One legendary figure in the Walt Disney Theme Park community will not be attending a special event in Florida.
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2023 is a very special year for Disney for many reasons. Firstly, The Walt Disney Company is celebrating 100 years of magic, a massive milestone for an even more massive company. Guests visiting both Walt Disney World and Disneyland will notice special theming that celebrates this huge anniversary.
The Walt Disney World Resort recently wrapped up its own celebration, with the Orlando Resort celebrating 50 years as “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Much like the 100-year anniversary, Guests could enjoy limited-time theming, events, food, snacks, and merchandise. This event started in October of 2021 and ran until the end of this March. However, the festivities are far from over, with one very special anniversary about to take place.
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Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be turning 25 this year, with the animal-focused theme park opening in 1998. On April 22, the festivities will officially begin at Walt Disney World’s youngest Park. Disney laid out everything Guests can expect from the special event in a new blog post which you can check out here.
Of course, there will be special merchandise, food, and experiences for Guests to enjoy. However, one key element will be missing.
If you’re a part of the Disney Parks community, then you will surely know the name, Joe Rohde. This Disney icon worked for The Walt Disney Company for years as an Imagineer and is responsible for some of Disney World’s most infamous attractions and locations. To summarize, Rohde was responsible in large part for the very creation of Disney’s Animal Kindom, also leading projects such as Pandora – The World of Avatar and Expedition Everest.
Unfortunately, Rohde will not be able to attend the special event later this month.
Rohde confirmed on his personal Twitter account he will not be able to make the celebration in person but will be “supporting from afar.” We’re sad to see that he won’t be in the actual Park to celebrate, but we wish him well and will be celebrating him from afar as well.
As we mentioned earlier, Rohde is responsible for a large portion of the Walt Disney World Resort. When you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can feel that there’s more to it than just riding rides. Rohde, along with the entire Animal Kingdom team, wanted to convert a very important message of conservation throughout the Park.
What’s your favorite theme park at Walt Disney World?