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

[WoundedDreamer]

I think Disney missed a huge opportunity with replacing It's Tough to be a Bug. The Tree of Life is the thematic heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom. When you arrive through the gates, you begin a journey from the developed world to nature. This process begins through the Oasis section. That land represents your expedition to find the Tree of Life. After journeying the vista opens up and the thing you've been searching for- the Tree of Life- appears triumphantly.

The Tree of Life is the key to the whole park. As the physical embodiment of nature, all the areas of the park tie back to it. The Tree of Life essentially opens "portals" to discover nature. In Africa we see how individuals coexist with nature to bring economic development and prosperity to everyone. In Asia we see the dangers of attempting to exploit nature. In Dinoland we see how nature becomes part of the stories we tell. Avatar (I don't like its placement) tells the story of working to restore nature.

Animal Kingdom would have been fascinating if it had been allowed to be built out as intended. There's reason to believe that each of the seven continents would have gotten a land eventually. We knew of four- Africa, Asia, Dinoland as NA, and Beastly Kingdom as Europe. That left South America, Australia, and Antarctica.

At the center of the Animal Kingdom was the place where you began your adventure. The Tree of Life on Discovery Island.

As others have mentioned, originally a Lion King show was supposed to have been in the Tree of Life Theater. This would have discussed the Circle of Life. Even that represented a compromise. What if the Tree of Life Theater featured a film that really told Animal Kingdom's story? Similar to how Spaceship Earth holds the defining ride of Epcot.

Disney now owns National Geographic. If they need a synergy tie in, why not have National Geographic participate on making a masterful nature film worthy of the park? And if they're concerned about it not appealing to kids, they could alternate the film (similar to the French the pavilion) with something more IP centric.

The infrastructure exists to tell the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia doesn't cut it!

 

[AndyS2992]

Is ITTBAB playing to Empty theaters? Do they really need to redo the show?

Having watched it recently, lets just say it's showing its age.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

I think Disney missed a huge opportunity with replacing It's Tough to be a Bug. The Tree of Life is the thematic heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom. When you arrive through the gates, you begin a journey from the developed world to nature. This process begins through the Oasis section. That land represents your expedition to find the Tree of Life. After journeying the vista opens up and the thing you've been searching for- the Tree of Life- appears triumphantly.

The Tree of Life is the key to the whole park. As the physical embodiment of nature, all the areas of the park tie back to it. The Tree of Life essentially opens "portals" to discover nature. In Africa we see how individuals coexist with nature to bring economic development and prosperity to everyone. In Asia we see the dangers of attempting to exploit nature. In Dinoland we see how nature becomes part of the stories we tell. Avatar (I don't like its placement) tells the story of working to restore nature.

Animal Kingdom would have been fascinating if it had been allowed to be built out as intended. There's reason to believe that each of the seven continents would have gotten a land eventually. We knew of four- Africa, Asia, Dinoland as NA, and Beastly Kingdom as Europe. That left South America, Australia, and Antarctica.

At the center of the Animal Kingdom was the place where you began your adventure. The Tree of Life on Discovery Island.

As others have mentioned, originally a Lion King show was supposed to have been in the Tree of Life Theater. This would have discussed the Circle of Life. Even that represented a compromise. What if the Tree of Life Theater featured a film that really told Animal Kingdom's story? Similar to how Spaceship Earth holds the defining ride of Epcot.

Disney now owns National Geographic. If they need a synergy tie in, why not have National Geographic participate on making a masterful nature film worthy of the park? And if they're concerned about it not appealing to kids, they could alternate the film (similar to the French the pavilion) with something more IP centric.

The infrastructure exists to tell the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia doesn't cut it!

Wow! That's a Genius idea I never thought of Animal Kingdom center piece to it having a breathtaking show similar to France has and maybe swap it with an IP whether Lion King (Circle of Life) all lands circling the Tree of Life.

 

[FettFan]

to me a Bugs Life fits perfectly "in" the tree...definitely way more than Zootopia. ....they could just redo the show... and even eventually come out with a new Bugs Life movie (kinda surprised they never did that)

Aye. You’d think that with the “Real Bugs Life” series on Disney+, they’d look at revisiting the IP.

