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

[Animaniac93-98]

All that being said, I've long loved the idea of taking those larger scale / sprawling attractions and trying to make them multi-purpose areas. Jungle Cruise is/was ripe for this.

Things like Jungle Cruise, Rivers of America and 20,000 Leagues need the space to work as their intended experience.

You can't have a jungle river cruise without a jungle river. Unless it's a simulator. If you clog the river with other buildings and pathways, it takes away from the feeling of being removed from the rest of the park.

MK can do better with its space than rip out something like this ride. Disneyland still has its Jungle Cruise, submarine lagoon and Rivers of America despite having more attractions total, even before Galaxy's Edge.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Based on what @The Visionary Soul said, there seems little chance of this. Changing the ride system would be a much bigger project than simply retheming what exists.

They've already toned down the EMV motion in Dinosaur. They'll just make it completely tame for Zootopia. And there goes the thrill element.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Things like Jungle Cruise, Rivers of America and 20,000 Leagues need the space to work as their intended experience.

You can't have a jungle river cruise without a jungle river. Unless it's a simulator. If you clog the river with other buildings and pathways, it takes away from the feeling of being removed from the rest of the park.

MK can do better with its space than rip out something like this ride. Disneyland still has its Jungle Cruise, submarine lagoon and Rivers of America despite having more attractions total, even before Galaxy's Edge.

There was a proposal for Disneyland that I believe had Indy, Jungle Cruise a mine cart ride and the train intersecting in one building.

One of my missed opportunity suggestions that people will call me a broken record for was not integrating a Speedway style ride into Toy Story land sharing a footprint with Slinky Dog. If they wanted to, they could probably do that + a spinner or the parachute drop ride.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

There was a proposal for Disneyland that I believe had Indy, Jungle Cruise a mine cart ride and the train intersecting in one building.

The RR and Jungle Cruise only went through part of the building. I'm fine with that, but not putting too much along the shoreline.

One of my missed opportunity suggestions that people will call me a broken record for was not integrating a Speedway style ride into Toy Story land sharing a footprint with Slinky Dog. If they wanted to, they could probably do that + a spinner or the parachute drop ride.

There's tones more they could have done with all the space allocated for Toy Story Land.

It's probably the least efficient use of space of any area of WDW parks.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Re-theming Dinosaur to Z******a will undoubtedly mean that I actively avoid that attraction. It doesn't even need to be themed to the movie, dinosaurs in general provide all kinds of story fodder. It's fine as is, just fix what's there!

It's a formulaic 45 minute TV police show plot stretched out to a 90 minute movie with animals in place of humans. How that can be seen as good is an utter mystery.

I imagine 'Turning Red' will be the next hot garbage/utter crap movie IP shoved into DAK because ... animals. Right?

 

[Brer Oswald]

My brothers used to joke that Islands of Adventure could be accurately called "Islands of Stuff We Bought," and it's even more true of that park now than it ever was before (with Poseidon's Fury closed).

Disney is totally following suit. DCA has become "Disney IP and Stuff We Bought Adventure Park." Epcot is "IPcot." DHS is now "Disney's Hodgepodge plus Stuff We Bought." Animal Kingdom is in danger of becoming "Animals (who are so human-like they could actually be in charge of a) Kingdom (plus an IP we bought)." Magic Kingdom still has thematic integrity for the most part, until there is a random Coco or Encanto land built.

Islands of Adventure is a better park than any of the current WDW parks. It may be completely IP based, but all of the lands feel like full lands rather than the half baked “two attraction, one dining” formula Disney has with its single IP lands. Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Suess Landing are all great. The later two fill in for the whimsy that Disney now lacks (the whimsy they used to be KNOWN for).

The only less than stellar land is Super Hero Island, but it makes up for it with the amazing Spider-Man ride.

 

[RSoxNo1]

There's tones more they could have done with all the space allocated for Toy Story Land.

It's probably the least efficient use of space of any area of WDW parks.

I'd still say that's Tom Sawyer Island, but point taken.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I'd still say that's Tom Sawyer Island, but point taken.

I don’t think Tom Sawyer Island would crack my top 5 on that list. I mean sure, if you group in rivers of America with it, but it’s hard to imagine the place without RoA.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I don’t think Tom Sawyer Island would crack my top 5 on that list. I mean sure, if you group in rivers of America with it, but it’s hard to imagine the place without RoA.

At one point the RoA supported 4 attractions (canoes, keelboats, riverboats x2 and the island) plus giving more scenery for the RR. And Aunt Pollys was open more often too. It looks empty now with less going on.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Islands of Adventure is a better park than any of the current WDW parks. It may be completely IP based, but all of the lands feel like full lands rather than the half baked “two attraction, one dining” formula Disney has with its single IP lands. Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Suess Landing are all great. The later two fill in for the whimsy that Disney now lacks (the whimsy they used to be KNOWN for).

The only less than stellar land is Super Hero Island, but it makes up for it with the amazing Spider-Man ride.

It definitely has the best attraction lineup in Florida despite MK's strength in depth.

The one thing I'll consistently knock Universal for though is the lack of things for families with younger children. You need to be 7+ to enjoy those parks. Even B tickets have height requirements.

 

[BlakeW39]

I think if Henry Mystic was treated as more of a Harrison Hightower-esque villain it could work. I love the idea of a new conceit in the Mystic Manor style of a SEA member that's a naturalist and we have a similar story slightly more befitting of DAK.

That being said, thematic integrity is so often bent if the attraction is quality. While Mystic Manor would fit better in Adventureland, I don't think a direct clone is problematic for DAK either.

