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

[𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗97]

heheh, well... Zootopia has very clear messages about human's relationships to their environments and to one another, so there's no question on my mind it could go somewhere in Future World.

If Epcot were still Epcot, I'd disagree with this. But since it's IPcot, and I kind of don't care anymore, sure! Bring it on!

 

[BlakeW39]

If Epcot were still Epcot, I'd disagree with this. But since it's IPcot, and I kind of don't care anymore, sure! Bring it on!

Oh well I mean I'd still prefer original attractions for EPCOT, but as far as IPs go I don't think zootopia is a terrible fit. Again though, not my preference, but it'd fit better at EPCOT than it would at DAK.

 

[Brer Panther]

But can imagineering contort Moana into something that does fit Animal Kingdom?

Whether or not it could be, I doubt they'd actually do that.

 

[BlakeW39]

Whether or not it could be, I doubt they'd actually do that.

I agree, but Rohde did do it with Avatar.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Oh the story of Moana has nothing to do with Animal Kingdom. But can imagineering contort Moana into something that does fit Animal Kingdom?

I'd say it's possible.... but it is obviously not the best case scenario. An actual Oceania land not based on an IP, but perhaps with a Moana attraction if necessary, would be greatly preferable.

Moana isn't a perfect fit - but there are elements of the interrelation b/w humans and water so can make that work. Definitely better/easier than Zootopia

Totally agree about making the area an Oceania or South Pacific region focused are. Then can have animals from those areas of the world and can do Moana and you have the Finding Nemo show right there which takes place in Australia (at least in parts)

 

[BlakeW39]

Moana isn't a perfect fit - but there are elements of the interrelation b/w humans and water so can make that work. Definitely better/easier than Zootopia

Totally agree about making the area an Oceania or South Pacific region focused are. Then can have animals from those areas of the world and can do Moana and you have the Finding Nemo show right there which takes place in Australia (at least in parts)

Agreed that Moana could fit in Animal Kingdom if they did a good job of it. Or at least it could fit better than Zootopia would.

Obviously the best and most organic way to create a Oceania themed land in Animal Kingdom would be to follow the same template as the adjacent Africa and Asia themed lands do. Fictional place based on the real world locations of Oceania, reflecting the themes and tone of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Like Harambe. Like Anandapur. But if Disney insists on using popular movie IP for all their lands, then there aren't very many to choose from, and Moana is probably one of the best from the bunch (unfortunately).

 

[UNCgolf]

Agreed that Moana could fit in Animal Kingdom if they did a good job of it. Or at least it could fit better than Zootopia would.

Obviously the best and most organic way to create a Oceania themed land in Animal Kingdom would be to follow the same template as the adjacent Africa and Asia themed lands do. Fictional place based on the real world locations of Oceania, reflecting the themes and tone of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Like Harambe. Like Anandapur. But if Disney insists on using popular movie IP for all their lands, then there aren't very many to choose from, and Moana is probably one of the best from the bunch (unfortunately).

The Rescuers Down Under not only takes place in Australia but was specifically about poaching, conservation, etc. -- but as you mentioned, "popular" is likely the most important factor in Disney choosing/approving IP usage. The movie wasn't especially successful (although the original Rescuers was a big hit) and seems basically forgotten today, so it's probably not on the list of acceptable concepts.

 

[Suspirian]

Is it too much to ask that they at least decide to use an IP that actually fits Animal Kingdom instead of Moana?

I feel like the themes of Animal Kingdom and Moana match up pretty well.

 

[Suspirian]

Animal Kingdom is about the relationship between humans and nature

A story about a human on a tropical island traveling across the sea to restore the heart of mother nature can very easily fit into that

Exactly I feel like people are purposely not mentioning that part of the movie’s plot lol.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Exactly I feel like people are purposely not mentioning that part of the movie’s plot lol.

The problem is that that part of the plot is enacted in a way that is almost completely devoid of animals - any animals in Moana make only occassional brief appearances.

