News 'Encanto' and 'Indiana Jones'-themed experiences at Animal Kingdom

[Bocabear]

They should have just expanded the monorail system as planned.... In the end it would still be the fastest and most efficient way to travel...and a unique "Disney Difference"... I am curious how they are going to transport guests at the Universal resort with the congestion of the International Drive area you have to drive right through...

 

[KDM31091]

Encanto really is not what I would consider an animal themed or focused movie, and the fact of Antonio talking to animals is really only a minor point in the movie, not something that is integral to the plot. To base an entire area's existence upon a minor plot point in an otherwise non-animal-themed movie, is pretty sad and just shows how Disney doesn't care anymore. All of the parks are becoming more or less the same as someone else stated. It's the same with Indiana Jones. A vague "adventure" connection (which is very generic) doesn't mean it fits the park.

 

[DKampy]

Encanto really is not what I would consider an animal themed or focused movie, and the fact of Antonio talking to animals is really only a minor point in the movie, not something that is integral to the plot. To base an entire area's existence upon a minor plot point in an otherwise non-animal-themed movie, is pretty sad and just shows how Disney doesn't care anymore. All of the parks are becoming more or less the same as someone else stated. It's the same with Indiana Jones. A vague "adventure" connection (which is very generic) doesn't mean it fits the park.

I don’t think it’s meant to be an entire area…the area is Tropical Americas with an Encanto ride… sort of like an Africa area with a Lion King show

 

[BagOfGroceries]

Once again, isn't Antonio a minor character in the movie? Does he even sell that much merchandise? I doubt Disney would want their Encanto ride to focus on him over Mirabel or Bruno.

It'd be like putting a Snow White ride in Animal Kingdom on the grounds that Snow White is good with animals. That doesn't automatically mean the IP fits in Animal Kingdom.

It’s not that Antonio is good with animals, he can literally talk to them. I can see him thus being more of an animal mouthpiece in any ride story.

 

[danlb_2000]

Imagineers forcing Tiana into Splash Mountain in Frontierland tells us all we need to know about their focus on theming (and other things) now which is similar to them trying so hard to force Encanto and Coco anywhere they can and then make up a story to try to fit it in

I doubt this was a choice made by Imagineering.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I doubt this was a choice made by Imagineering.

Good point

 

[Rich Brownn]

They should have just expanded the monorail system as planned.... In the end it would still be the fastest and most efficient way to travel...and a unique "Disney Difference"... I am curious how they are going to transport guests at the Universal resort with the congestion of the International Drive area you have to drive right through...

Down Universal blvd to Kirkman, not going on to I-Drive at all

 

[Brer Panther]

This is all speculation. You can't use your opinion as fact. Neither of us know until they announce it either way. Until then, I'll maintain a positive outlook.

You can't use your opinion that Dinoland sucks (I'm not a huge fan of Dino-Rama myself, but I'll defend Dinosaur) and that Encanto and Indiana Jones belong in Animal Kingdom as fact either.

Tropical Americas IS an acutal bio region. IPs aside...Tropical Americas is one of the most diverse bio regions in the world and a perfect area to place in a park celebrating nature and animals. Then you quote two IPs you believe to be better suited. UP...which doesn't celebrate the cultural significance of the region and RIO...which is talking animals not originally even made by Disney.

Does Encanto celebrate the cultural significance of the Tropical Americas? Does Indiana Jones? How many of the Indiana Jones movies even take place in the Tropical Americas? I know Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has Brazil in it.

And if they want to use Encanto to celebrate the cultural significance of where it takes place, there are better parks to do it in. They could add a Columbia pavilion to World Showcase or go back to putting it in the Beyond Big Thunder plans.

And again, what makes you so sure that the Tropical Americas section will celebrate nature and animals?
As for the two IPs I mentioned... Up at least takes place mainly in a jungle and focuses on exploring that environment (and is already represented in the park with the Wilderness Explorer thing) and Rio is actually focused on animals and trying to save an endangered species. I'd say they fit the park a lot better than Indiana Jones (which ALSO was not originally made by Disney, for what it's worth) does.

The blatant negativity towards this is apparent. Which is funny because Dinoland used to be punchline

I'm sure we'd all be more positive regarding the Dinoland replacement if it had to do with dinosaurs. Just because people don't like Dino-Rama doesn't mean they want all dinosaurs removed from a park that Michael Eisner described as "kingdom of animals… real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons."

It’s not that Antonio is good with animals, he can literally talk to them. I can see him thus being more of an animal mouthpiece in any ride story.

Again, I see no reason to automatically believe that Antonio will be the focus of the Encanto ride, or that the ride will focus on animals at all. Everybody was saying that they could use the Guardians of the Galaxy to teach us about energy, and they didn't.

 

[MistaDee]

Does Encanto celebrate the cultural significance of the Tropical Americas? Does Indiana Jones? How many of the Indiana Jones movies even take place in the Tropical Americas? I know Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has Brazil in it.

And if they want to use Encanto to celebrate the cultural significance of where it takes place, there are better parks to do it in. They could add a Columbia pavilion to World Showcase or go back to putting it in the Beyond Big Thunder plans.

And again, what makes you so sure that the Tropical Americas section will celebrate nature and animals?
As for the two IPs I mentioned... Up at least takes place mainly in a jungle and focuses on exploring that environment (and is already represented in the park with the Wilderness Explorer thing) and Rio is actually focused on animals and trying to save an endangered species. I'd say they fit the park a lot better than Indiana Jones (which ALSO was not originally made by Disney, for what it's worth) does.

