Australia

[Goofster]

Ok, i've been thinking lately, and I've got my first imagineering idea. I thought that well, if Universal can copy Disney, then Disney can copy Universal.

My ride would go in the soon to be Australia section of Animal Kingdom. The ride would have some title like, Crocodile Hunter Tours or something.

I haven't really thought out all the details or plot, but I know its going to be a huge smack down on JAWS. JAWS, don't get me wrong is fun, but I know if disney puts their mind to it they can easily make JAWS look like a terrible ride with dumb, old, animatronics.

The main idea is that you're in Australia and are going to go on a tour of this swamp. You get into a boat a lot like the jungle cruise, and your tour guide/croc hunter (real life australian native, of course) will explain whats going on. Lately, there has been a huge (i dunno, whats a really big size croc?) terrorizing these parts, so your going to go out for a tour and while your out there help to catch him, too. Now, i know that you'll run into some other smaller sized crocs before meeting Big Bertha, and when you do, she'll attack the boat.

Now, i'm not really sure where to go from here, because I dont really think you could kill the croc, because it's Disney World, but I'm not sure how you'd get rid of it.
Anybody got any ideas?

 

[Kontra]

Yeah, Australia has to be a definite for AK. I think it's next in line after BK.

If Disney built an Australia section I'd like to see some exhibit with the Crocodile Hunter. That show cracks me up. Of course they'd have to buy the rights and all. I think NBC owns it now.

Aww Crouiky!!!

 

[WDW-Imagineer]

If Australia is added to AK, is obviously gonna be large, so my question is... how big are they gonna make AK?? Its already 5 times the size of MK!! If they add more lands to AK, they better impliment some sort of transportation system within AK, either that or a lot of benchs!!

 

[Chad]

Hey, sounds great! Before the big croc attacks, you could go by some pins with some live crocodiles and get some info on them, so it would still tie in with the 'learning about animals' theme.

You could have the ride end up in a village somewhere, and thats where the big croc is, and you try to chase it out back into its natural habitat, and it turns and attacks the boat, and it ends with him running off...

Or maybe you could make it where you are trying to tag the croc with a tracker, so the guests could also learn about trackign techniques, and in the end, your guide finally tags him, but not before he knocks the boat into a gas pipe causing a big explosion that bist a water main and pours water all over the place, but thats a bit too much like jaws I think....

Anyways, Great Idea! Australia would be great!

However, crocodile hunter belongs in MGM, not australia, maybe turn the indy show into more of an animal stunt show, like the one at universal?

<sticks his tounge out cause nobody replied to his river ride..>

 

[Goofster]

Sorry bout that Chad,
Anyway

Yeah, I think it would be awesome if they had a croc hunter show, too. It would either need to have Steve Irwin, well, they do have some kinda Animal Planet/Discovery Channel Show at Universal or something, I think, so that might be a problem. But hey, then there's Paul Hogan, crocodile Dundee would be great in a show, i think.

But back to the ride,
Yeah, I definately think you should run into some smaller crocs, and real ones might actually be pretty cool. Hmm, well I think just now i figured out how it should end. I think you will have to tag the croc, and maybe it will be calm and let you move up close to it at first, but when your guide puts the tag on, she goes crazy really close up to the boat and gets everybody wet, then your guide says something like, "We gotta get outta here!" And you speed away, with the croc hot on your tail (it can go underwater a lot so as to have more then one animatronic and it doesn't have to travel so far back and forth) the croc will be splashing you and rocking the boat and everything and then you'll see, up ahead, the river ends and forms a pool, theres brush everywhere and there seems to be no escape. Your guide slows you down, then says "There's only way to escape" and floors the boat, you fly up the beach and into the forest, landing softly in another pond. You escaped the croc, you drive back into the town and deem the tour and tagging successful.

Now How's That?

 

[Kontra]

Originally posted by WDW-Imagineer
If Australia is added to AK, is obviously gonna be large, so my question is... how big are they gonna make AK?? Its already 5 times the size of MK!! If they add more lands to AK, they better impliment some sort of transportation system within AK, either that or a lot of benchs!!

I'm not sure aboot this, but I thought that this figure included all the land of AK including the vacant areas (such as that large noticeable gap in between Asia and Dinoland) and all the animal preserve land (all that land in between Africa and the Rafikie's Planet Watch). In between each of the lands there is more than enough room to add in another land. I hope that once these areas are filled up, there will be more walkways to get from land to land instead of having to go back through Discovery Island every time.

