New Addition's To Disney's Animal Kingdom

[raven]

I'm just saying that i don't see it as a stretch by any means to bring Zootopia to an "animal" themed park. its just my opinion. and we all know what those are worth. so at AK we have Dinosaurs, current animals, and out of this world areas, why not Zootopia, too?

Well, the same can be said for most animated Disney films that feature talking animals though. Just because the word "Zoo" is in the title doesn't make it a fit for DAK.

 

[DeweyDuck]

sure dinosaurs were animals but they are extinct. so, I'm just saying that i don't see it as a stretch by any means to bring Zootopia to an "animal" themed park. its just my opinion. and we all know what those are worth. so at AK we have Dinosaurs, current animals, and out of this world areas, why not Zootopia, too?

"Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient and imagined" - Eisner. That's why dinosaurs fit into AK. And it's about time they do it justice, not a pack-down carnival.

Zootopia doesn't work because it touches on a lot of social issues. It's more humans as animals to make it easier to watch but still teaching kids at the same time. It has nothing really to do with animals. I mean don't get me wrong, I love the film and I'd totally love to see Disney do something more with this but just not in AK. If anything they should just shove it in Disney's IP Movie Park...

 

[Kman101]

The long term aspiration is to link the Planet Watch area to the rest of the park by walking routes.

So no more train in the distant future?

 

[No Name]

I think that turning Dinoland into South America would be a smart idea.

Dinoland (as a concept) worked better park was supposed to be divided into seperate lands for mythical, real, and extinct animals. However, Everest in 2006 broke that layout, because now we have a ride about a mythical creature that's not in a Beastly Kingdom, but rather, in Asia, the place where the yeti myth originated. I like that. I'd rather see the park divided by location, with everything in the location it pertains to. Allows for more continents, and I think, more flexibility in the long run.

In the same way that the yeti myth originated in Asia, Dinosaurs are believed to have originated in South America. So, with a reworked entrance, Countdown to Extinction (because that's what it will be renamed) would fit in SA. As for the rest of the land, there's so much in that continent from which to draw ideas. And they can do a great job with it, if the Harambe expansion is any indication. The rides would probably need some IP integration in some form. Aside from Up, I can't think of any other Disney movies that take place, fully or partially, in South America. Can you?

 

[Kman101]

I don't mind Dinoland. It's Dinorama with the carnival games, spinner and Primeval Whirl (which is fun, but eh, I could take it or leave it) that most want to see go. I'd love to see them dust off the Excavator coaster and put it in that spot. I doubt we get a dark ride and certainly nothing themed to Good Dinosaur.

Asia could use a dark ride, and since a Mystic Manor clone keeps getting shot down by insiders I'd prefer Jungle Book, and while I love the animated version, I'd prefer it to be based on the "live action" movie. And as much as I'd love a dark ride for Lion King based on the animated movie, I'd rather it not be the animated version either.

Someone a few years back mentioned UP ... we could always end up with something based on that in the empty plot ...

 

[Cousin Huet]

I'd like to see the Dino area tighten up and focus more on the research side of things ala the Children's Museum in Indianapolis but on a more grand scale......the roadside attraction deal is cute but I cant get past the fact I am literally cooking in that area.

Now if we are talking a new land then go Australia and the Americas.....focus on conservation and the part the responsible hunter plays and has played in that over the years (both good and bad if you want to placate the anti-hunting crowd). I can see some cool stuff involving Teddy Roosevelt and the formation of National Parks and Wildlife Refuge areas. Maybe tie in some Native American roles that were played.

Probably cause some controversy in today's world of being afraid of all things we don't like but I think it would draw and be relevant and unique.

 

[FigmentJedi]

I think that turning Dinoland into South America would be a smart idea.

Dinoland (as a concept) worked better park was supposed to be divided into seperate lands for mythical, real, and extinct animals. However, Everest in 2006 broke that layout, because now we have a ride about a mythical creature that's not in a Beastly Kingdom, but rather, in Asia, the place where the yeti myth originated. I like that. I'd rather see the park divided by location, with everything in the location it pertains to. Allows for more continents, and I think, more flexibility in the long run.

In the same way that the yeti myth originated in Asia, Dinosaurs are believed to have originated in South America. So, with a reworked entrance, Countdown to Extinction (because that's what it will be renamed) would fit in SA. As for the rest of the land, there's so much in that continent from which to draw ideas. And they can do a great job with it, if the Harambe expansion is any indication. The rides would probably need some IP integration in some form. Aside from Up, I can't think of any other Disney movies that take place, fully or partially, in South America. Can you?

Current research puts Dinosaur origins in Scotland and the family tree may be going under a huge shakeup, mainly that theropods are on the other side of the Saurischian/Orthnichian split.
https://www.theguardian.com/science...ical-shakeup-of-dinosaur-family-tree-saltopus

Also, Dinoland is very much about how paleontology and prehistory are embedded in American culture. While dinosaurs were first found in Europe, pretty much all the stock pop-culture dinosaurs are as American as apple pie and bald eagles. That golden age of paleontology was very much driven by Americans and it was seen as our point of pride in the scientific community, even through the mess that was the Bone Wars, and replicas of American fossils filled museums across the world. Hollywood movies helped embed dinosaurs into the popular imagination and roadside dinosaur parks (That NEVER took the form of a carnival) became iconic fixtures of the great American Road Trip, and when you go out west, you can see places where all the elements of roadtrip culture, prehistory museums and fossil sites all converge, especially in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.

For a park focused on exploring man's relationship with the natural world, it's absolutely a sensible and compelling concept for a dinosaur themed land that isn't just the typical Jurassic Park or Lost World. The problem is that Dino-Rama as it exists now totally derails things because it's both a bad Disney attraction and a bad depiction of a roadside dinosaur attraction.

