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

[James Alucobond]

Peter Pan

I don't really see Peter Pan as a book report. You do fly by some scenes, but it's more about the sensation of flight itself than it is about any of the disjointed vignettes you pass, many of which are staged such that there's very little action; it's more about the illusion that you're high above them.

I also agree with you that they need to use Casita somehow, but I do think a Mystic Manor overlay, while easy to envision, would make integration of Animal Kingdom themes a bit more difficult. If this attraction does a poor job of bridging the gap between the film and AK, I'll probably join you in wishing they'd just done Mystic Manor 2.0, but here's hoping they do a decent job.

 

[Casper Gutman]

My point isn't that "book report rides are bad" but someone saying that X can't be in the ride because X wasn't in the movie.

That reasoning is valid only if the ride is a book report ride re-creating the movie.

I wasn't rending a verdict on the worthiness of book report rides. Just that their line of reasoning is faulty because rides can indeed be something other than a book report.

Sure. But if you're going to use an IP, even if you're creating a "new story," you need to capture what is essential about that IP. Star Tours does a great job of this. RotR does a pretty good job of it. GotG doesn't. Most folks would say Uni's F&F doesn't (I'd disagree, but I know I'm in the minority on that one). And so on...

 

[Casper Gutman]

I don't really see Peter Pan as a book report. You do fly by some scenes, but it's more about the sensation of flight itself than it is about any of the disjointed vignettes you pass, many of which are staged such that there's very little action; it's more about the illusion that you're high above them.

I also agree with you that they need to use Casita somehow, but I do think a Mystic Manor overlay, while easy to envision, would make integration of Animal Kingdom themes a bit more difficult. If this attraction does a poor job of bridging the gap between the film and AK, I'll probably join you in wishing they'd just done Mystic Manor 2.0, but here's hoping they do a decent job.

That was exactly my point about Pan - it focuses on one memorable element of the story (like Snow White and Mine Train and Toad and so on) rather then try to recount the whole film.

I don't think it would be that hard to put some animals that have escaped from Antonio's room around the Casita (basically replacing MMs monkey with a bunch of marketable critters) even if that is a bit obvious. That said, "fidelity to AK's theme" is important but is not at the top my list of priorities - it certainly comes after "strong, unique ride" and "justifying use of the IP." This is especially true since Zootopia and Indy are already going to make the coherence of AK's theme tenuous at best.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Replacing Primeval Whirl with an elaborate, high capacity boat ride is absolutely a positive gain for AK.

Personally, I hope WDI drops their usual backstory nonsense and keeps the IP aspect to the absolute bare minimum.

I don't need or want an explanation about how Mirabel opened her own shipping and receiving company or how we need to go down the river and look for clues or talent, or save whatever.

I'd be fine having the house just be the queue, you see some of the characters, and then move on.

Would that be a waste of the IP? Probably, but building a good Encanto ride is a distant second to me to building a good Animal Kingdom ride.

 

[mikejs78]

And maybe we can follow this attraction up with one focused on Bambi's Mom getting shot or the opening of Up.

But those examples aren't even as silly as the Encanto river idea because at least those scenes are iconic. What people remember and love about Encanto is the magical house, the music, Mirabel, Bruno, Isabela, and Luisa. The conflict with the Grandmother works very well in the film but is strictly secondary to what made it popular and what makes it suitable for a ride.

Again I'm not talking about focusing on the death part of this. It's one aspect of the setting but not the only one. To use your Up analogy that would be like saying that the ride couldn't take place in the house because Ellie died there at one point in the film.

My point is let's see what they come up with before judging it.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I suppose, then, the LK boat ride won't float pass what happened to Mufasa?

 

[Bayou]

Again I'm not talking about focusing on the death part of this. It's one aspect of the setting but not the only one. To use your Up analogy that would be like saying that the ride couldn't take place in the house because Ellie died there at one point in the film.

My point is let's see what they come up with before judging it.