 

[dopey]

i like the idea, mate.

but how about this for an ending: the giant croc is about to devour you, your boat and everybody else on board when suddenly from out of the brush comes a swarm of florida alligators. they latch onto the giant croc and the struggle carries them down to the depths of the swamp.

a bit on the deus ex machina side, but what the heck, it worked for jurassic park.

 

[dopey]

and one other thing: ya gotta have captain hook involved somehow.

 

[scan_man]

If they did an Australian Themed area, they could Market some of the Rescuers.
The Croc Hunter would be a good thing too, would compete against the one at Busch Gardens with Jack Hanna

 

[WDW-Imagineer]

Originally posted by scan_man
If they did an Australian Themed area, they could Market some of the Rescuers.
The Croc Hunter would be a good thing too, would compete against the one at Busch Gardens with Jack Hanna

I think Croc Hunter Steve Irwin could beat that old fart Jack Hanna anyday.


Also, I like the Australia idea (maybe an Outback Steakhouse could be put in), although I really hope Beastly Kingdom is built first.

 

[Chad]

I agree, plus Steve Irwin is a real donkey-hole anyways. Met him at Busch Gardens, and he refused to sign my park map, he said he'd only sign the picture if you bought it for 7 dollars. So I don't watch him at all.

You guys have to keep in mind that this is animal kingdom, and its supposed to be realistic to an extent because you want the guests to learn about animals, and until beastly kingdom is built, it has to be factual. Now I don't know if crocs latch on and drag others down stream, but I do think the ramp-the-beach idea sounds fun. Perhaps you could tour through a few real croc areas, and the guide would be sure to mention how fiercly mother crocs guard their nest <which the do, if memory seves> then you would stumble onto the croc's nest, maybe even bump into it and crack an egg or something, and thats why the croc chases you, so you don't give the impression that crocodiles are evil or something. So you get chased, the croc knocks your boat around, jumps out of the water and scares the guests, perhaps attacks another fake tour boat and causes it to explode, your guide tries to get you away, and reaches a dam. The boats would be like the jungle cruise boats, where everyone is facing the center or out, and noone faces foward, so the guests could see the big croc rushing towards them in the water, so he pushes the motor to the max and ramps the dam, landing below and causing a big splash finale. The croc stays on the top of the dam, not willing to risk the jump, so the animal doesn't die, the guests get informed and cooled off with the splash, and there's an overall theme about "Leaving Animals in the wild alone"

 

[Goofster]

Chad, that's perfect, it's awesome!

The guide is just giving you a tour and is showing you the croc's nest, all of a sudden, the mother croc attacks. before this all happens of course, the guide will tell you there has been a giant croc roaming around these parts.

Hmm, i still can't decide wheather i want the ending to be a dam or just up the beach. I do like the fact that if you go over the dam then you'll get a good amount of air time, but I might want the ride to be more all in a jungle. Decisions, decisions

Yeah, I dunno if it would be cool for the boat to explode, but an old abandoned boat with a hole in the side or something would be cool.

My ride idea is nearing completion! This is so much more fun then I thought! I gotta think up more ideas!

 

[Chad]

Glad to be of help It could also be a waterfall if you want to make it a more 'natural thing' and I just though the exploding boat or <insert exploding thing here> would add some thrill to it, fire always seems to get oooohhhhs and ahhhhss..

 

[Goofster]

A waterfall is perfect!

 

[Goofster]

You're gonna be one wicked-awesome imagineer someday! While you're there, remind them of my quote, I think they may have forgotten.

 

[Chad]

Thanks, Goofster I hope to see you up there, maybe I could see you finish this project with em' someday. Don't worry, the haven't forgotten the quote, Eisner and the management, with the dollar signs in their eyes, have green tinted vision. And you can't see a dream while thinking in green.

 

[Brett]

I'd love to see Austrailia at Walt Disney World in some shape or form. I always thought a good Austrailia based resort could pop up, but I think the Animal Lodge may take some flair out of that idea.

 

[Goofster]

I headed for the animation department I think

 

[Ariel]

You mates have got a great idea going there!! I think Austrailia would be a wonderful addition and I love the idea of Croc tours...Steve Irwin just cracks me up , so to have something like that to be entertaining yet educational would be great! Hopefully someday we'll see something like it there!!

 

[Chad]

I don't know what the big deal about Steve is, I really find him annoying...I know I'm gonna get yelled at for this, But I think he gets obnoxius...Either he can't express his emotions, or he can't act, I saw one episode where he was trying to act sad for all the whales that were beached on the shore, and he sounded so fake it wasn't even funny. ANyways, my two cents right there. <gets on flame proof outfit and borrows a hose from woofboy's fire hunter idea to guard himself>