Rumor Is Indiana Jones Planning an Adventure to Disney's Animal Kingdom?

bclane

Well-Known Member
IMG_9288.JPG


The monkey idea is a good one! How bout this?
 

TROR

Well-Known Member
Only ok with this if it's not just a clone of Disneyland's. I mean, I know the track is the same and so are the ride vehicles, but I don't want it to be the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Make it Temple of the Snake. That's kind of what already exists in California, I guess, but it ties it back in with the Animal Kingdom theme somewhat.
 

Brian Swan

Well-Known Member
I confess, I have only read about half of the 48 or so pages of this thread, but here are my thoughts. I've been to both DL and WDW and have ridden both "versions" of the ride. The Indy version at DL is more successful in virtually every regard. I think many people feel this way and "wish" that WDW had gotten that in the first place. I do - even though Dino is on my short list of favorite WDW attractions. I think this is the reason that the never-ceasing rumors of converting Dino to Indy persist. Indy has no place in AK.

"Intellectually", I really like the whole Dinoland concept with it's extensive backstory (one of the most thorough - and unknown - ever created for a "land"). I can "appreciate" the tackiness of Dinorama having seen many similar roadside attractions along numerous highways - anyone driven past "South of the Border" on I-95 recently? How about Sevierville and Pigeon Forge? I "get" the connection between the Boneyard, Restaurtosausus, Dinorama, and theDino Institute. But aesthetically, it's an eye-sore in AK (at least Dinorama is). Disney needs to do something different.

Part of the problem is Universal's "ownership" of dinos in the film world. Two of the four JP movies were really quite good, and the Kong movies support the prehistoric world. Disney, on the other hand... "Fantasia" was groundbreaking (and served as the model for the NYWF Ford pavilion and UoE dino scenes), then came "Dinosaur" (a beautiful opening sequence followed by 90 min of drivel) and the the Hope Diamond of movies - "The Good Dinosaur" (the less said about it, the better).

I think keeping a dinosaur presence in AK is just fine, but there's got to be a better way of doing it. Universal has a perfect match; what could be easier than theming a land in a real theme park after a fictional theme park? So how else do you do it? In Pandora, the "gimmick" is that a modern company charters galactic flights to a different world. Could they expand on the Dino Institute's ability to go back in time and use that as a "gimmick" to place you in an immersive prehistoric world? Level Dinorama and replace it with a slower-paced dark ride, so all of the 6 year old kids who love dinos could ride without being terrorized. I hear there's a dino yard sale going on in EP about now... Could they put a building up around PW, fill it with artificial trees and rock work and pass it off as flying through the prehistoric canopy at the start and then when you get near the bottom see dinos, lava flows, tar pits? Keep it dark so you don't see the track all that much but rather the carefully lighted "set pieces"
 

britain

Well-Known Member
"Man vs. nature" is a very familiar theme throughout centuries of art. Everyone knows what it means and can point to thousands of manifestations in novels, poems, films, paintings, etc. It's a well-worn trope.

"Supernatural nature" is incoherent. Nothing about the Arc of the Covenant or the Holy Grail is "natural." That's the whole point! They are forces OUTSIDE of nature. Noone would look at the ending of Raiders and say, "well, that's nature for ya!"

Disney doesn't care about thematic cohesiveness anymore. Let's not redefine words in order to pretend that they do (if this gets built, of course).


I think that's the point of all myths about the supernatural, is that it teaches a lesson about something that happens in the natural.
 

Amidala

Well-Known Member
I think keeping a dinosaur presence in AK is just fine, but there's got to be a better way of doing it. Universal has a perfect match; what could be easier than theming a land in a real theme park after a fictional theme park? So how else do you do it? In Pandora, the "gimmick" is that a modern company charters galactic flights to a different world. Could they expand on the Dino Institute's ability to go back in time and use that as a "gimmick" to place you in an immersive prehistoric world? Level Dinorama and replace it with a slower-paced dark ride, so all of the 6 year old kids who love dinos could ride without being terrorized. I hear there's a dino yard sale going on in EP about now... Could they put a building up around PW, fill it with artificial trees and rock work and pass it off as flying through the prehistoric canopy at the start and then when you get near the bottom see dinos, lava flows, tar pits? Keep it dark so you don't see the track all that much but rather the carefully lighted "set pieces"

YES, this is absolutely the way to go if TDO don't decide to retheme the area completely (as South America or another region). The time travel premise is already carried over into Dino-rama with rides like Primeval Whirl. But actually transporting guests to an era where dinosaurs lived (not just on the ride, but within the land itself) would be a much better way of applying that concept–with theming more worthy of a Disney park. Obviously TDO can't have realistic dinosaur animatronics stomping around outside, but mimicking prehistoric flora and fauna (in the same way that imagineers mimicked Pandora's environment) could easily make guests feel that dinosaurs are waiting just around the corner–and the Dinosaur attraction would be the pay-off on that. And traveling back in time to walk with dinosaurs is very distinct from the Jurassic Park/Universal concept, with the potential to be just as unique and exciting.

