Our First Media Event!! The Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom - Review & Press Conference Highlights

Hi, this is Josh with ResortTV1 and today we're going to be talking about the magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom coming on Friday September 25th to Disney+. We hope you enjoy the video. Before we get started please remember to subscribe and hit that notification bell to be notified every time we go live or have a new video. Also, be sure to follow us on social media. We're ResortTV1 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. So let's get started. And first we want to thank Disney for inviting us to the virtual press conference that was held last week. We were really excited to be there and just to hear about this amazing series. So just a little bit about the magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was produced by National Geographic and one of the coolest things and one of the most surprising things is that it was narrated by Josh Gad. But what's interesting is when you watch it, we were actually able to watch parts from all of the different episodes and when you watch it you'll actually not immediately realize that it's Josh Gad because we all think of Josh Gad as the voice of Olaf. But what's interesting is, you know, of course Josh Gad is a man of many talents and he's got this amazing narration voice and if you stop and just kind of enjoy the show you really don't even think about it being Josh Gad but you can tell his voice is absolutely perfect for the show. So that's the first thing about the show that's really neat is just to have Josh on there as such an iconic figure in the world of Disney. But the premise of the show is that it takes guests on a backstage tour of Disney's Animal Kingdom and it's really amazing to see all of the things that have to go on behind the scenes just to make sure that all of the animals are well cared for and they have a wonderful quality of life and that they are ready to be on stage and shown to guests and it's just incredible how much the guests don't see that goes on behind the scenes just so the animals can be on stage and just be beautiful and majestic as they always are. One thing I didn't know is that there are more than 300 species at Disney's Animal Kingdom as well as 5,000 plus animals. So it's just incredible the scope and the scale of what Disney does in their park. And one of the things that's really obvious from the very beginning watching the show is the amount of care and affection that the cast members give the animals. They really do become like parts of these cast members' families and a really big and important part of their lives. And in fact, even as a viewer when you're watching the show, you really feel connected to the animals and they become almost like characters in a regular Disney movie or TV series and you care about them in that same way that you would care about any Disney character. And it's amazing when you watch the animals and they get sick and you're really concerned about them and hoping that they will get better or if an animal is undergoing a surgical procedure, you're really nervous and you want to make sure that the veterinarians are able to perform the procedure successfully and so you're just always really rooting for those animals. Even when they're asking an animal to perform a desired behavior, you're always, you know, wanting that animal. Come on, you can do it. Like we'll talk about Kenya the giraffe a little bit later, one of the main characters in the show at the very beginning, you know, they're wanting her to perform a behavior and really rooting for Kenya, even though it's taking a long time. Come on, Kenya, you can do it. You can perform that behavior. So it's really compelling to watch and I wasn't sure what to expect when I started watching it, but I was drawn in right away just by the excellent storytelling and just by how amazing and lovable these animals are. And of course, we know that when we look, they're so majestic when we're in the park at Animal Kingdom. But when you really get to know them and get to know their personality, as only you could do through some backstage tours and some backstage video, it's just hard to see all that when they're on stage and you really only get to see them maybe for a few seconds on a safari or maybe for a minute or two as you pass by in the park. So I think that's the biggest takeaway and that's the thing that's going to really keep people coming back to this series over and over again. And let's hear some cast members now talk about their experiences and why they care about the animals and just how much they care. Go behind the scenes with an all-access pass to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We want people to be able to get as up-close and personal as they can. The fun is just beginning. All the work that we're doing is making a difference. Just really a big team effort. I'm hoping that she might be pregnant. People have no idea how much goes on behind the scenes here. We don't have favorites, but if we did have favorites, Augustus is probably mine. Oh, I love him. I love him so much. I would like to think she thinks that we're best friends, but she's a giraffe. Anything else to say or can we keep going? Welcome to a place. Our guests got to come and see an hours old gorilla. That's the kind of thing that's gonna make people want to do something for these animals in the wild. We're wonder. He's humongous. Hey, buddy. You look so good up there. Meet the wild. That was awesome. People are gonna have a one-of-a-kind experience that they'll never get ever again in their lifetime. And also I mentioned Kenya the giraffe earlier, so I'll just talk a little bit about that. Episode one is really a lot about Kenya. She's kind of the main character. She's a Maasai giraffe. She's in the savannah. You may or may not have seen her when you've had a safari at Animal Kingdom. And she's got a unique shaped hoof with it has kind of a growth on the bottom of it that makes it uneven. And so a lot of times they have to put her to sleep for this procedure. And of course anytime you put an animal especially that large to sleep, there are a lot of risks. And so the veterinarians and the keepers are trying to get her to put her foot up on this pedestal and allow the veterinarian to file off her hoof so that it is flat and you know, she can walk around on it. It can be more comfortable for her. And so if they can do that and she will sit there and put her hoof up there, they can fix it without putting her to sleep. And so they try and try and they lure her with food and all kinds of different things and it's just amazing to watch the patience and the love these cast members give Kenya as she really tries hard to please them and to do the behavior that she that they want her to do. But it really does take