DAK “Zootopia” is being created for the Tree of Life theater

[Goofyernmost]

I see you debate several times in these forums, and I'm sorry to say it, but you miss a good argument nearly every time, my guy........... You'd be a great current-day CEO that aligns with the company's current vision, though, if that makes you feel any better.

Heck, thank you! I'm just a 77 year old, exDisney fan that is also clearly aware that time, people and demands change over time. Nothing stays the same forever. Like everything else the pendulum will eventually swing in a different direction, those of us that remember the Disney of old, will be dead and a whole new generation will then decide what people want and change that as well. So being current does indeed make me feel better. Thanks for caring.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Still trying to figure out how this leads to "to have an attraction with animals that defy the laws of nature"...

Your beef about the film's message is fine, but the spaghetti throwing for trying to justify it... all over the place

Wow, missed the intended message by T........................ H........................ I......................... S.............................much!

That is, of course, unless Disney builds another attraction that explains the laws of nature and why that means that one of their favorite characters eats another one of their favorite characters. Based on the actual message it should be received by them in the same depressing manner that maturing will educated them on the laws of nature as it applies to animals. Or maybe just change all our hidden realities and make sure they know that what they are eating is a McDonald Cowburger with cheese or a nice piece of piglet that they had with breakfast. Know your audience! Once again I will repeat not all attractions are based on adult sensibilities. Remember the requirement for full enjoyment of a theme park that is willing suspension of disbelief. Children do that automatically, it takes a little more effort for us old people.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I will just point out that a certain other park has a lot of negative comments about it but as people said, we can't use those to talk about quality as they could be farmed or "review bombed"

Not to mention a lot of the comments have genuinely not actually seen the show as afaik its open to a pretty select few.

I watched Tiana on youtube before riding it and knew it was crap. I rode it in person and it was still crap.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Heck, thank you! I'm just a 77 year old, exDisney fan that is also clearly aware that time, people and demands change over time. Nothing stays the same forever. Like everything else the pendulum will eventually swing in a different direction, those of us that remember the Disney of old, will be dead and a whole new generation will then decide what people want and change that as well. So being current does indeed make me feel better. Thanks for caring.

If you wanna take that as a compliment, go for it.

 

[celluloid]

y Railway was bad.

View attachment 891023
Here are animals wearing clothes at AK from the beginning

A few things there. The Fab Five and marketing friends have always been the exception since day one.

And their anthropamorphic relationship is clearly the same to their cartoony predator. This was in Camp Minnie Mickey, a temp area that had the human/wilderness relationship told through fable and the main Disney anthropomorphic relationship to the wilderness.

Not the same was what Zootopia did.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

A few things there. The Fab Five and marketing friends have always been the exception since day one.

And their anthropamorphic relationship is clearly the same to their cartoony predator. This was in Camp Minnie Mickey, a temp area that had the human/wilderness relationship told through fable and the main Disney anthropomorphic relationship to the wilderness.

Not the same was what Zootopia did.

I would assume you also might have a problem with Lion King then in Africa?

 

[Tom Morrow]

I would assume you also might have a problem with Lion King then in Africa?

The Lion King has animals that can talk but walk and live like real animals, which is different from humanoid animals that walk and live like humans.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, for example, wouldn't fit in DAK anymore than the Zootopia attraction does. "But they're technically animals!" is the only, and I mean only relation Zootopia has to DAK. (MMRR doesn't really fit on Hollywood Blvd either, but I digress).

And yes, to re-iterate, walkaround / meet & greet "Fab 5 and crew" characters, Mickey and the gang, etc, act as ambassadors for WDW and are not "canon" to the park or themed lands they might appear in. Like, if Mickey appears in Harambe, he isn't canonically a Harambe resident. He's visiting like we are.

I know some are going to try and paint this as being pedantic but it isn't. Little differences like this are part of the unique identity and purpose which each park is supposed to have. The parks were originally good because previously you had people at the helm who did think about this stuff and considered it when making their decisions. The more they ignore little things like this, the more the four parks lose their purpose and identity and become just four random assortments of Disney+ tie-ins.

 

[mattpeto]

The Lion King has real animals that can talk but walk and live like real animals, which is different from humanoid animals that walk and live like humans. I know some are going to try and paint this as being pedantic but it isn't. Little differences like this are part of the unique identity and purpose which each park is supposed to have.

For instance, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway wouldn't fit in DAK anymore than the Zootopia attraction does. "But they're technically animals!"

The more they ignore little things like this, the more the four parks lose their purpose and identity and become just four random assortments of Disney+ tie-ins.

I think people have become a bit nitpicky on this topic. I'm sure there were pitchforks when the Navi were coming, but it turned out to be an excellent addition to the parks.

Zootopia is 100% about animals. It's in the name, "Zoo". Lion King is all about animals too. Both Lion King and Zootopia deal with human issues (love, death, family, comedy, hierachy) at it's core. If you stop there, you can make a movie all about animals fit into Animal Kingdom if it's done right.

That being said, Disney had a responsbility to make Zootopia work in the spirit of the park. From the early reviews, it doesn't sound well executed.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I think people have become a bit nitpicky on this topic. I'm sure there were pitchforks when the Navi were coming, but it turned out to be an excellent addition to the parks.

