Overview
- Walt Disney Imagineering, which released a behind-the-scenes video Friday, detailed an expanded bat cave with over 2,000 bats including more than 200 show-set figures.
- Special effects teams added glowing red eyes and fans that move the show-set bats, and paint teams applied bats and distant eyes on rockwork to make the cavern feel endless.
- Imagineers said the scene once used only hanging “airline bats” and now features individual rockwork bats and clustered formations placed using a full scan of the mountain.
- The project is part of a full rebuild that replaced the track and introduced new trains, a change that allowed Disney to lower the minimum rider height to 38 inches.
- The refreshed opening in Rainbow Caverns adds a new transformation effect, with updated animatronics and the first visible gold on the mountain set to greet guests when service resumes May 3.