PHOTOS - Artists begin the 'Raya and the Last Dragon' sand sculpture at Disney's Animal Kingdom

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'Raya and the Last Dragon' sand sculpture - Day 1

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Posted: Friday February 19, 2021 11:22am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Earlier today at Disney's Animal Kingdom, artists began working on a 40-ton sand sculpture celebrating the new film 'Raya and the last Dragon.'

'Raya and the Last Dragon' sand sculpture - Day 1

The display on the Discovery Island stage across from the Flame Tree will feature Raya, Tuk Tuk, Sisu the last dragon and the Ongi, all set in the fantasy world of Kumandra.

'Raya and the Last Dragon' sand sculpture - Day 1

It takes a team of two sand sculpture artists over 24 hours to build and carve the display made entirely from sand.

'Raya and the Last Dragon' sand sculpture - Day 1

Guests will have the opportunity to watch the artisans at work February 19 through 21 and the carving will remain on display at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a limited time through the end of March.

'Raya and the Last Dragon' sand sculpture - Day 1

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JustInTimeMar 20, 2021

Seriously. Incredible movie. Bring it on.

cookiee_munsterMar 18, 2021

I loved the Film. Bring on the dragon! :D or Dragon(s) if you've seen the film

DCBakerMar 17, 2021

Looks like more sculptures were carved out/added -

Uh. Okay. So basically you're telling everyone to not bother caring about your opinion since you won't do the proper research (literally just watching the movie) to form your own conclusion... Gotcha. I supposed there's a reason why your profile picture is a clown. Lol.

MisterPenguinMar 10, 2021

I saw a poster for Raya and I didn't like the storytelling at all!!

aliceismadMar 10, 2021

Yeah, I like all the sequels you mentioned, mostly for how they make my kid laugh, but I would never consider them the best animation or storytelling ever. Sometimes it's ok to like the fluff too. Raya isn't fluff though, in its storytelling or animation quality.

HauntedPirateMar 10, 2021

Very true, and an excellent point.

SpoiledBlueMilkMar 10, 2021

Very happy to read the benefit of your informed opinion. I'm sure the 60 seconds of total video we've seen on commercials is truly representative of every scene in a full-length movie. Personally, I absolutely detested Moby Dick. I could tell from the cover design of the edition I glanced at while walking past the shelf that the novel was absolute crap.

CaptainAmericaMar 10, 2021

You can also dislike Raya and recognize the animation quality. Cars 2, for example, is a crap movie that is *technically* extremely impressive.

HauntedPirateMar 10, 2021

One can not like the questionable sequels but like Raya. I’ve seen all of the movies in question. Raya is good, unlike the sequels mentioned. Funny how an original story (aka: Non-sequel/“reimagining”) can lead to a good movie. Your last comment is honestly hilarious. Perhaps you have this forum confused with DIS? Most around here are far from “eat it all up and love it” Disney people.

corran hornMar 10, 2021

They really have the simulations down. Really really. (I also loved the color palette)

chimchimchereeMar 09, 2021

I'm lucky to have just walked out of the IMAX showing of Raya and the Last Dragon, and WOW. What an exceptional film. Other commenters have made clear just how technically and artistically skilled the animation is; I'm adding kudos in for the score! I'm listening to it again on Spotify at the moment. I don't get emotionally invested in movies very often, but this one swept me up. I know someone here mentioned giving Kali River Rapids a Raya re-theme, which absolutely thematically tracks the film, but I would rather the movie get its own original attraction. (Of course, just my two cents post-viewing; mileage may vary.)

aliceismadMar 08, 2021

Obviously aesthetics are deeply personal and subjective, but it's arguably the most beautiful animated movie Disney has made. The characters still have the appearance of animation, but there is a depth to the animation. And the depth goes beyond the characters. Both the foregrounds and backgrounds are very detailed and stylized. Things like the hair and the rain, the details in the flowers and the forest floor, etc., made it feel very tangible.

HauntedPirateMar 08, 2021

It was a pretty good movie. Animation was fantastic. The sand sculpture should be interesting to see (my wife already did but it didn’t really register since the movie wasn’t out when she saw it).