It’s actually rather interesting….even Awkwafina isn’t overly annoying as the narrator.

 

[FettFan]

Having watched it recently, lets just say it's showing its age.

Yes. Poor Flik’s mouth doesn’t work anymore (stuck open) and the movie itself is desaturated and hazy.

 

[FettFan]

I think Disney missed a huge opportunity with replacing It's Tough to be a Bug. The Tree of Life is the thematic heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom. When you arrive through the gates, you begin a journey from the developed world to nature. This process begins through the Oasis section. That land represents your expedition to find the Tree of Life. After journeying the vista opens up and the thing you've been searching for- the Tree of Life- appears triumphantly.

The Tree of Life is the key to the whole park. As the physical embodiment of nature, all the areas of the park tie back to it. The Tree of Life essentially opens "portals" to discover nature. In Africa we see how individuals coexist with nature to bring economic development and prosperity to everyone. In Asia we see the dangers of attempting to exploit nature. In Dinoland we see how nature becomes part of the stories we tell. Avatar (I don't like its placement) tells the story of working to restore nature.

Animal Kingdom would have been fascinating if it had been allowed to be built out as intended. There's reason to believe that each of the seven continents would have gotten a land eventually. We knew of four- Africa, Asia, Dinoland as NA, and Beastly Kingdom as Europe. That left South America, Australia, and Antarctica.

At the center of the Animal Kingdom was the place where you began your adventure. The Tree of Life on Discovery Island.

As others have mentioned, originally a Lion King show was supposed to have been in the Tree of Life Theater. This would have discussed the Circle of Life. Even that represented a compromise. What if the Tree of Life Theater featured a film that really told Animal Kingdom's story? Similar to how Spaceship Earth holds the defining ride of Epcot.

Disney now owns National Geographic. If they need a synergy tie in, why not have National Geographic participate on making a masterful nature film worthy of the park? And if they're concerned about it not appealing to kids, they could alternate the film (similar to the French the pavilion) with something more IP centric.

The infrastructure exists to tell the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia doesn't cut it!

Preach!

 

[DisneyDodo]

I imagine part of the reason Disney wants to replace ITTBAB is due to its reputation for being unexpectedly scary for kids, like Stitch but less extreme.

I can see the Zootopia replacement following a similar format to its predecessor, with a lineup of different species showing off their various adaptation techniques, perhaps with Judy as the host.

 

[doctornick]

I imagine part of the reason Disney wants to replace ITTBAB is due to its reputation for being unexpectedly scary for kids, like Stitch but less extreme.

The "scariness" - at least the surprise at those elements - is a big reason why ITTBAB is the best 4D show at WDW. So much fun seeing people reaction to being "stung" and such.

 

[sonoma15]

Muppetvision is like 10x better than tough to be a bug in my opinion. Tough to be a bug is cool for the hopper animatronic and the spiders but besides that, the screen is blurry, the animation is outdated, and some of the effects are pretty cheesy. I think this show is past its prime, they need to either update the animation or change the show entirely. Not saying zootopia is the best fit but it would definitely draw in more crowds than this show does currently.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I think Disney missed a huge opportunity with replacing It's Tough to be a Bug. The Tree of Life is the thematic heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom. When you arrive through the gates, you begin a journey from the developed world to nature. This process begins through the Oasis section. That land represents your expedition to find the Tree of Life. After journeying the vista opens up and the thing you've been searching for- the Tree of Life- appears triumphantly.

The Tree of Life is the key to the whole park. As the physical embodiment of nature, all the areas of the park tie back to it. The Tree of Life essentially opens "portals" to discover nature. In Africa we see how individuals coexist with nature to bring economic development and prosperity to everyone. In Asia we see the dangers of attempting to exploit nature. In Dinoland we see how nature becomes part of the stories we tell. Avatar (I don't like its placement) tells the story of working to restore nature.

Animal Kingdom would have been fascinating if it had been allowed to be built out as intended. There's reason to believe that each of the seven continents would have gotten a land eventually. We knew of four- Africa, Asia, Dinoland as NA, and Beastly Kingdom as Europe. That left South America, Australia, and Antarctica.

At the center of the Animal Kingdom was the place where you began your adventure. The Tree of Life on Discovery Island.

