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

[James Alucobond]

This. Henry Mystic moved to Harambe or Anadapur and has his house and artifacts there. Done.

I wouldn't mind it too terribly, but I do kind of wonder if they would take issue with Henry as something of an agent of colonialism, especially given the recent trend of repatriating art and artifacts. I still think the concept would be better if re-purposed as Casa Madrigal for Beyond Thunder.

 

[Bocabear]

but aren't we all colonialists by the very nature of society and history... Don't you buy souvenirs when you travel?
We could woke just about everything to death...Let him just be an explorer and adventurer that bought things that were sold to him not stolen....and not tie it into some other great social wrong....

 

[RSoxNo1]

I mean sure thematically Moana isn't really a problem, but I also don't think anyone here really believes it was the best creative decision for Disney to make with the park. Infinite better options exist but are prevented by the IP mandate.

As far as what kind of rides DAK needs. Something with extremely high capacity would be best. But outside of that, I don't think it even matters too much what kind of ride they build, tbh DAK just needs more rides in general.

I'd put a Moana addition to DAK in the same classification as TRON in MK. It's not really what the park needs but I don't have a problem with it.

The benefit is that Moana is an under represented property that even with Journey of Water. TRON on the other hand is not something that needed representation in the park, but because the ride existed and fans salivated over it from afar, it made some sense.

 

[RSoxNo1]

No offense, but that's the kind of contrived storytelling that created Cosmic Rewind.

Mystic Manor would need a new land. Especially given its exaggerated, cartoon aesthetic.

I would set it Asia in another village. Location wise it could go between Everest and Nemo with an Adventurer's Club style restaurant attached to it in the village. Alternatively if they want to make a larger scale change to the Anandapur area that's an option as well provided it opened up access to the plot North of Asia.

 

[James Alucobond]

but aren't we all colonialists by the very nature of society and history... Don't you buy souvenirs when you travel?
We could woke just about everything to death...Let him just be an explorer and adventurer that bought things that were sold to him not stolen....and not tie it into some other great social wrong....

I don't mean that I have a problem with it generally, just that the colonialist artifact-gathering mentality is kind of thematically incongruous with Animal Kingdom, which is typically more focused on preservation. Mystic Manor as-is would make more sense in Adventureland, where you have parallels in the Swiss Family, Jungle Cruise, etc.

 

[BlakeW39]

I'd put a Moana addition to DAK in the same classification as TRON in MK. It's not really what the park needs but I don't have a problem with it.

The benefit is that Moana is an under represented property that even with Journey of Water. TRON on the other hand is not something that needed representation in the park, but because the ride existed and fans salivated over it from afar, it made some sense.

Well... I wouldn't really call Moana underrepresented, she already has meet and greets and her own attraction, that's far more than most films get and anything more than that is oversaturation imo. I don't have a huge issue with Moana in DAK, but I would greatly prefer something original in the park. Moana might not go against the themes of DAK but it also doesn't feel like the best possible option for where to take the park next. It clashes with the tone and art direction of DAK plus there is the issue with needing to make the land more centered around wildlife than the film ever really cared to be.

I would set it Asia in another village. Location wise it could go between Everest and Nemo with an Adventurer's Club style restaurant attached to it in the village. Alternatively if they want to make a larger scale change to the Anandapur area that's an option as well provided it opened up access to the plot North of Asia.

I'll be honest, I think Mystic Manor would just work better in Adventureland. Besides finding a good place to put it, the attraction doesn't really lend itself to the themes of DAK. Perhaps he could go in a new dinosaur-themed land. Instead of collecting archaeological artifacts, he could collect paleontological fossils or zoological specimens.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Well... I wouldn't really call Moana underrepresented, she already has meet and greets and her own attraction, that's far more than most films get and anything more than that is oversaturation imo. I don't have a huge issue with Moana in DAK, but I would greatly prefer something original in the park. Moana might not go against the themes of DAK but it also doesn't feel like the best possible option for where to take the park next. It clashes with the tone and art direction of DAK plus there is the issue with needing to make the land more centered around wildlife than the film ever really cared to be.