Up stands out due to the significant role the house plays in the film besides it being the place Ellie (doesn't she di in the hospital? whatever). In contrast, the Encanto setting is only depicted for less than 10 minutes in total and isn't particularly captivating or memorable. Moreover, it's unlikely that Disney would invest in a ride centered on the barely featured Encanto location because, to be frank, that would be a stupid choice. The ride will almost 100% be set in casita.

 

[Bayou]

Sorry, but a boat ride just makes no sense whatsoever. Course a boat ride does not make sense for Frozen either and they make that work. I just wish they would use a ride vehicle and set up that makes sense and does not seem counter to the IP they are using.

Again its not that a boat ride doesn't make sense, its just other ride systems make A LOT more sense

 

[mikejs78]

Again its not that a boat ride doesn't make sense, its just other ride systems make A LOT more sense

A lot more sense as a ride that fits within the themes of AK?

 

[Brer Oswald]

Knowing Tiana's Bayou Adventure, I think WDI is capable of writing all sorts of sequel fanfic for the studio's movies.

Whatever gets us to the middle of the ven diagram of "new ride Animal Kingdom needs" / "satisfying Ops IP craving"

I think the real question is...do guests actually want this? My guess would be no.

 

[Bayou]

A lot more sense as a ride that fits within the themes of AK?

It's an Encanto ride. Not the best fit for animal kingdom, but it's happening. No.

 

[James Alucobond]

I think the real question is...do guests actually want this? My guess would be no.

Wanting and caring are two different things. Are they actively clamoring for it? No. Do they care when it happens as long as they get the characters and songs they like? I imagine not. We'll see how TBA fairs in terms of popularity since it goes a bit farther in its alteration. Frozen Ever After being a sequel never dampened enthusiasm for it.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I suppose, then, the LK boat ride won't float pass what happened to Mufasa?

He will be the new Big Red.

Too soon?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

We're in this situation because there's only a handful of IPs that can kind of fit into AK, that would also be considered by the Disney of 2023. The same Disney for which a ride like Everest, the Safari, KRR or CTX is sadly beyond comprehension.

Let's hope they avoid the worse case scenario of just building Frozen Ever After, but with Encanto characters and songs.

 

[FigmentJedi]

We're in this situation because there's only a handful of IPs that can kind of fit into AK, that would also be considered by the Disney of 2023. The same Disney for which a ride like Everest, the Safari, KRR or CTX is sadly beyond comprehension.

Let's hope they avoid the worse case scenario of just building Frozen Ever After, but with Encanto characters and songs.

Recent IP anyways. Like Up would have been perfect for this, but I guess despite the Wilderness Explorers game and Kevin walkaround, it's too old to make into an anchor attraction in this Tropical Americas land.

 

[celluloid]

Recent IP anyways. Like Up would have been perfect for this, but I guess despite the Wilderness Explorers game and Kevin walkaround, it's too old to make into an anchor attraction in this Tropical Americas land.

No sequel or Disney Plus tie in on the horizon, therefore it is obsolete.

 

[ToTBellHop]

No sequel or Disney Plus tie in on the horizon, therefore it is obsolete.

That series of shorts that came out recently was pretty cute, but I agree. No further Up investment.

 

[𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗97]

I don't need or want an explanation about how Mirabel opened her own shipping and receiving company or how we need to go down the river and look for clues or talent, or save whatever.

They've started their company, but Bruno doesn't want to invest in it. They think his future-seeing could really be a boon to the profits, so they've enlisted our aid to ride down the nearby river to try to convince him to buy in.

"We own stock without Bruno, no, no, no"

Eh, it's getting late, maybe I should have kept that one to myself...

 

[ToTBellHop]

They've started their company, but Bruno doesn't want to invest in it. They think his future-seeing could really be a boon to the profits, so they've enlisted our aid to ride down the nearby river to try to convince him to buy in.

"We own stock without Bruno, no, no, no"

Eh, it's getting late, maybe I should have kept that one to myself...

As long as the HR manager for the Madrigal Family Whiskey Co-Op is

I’m game.

 

[sedati]

It's not that a boat ride doesn't make sense, its just that a trackless ride system for this ip really does

So use Aquatopia style boats.