I mean I think Mystic Manor would be an obviously better fit for DAK than Zootopia, and I wouldn't have to actively avoid it in the park. It looks like a great ride as well and would add capacity, so obviously those are both plusses. But I still think we can do better than a clone from the ride in Shanghai. I agree that if the artifacts were switched from being archeological/historical, to being zoological/paleontological... Mystic Manor would be an awesome fit in a SEA themed land. Hell, it would even be a great call back for Joe Rohde's history with adventurer's club, and could make for an interesting land with mythical creatures, or even one set in the past with dinosaurs.

 

[RSoxNo1]

At one point the RoA supported 4 attractions (canoes, keelboats, riverboats x2 and the island) plus giving more scenery for the RR. And Aunt Pollys was open more often too. It looks empty now with less going on.

Right, that's part of the problem. They've stripped away some of the less popular offerings.

Assuming that RoA and/or Tom Sawyer Island will be heavily modified as part of the Beyond Big Thunder proposal, I would like to see the Riverboat permanently docked closer to Tiana's and the Tom Sawyer island rafts be re-purposed for a tour of whatever is left of Rivers of America. It would be far easier to build bridges to Tom Sawyer Island that those rafts could go under than having a draw bridge that would accommodate the Riverboat.

The kinetic energy provided by RoA is absolutely valuable, but for me it is vastly under utilized.

 

[BlakeW39]

They've already toned down the EMV motion in Dinosaur. They'll just make it completely tame for Zootopia. And there goes the thrill element.

They've honestly done such a number on the original Countdown to Extinction ride. First they replaced the Styracosaurus statues in front with that awful Alladar statue from the movie. Okay, that was a bad change but it's whatever. Not a huge deal. Then...Iger ruined the ride system by making it less thrilling, increased the lighting, painting the dinosaurs in neon and replacing the asteroid at the end with a inanimate Carnotaurus head. At this point I don't even bother riding it when I'm at the park.

DAK has some honestly broken rides. Like 75% of the effects have been cut on all of them.

Re-theming Dinosaur to Z******a will undoubtedly mean that I actively avoid that attraction. It doesn't even need to be themed to the movie, dinosaurs in general provide all kinds of story fodder. It's fine as is, just fix what's there!

Exactly... dinosaurs are awesome. They have a MUCH broader appeal than Zootopia or Moana. But that's not why they're doing this. No one in their right mind believes Moana or Zootopia is more popular than dragons or dinosaurs. But they are more promotable in terms of Disney's brand and synergy BS.

 

[EagleScout610]

My guess at a plot-"Nick and Judy time traveled to Dinotopia, which was what Zootopia was known as 30 million years ago to save the rarest dinosaur ever, and you have to help them"

 

[Advisable Joseph]

Rohde does not know Zootopia better than John Lasseter!

Lasseter said

but most of the time those [anthropomorphic animals stories] are just human story is told with animals so we decided ... let's do research

It's almost like this movie was made by animals for animals.

As I said, think of the new project as It's Tough to Be a Mammal, and stop thinking of the animals' nature as a mere joke. You are only hurting yourselves.

Reposting the interview next, but it won't appear until it's approved.

 

[lazyboy97o]

At one point the RoA supported 4 attractions (canoes, keelboats, riverboats x2 and the island) plus giving more scenery for the RR. And Aunt Pollys was open more often too. It looks empty now with less going on.

And they still have the canoes! They’re docked right there in the canal.

 

[Advisable Joseph]

Already shows up!

Anyway, maybe Zootopia doesn't fit for aesthetic reasons, but it was definitely intended to be about modified animals.

Not as modified as It's a Bug's Life, of course.

 

[Rich Brownn]

My brothers used to joke that Islands of Adventure could be accurately called "Islands of Stuff We Bought," and it's even more true of that park now than it ever was before (with Poseidon's Fury closed).

Disney is totally following suit. DCA has become "Disney IP and Stuff We Bought Adventure Park." Epcot is "IPcot." DHS is now "Disney's Hodgepodge plus Stuff We Bought." Animal Kingdom is in danger of becoming "Animals (who are so human-like they could actually be in charge of a) Kingdom (plus an IP we bought)." Magic Kingdom still has thematic integrity for the most part, until there is a random Coco or Encanto land built.

It's funny because when the studios first opened we used to jokingly call it "Disney-EBU Studios" meaning Disney-Everybody but Universal.

 

[BlakeW39]

Rohde does not know Zootopia better than John Lasseter!

Perhaps, but Rohde does know Animal Kingdom better than Lasseter does, and what fits or doesn't fit inside of it.

Anyway, maybe Zootopia doesn't fit for aesthetic reasons, but it was definitely intended to be about modified animals.

Zootopia doesn't fit in DAK for thematic reasons... again, yes Zootopia is technically about modified animals...but animals MODIFIED to be like HUMANS. They live human lives, have human traits, and face problems that are essentially human (i.e. non-animal). So again, doesn't fit in Animal Kingdom because the animals of zootopia are allegorical stand-ins for humans. The film isn't really concerned with themes like the instrinsic value of nature, because in Zootopia nature doesn't it exist, it was modified to be human-like society. It's not concerned with a personal call to conservational action either, because conservation can't exist when animals are swapped to fill the role of humans. There is nothing to conserve.

 

[Advisable Joseph]

Perhaps, but Rohde does know Animal Kingdom better than Lasseter does, and what fits or doesn't fit inside of it.

Again, the animals are not stand-ins for humans. That is the idea Rohde is suggesting, which John Lasseter disagrees with, as does Byron Howard (director) and Jen Lee. They know the themes of Zootopia better than Rohde.*

It's less anthropomorphic than A Bug's Life, for what it's worth.

Think of it as It's Tough to Be a Mammal, and you will be happier, even if you never go on the ride.

You can choose to see the animal nature of the ride.

* Rohde can choose what the themes are to him, but that wouldn't matter to general park guests.