I'll be honest, I think Mystic Manor would just work better in Adventureland. Besides finding a good place to put it, the attraction doesn't really lend itself to the themes of DAK. Perhaps he could go in a new dinosaur-themed land. Instead of collecting archaeological artifacts, he could collect paleontological fossils or zoological specimens.

Moana is under represented relative to it's popularity.

To your point on Mystic Manor, it (like Moana) would also work in Adventureland. No arguments here.

I'm all for original IP going into the parks especially if that doesn't dilute the harder to theme areas of the parks. DAK has a tricky problem where it's theme is harder to grasp than say DHS or MK. DAK has also always had Joe Rohde as a champion for that park and it could absolutely run the risk of EPCOT in the 2000s level of theme dilution.

 

[Bocabear]

The heart of Moana is about loving nature and respecting it...the problems existed because someone stole the heart of mother earth... It meshes perfectly into the conservation spirit of Animal Kingdom. A lot of the set and prop design for Moana was basewd on reality...Real artifacts... So I think the aesthetic as far as settings goes, would fit perfectly into the Animal Kingdom's lush tropical settings.
Add some regional birds and animals...A few tidal pool and marine exhibits, Some teaching moments about robbing the earth..., a headliner attraction, a, C ticket spinner based on the coconut pirates for whimsy, a live show and bam! It is a perfect fit.
and let's face it, Adventureland is full and hemmed in...there is nowhere to go to add anything else without removing Swiss Family Tree House which would be a horrible idea...

 

[cjkeating]

The heart of Moana is about loving nature and respecting it...the problems existed because someone stole the heart of mother earth... It meshes perfectly into the conservation spirit of Animal Kingdom. A lot of the set and prop design for Moana was basewd on reality...Real artifacts... So I think the aesthetic as far as settings goes, would fit perfectly into the Animal Kingdom's lush tropical settings.
Add some regional birds and animals...A few tidal pool and marine exhibits, Some teaching moments about robbing the earth..., a headliner attraction, a, C ticket spinner based on the coconut pirates for whimsy, a live show and bam! It is a perfect fit.
and let's face it, Adventureland is full and hemmed in...there is nowhere to go to add anything else without removing Swiss Family Tree House which would be a horrible idea...

Moana would work if the mythology of Maui was treated in a similar way to the "yeti" is in Asia, as DAK is set in the present day they could even refer to Moana as a film based on the mythology however this seems way too subtle for WDI to do so we'll just get a Moana Ever After set in a cartoon land instead.

 

[capsshield]

The flume ride feels like another splash mountain retheme that Lost out to princess and the frog but could be used here.

 

[BlakeW39]

Moana is under represented relative to it's popularity.

To your point on Mystic Manor, it (like Moana) would also work in Adventureland. No arguments here.

I'm all for original IP going into the parks especially if that doesn't dilute the harder to theme areas of the parks. DAK has a tricky problem where it's theme is harder to grasp than say DHS or MK. DAK has also always had Joe Rohde as a champion for that park and it could absolutely run the risk of EPCOT in the 2000s level of theme dilution.

Definitely a major fear I have right now. Without Rohde I don't know WDI will even bother to make Moana fit in DAK.

The heart of Moana is about loving nature and respecting it...the problems existed because someone stole the heart of mother earth... It meshes perfectly into the conservation spirit of Animal Kingdom. A lot of the set and prop design for Moana was basewd on reality...Real artifacts... So I think the aesthetic as far as settings goes, would fit perfectly into the Animal Kingdom's lush tropical settings.
Add some regional birds and animals...A few tidal pool and marine exhibits, Some teaching moments about robbing the earth..., a headliner attraction, a, C ticket spinner based on the coconut pirates for whimsy, a live show and bam! It is a perfect fit.

