News Zootopia and Moana Blue Sky concepts for Disney's Animal Kingdom

[lazyboy97o]

@lazyboy97o talk to this man.

There’s a level of nonsense that isn’t worth engaging.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Do I even want to know about this Morocco coaster that’s not being built?

 

[Jrb1979]

I am confident that a Moana ride would add more to the vision of the park than Primeval Whirl ever did. It was trash. Let’s not act as though Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama is integral to DAK. It was a well-themed (because Joe will do no less), budget-friendly area with a crappy theme. As much as people try to claim other areas could be at Six Flags, this area was the closest to Six Flags in a Disney Park. If Rohde got picked up by Six Flags, you’d see Dino-Rama at Great Adventure.

Good riddance.

At least Six Flags coasters have some thrill to them. Theming isn't everything if physical thrill is missing. IMO Disney needs more TOT and less Remy. TOT has the best balance of thrill and theming. It's a shame they don't do more of that.

 

[Jrb1979]

Do I even want to know about this Morocco coaster that’s not being built?

I'd prefer them build the Mt. Fuji coaster that was originally planned for Epcot.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Moana really is the antithesis of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Just because she is pre-industrial doesn’t mean she is all about harmony and respecting nature. Yes, she is called to the water, but not to protect or respect it, she is called to conquer it. Her “I want” song is “How Far I’ll Go.” She laments that she cannot just fit into the order of the island and that she wants to go out and explore. She goes out beyond the safety of reef and tames Te Ka so that she and her people can leave the island.

 

[FettFan]

As Brayden with MouseViews YouTube channel has stated: this expansion as well as the “beyond Big Thunder” are most likely not ever happening and he was just bs-ing to fill his time and keep people talking.

Why? Because look at all of the previous D23 announcements that were essentially shovel ready, but have either been postponed indefinitely or cancelled outright.

Those were all a lot further along than some vague “Blue Sky” fan art.

 

[SplashJacket]

I am confident that a Moana ride would add more to the vision of the park than Primeval Whirl ever did. It was trash. Let’s not act as though Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama is integral to DAK. It was a well-themed (because Joe will do no less), budget-friendly area with a crappy theme. As much as people try to claim other areas could be at Six Flags, this area was the closest to Six Flags in a Disney Park. If Rohde got picked up by Six Flags, you’d see Dino-Rama at Great Adventure.

Good riddance.

Dinoland is worse than many many areas at six flags. Truly terrible. No idea why anyone would be pittying it. Moana isn’t terrible, but it’s not great either.

Zootopia doesn’t fit at all, but the ride and land in Shanghai look fantastic. Put it in Hollywood Studios (which they could legitimately do), but if it does take over Dinosaur (it shouldn’t, but it’s still less egregious than MMRR over GMR) it would literally be the most isolated part of the park.

The end isn’t nigh. After having a few nights to sleep on it, the whole blue sky things weren’t terrible.

The plans they’re considering are more ambitious I thought. It’s interesting they’re eyeing a RoA wrap-around.

Hong Kong likely won’t be getting more Capex for a bit once Frozen ends, Shanghai will likely get a gap as well, Disneyland’s Toontown will wrap up, Paris got scaled back, a billion dollar ship and Lighthouse will be done by 2024, so a lot of capex will get freed up.

While they should’ve announced a WDW project to have shovels in the ground imminently, it looks like WDW will be getting another wave of investment.

Harmonious replacement is a huge deal, too.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

As Brayden with MouseViews YouTube channel has stated: this expansion as well as the “beyond Big Thunder” are most likely not ever happening and he was just bs-ing to fill his time and keep people talking.

Why? Because look at all of the previous D23 announcements that were essentially shovel ready, but have either been postponed indefinitely or cancelled outright.

Those were all a lot further along than some vague “Blue Sky” fan art.

Oh wow Brayden from MouseViews said it. It must be true.

 

[Mike S]

Didn’t take long after Joe Rhode left for them to set their sites on ruining this parks cohesion huh. Moana should be in Adventureland behind Pirates.

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Do I even want to know about this Morocco coaster that’s not being built?

Looks fun to me

#BeyondMorocco

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Didn’t take long after Joe Rhode left for them to set their sites on ruining this parks cohesion huh. Moana should be in Adventureland behind Pirates.

..............

Not sure if you're serious.

I'm not saying Moana is the answer, but it would be replacing Dinoland USA. It's not an exaggeration to say that allowing the Florida swamps to reclaim that whole area would be more cohesive to the park than Dinoland USA.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

I do think that might be a bit extreme though. Cosmic Rewind is getting rave reviews, and that's pretty much equally out of place if the plan is to just plop down Judy Hops and a Zootopia city. I somewhat agree that people just aren't super into the overall park theme, they want the rides. The difference is Disney used to take pride in those details, even if most people didn't notice. How many people know there are no public bathrooms in Liberty Square, and why? Or even what the brown walkway is? Doesn't matter for Disney, it's a detail that makes it extra special.

If no one knows about a detail, is really "extra special?"

I mean I happen to be one of the minority of people who did know there are no public bathrooms in liberty square, and why the ground is different there and what the patterns there are for. And that the flags across main street aren't official American flags so they don't have to be taken down. I've also read Project Future and know and am interested in the history of the Parks.