I'm sure we'd all be more positive regarding the Dinoland replacement if it had to do with dinosaurs. Just because people don't like Dino-Rama doesn't mean they want all dinosaurs removed from a park that Michael Eisner described as "kingdom of animals… real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons."

Again, I see no reason to automatically believe that Antonio will be the focus of the Encanto ride, or that the ride will focus on animals at all. Everybody was saying that they could use the Guardians of the Galaxy to teach us about energy, and they didn't.

If you're going to moan about how Disney is celebrating cultural significance, you could at least spell ColOmbia correctly.

As for if it "thematically fits" I think you're jousting at windmills here, modern day Disney clearly doesn't prioritize thematic alignment. It sounds like we're getting an Avatar land in California Adventure. Encanto takes place in a cloud forest, an environment unique to the "Tropical Americas" (tallest palm trees in the world) and is certainly a celebration of Colombian culture. It features a character who communes with animals and features some really unique species: capybara, tamir, coati, toucan, and all sorts of hummingbirds, butterflies and more.

It's certainly not a slam dunk thematically but it is a pretty reasonable inclusion given what we've come to expect from Disney of late. I'd love for the Indiana Jones ride to feature some sort of dinosaur artifact as a way to keep their inclusion in the park.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Once again, isn't Antonio a minor character in the movie? Does he even sell that much merchandise? I doubt Disney would want their Encanto ride to focus on him over Mirabel or Bruno.

This again, really?

When I posted this below in this thread, you were the very next person to post.

Is this shtick of constantly raising concerns already addressed some sort of performative art?

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No animals? Not popular?

 

[Fighterkit]

I hope they really are considering moving some of the Dinoland materials* into the Wonders of Life building.

It seems like such an obvious thing to do, it's hard to imagine they haven't at least considered it. A paleontology pavilion would fit World Discovery, make "legacy fans" happy by being non-IP, be inexpensive to create because they already have both the materials and the unused space, keep dinosaurs represented in WDW, be a nice area for people to relax indoors (especially between doing World Discovery's thrill rides), etc.

*e.g., "Dino Sue," fossil replicas from the CTX queue and gift shop, some things from The Boneyard...

Id have no issue if they did this while also in conjunction updating the Sue fossil. Would be cool to see a more modern skeleton recreation. Especially since what we know has changed quite a bit.

 

[FettFan]

I say it’s horrible that they’re scrapping Dinoland completely, just rolling over and giving up for Universal’s Jurassic Park.

They could have revamped it to focus on dinosaurs as actual animals instead of JP’s “genetically altered theme park monsters”.

Like how we know now that some triceratops actually had quills on their back.

 

[FettFan]

This again, really?

When I posted this below in this thread, you were the very next person to post.

Is this shtick of constantly raising concerns already addressed some sort of performative art?

Encanto doesn’t belong in animal kingdom because it’s not actually about animals or conservation.

It’s about a crazy bitter old lazy who subjects her grandchildren to indentured servitude so that people will respect her.

And when one of them dares speak up about it, she turns him into the Ratman from Portal.

Most insidious Disney villain ever.

 

[FettFan]

As I said last year:

They’ll just get rid of all the live animals and rebrand it as “Disney’s Adventure Kingdom”.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Encanto doesn’t belong in animal kingdom because it’s not actually about animals or conservation.

It’s about a crazy bitter old lazy who subjects her grandchildren to indentured servitude so that people will respect her.

And when one of them dares speak up about it, she turns him into the Ratman from Portal.

Most insidious Disney villain ever.

This is such a great description of Encanto. She is such a terrible person who has no redeeming qualities

 

[Ayla]

They should have just expanded the monorail system as planned.... In the end it would still be the fastest and most efficient way to travel...and a unique "Disney Difference"... I am curious how they are going to transport guests at the Universal resort with the congestion of the International Drive area you have to drive right through...

Expanded from where to where?

 

[peter11435]

Encanto doesn’t belong in animal kingdom because it’s not actually about animals or conservation.

It’s about a crazy bitter old lazy who subjects her grandchildren to indentured servitude so that people will respect her.

And when one of them dares speak up about it, she turns him into the Ratman from Portal.

Most insidious Disney villain ever.

Can’t disagree with this post. Of course that’s also the same reason Zootopia, Indiana Jones, and Coco don’t belong at Animal Kingdom.

 

[peter11435]

They should have just expanded the monorail system as planned.... In the end it would still be the fastest and most efficient way to travel...and a unique "Disney Difference"... I am curious how they are going to transport guests at the Universal resort with the congestion of the International Drive area you have to drive right through...

Except the monorail is not the fastest or most efficient way to travel at WDW.

 

[Tha Realest]

I say it’s horrible that they’re scrapping Dinoland completely, just rolling over and giving up for Universal’s Jurassic Park.

They could have revamped it to focus on dinosaurs as actual animals instead of JP’s “genetically altered theme park monsters”.

Like how we know now that some triceratops actually had quills on their back.

Universal now has dinosaur exclusivity East of the Mississippi too

 

[FettFan]

Expanded from where to where?

It was originally planned to go to Buena Vista Shopping Village (Disney Springs)

You can see the track placement in the early models.