You're right that a Moanaland could be done well, but I think we can all agree that it still isn't the best possible option for the park. An Oceania themed land in the same vein as Harambe or Anandapur would fit into the framework of Animal Kingdom far better than a cartoon princess land. Yes thematically Moana can be made to fit in the park. And yes it could even be an interesting place to get lost in and explore. But it's definitely not as quintessentially DAK as a land that was constructed more similarly to Africa and Asia. A fictional place based on real world locales with a more grounded tone.

and let's face it, Adventureland is full and hemmed in...there is nowhere to go to add anything else without removing Swiss Family Tree House which would be a horrible idea...

Replace Pirates... I'm tired of MK having the inferior version anyways. We need our own rides that are just as good as the ones in DL. We can never reach the heights of DL if we hang on to their attractions as if they are ours. WDW pirates isn't a classic worth preserving. DL pirates is. Controversial I know.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Moana would work if the mythology of Maui was treated in a similar way to the "yeti" is in Asia, as DAK is set in the present day they could even refer to Moana as a film based on the mythology however this seems way too subtle for WDI to do so we'll just get a Moana Ever After set in a cartoon land instead.

I actually agree with you on that. I doubt they would go with Moana land in AK, since the park's setting is in the present day (Even though Pandora is set in the future).

 

[UNCgolf]

Replace Pirates... I'm tired of MK having the inferior version anyways. We need our own rides that are just as good as the ones in DL. We can never reach the heights of DL if we hang on to their attractions as if they are ours. WDW pirates isn't a classic worth preserving. DL pirates is. Controversial I know.

I think the WDW version of Pirates is definitely a classic on its own -- it was my favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom as a kid -- plus, most WDW guests aren't ever going to visit DL so it's not really duplicative.

Of course I think Jungle Cruise at WDW should be ripped out and replaced for multiple reasons (the DL one should stay as a Walt attraction), so...

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Replace Pirates... I'm tired of MK having the inferior version anyways. We need our own rides that are just as good as the ones in DL. We can never reach the heights of DL if we hang on to their attractions as if they are ours. WDW pirates isn't a classic worth preserving. DL pirates is. Controversial I know.

No! (emphatically)

Of course I think Jungle Cruise at WDW should be ripped out and replaced for multiple reasons (the DL one should stay as a Walt attraction), so...

No. (less emphatically)

There's plenty of space for everything beyond the berm. There have been too many replacements instead of additions.

 

[BlakeW39]

I think the WDW version of Pirates is definitely a classic on its own -- it was my favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom as a kid -- plus, most WDW guests aren't ever going to visit DL so it's not really duplicative.

Same, actually— when I was young, POTC was my favorite ride in the park as well. However, it's a clearly inferior version of the attraction and in my opinion doesn't deserve to exist. Also, it was never meant to come to MK so it's not an important part of the park's identity either. So while it is a classic and iconic attraction, I also think we can do a lot better. Plus, a superior version will still exist in Disneyland as intended.

MK pirates could be replaced by a better attraction like Mystic Manor that gives the park a reason to exist creatively. Because right now it really just feels like a mediocre version of DL.

Of course I think Jungle Cruise at WDW should be ripped out and replaced for multiple reasons (the DL one should stay as a Walt attraction), so...

WDW has Animal Kingdom, which makes Jungle Cruise just feel sort of...obsolete. Definitely takes up a lot of space too, which could be used for a superior attraction.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Same, actually— when I was young, POTC was my favorite ride in the park as well. However, it's a clearly inferior version of the attraction and in my opinion doesn't deserve to exist. Also, it was never meant to come to MK so it's not an important part of the park's identity either. So while it is a classic and iconic attraction, I also think we can do a lot better. Plus, a superior version will still exist in Disneyland as intended.

MK pirates could be replaced by a better attraction like Mystic Manor that gives the park a reason to exist creatively. Because right now it really just feels like a mediocre version of DL.



WDW has Animal Kingdom, which makes Jungle Cruise just feel sort of...obsolete. Definitely takes up a lot of space too, which could be used for a superior attraction.

We seem to have agreed quite a bit to this point...but you're going somewhere I cannot follow. Getting rid of two Magic Kingdom staples like that. I can't do it. There are plenty of ways to add to Magic Kingdom without taking away two beloved attractions!