Obviously Animals are an implied part of any story about natural conservation, and they would (hopefully - if it has to happen) expand on that element in the land and its attractions to make sense of it in Animal Kingdom. But in doing that you'd have to open up Moana in a way that's so completely different from the movie that you're not even really engaging with what the IP actually is anymore.

Consider that the only references to animals in any of the songs are the moments where Maui mentions the time he gutted an eel and when Tamatoa remembers when he was a "drab little crab" . . . it paints pretty clearly the fact that, thematically, Moana was not at all about animals.

 

[BlakeW39]

The problem is that that part of the plot is enacted in a way that is almost completely devoid of animals - any animals in Moana make only occassional brief appearances.

Obviously Animals are an implied part of any story about natural conservation, and they would (hopefully - if it has to happen) expand on that element in the land and its attractions to make sense of it in Animal Kingdom. But in doing that you'd have to open up Moana in a way that's so completely different from the movie that you're not even really engaging with what the IP actually is anymore.

Consider that the only references to animals in any of the songs are the moments where Maui mentions the time he gutted an eel and when Tamatoa remembers when he was a "drab little crab" . . . it paints pretty clearly the fact that, thematically, Moana was not at all about animals.

Yes, and for that reason Moana definitely isn't a perfect fit for DAK. This is what makes original IP better than movie tie-ins. But, if we have to get an IP, I can't really think of one that would work much better. Few Disney IPs strongly feature wild animals and their natural habitats. The closest you'll get are films that have various subtexts of environmentalism. Such as Avatar or Moana.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Yes, and for that reason Moana definitely isn't a perfect fit for DAK. This is what makes original IP better than movie tie-ins. But, if we have to get an IP, I can't really think of one that would work much better. Few Disney IPs strongly feature wild animals and their natural habitats. The closest you'll get are films that have various subtexts of environmentalism. Such as Avatar or Moana.

Or Dinosaur.

. . .

 

[BlakeW39]

Or Dinosaur.

. . .

There are a couple, like Dinosaur, The Lion King, and Jungle Book, but I'm not sure I can think of any modern ones that could warrant a theme park land. Like I said, Moana is probably one of the better outcomes, certainly better than Indiana Jones or Zootopia or something.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Thas my take too, Zootopia might be a film about Animals but they are repesented very differently to how AK represents them.

Moana could be used as a general oceanic theme. Throw in a shark reef, a few tropical ponds etc and you've got a theme. Obviously some of the sea side of animals is covered over at Epcot but it makes sense for AK to have something in this area.

Zootopia is a film about humans who look like Animals.

 

[cjkeating]

I think the big question about the blue sky Moana boat ride is... what is the story?

• Is it a retelling of the Moana story - does not work in DAK
• Is it a 'what happened next' after Moana - maybe could work just if they take it beyond the story of the film in a DAK affirming manner
• Is it a story about the balance of nature in an oceanic environment about the balance of nature and consumption that references Hawaiian mythology that just so happens to include some reference to the characters from Moana - this is the best it could get and along the lines of what they did with Avatar

 

[Suspirian]

The problem is that that part of the plot is enacted in a way that is almost completely devoid of animals - any animals in Moana make only occassional brief appearances.

Obviously Animals are an implied part of any story about natural conservation, and they would (hopefully - if it has to happen) expand on that element in the land and its attractions to make sense of it in Animal Kingdom. But in doing that you'd have to open up Moana in a way that's so completely different from the movie that you're not even really engaging with what the IP actually is anymore.

Consider that the only references to animals in any of the songs are the moments where Maui mentions the time he gutted an eel and when Tamatoa remembers when he was a "drab little crab" . . . it paints pretty clearly the fact that, thematically, Moana was not at all about animals.

I feel like nature in the movie was all encompassing and a major theme of the film was the harmony between all aspects of life. So I never really felt that animals were necessarily absent. their appearances reinforce nature as a single entity (Moana's grandmother returning as a manta ray) IMO

I'm not a person that is for IP in the park but I don't think this is as much of a stretch as its made out to be.

 

[BlakeW39]

I think the big question about the blue sky Moana boat ride is... what is the story?