Zootopia is 100% about animals. It's in the name, "Zoo". Lion King is all about animals too. Both Lion King and Zootopia deal with human issues (love, death, family, comedy, hierachy) at it's core. If you stop there, you can make a movie all about animals fit into Animal Kingdom if it's done right.

That being said, Disney had a responsbility to make Zootopia work in the spirit of the park. From the early reviews, it doesn't sound well executed.

Well, yes. There were pitchforks at the announcement of Pandora and how it doesn't fit, but they both made it fit enough AND made a good land, a great attraction, and an okay attraction out of it.

Here, they not only didn't make any earnest attempt to make it fit with the park, but they also made the execution of the attraction borderline brainrot slop. At the end of the day I would still definitely prefer attractions that don't really fit but are good over attractions that don't really fit but also suck.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I think people have become a bit nitpicky on this topic. I'm sure there were pitchforks when the Navi were coming, but it turned out to be an excellent addition to the parks.

Zootopia is 100% about animals. It's in the name, "Zoo". Lion King is all about animals too. Both Lion King and Zootopia deal with human issues (love, death, family, comedy, hierachy) at it's core. If you stop there, you can make a movie all about animals fit into Animal Kingdom if it's done right.

That being said, Disney had a responsbility to make Zootopia work in the spirit of the park. From the early reviews, it doesn't sound well executed.

See this is what I have been trying to say.

I think Zootopia absolutely could work, but for some reason whoever decided on story did not honour the parks thesis. That’s my problem.

But they could change out the story in a few years and fix it.

 

[Comped]

And yes, to re-iterate, walkaround / meet & greet "Fab 5 and crew" characters, Mickey and the gang, etc, act as ambassadors for WDW and are not "canon" to the park or themed lands they might appear in. Like, if Mickey appears in Harambe, he isn't canonically a Harambe resident. He's visiting like we are.

Per WDE guidelines from when AK opened, Mickey and friends:

1. Live at the Magic Kingdom
2. Vacation at Epcot Center
3. Work at Disney-MGM Studios
4. Explore Animal Kingdom

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I think people have become a bit nitpicky on this topic.

It’s been mentioned by Joe himself. For me personally- DAK is becoming another IP world so it’s a lost cause - but it would be good if the attractions were still high quality and well done.

 

[rd805]

I was one very okay with Zootopia updating ITTBAB, and I can't believe how lackluster the show looks. I wasn't expecting a marvel, but still a step up at least based on NEW-NESS. It does not look like a great story, at all.

 

[mickEblu]

It looks like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure C Team was on this project.

 

[DavidDL]

"It's Tough to Be a Bug!" died for this flaming hot pile of crap? An unfunny, uninspired, "by the numbers", lazy Disney+ short with next to none of the in-theatre effects and which teaches nothing other that we have a sacred responsibility to.. party?

Disney should be downright ashamed of themselves. The Tree of Life would actually be better served sitting empty for decades than with this monstrosity actively bringing down the quality of what remains of Animal Kingdom.

 

[Prince-1]

"It's Tough to Be a Bug!" died for this flaming hot pile of crap? An unfunny, uninspired, "by the numbers", lazy Disney+ short with next to none of the in-theatre effects and which teaches nothing other that we have a sacred responsibility to.. party?

Disney should be downright ashamed of themselves. The Tree of Life would actually be better served sitting empty for decades than with this monstrosity actively bringing down the quality of what remains of Animal Kingdom.

Hyperbole much??

 

[flynnibus]

Heck, they didn't even pay to remove the dung ball, instead deciding it was cheaper to make some prints with acrylic paint and call it some sort of universal dirt ball like that's a real thing

Hey, i’m sure those imagineers thought that would be an amazing tribute to the old attraction and kept for that reason…

I say it jest… but sadly I wouldn’t be shocked if true

 

[celluloid]

I would assume you also might have a problem with Lion King then in Africa?

If the show was not based on a property of animals in Africa at least retaining some of their animal traits(hamlet aside)
in an African Storyteller format, I would, but it fits as it is literally written in the format of an African Folklore festival in inspiration.

(katonga at Busch Gardens Tampa did this far better)

 

[Goofyernmost]

If you wanna take that as a compliment, go for it.

If you imagine I care what you think is something that influences me, go for it. Two can play this supercilious game! But it is starting to bore me, so I'm done! (until I'm not)

 

[flynnibus]

I think people have become a bit nitpicky on this topic. I'm sure there were pitchforks when the Navi were coming, but it turned out to be an excellent addition to the parks.

No, its a great attraction people love and thus people are ok with it. All the set building they did in the land make it feel like a focus on nature… but it’s still just a sci fi biome scene.

People love the attraction- the same conflicts brought up initially still exist. It’s just if you make something people want… most will move right past the issues and just focus on the ride gains.

Zootopia is 100% about animals. It's in the name, "Zoo". Lion King is all about animals too. Both Lion King and Zootopia deal with human issues (love, death, family, comedy, hierachy) at it's core

They both deal with problems humans share… but thats where it stops. Zootopia is not about animals - the casting and parallels are used to create the unique way to tell the story.

Lion king is not an analog for a human conflict - they just play on human emotions.

. That being said, Disney had a responsbility to make Zootopia work in the spirit of the park. From the early reviews, it doesn't sound well executed.

Like svatar - if they actually made an attraction people were excited for… they could get away with it (swge…)