Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, the new resort being constructed at Walt Disney World in Orlando, celebrated a construction milestone on July 21. The Value Resort held its "topping out" ceremony yesterday, an event attended by Walt Disney Imagineers and members of the resort’s various work crews.
At Disney’s "topping out" ceremony, a crane helped lift an evegreen to the roof of a building that will be part of ˆThe Lion King” wing of the resort.
“The hundreds of people we have working on Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are doing an amazing job helping us build a resort hotel that will really delight our guests,” said Gary Hoffmann, senior project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering. “The traditional topping out is an important milestone on a project that continues to run on schedule for an opening just ten months from now.”
A ‘"topping out" ceremony is a commonly-used marker for construction sites and engineering projects. The event occurs to mark the day when the highest piece of steel is placed on a building. A common “topping out” element includes placing an evergreen at the top of a building, both to celebrate the construction’s progress and as good luck; the use of the evergreen also marks the ceremony’s connections with its Viking tradition.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has been a substantial construction project for Walt Disney World, creating 800 construction jobs. After the resort opens in 2012, it is projected Disney’s Art of Animation will create 750 permanent resort positions.
Click here for a slideshow of Disney's Art of Animation concept art, plans, and model room photos from the Destination D conference.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, located near Pop Century Resort, will add additional family suites and Value accomoodations to Walt Disney World. Its theming celebrates popular Disney and Pixar animated films, with exteriors and interiors devoted to “The Lion King,” “Cars,” “Finding Nemo” and “The Little Mermaid.” When finished, the resort will offer 1,120 family suites that sleep up to six guests, and 864 traditional hotel rooms, the latter being themed to "The Little Mermaid."
Standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort willl start at $94 per night and family suites will start at $248 per night.
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