As others have mentioned, originally a Lion King show was supposed to have been in the Tree of Life Theater. This would have discussed the Circle of Life. Even that represented a compromise. What if the Tree of Life Theater featured a film that really told Animal Kingdom's story? Similar to how Spaceship Earth holds the defining ride of Epcot.

Disney now owns National Geographic. If they need a synergy tie in, why not have National Geographic participate on making a masterful nature film worthy of the park? And if they're concerned about it not appealing to kids, they could alternate the film (similar to the French the pavilion) with something more IP centric.

The infrastructure exists to tell the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia doesn't cut it!

I never thought of it like this, but just turning it into a walkthrough hub fixes a lot of issues with Animal Kingdom. Part of it is already, but removing ATTBAB and putting themed pathways underneath the tree would make it easier to navigate. They could've also done a periodic interior projection show in the main theater space.

 

[Epcot81Fan]

I think Disney missed a huge opportunity with replacing It's Tough to be a Bug. The Tree of Life is the thematic heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom. When you arrive through the gates, you begin a journey from the developed world to nature. This process begins through the Oasis section. That land represents your expedition to find the Tree of Life. After journeying the vista opens up and the thing you've been searching for- the Tree of Life- appears triumphantly.

The Tree of Life is the key to the whole park. As the physical embodiment of nature, all the areas of the park tie back to it. The Tree of Life essentially opens "portals" to discover nature. In Africa we see how individuals coexist with nature to bring economic development and prosperity to everyone. In Asia we see the dangers of attempting to exploit nature. In Dinoland we see how nature becomes part of the stories we tell. Avatar (I don't like its placement) tells the story of working to restore nature.

Animal Kingdom would have been fascinating if it had been allowed to be built out as intended. There's reason to believe that each of the seven continents would have gotten a land eventually. We knew of four- Africa, Asia, Dinoland as NA, and Beastly Kingdom as Europe. That left South America, Australia, and Antarctica.

At the center of the Animal Kingdom was the place where you began your adventure. The Tree of Life on Discovery Island.

As others have mentioned, originally a Lion King show was supposed to have been in the Tree of Life Theater. This would have discussed the Circle of Life. Even that represented a compromise. What if the Tree of Life Theater featured a film that really told Animal Kingdom's story? Similar to how Spaceship Earth holds the defining ride of Epcot.

Disney now owns National Geographic. If they need a synergy tie in, why not have National Geographic participate on making a masterful nature film worthy of the park? And if they're concerned about it not appealing to kids, they could alternate the film (similar to the French the pavilion) with something more IP centric.

The infrastructure exists to tell the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia doesn't cut it!

So how does the Tree of Life lead us to this?

 

[WoundedDreamer]

So how does the Tree of Life lead us to this?

View attachment 774337

A fair question! Dinoland itself is admittedly a compromise. Originally, it was was to include two flagship attractions. These were Countdown to Extinction and the Excavator. There were to be two different messages going on in Dinoland as originally conceived. CTX/Dinosaur is packed with meaning. It's a cautionary tale about the importance of retaining our ethics when we conduct scientific research. Dr. Seeker believes that his scientific objectives are so important, that he's willing to break laws, ignore codes of ethics, and risk the lives of innocents. The message of Dinosaur is that we can't shirk important responsibilities when conducting science. It's also a message, similar to Everest, that nature is a powerful and chastening thing. It can lash out at you if you don't properly respect it.

The Excavator would have been a different ride entirely. Set in the mountains of the American west (inspired by places like the badlands or south Utah), guests would have hopped on a mining cart to visit a dinosaur dig site. But to our surprise, the Dinosaurs skeletons would come alive and chase the train around. This ride had a pretty interesting message. Rohde and his team wanted to create an attraction that explored how dinosaurs still stick in the American public's minds despite their ancient extinction. No modern person has ever seen a dinosaur, but everyone "knows" (or thinks they know) what a dinosaur looks like. The dinosaur skeletons coming alive at the dig site would have been a metaphor for how dinosaurs have come alive in modern society. Not literally alive, but alive through culture, media, and imagination. Dinosaurs can scare us, even though they are largely an invention of our own imaginations. It's another neat exploration of how nature has shaped humanity.

