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

[BlakeW39]

At the end of the day, you don't know what the attraction is going to be. None of us do. I could just as easily maintain that of course they are going to centre it around animals and it will be appropriate for the park because that is what they have indicated, but I have as little idea if that is true than you have of your negative assumptions.

Neither Encanto nor Indiana Jones belong in Animal Kingdom. They don't have similar themes or subject matter and overlap with DAK only in extremely superficial ways. Now, there are many contrived ways you can give the themes of DAK to an Indy ride, or an Encanto ride, but even trying to do that is a bad decision because then you're not maintaining the themes of Indy and Encanto. And you can't really have both. So while we don't know how the rides will end up turning out... skepticism is warranted.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Neither Encanto nor Indiana Jones belong in Animal Kingdom. They don't have similar themes or subject matter and overlap with DAK only in extremely superficial ways. Now, there are many contrived ways you can give the themes of DAK to an Indy ride, or an Encanto ride, but even trying to do that is a bad decision because then you're not maintaining the themes of Indy and Encanto. And you can't really have both. So while we don't know how the rides will end up turning out... skepticism is warranted.

I can tell from your profile pic that you maintain a healthy level of scepticism.

 

[BlakeW39]

I can tell from your profile pic that you maintain a healthy level of scepticism.

Ad hominems aren't going to take your arguments anywhere constructive. My profile picture is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Ad hominems aren't going to take your arguments anywhere constructive. My profile picture is irrelevant to this discussion.

Fair enough. I apologise that I allowed your profile picture featuring the Disney CEO with his eyes whited out and replaced with dollar signs and his head surrounded by money to influence my impression of your views on Disney's current projects.

 

[plutofan15]

Neither Encanto nor Indiana Jones belong in Animal Kingdom. They don't have similar themes or subject matter and overlap with DAK only in extremely superficial ways. Now, there are many contrived ways you can give the themes of DAK to an Indy ride, or an Encanto ride, but even trying to do that is a bad decision because then you're not maintaining the themes of Indy and Encanto. And you can't really have both. So while we don't know how the rides will end up turning out... skepticism is warranted.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However, that does make it a fact nor does everyone agree.

 

[BlakeW39]

Fair enough. I apologise that I allowed your profile picture featuring the Disney CEO with his eyes whited out and replaced with dollar signs and his head surrounded by money influenced my impression of your views on Disney's current projects.

I'm sorry if my profile picture offends you, but it's there exactly because of decisions like this one. Constant decisions that are fundamentally bad on an artistic level, that are justified both by people on this board and by Disney in purely financial terms. Milk IP = tall glass of moneeyyyyyy.

Balanced skepticism isn't false equivocation or playing the moderate. I will give Disney credit for what they do right. My profile picture doesn't mean I'm totally biased or perpetually arguing in bad faith. And yes, it's your bad for making that judgement, and making this even about my irrelevant profile picture, so apology accepted.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Neither Encanto nor Indiana Jones belong in Animal Kingdom. They don't have similar themes or subject matter and overlap with DAK only in extremely superficial ways. Now, there are many contrived ways you can give the themes of DAK to an Indy ride, or an Encanto ride, but even trying to do that is a bad decision because then you're not maintaining the themes of Indy and Encanto. And you can't really have both. So while we don't know how the rides will end up turning out... skepticism is warranted.

Exploring an ancient civilization's ruins and coming upon a creature that was important to their culture is absolutely maintaining the theme of Indiana Jones.

I swear some of you have never watched these movies with the way you all speak about all of the ways the ride can't work at DAK. It's a pretty perfect fit.

 

[BlakeW39]

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However, that does make it a fact nor does everyone agree.

Yes, you are free to like Indy or Encanto or Zootopia in DAK. That's certainly your choice. I'm simply saying that it is reasonable for someone else to be skeptical about those decisions.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Im out of the loop and certainly a little behind on these projects, but wouldn’t it have made more sense for properties like Lion King and Zootopia in ANIMAL Kingdom?