 

[huwar18]

I would love to see an attraction based on the society of explorers and adventurers. I think that Dinoland would be a good place for an attraction based on the Society.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

I'd be curious is any new additions (if the were any) would be added to existing lands (e.g. expanding Asia or Africa, etc.) versus a new land being built -- like along the long pathway between Africa and Pandora or the large undeveloped land north of Asia.

Of course, it's entirely possible any new stuff would only be a replacement, like for Dinorama or even maybe Rafiki's.

It would be nice to have an area educating us about the rain forest being destroyed - perhaps South America. Also, it would be nice to turn our attention toward the oceans and seas.

 

[FigmentJedi]

It would be nice to have an area educating us about the rain forest being destroyed - perhaps South America. Also, it would be nice to turn our attention toward the oceans and seas.

Kali River Rapids is already their "Deforestation is bad" ride.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Kali River Rapids is already their "Deforestation is bad" ride.

It's been awhile since we have rode Kali. Last time we were on it, I have never got so wet at the big drop.

 

[Tiny Arms]

Fantastic if true! Would be so refreshing & a more welcomed addition/change.

......Just please please leave Dinosaur alone lol. It's my most favorite & beloved ride in all of WDW

 

[Winter]

Fantastic if true! Would be so refreshing & a more welcomed addition/change.

......Just please please leave Dinosaur alone lol. It's my most favorite & beloved ride in all of WDW

This is pretty much what I was thinking. This is great if they're only getting rid of Dinorama, but if they're getting rid of Dinosaur too then I'm gonna be upset.

 

[Dinoman96]

Like I said on the other page, they just went through the trouble of giving DINOSAUR a nice refurbishment/overhaul some months ago. They even bothered to address the previously non-functional compsognathus sequence by replacing the puppets with all new lovely screens. Pretty sure it ain't going anywhere (I wish the name did, though. CTX is better sounding).

I actually do kinda like Dinorama in a really sick, twisted kind of a way but I'd be open to see it be replaced by something newer. It'd be pretty neat to see them dust off the old Excavator idea and expand upon the Boneyard, though I feel like there might be some overlap with Expedition Everest in its original concept (being a minecart coaster).

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Fantastic if true! Would be so refreshing & a more welcomed addition/change.

......Just please please leave Dinosaur alone lol. It's my most favorite & beloved ride in all of WDW

On the other hand, you will have a lot of people bringing up the argument of " They are just replacing rides, not adding capacity and rides" I say leave this area alone and concentrate on our areas in the park.

 

[doctornick]

On the other hand, you will have a lot of people bringing up the argument of " They are just replacing rides, not adding capacity and rides" I say leave this area alone and concentrate on our areas in the park.

I'm firmly in the camp that believes that DAK (all the parks, really) need expansions and true additions, not replacements. If DAK had a set amount of money available for some "new stuff", I'd much rather see it go to a new land or additional rides added to existing lands than any replacements.

That said, at some point, I alone with many people would be happy to see Dinorama replaced... but it absolutely should be replaced by something Dinosaur related. Dinoland and the general idea of having Dinosaurs or other extinct animals) should certainly continue to exist at DAK. And Dinosaur (the ride) and the Boneyard and Restaurantosaurus are quality parts of DAK and should stay. There's plenty more options available for a Dinosaur themed area and the entire premise of the Dino Institute would allow for a good family style Dinosaur themed ride (maybe move the dioramas from UoE to DAK if/when that ride gets replaced) with the idea of a Dino "zoo" from animals they rescued from the past and raised.

Or put in Excavator. I don't think the part needs another thrill ride as a priority, but certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Kman101]

I doubt we see a full new land anytime soon ... an addition is likely a single ride (maybe two? Wishful thinking, I know ...). I imagine they know the blight that is Dinorama so that most definitely has to be on the chopping block in the short-term. And with WDW1974 alluding to a potential coaster (he didn't say it was definite) I think it leads to the Excavator plans being dusted off, but who knows, they've surprised us before.

I still want a Jungle Book dark ride ... lol. The park could use another family friendly dark ride. Though I'm not against the coaster as well, we should get something else to offset it.

I agree the park needs additions, not replacements (like DHS fails to understand), but I don't care if they replace the Dinorama area. It's not like they'd be replacing Dinosaur for the rumored coaster or whatever addition. If it's the coaster, we'd be replacing Primeval Whirl for a much better themed coaster. Losing the spinner isn't that big of a deal and they could potentially keep it and re-theme it, no? But we're getting into armchair stuff here ... and who knows exactly what they have planned. But I imagine the Dinorama area is on the chopping block. I'm sure Rhode would love to see that replaced. The park would be absolutely perfect without it and with a solid replacement that fits the rest of Dinoland.

 

[doctornick]

Access to any new area north of Kali could be via what is the train station area today.

The irony being that if they actually build a new land on the large northern undeveloped part, it would make a lot of sense to expand/modify the train to stop at Rafiki's as well as another stop in the "new" land before circling back to Africa. This would make it a more useful piece of park transport.

Rafiki's is pretty far away from the rest of the developed park, so I've got to imagine that if this ever where to happen (getting rid of the train), that it would have to coincide with developing the large area so you could walk through that land and be much closer to Rafiki's.

Also, is there any way to squeeze a guest path in between Kali and Majarajah Jungle Trek? Feel like that should be possible without a huge amount of reconfiguration.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Access to any new area north of Kali could be via what is the train station area today.

That's an alternative option, but one that would require a pretty long winding path to get there. It seems like re-working Anandapur is a better option.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

That's an alternative option, but one that would require a pretty long winding path to get there. It seems like re-working Anandapur is a better option.

Dust off the mysterious island plans?