Not sure what attractions would fit this area (aside from the already existing Dinosaur), but even a single C-Ride would have more value for me than the carnival-style rides and games currently occupying the space. Since DAK tends to be so hot, especially in the summer, a ride in the style of Roaring Rapids over at Shanghai Disneyland would be a really cool addition–with an animatronic dinosaur rather than the crocodile beast (although I know this ride has had a rocky start, so I'm not sure if there would be technical problems). The Camp Discovery challenge trails would be another cool import from Shanghai that would fit the area and really make guests feel that they're adventuring through a prehistoric era. Obviously both a little more ambitious than a C-ticket, but it's nice to dream!
 

SCOTLORR

Well-Known Member
So, to summarize, the current rumor as known is that Indiana Jones Adventure would take over the current Dinosaur ride building, and the current Dino Land U.S.A. would be re-themed to South America, where another Indy attraction (Boat ride) would be found as well as trail(s)/exhibit(s) with new South American animals? Read all the pages and this is what I concluded with so bare with me lol.
 

ChrisFL

Premium Member
So, to summarize, the current rumor as known is that Indiana Jones Adventure would take over the current Dinosaur ride building, and the current Dino Land U.S.A. would be re-themed to South America, where another Indy attraction (Boat ride) would be found as well as trail(s)/exhibit(s) with new South American animals? Read all the pages and this is what I concluded with so bare with me lol.

It seems to be very early speculation so far, but that makes sense from what I've been reading in various places.
 

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
Look, folks, like it or not the current approach at Disney is that every expansion must be IP-based. That's what they see as their cash cow. And that's not going to change absent a major change in Disney leadership.

So, that being said, you can either grouse about it and be unhappy, or you can actually appreciate the fact that all four parks are finally getting major expansions like we have all complained for years they needed.

Do I think Indiana Jones would fit better in Hollywood Studios than Animal Kingdom? Yeah, probably. But DHS is currently already undergoing the largest expansion of any park in Disney history, so it makes sense they want to put some resources elsewhere instead of adding yet another major land to that park.

Regardless, after years of watching every place from Anaheim to to Shanghai get the attention and the dollars, I am thrilled to see Walt Disney World finally getting all this love, even if some of the decisions are not the exact ones I might have made.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Ya'll realize Disney will do what they want, right? Just checking ...

Indy himself doesn't fit. The ride itself could. I personally don't think it's that awful to have him in the park but I know I'm in the minority. That being said I'd prefer they keep the Dinosaur theme and we don't *need* Indy in AK (though I see how they believe they can fit him in there; I prefer his presence to stay in DHS or they move it to Adventureland, but maybe they view Animal Kingdom as one big Adventureland park)

Why can't they just give us The Excavator coaster on the Dinorama plot (and update Dinosaur, changing it's name back to Countdown to Extinction) and give us an Indy water ride at DHS?

IT'S SO SIMPLE!
 

Jones14

Well-Known Member
At this point, I'd even be fine with an Indiana Jones ride taking over where Dinorama sits. My main concern is preserving Dinosaur and the main part of Dinoland USA, as I think that's a great little area. So much of Animal Kingdom is gritty and serious, and I feel like it (the non-Dinorama section) has some clever theming that doesn't take itself too seriously.
 

EricsBiscuit

Well-Known Member
I hope they just replace C and H's with The Excavator and leave Dino alone. I hope to God that if they unfortunately decide to go forth with this plan, they build the E ticket boat ride.
 

Funmeister

Well-Known Member
*smug grin*

AAAAAACTUALLY, most animal scientists agree birds are a type of dinosaur and- *is shoved into a locker*

Seriously though, it's sad to see so many people conflate Dinorama with Dinoland as a whole. I guess since you have to see it whenever you want to get to Dinosaur it cannot be helped... But still...

Syre, however traditionally if you ask someone to tell you the name of a dinosaur I am pretty sure the first choice most people give is not "bird."
 

TROR

Well-Known Member
I have nothing against human characters in Animal Kingdom, as long as they are not the focus. Indiana Jones is far more the focus of Indiana Jones Adventure than Dr. Seeker is of Dinosaur.

I've always have felt the temple itself was the focus of the attraction. We only see Indy at the beginning and the end of the ride. Mara is more of a main character than he is imo.
 

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
So, to summarize, the current rumor as known is that Indiana Jones Adventure would take over the current Dinosaur ride building, and the current Dino Land U.S.A. would be re-themed to South America, where another Indy attraction (Boat ride) would be found as well as trail(s)/exhibit(s) with new South American animals? Read all the pages and this is what I concluded with so bare with me lol.

Wait... so would that mean that this is a version of some amalgamated South American country, but set in the 1930s?
largada-gc3a1vea-1937.jpg

It would be a weird clash with Africa and Asia, which are notable for being clearly set in the present.
DSC_9441.jpg

Then again, we've got Avatar now, so...
 

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