I love Indy, it’s a terrific IP, but….huh…?

Animal Kingdom has many areas and attractions that discuss the idea of humans and their relationship to animals, both in a physical and cultural sense. Take a ride like Everest which focuses on a fictional creature, but tells a story about how the people who live in Nepal and other parts of Asia engage with this creature on a spiritual and cultural level.

Indiana Jones in all of his films comes into contact with symbols of cultural and spiritual significance. It fits in well with both the character and the park to have a ride themed to a creature that would have been significant to an ancient culture. While we do not have firm details on what is inside the attraction, we know what they have researched and we know a few broad strokes, and this seems to be the direction they're headed.

Think along the lines how Everest fits in with AK, but with Indiana Jones as a character helping to express this theme.

 

[James Alucobond]

Yes, you are free to like Indy or Encanto or Zootopia in DAK. That's certainly your choice. I'm simply saying that it is reasonable for someone else to be skeptical about those decisions.

Very few people are arguing that we shouldn't maintain healthy skepticism. Probably 95% of the people in this thread have expressed reservations. That said, there are ways to make these things work, as was done with Pandora, and the few details we have thus far at least indicate there is decent directionality with regard to attraction scenario framing. Regardless, being skeptical doesn't necessitate constant negativity.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Animal Kingdom has many areas and attractions that discuss the idea of humans and their relationship to animals, both in a physical and cultural sense. Take a ride like Everest which focuses on a fictional creature, but tells a story about how the people who live in Nepal and other parts of Asia engage with this creature on a spiritual and cultural level.

Indiana Jones in all of his films comes into contact with symbols of cultural and spiritual significance. It fits in well with both the character and the park to have a ride themed to a creature that would have been significant to an ancient culture. While we do not have firm details on what is inside the attraction, we know what they have researched and we know a few broad strokes, and this seems to be the direction they're headed.

Think along the lines how Everest fits in with AK, but with Indiana Jones as a character helping to express this theme.

And it isn't just animals explicitly but more the natural world and how humans impact it and coexist with it. Like Kali River isn't about animals directly it is about how deforestation impacts habitats and the environment

 

[BlakeW39]

Exploring an ancient civilization's ruins and coming upon a creature that was important to their culture is absolutely maintaining the theme of Indiana Jones.

I swear some of you have never watched these movies with the way you all speak about all of the ways the ride can't work at DAK. It's a pretty perfect fit.

I've definitely seen the Indiana Jones movies. Which is how I know they most certainly do not have the same themes as Animal Kingdom.

No offense, but I think many people here have only a surface level understanding of the themes present in either DAK or Indy, see that the two IPs overlap in some superficial ways, and claim that they are a perfect fit for one another. No, DAK being about man's relationship with nature does NOT mean Indy the archaeologist fits in Animal Kingdom. Completely different lens. You can conform Indy to the lens of Animal Kingdom yes, i.e. that of a conservationist, but that means removing the lens of Indy, i.e. that of an archaeologist.

 

[SamusAranX]

I don’t think that Indy is a perfect fit for AK but I think it takes a relatively low amount of contortions to fit. It’s about adventure and can easily feature animals. Sounds similar to Up, which a lot of people clamor for. Adventure is out there! + Kevin

Now Encanto. Yeah. To me that’s IP being abused and misused to fit.

 

[osian]

If Indiana Jones and Encanto are a "perfect fit" for Animal Kingdom then Snow White is even more so and I'm surprised that IP hasn't been used, it's so obvious.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

If Indiana Jones and Encanto are a "perfect fit" for Animal Kingdom then Snow White is even more so and I'm surprised that IP hasn't been used, it's so obvious.

It doesn't easily lend itself to a known area of large biodiversity like the other locals featured in AK.

