Colorful kites briefly graced Animal Kingdom . PHOTO BY DANNY SHUSTER
Baloo soars over Discovery River . PHOTO BY DANNY SHUSTER
Let ' s Go Fly A Kite
EPCOT Forever , KiteTails , and More
BY MEGAN DUBOIS
The origin of kites is up in the air . Some historians believe kites originated in China , while others argue they got their start as fishing instruments in Indonesia or Malaysia . The earliest records of kite flying point us to several hundred years BCE .
Whatever their origin , and however they developed , kites have become a mesmerizing leisure activity — and an excellent resource for vibrant storytelling , including at Walt Disney World .
DISNEY KITETAILS : A SHORT-LIVED FEVER DREAM One of the most notable kite shows played at Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom during Walt Disney World ’ s 50th Anniversary Celebration . The short-lived Disney KiteTails show featured larger-than-life 30-foot-long kites shaped and designed like beloved Disney characters , including Simba and Baloo from The Lion King and The Jungle Book , respectively .
From anywhere around the Discovery River Amphitheater , you could watch performers on jet skis reach high speeds to send the colorful kites flying up in the air , in time with music from the
KiteTails was short lived but well worth the watch . PHOTO BY DANNY SHUSTER
iconic Walt Disney Animation Studios films upon which the kites were based . But for many people , the most entertaining part of the show was watching the kites land in the bottom rows of the amphitheater . In the words of Buzz Lightyear , the kites weren ’ t flying — they were “ falling with style .”
THE PRECURSOR TO KITES In September 1985 , EPCOT debuted Skyleidoscope : An Aerial Spectacular . This 15-minute show featured Dreamfinder and Figment from Journey Into Imagination . The show was a battle of good and evil as Dreamfinder looked to fill the skies with colorful rainbows but needed to defeat the dragons on the lagoon , who shot fire out of their nostrils before Dreamfinder could make his colorful magic . The show featured seaplanes , jet skis , speedboats , airlifted saucers , a blimp , and fireworks . While there were no kites in this show , the amount of air and seacraft is still impressive for any show at Walt Disney World , especially only a few years after EPCOT ’ s opening . You can still find a reference to this show at Magic Kingdom on the sign for The Barnstormer .