Invited guests, media and VIPs at last night's opening of Disney's Fantasyland were treated to what is being described as a one-time only flight of a fire-breathing dragon.
The dragon, complete with flapping wings, moving head and tail and blasts of fire from his mouth, stunned the crowd as it flew around the castle.
And while the crowd was awed at the magical sight of the flying dragon Wednesday night, Disney fans and spies have known of the presence of the dragon since at least last summer when Californians were the first to notice the dragon flying through the sky.
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A small airstrip just north of Bakersfield, California, was home to the first test flights of the dragon. The Bakersfield Californian newspaper was the first to report back in June of sightings of a mechanical dragon during daytime flights over the rural central California out of Shafter-Minter Field. While airport officials were said to have signed confidentiality agreements about the craft being developed and tested there, others flying in and out of the airport could not help but be startled at the sight of the ultralight aircraft with a pilot and large fan and kite to stay afloat.
And while dragons are a recurring theme to many Disney fairy tales, the greater speculation is that this high-flying dragon is actually a preview for the previously announced Avatar attraction.
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We have great news to share today. At a press conference happening right now at Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob Iger and Tom Staggs just announced a long-term creative partnership with James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the fantasy world of AVATAR to life at Disney Parks. And it'll all begin at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.
We believe Disney's Animal Kingdom is a great fit for this project because it was created to give guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of animals and nature – real and mythical – in new ways. Disney's Animal Kingdom also celebrates adventure, living in harmony with nature and environmental stewardship – themes that are deeply rooted in the story of AVATAR.
The design phase on the Disney's Animal Kingdom project has just begun so stay tuned to the <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/">Disney Parks Blog</a> for more details.
The flying dragon seen last night does indeed resemble the Avatar Mountain Banshees.
And whether for Disney's Fantasyland or the forthcoming Avatar attraction, it was quite clear by watching the reaction from fans last night, it was a big hit.
You can find additional images from the California test flights Inside the Magic blog.
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