Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, which will bring to life famous Disney and Disney•Pixar films, including Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, hit a major construction milestone earlier today when Walt Disney Imagineers and various crews working on the project held a “topping out” ceremony for the resort. This special moment is a tradition in the construction and engineering fields and takes place when the highest piece of steel is placed on a building’s frame. The tradition dates back to the Vikings, who would place an evergreen tree on the top of a building to celebrate and wish for good luck.


Today’s ceremony took place atop a wing of the resort that will be themed after The Lion King.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is set to open in early Summer 2012 and is already available for booking. Standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort start at $94 per night and family suites start at $248 per night.

For more information on Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, visit disneyworld.com or call 407-934-7639