Rivers of Light

Rivers of Light is an upcoming nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort. Rivers of Light will be located in the park's Discovery River lagoon between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest. The show will feature water, mist screens, floating lanterns, lights, fog, projection mapping and live performers. and incorporate the park's Tree of Life into the show.

The show was first announced as part of the park's expansion plans, which includes Pandora–The World of Avatar and a nocturnal version of Kilimanjaro Safaris, in October 2013. Construction began in 2014. The show was originally set to premiere on April 22, 2016, Earth Day and the park's 18th anniversary. However, on April 5, 2016, it was announced that the show had been delayed and would not be able to meet the April 22 premiere date.

The show will only be able to seat 5,000 guests, giving it the smallest capacity of Walt Disney World's night-time shows.

A portion of the show was previewed to media on April 19, 2016, when it was also announced that The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic, a limited-engagement show based on the 2016 live-action film, would fill the space of the delayed Rivers of Light night-time show, presumably until the latter show is ready.

Summary
Around 10 minutes prior to the show, a preshow of sorts takes place in the Discovery Island trees on the far side of the lagoon with fireflies glowing and the shadows of animals walking through the trees. Four lotus floats also begin moving into a starting position.

At the start of the show, two lantern sailboats arrive, each carrying a shaman storyteller and their apprentice. On the Asia side is Aditya and Ketu, representing the element of fire. On the Dinoland side are Aseema and Ambu, representing water. These characters never speak a word, and instead communicate through music, dance, shadow puppetry and magic. A narrator then explains the lantern festival pageant we are about to witness."Of all the gleaming planets in our vast universe, it is only here on Earth that water and light harmoniously unite to create the wonder of life. We most graciously welcome you to a timeless celebration of water and light with roots as far reaching as time itself. Here, where the forces of nature meet in harmony, the spirits of the animals are free to dance together in the night sky creating Rivers of Light. We are united in this special place to celebrate the magnificence and wonder of all living creatures, for in life we are all one."

- Narrator The music builds and four Animal Lantern floats arrive, a Tiger, a Sea Turtle, an Elephant parent and child, and a Great Horned Owl. As they move along the lagoon and the four lotus floats start to unfold and shoot water jets, the Animal Spirits inside the lanterns begin to emerge and take to the sky. This sets the stage for the last float to arrive, the giant Temple Lotus. The five lotus fountains begin to dance with the animal spirits, who are called into action by the shadow puppetry of the shamans.

After the Dance of the Lotuses, a journey through the natural world begins, set to the original song "We Are One". The sequence starts as Aditya plays his horn to call the Tiger, who leaps onto the lagoon and roars, starting a journey through jungle environments. Aseema sends the turtle spirits onto the lagoon to take us through the ocean. The Elephant spirits appear to start off a trip through the African savanna, featuring a Lion and Cheetah chase. Finally, Aseema sends the Horned Owl to travel to North American mountain tundra and polar regions and the song concludes over a montage of animal families.

The music begins to rise again with a score inspired by Transformation and the Rivers of Light, the aurora borealis, begins to take shape as countless animal spirits dash into the skies, concluding with the breach of a humpback whale. The show enters its finale, the music becomes more ethereal and a starscape of animal constellations begins to take shape. The narrator returns for concluding remarks."Within each of us is a light. A light that shines in all living things. Here where fire and water bridge the earth and sky, our light rises on the wind to join the stars. As we journey on this great earth, may we remember the light we share. May we celebrate our bond with the natural world and the wonders that flow on Rivers of Light."

- Narrator The animal spirits return to their lanterns to become part of the starscape and a tower of torches emerges from the Temple Lotus to dance with the fountains of the four smaller lotuses for a final reprise of "We Are One".

Design
Rivers of Light was initially conceived of as a nighttime parade by Steve Davison through the streets of Animal Kingdom, but this concept was shelved due to the costs of infrastructure alterations necessary for visibility and movement. In the wake of World of Color, the concept was revisited as a show for the Discovery River Lagoon.

Walt Disney Imagineers and Disney Creative Entertainment designed the show along with longtime collaborators Michael Curry, Don L. Harper and Mark Mancina.