hours and hours. In fact, I think they said they trained her for like nine months. And you know, you really cheer when she's successful. It actually gave me chills. So that's just one example of something really cool in the particular series that viewers will really enjoy and really connect with I think. Of course, another thing is Joe Rohde, one of the main Imagineers involved with the design of Disney's Animal Kingdom is involved in of course this show as well. And one of the things they talk about aside from the animals is how do they showcase the animals when the park is open late at night, which it has been in the last year or so. They've done these nighttime safaris. And so how do they make it so that guests can still see the animals without bothering the animals themselves? And part of the story talks about this palm tree that had lights kind of hidden within the branches and around the tree itself so that it didn't just look like they were putting floodlights in the middle of the park and you know, of course, it wouldn't look nice and you know, that's not the Disney way. Disney's all about theming. So they talked about how long it took them to construct this palm tree and how they wanted to make it look just right so that the idea was they were spending all this work and time on something that the regular average guest would never notice. And I've ridden the nighttime safari several times and they're right. I never noticed it. I had no idea it was there. I saw that there were lights, but it goes through the the scenery of test and adjust for that light and just to make sure that it doesn't bother the animals at all. Just really amazing to hear the Imagineers talk about just refining something seemingly so simple to give guests a better experience, but still to protect the animals and make sure that it doesn't bother them. And I told you before that we were fortunate enough to be invited by Disney to watch the press conference where several Disney cast members gave their views on the series itself, on the care that takes place behind the scenes for the animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom and a variety of other topics related to the show. The panelists that we heard from at the press conference were Joe Rohde, of course, we mentioned him earlier, the Walt Disney Imagineer, Dr. Mark Penning, who's the vice president of animals, science and environment at Animal Kingdom, and Dr. Dan Fredholm, who's a veterinarian and he actually was featured in the first episode. He's the one working with Kenya the giraffe there and has so much patience for her. So he answered some questions about that as well as some other animals. We also heard from Rachel Denault, who is an animal manager that works with the gorillas at Disney's Animal Kingdom. So right now, let's watch some clips from the press conference and some of the interesting things that these cast members had to say about this series and about their care for the animals. And now please welcome Dr. Mark Penning, Joe Rohde, Rachel Denault and Dr. Dan Fredholm. Thank you so much to everyone for sending questions in advance. We've received so many, so hopefully we'll have time to get through as many as possible. To start us off, our first question for Dr. Mark Penning and Joe, with so many thousands of animals and hundreds of species at Disney's Animal Kingdom, what was the process in selecting which stories were told in this show? And I think the underlying core of the show is to demonstrate the part that you don't see, the care. And when we say care, it's sort of, it manifests itself in a couple ways. There are the activities themselves, the things that people do, but more importantly, just in the same sense that we as designers care about the story that we tell, there is real emotional care here. The show is actually a show about emotions, about the emotional investment of the people in the lives of these animals that come together at this moment where design beats care. Excellent, thank you. Our next question for Dr. Mark Penning and Joe, what makes Animal Kingdom different from any other animal sanctuary or zoo around the world? I think first, there is a level of theatrical storytelling. We frame all of the animal experiences within a thematic and narrative experience. So it isn't just presenting animals for your consideration. It is the experience of being in a place suffused with story in which when you do finally see these animals, the moment is filled with additional meaning. Yes, thanks, Joe. I can build on that. You know, I'm a veterinarian, I understand animal care. And what Disney's Animal Kingdom shows me is the incredible relationships between people and the animals, the passion that the people have for telling the stories about those animals, for how we work with the Disney Conservation Fund to protect those animals in the wild and the habitats that they come from, and the way we tell the story where we immerse you completely into that experience. That makes it completely unique for me. Great. Our next question for Joe, what types of things did you have to keep in mind when designing a theme park meant to also function as an animal sanctuary that you wouldn't have to think about when designing other parks? Well, the presence of live animals is utterly pervasive. Utterly pervasive. It doesn't even stop at the areas where you see animals. Presence of animals defines the entirety of the experience of Animal Kingdom. So that it informs the style with which we treat the buildings. It informs the way in which we lay out the pavement. It informs everything. But when you start with the animal areas themselves, you basically are starting with the animal. What does it want? What does the animal want? What does it need? How does it move? How does it live? All of those things are sort of fixed before we begin our part of the design. We must create a place where an animal feels at home. Then the next question we have to ask ourselves is, if all of that is true, what is the way in which we can interact with and see and experience this place that doesn't interfere with that? And then the next thing is, how can we fold that into a story that brings greater understanding, greater emotional meaning, greater impact than simply seeing the animal? So we're backing out from the animal itself. But that actually informs everything in the entire park, whether you ever see an animal or not. Because ultimately, everything you experience leads to a moment where you encounter an animal. Excellent. Our next question is for Dr. Dan Fredholm and Rachel. I'm sure you love all of the animals, but are there any you've developed a particularly special relationship with, and which surprised you the most? For me, you know, it's hard to pick any one favorite animal. We have so many that are amazing. I really have a soft spot in my heart for Casanova, the hornbill