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

[TrainsOfDisney]

I maintain that the carnival has merit.

I think so too…. But as a concept it’s pretty weak for a Disney park and does clash with the rest of DAK. That was partially intentional but it still makes the theme tricky.

There is a lot of potential for that area to be very fun and alive…. They used to have jugglers and lucky the dinosaur for example.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I think including dinosaurs is going to inevitably hit the problem of not being like the other parts of the park; they just can't be presented the same way for obvious reasons.

I disagree with that - the original Dinosaur, Dig Site and Restaurant work well with the park and of course the Dig Site Coaster would have tied it all together.

It’s the carnival that is so jarring…. Again that was partially by design but I get why so many people are against it. It’s a stretch to make it work at a Disney park.

 

[Nickm2022]

I disagree with that - the original Dinosaur, Dig Site and Restaurant work well with the park and of course the Dig Site Coaster would have tied it all together.

It’s the carnival that is so jarring…. Again that was partially by design but I get why so many people are against it. It’s a stretch to make it work at a Disney park.

I completely agree! I also think that in general the land just felt so out of place compared to the other lands in the park. That said I am excited for Tropical America's, and am going to Animal Kingdom and (for the first time) seeing it decorated for Christmas for one last ride on Dino.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

...the original Dinosaur, Dig Site and Restaurant work well with the park and of course the Dig Site Coaster would have tied it all together.

It’s the carnival that is so jarring…. Again that was partially by design but I get why so many people are against it. It’s a stretch to make it work at a Disney park.

Indeed, I think one of the biggest issues with the carnival is that you shouldn't have to understand the backstory of a land in order to appreciate it.

One thing Imagineers have said about Disney environments over the years is that they should work both for guests who are experiencing them casually (without paying attention to the backstory) and for guests who want to dive deep into the backstory.

In the case of Dino-Rama: If you learned / figured out the backstory, it at least makes sense and is technically immersive. If you didn't learn / figure out the backstory - which I'd hazard to guess was the vast majority of guests - it really did seem like Disney threw all its design principles out the window and built a Six Flags -level amusement park area. Indeed, I've actually read reviews that said things like "wow, Disney didn't even bother to remove the parking space lines."

They could have made it clearer by doing things like, say, having a big sign at the entrance to Dinoland reading "welcome to our small town where big fossils were discovered and The Dino Institute was founded." That would have at least made things less bad.

Of course, even aside from all this, it simply clashed with the aesthetic of the park - and the calming/reassurance/non-chaotic aesthetic/feeling that Disney parks aim for in general.

 

[Gusey]

What's quite ironic is that it was Michael Eisner's demand for a Dinoland that shaped the park we know it today. Before he said that, Animal Kingdom was going to have areas dedicated to research, rather than Geographical based lands. I do think Tropical Americas will fit into the park better and just hope we get some animal exhibits announcements soon

 

[MisterPenguin]

I do not understand why Disney is moving away from dinosaurs?

I guess they are just letting Universal own dinosaurs with their Jurassic Park IP.

Disney twice failed to make a popular dinosaur movie (and Fox didn't do much better). While Universal ran away with that genre.

So... under the IP mandate.... no dinosaur rides or lands. They did indeed give up. Probably for the best.

 

[coffeefan]

If they really wanted they could've used Ice Age. I only watched the first one but later ones included dinosaurs.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If they really wanted they could've used Ice Age. I only watched the first one but later ones included dinosaurs.

As each Ice Age movie was made, their scores plummeted and Box Office went down.

I can't imagine anyone buying dino plushies based on the dinos from Ice Age.

 

[The Leader of the Club]

If they really wanted they could've used Ice Age. I only watched the first one but later ones included dinosaurs.

I don’t think Ice Age has any staying power.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’d rather have Indy than ice age - if those are my choices.

 

[Bocabear]

Ice Age is represented in other parks...I think people go to Disney parks for DISNEY branded things.... Not The Simpsons, or Ice Age....Just because the corporation owns an IP doesn't mean they have to use it in their parks... At least Indy will feel like an adventure instead of a cartoon loop.

 

[EagleScout610]

 

[Mike S]

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I wonder if they’ll give it to him if he asks for it. Also, which painting is it? Do you have that?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I wonder if they’ll give it to him if he asks for it.

Certainly possible! He seems to have maintained a good relationship with top brass over the years.

 

[KDM31091]

I'm more hoping that the beautifully themed Restaurantosarous doesn't become a boring beige box with a couple characters photos stapled to the walls. I really hope they do it right. It deserves it.

 

[WorldExplorer]

I'm more hoping that the beautifully themed Restaurantosarous doesn't become a boring beige box with a couple characters photos stapled to the walls. I really hope they do it right. It deserves it.

I expect it to be reduced to average. It'll go from almost definitely the most detailed and varied quick service on property to just okay, at best.

As each Ice Age movie was made, their scores plummeted and Box Office went down.

I can't imagine anyone buying dino plushies based on the dinos from Ice Age.

The Ice Age movies were a huge success, box office-wise. Continental Drift and Dawn of the Dinosaurs both made over 800 million worldwide. On fairly small budgets, too. The final one plummeted and put it out of its misery, but even then the box office was 400 million.

Keep it the hell away from Disney because only the first one wasn't garbage (and Ice Age was definitely never a merchandise mover), but the franchise made a ton of money.

 

[EagleScout610]

 

[BlakeW39]

I definitely wouldn't want Ice Age anywhere near Animal Kingdom. Prehistoric animals do have a place in DAK, and I'd love to see mammoths, ground sloths and sabertooth cats in the park... but in order for that to be done right, they'd need to build an original land with original attractions. Which currently exceeds TWDC's creative abilities.

But then again, Ice Age wouldn't be any worse than Encanto in Pueblo Esperanza, or a cartoon Pride Rock in the middle of Harambe, and no one seems to care about any of that, so I don't know how anyone could have a problem with Ice Age either. "It's not about the IP, it's about how they use it!" I'm sure they can come up with some sort of contrived story treatment to make it "fit," lol.

 

[Brer Panther]

If the Simpsons are apparently on their way to Hollywood Studios, I see no reason why Ice Age should be off the table for Animal Kingdom. Or Rio, for that matter.

 

[Rockishcoco]

If the Simpsons are apparently on their way to Hollywood Studios, I see no reason why Ice Age should be off the table for Animal Kingdom. Or Rio, for that matter.

I've said it once and I'll say it again if we're talking Fox IP for Animal Kingdom the Planet of the Apes Reboot trilogy is literally perfect. It could fit into a North America expansion so well.