• Is it a retelling of the Moana story - does not work in DAK
• Is it a 'what happened next' after Moana - maybe could work just if they take it beyond the story of the film in a DAK affirming manner
• Is it a story about the balance of nature in an oceanic environment about the balance of nature and consumption that references Hawaiian mythology that just so happens to include some reference to the characters from Moana - this is the best it could get and along the lines of what they did with Avatar

Definitely agree here. A retelling of the film Moana would not work because it includes very few animals. A "what happened next" type story would also not work because it would need to focus too much on our human protagonists.

Ultimately, I think the only story treatment that would feel like it fits in Animal Kingdom would be if they told a more animal-centric narrative that just happens to have a Moana overlay. Perhaps some kind of call to action to protect our seas. Perhaps the ride could even have real aquariums, although I wouldn't get my hopes up.

 

[𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗97]

Definitely agree here. A retelling of the film Moana would not work because it includes very few animals. A "what happened next" type story would also not work because it would need to focus too much on our human protagonists.

Ultimately, I think the only story treatment that would feel like it fits in Animal Kingdom would be if they told a more animal-centric narrative that just happens to have a Moana overlay. Perhaps some kind of call to action to protect our seas. Perhaps the ride could even have real aquariums, although I wouldn't get my hopes up.

This is the problem encountered when all of the parks slowly become the same thing: a hodgepodge of IP-based attractions loosely related to the thematic areas of each park. At some point, non-IP related attractions have to make a comeback, right?

 

[BlakeW39]

This is the problem encountered when all of the parks slowly become the same thing: a hodgepodge of IP-based attractions loosely related to the thematic areas of each park. At some point, non-IP related attractions have to make a comeback, right?

Eventually, yes, I imagine the pendulum will swing back in the direction of at least some original lands/attractions being built. If nothing else than for the fact that business strategies naturally shift over time, and there are certain benefits to creating new IP that can't be achieved just by using their library of popular movie IPs. Really, Disney is experiencing a lot issues with their business right now, so I imagine corporate strategies will shift inside of the next 5-10 years. That doesn't mean we'll see original ideas back in the parks so soon, but fan morale has never been lower for every division of the company outside of animation. So long term, yeah I think it's possible we see some original attractions again. But it's probably gonna get worse before it gets better, IF it gets better to begin with.

The next few years will be very interesting to watch for us Disney fans.

 

[Brer Panther]

The problem is that that part of the plot is enacted in a way that is almost completely devoid of animals - any animals in Moana make only occassional brief appearances.

Obviously Animals are an implied part of any story about natural conservation, and they would (hopefully - if it has to happen) expand on that element in the land and its attractions to make sense of it in Animal Kingdom. But in doing that you'd have to open up Moana in a way that's so completely different from the movie that you're not even really engaging with what the IP actually is anymore.

Consider that the only references to animals in any of the songs are the moments where Maui mentions the time he gutted an eel and when Tamatoa remembers when he was a "drab little crab" . . . it paints pretty clearly the fact that, thematically, Moana was not at all about animals.

Exactly! Thank you. I've said this before, but WALL-E has an environmental message and I wouldn't want THAT in Animal Kingdom either.

I think the big question about the blue sky Moana boat ride is... what is the story?

• Is it a retelling of the Moana story - does not work in DAK
• Is it a 'what happened next' after Moana - maybe could work just if they take it beyond the story of the film in a DAK affirming manner
• Is it a story about the balance of nature in an oceanic environment about the balance of nature and consumption that references Hawaiian mythology that just so happens to include some reference to the characters from Moana - this is the best it could get and along the lines of what they did with Avatar

I sincerely doubt it'll be about the balance of nature. It'll probably be a "sequel" to Moana that focuses on us going to the island for some sort of celebration, maybe with the same things Moana encountered in the movie along the way. Just like Frozen Ever After and Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

This is the problem encountered when all of the parks slowly become the same thing: a hodgepodge of IP-based attractions loosely related to the thematic areas of each park. At some point, non-IP related attractions have to make a comeback, right?

Not until Iger leaves, I imagine.