that lives over at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. He's extremely charismatic. He is a character. And every time I'm over there, I just find myself staring at him, watching how he behaves and runs around the savannas. But in reality, we have so many amazing animals. One of which right here, this is Tito. He is one of our opossums living over at Conservation Station in the Affection section. And I think the thing that surprises me and never ceases to surprise me is how great these animals can be in participating in their own medical care. I'm able to basically be here with Tito. I can palpate him, examine him. I can look in his ears, his eyes, all the while he's having a little snack and really not noticing what's going on. So that just allows us to have an excellent level of animal health care from animals as small as naked mole rats to as large as our African elephants. Great. For our next question, for Dr. Dan and Rachel, do you have any funny stories about working with the animals? So I think there's always funny stories when you're working with these animals. They are always doing something. I always talk about Gino a lot and see me with him. And I think one of the things that really surprised me and caught me off guard with Gino is that we were training one day and he's very intelligent. And I just asked him to give me a behavior. And he started making up his own behaviors. And that's actually a sign of higher intelligence. So I was blown away. And I actually was approached by some authors because they heard about Gino through the grapevine. So I think stuff like that happens here every day. And it's hard to just pick one thing. And hopefully you'll see some of those little snippets in the show. Yeah, I totally agree. I think it is hard to pick one. Every day there is something funny or something that surprises you that an animal will do. But probably what stands out to me the most, which I hope you'll be able to see when you tune in to see the show, was my interactions with Kenya the giraffe. Kenya is one of our giraffe that we try to make sure has a really robust program for her health. And we spent a lot of time getting her to participate in her foot care. So I learned very quickly that giraffe do things at their own pace. You can try, but you can't really make a giraffe do anything. And so the fact that we spent weeks upon weeks working with her and getting her to be able to participate in me being able to trim her hooves, sometimes with a lot of sitting around and not much happening, was just a reinforcer to me of what we're all willing to do in order to make the lives of these animals fantastic. And finally, I was really happy to get one of my questions answered by all four of the panelists. And that question was, what are you hoping viewers will take away from watching the series? And so let's watch all of the answers that we got from the Disney cast members on this question. So one more question for the group. What are you hoping viewers will take away from watching the series? Oh, I can start with that if you like. I would love viewers to recognize the amazing care that takes place here at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park and come and take a look for themselves. But also to understand why we do this. And that's because we're so passionate about protecting wildlife and wild spaces. And if we can just inspire people to think about nature and to take care of the nature in their backyard, I will consider this a big success. Yeah, Animal Kingdom is not really just about animals. It is about humans and our relationship to animals. Some of those relationships are good and some of them are not. And we want to reflect on all of those stories. That's what pulls us into the world of conviction and at the other end pulls us into the world of care. And I think this show, this is a place where the more you know, the richer your experience of the place. So simply by seeing the show, the next time you come to this place, your experience will be fuller, will be richer, will be more rewarding. Yeah, I would echo what Joe said. I think that one of the most important things that I hope people take away from watching this show is the human-animal bond. I think anybody who has a beloved pet at home understands how strong that bond can be. There are many people that equalize them to their children. And it's similar here. We love these animals. And there is a real palpable bond that I hope will come across when you watch the show. And just to tag on to everything everyone else has said, I hope people really realize that what we're doing here is fairly cutting edge. We are considered leaders in this industry. And I hope that comes through in the show because we're doing some really amazing things. And I'm very hopeful that people will feel that with the show because there is a feeling that goes along with that. And I'm very proud of it. And I really hope people get that through the show. So as you can see, this is an absolutely amazing series. You'll definitely want to check it out when it premieres on Disney Plus this Friday, September 25th. And if you don't have Disney Plus, this is a great reason to get it along with the hundreds of other shows and movies that are on Disney Plus as well. We really enjoy it and just being able to have all those Disney classics as well as the new episodes and shows at our fingertips. So definitely check this out. Don't miss it. It is worth a watch. Add it to your watch list when it comes out. You'll be hooked after the first episode. I guarantee it. And after you do watch, come back here and leave a comment on the video and let me know what you think, especially about how the animals really truly become characters in this series and really makes the viewer care about these animals in a way that is so much deeper than you would even just by seeing how majestic they are in the park. So let me know what you think about that. So again, we'd like to thank Disney for inviting us to this press conference. We truly did enjoy it and we can't wait to see what you think of this amazing series. So that's all for now, everybody. Be sure to check out our sponsors, MickeyTravels.com for the best in free Disney vacation planning. Go check out MickeyTravels.com. They will help you plan your next trip to Disney so you can see some of these amazing animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Also, if you're thinking about moving to Central Florida, talk to Victor Narocki at CelebratingFlorida.com or Facebook.com slash Narocki Realtor and tell him that ResortTV1 sent you. So for now, have a great big beautiful tomorrow. Bye-bye. Now that you've finished watching this video, be sure that you're subscribed so that you can get all the latest updates. Also, check out some other great videos on our channel. Have a great big beautiful tomorrow. Bye-bye.