience that I will never forget. Honestly, I think seeing it after dark was what made it my favorite park of the 4.

Andrew CJan 20, 2016

I rode EE right at dusk a few years back when they did evening extra magic hours. It was really cool but there was a really weird smell...I assume some type of spray/fertilizer they put on the vegetation at night?