But my kids don't know or care about any of those things. Nor does my wife, my bro/sis in laws, nor their kids. Nor do my neighbors or the 3 people at work that brought their families to the park, and 3 of them are DVC members. For the kids when we first started going, they knew that WDW was where Mickey lives, and Ana and Elsa. Then as they got big enough it was where you could ride Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain.

Those little details are basically easter eggs for a small portion of the attendees. An inside joke if you will. But people don't go to the movie for the easter eggs, they go for the explosions and battle scenes (at least if we are looking at recent history.) That's who Disney is marketing to now. They are shooting not for theme park fans, but for everyone. Disney is basically now marketing to childhood and entertainment, its almost that generic of a demographic/theme. You go to Disney b/c that is what you watched and did growing up. That is what your kids are watching now. That is what you are seeing on TV, social media, ect.

 

[Jrb1979]

If no one knows about a detail, is really "extra special?"

I mean I happen to be one of the minority of people who did know there are no public bathrooms in liberty square, and why the ground is different there and what the patterns there are for. And that the flags across main street aren't official American flags so they don't have to be taken down. I've also read Project Future and know and am interested in the history of the Parks.

But my kids don't know or care about any of those things. Nor does my wife, my bro/sis in laws, nor their kids. Nor do my neighbors or the 3 people at work that brought their families to the park, and 3 of them are DVC members. For the kids when we first started going, they knew that WDW was where Mickey lives, and Ana and Elsa. Then as they got big enough it was where you could ride Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain.

Those little details are basically easter eggs for a small portion of the attendees. An inside joke if you will. But people don't go to the movie for the easter eggs, they go for the explosions and battle scenes (at least if we are looking at recent history.) That's who Disney is marketing to now. They are shooting not for theme park fans, but for everyone. Disney is basically now marketing to childhood and entertainment, its almost that generic of a demographic/theme. You go to Disney b/c that is what you watched and did growing up. That is what your kids are watching now. That is what you are seeing on TV, social media, ect.

Agreed. It's why it doesn't make sense to make these ridiculous backstories for many rides. Your average guest doesn't care about it.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Didn’t take long after Joe Rhode left for them to set their sites on ruining this parks cohesion huh. Moana should be in Adventureland behind Pirates.

I really do wonder if their push to add Zootopia was one of the "final straws" for Joe... he famously had that reply on Twitter on why Zootopia should never even be considered for DAK and here, the first D23 after Joe has left, they are already showing plans of adding Zootopia to DAK...

 

[djkidkaz]

One of the things I like about this art is that the new Moana spinner seems to be brand new as it shows it built on an elevation from where triceratop currently sits. If you look to the right of the spinner you will see that there is a waterfall as people pass by it from a lower level. You can also notice that it has water jets that shoot over the vehicles. Definitely an upgrade from triceratop.

And I can’t imagine anyone being upset to see a new log flume water ride. With as hot as this park gets, having another attraction to cool off on a little bit is definitely welcome.

 

[Phicinfan]

Exactly! And Moana is first and foremost about humans. I highly doubt that whatever Imagineer/higher-up who suggested this idea pitched it, they said "We can use Moana to teach people about protecting the environment."

again disagree. Let me ask this, what is your view of Avatar in AK? How is Moana not an exact duplicate of this? They are based on the importance of interaction with nature. I will add as pointed out elsewhere, there is a direct reaction of people with the Ocean and Ocean life in Moana, which is an expansion for AK.

Moana will be completely out of place in Animal Kingdom, no matter how much you bring up the film's "being about the environment". I don't think of Moana and Maui when I think of characters who belong in Animal Kingdom.

Again, Avatar works, so how does this not? To me interaction with nature and animals is much more focus for AK than cartoon animals acting like people.

 

[SplashJacket]

The fact actual animal exhibits would be coming to Moana gives me faith it won’t be atrociously executed.

Zootopia on the other hand, could never be properly integrated.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

The fact actual animal exhibits would be coming to Moana gives me faith it won’t be atrociously executed.

Zootopia on the other hand, could never be properly integrated.

So talking bugs as a feature of the figurative center of the park in the tree of life is fine. But talking animals could never be properly integrated no matter how well done?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Agreed. It's why it doesn't make sense to make these ridiculous backstories for many rides. Your average guest doesn't care about it.

Backstories aren’t supposed to be for guests. Their purpose is in guiding the design team to make cohesive decisions. That they can go sideways doesn’t negate their purpose or direct connect to the storytelling that is the defining characteristic of a theme park.

 

[lazyboy97o]

again disagree. Let me ask this, what is your view of Avatar in AK? How is Moana not an exact duplicate of this? They are based on the importance of interaction with nature. I will add as pointed out elsewhere, there is a direct reaction of people with the Ocean and Ocean life in Moana, which is an expansion for AK.

Again, Avatar works, so how does this not? To me interaction with nature and animals is much more focus for AK than cartoon animals acting like people.

What does Moana do that is about the importance of nature? She is called to explore. She defies her father who is the one telling her to stay safe and not venture out into the harsh wild world.