AK's locales are typically fairly exotic and/or areas with a lot of different types of animals known for their uniqueness (Asia, Africa, South America, and Pandora have a HUGE range of animals) . German forest isn't quite right without the proper transition. I think an actually decent fit if they did want to go with something else more tamed down is a North America land with a Pocahontas + Gravity Falls ride taking place in a large tall red-wood looking forest with some animal exhibits with bears, moose, beavers, etc.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I don’t think that Indy is a perfect fit for AK but I think it takes a relatively low amount of contortions to fit. It’s about adventure and can easily feature animals. Sounds similar to Up, which a lot of people clamor for. Adventure is out there! + Kevin

Now Encanto. Yeah. To me that’s IP being abused and misused to fit.

I think it depends on the situation. Encanto is a definitely slightly more of a stretch but I could see a ride if it heavily featured Antonio being quite animal heavy and exploring a new avenue not explored yet in Animal Kingdom, real animals with a fantastical element. I mean in a way being able to speak to animals directly would indeed be an exploration to a "what if" on how our relationship with those animals would change. You could even have little fun scenes where animals are "harassing" different members of the family and Antonio is kinda helping out by talking them down or explaining what they are doing/what they want. Or a crazy ride through Antonios room with the family using their powers to help up his animal friends.

Now do I think that's exactly what's going to happen?
No. But I think it could certainly work.

 

[BlakeW39]

I don’t think that Indy is a perfect fit for AK but I think it takes a relatively low amount of contortions to fit. It’s about adventure and can easily feature animals. Sounds similar to Up, which a lot of people clamor for. Adventure is out there! + Kevin

Now Encanto. Yeah. To me that’s IP being abused and misused to fit.

The problem with Indiana Jones in DAK is that Indy's stories fundamentally revolve around humans. They literally aren't about nature at all. Indy's films occur in natural settings, but nature has next to no thematic importance in the series. Which is why I said Indy relates to DAK only in a superficial way. In terms of surface level visuals, it's easy to see some similarities. Jungle, crumbling buildings, obviously animals live in the jungle (not that the land will have any– lol). But the themes of Indy's movies aren't similar to the themes of DAK.

DAK is about man's relationship with nature. Indy is about man's relationship with man. Avatar was about man's relationship with nature. Indy isn't. Indy taking place in a jungle with crumbling buildings doesn't mean it shares similar themes with Animal Kingdom. Trying to make an Indiana Jones narrative about wildlife conservation is definitely a contortion of Indy as an IP.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I've definitely seen the Indiana Jones movies. Which is how I know they most certainly do not have the same themes as Animal Kingdom.

No offense, but I think many people here have only a surface level understanding of the themes present in either DAK or Indy, see that the two IPs overlap in some superficial ways, and claim that they are a perfect fit for one another. No, DAK being about man's relationship with nature does NOT mean Indy the archaeologist fits in Animal Kingdom. Completely different lens. You can conform Indy to the lens of Animal Kingdom yes, i.e. that of a conservationist, but that means removing the lens of Indy, i.e. that of an archaeologist.

I haven't seen a single poster here say either property is a "perfect fit" for AK - I think many are accepting there are ways to tie it in depending on the story line

And also that they are better than the initial plan of Moana and the full Zootopia cityscape area

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I've definitely seen the Indiana Jones movies. Which is how I know they most certainly do not have the same themes as Animal Kingdom.

No offense, but I think many people here have only a surface level understanding of the themes present in either DAK or Indy, see that the two IPs overlap in some superficial ways, and claim that they are a perfect fit for one another. No, DAK being about man's relationship with nature does NOT mean Indy the archaeologist fits in Animal Kingdom. Completely different lens. You can conform Indy to the lens of Animal Kingdom yes, i.e. that of a conservationist, but that means removing the lens of Indy, i.e. that of an archaeologist.

Glad to see you and your sane takes here again. I’m on the exact same page as you. Indy is never seeking out animals…they are always incidental to what he is looking for…which is almost always something manmade, which really doesn’t fit Animal Kingdom at all

 

[peter11435]

Neither Indiana Jones nor Zootopia belong at animal kingdom.