 

[UNCgolf]

There's plenty of space for everything beyond the berm. There have been too many replacements instead of additions.

I agree with this 99% of the time, but I think the Jungle Cruise is a mediocre to bad attraction that's also mostly pointless when you can see real versions of those animals at Animal Kingdom. Obviously it was changed into a joke attraction, but it was originally intended to be realistic. I don't find the jokes entertaining, so it offers almost nothing to me.

Also (and probably more importantly), it sits on a huge plot of land that wouldn't need to be a one to one replacement; it could easily hold multiple attractions and a new restaurant (which Magic Kingdom desperately needs). You could fit two Haunted Mansion size attractions on the Jungle Cruise footprint with plenty of room left over for a restaurant or whatever else.

They're not going to remove it, though.

 

[UNCgolf]

Same, actually— when I was young, POTC was my favorite ride in the park as well. However, it's a clearly inferior version of the attraction and in my opinion doesn't deserve to exist. Also, it was never meant to come to MK so it's not an important part of the park's identity either. So while it is a classic and iconic attraction, I also think we can do a lot better. Plus, a superior version will still exist in Disneyland as intended.

MK pirates could be replaced by a better attraction like Mystic Manor that gives the park a reason to exist creatively. Because right now it really just feels like a mediocre version of DL.

I don't know. While not having the restaurant is obviously a downgrade compared to DL, I've seen some relatively convincing arguments that the rest of the WDW attraction is at least equal to the DL version, if not superior (I believe @yensidtlaw1969 has laid this out before here, but I may be mixing up people). I know the Imagineers made some intentional changes when building the WDW version that they thought were improvements on Disneyland.

I'm not saying it's superior to the DL version. just that I'm not sure it's such a cut and dried argument that it's obviously inferior.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I don't know. While not having the restaurant is obviously a downgrade compared to DL, I've seen some relatively convincing arguments that the rest of the WDW attraction is at least equal to the DL version, if not superior (I believe @yensidtlaw1969 has laid this out before here, but I may be mixing up people). I know the Imagineers made some intentional changes when building the WDW version that they thought were improvements on Disneyland.

I'm not saying it's superior to the DL version. just that I'm not sure it's such a cut and dried argument that it's obviously inferior.

While I don't think I've ever gone as far as to call WDW's superior to DL's, I have indeed made the argument that WDW's Pirates takes much more of a beating than it actually deserves.

I'll pop back in a bit and see if I can pull up some of my past posts on the subject - I'm glad they made an impression!

 

[BlakeW39]

We seem to have agreed quite a bit to this point...but you're going somewhere I cannot follow. Getting rid of two Magic Kingdom staples like that. I can't do it. There are plenty of ways to add to Magic Kingdom without taking away two beloved attractions!

Hahahah well fair enough. I think I've become a little disillusioned with the "classics" since they closed Splash Mountain. For me, that was the ultimate Disney classic attraction. Not in its age but in its value and importance. A marvel of Walt Disney Imagineering. I suppose you are right in that there is no reason to take away attractions like POTC if one can just add elsewhere. On the other hand, I don't really think Jungle Cruise is a very good attraction. The AAs are very stiff and the show scenes aren't as immersive as those you can find at Disney's Animal Kingdom either on safari or on the walking trails. But I'm perfectly open to being convinced that there is a reason it should stay, beyond the need for capacity.

I don't know. While not having the restaurant is obviously a downgrade compared to DL, I've seen some relatively convincing arguments that the rest of the WDW attraction is at least equal to the DL version, if not superior (I believe @yensidtlaw1969 has laid this out before here, but I may be mixing up people). I know the Imagineers made some intentional changes when building the WDW version that they thought were improvements on Disneyland.

I'm not saying it's superior to the DL version. just that I'm not sure it's such a cut and dried argument that it's obviously inferior.

Interesting, well I await his response patiently. I will say I enjoy the queue of POTC at MK more than I do the one in DL. I think it's more immersive and I prefer the Adventureland setting, I think.