Unfortunately, Imagineers were constrained by two factors that meant Dinoland was never built out as intended. The first constraint was time. When Disney's Animal Kingdom opened, there were not enough attractions. While excuses can be made, the reality was the opening lineup was sparse. That's why Disney itself promised rapid additions in Asia, Dinoland, and eventually Beastly Kingdom. The decision to launch an underdeveloped park had proven penny wise and pound foolish. While they saved money on building rides, they created a park that was financially weak. This led to panic amongst the Disney executive team. They needed new rides to open ASAP. The other constraint was financial. Disney wanted the new rides ASAP while not spending all that much.

What emerged from that period were a variety of rides characterized by compromise. Within a few short years Asia would be built out along with the Dinoland expansion. But instead of the Excavator, Imagineers were forced to massively scale back the plans. Hence, we got Dinorama. The expanded version of Kali River Rapids was also shelved in this period.

So does Dinorama serve any storytelling purpose beyond placing a few cheap carnival rides down? Many people have argued that Dinorama is a blight on Disney's Animal Kingdom. But if you look carefully, you'll actually see themes similar to the Excavator are present. The land explores how modern people still think of Dinosaurs today. Dinosaurs are somewhat culturally constructed. Dinosaurs are influencing the economics and culture of modern society long after they have gone extinct. We see how cultures make sense of extinct animals and how their presence still looms large.

This is not to say that the Imagineers who built Dinorama were satisfied with the product. They realized that Dinorama was a compromise. I've heard that they hoped it would be temporary. Obviously, it would persist for decades. But it actually does have a message. And I've gotten the sense that Rohde is actually proud of Dinorama in a way. It represents how even in the worst of financial situations, art can still find a way.

 

[Epcot81Fan]

A fair question! Dinoland itself is admittedly a compromise. Originally, it was was to include two flagship attractions. These were Countdown to Extinction and the Excavator. There were to be two different messages going on in Dinoland as originally conceived. CTX/Dinosaur is packed with meaning. It's a cautionary tale about the importance of retaining our ethics when we conduct scientific research. Dr. Seeker believes that his scientific objectives are so important, that he's willing to break laws, ignore codes of ethics, and risk the lives of innocents. The message of Dinosaur is that we can't shirk important responsibilities when conducting science. It's also a message, similar to Everest, that nature is a powerful and chastening thing. It can lash out at you if you don't properly respect it.

The Excavator would have been a different ride entirely. Set in the mountains of the American west (inspired by places like the badlands or south Utah), guests would have hopped on a mining cart to visit a dinosaur dig site. But to our surprise, the Dinosaurs skeletons would come alive and chase the train around. This ride had a pretty interesting message. Rohde and his team wanted to create an attraction that explored how dinosaurs still stick in the American public's minds despite their ancient extinction. No modern person has ever seen a dinosaur, but everyone "knows" (or thinks they know) what a dinosaur looks like. The dinosaur skeletons coming alive at the dig site would have been a metaphor for how dinosaurs have come alive in modern society. Not literally alive, but alive through culture, media, and imagination. Dinosaurs can scare us, even though they are largely an invention of our own imaginations. It's another neat exploration of how nature has shaped humanity.

Unfortunately, Imagineers were constrained by two factors that meant Dinoland was never built out as intended. The first constraint was time. When Disney's Animal Kingdom opened, there were not enough attractions. While excuses can be made, the reality was the opening lineup was sparse. That's why Disney itself promised rapid additions in Asia, Dinoland, and eventually Beastly Kingdom. The decision to launch an underdeveloped park had proven penny wise and pound foolish. While they saved money on building rides, they created a park that was financially weak. This led to panic amongst the Disney executive team. They needed new rides to open ASAP. The other constraint was financial. Disney wanted the new rides ASAP while not spending all that much.

What emerged from that period were a variety of rides characterized by compromise. Within a few short years Asia would be built out along with the Dinoland expansion. But instead of the Excavator, Imagineers were forced to massively scale back the plans. Hence, we got Dinorama. The expanded version of Kali River Rapids was also shelved in this period.

So does Dinorama serve any storytelling purpose beyond placing a few cheap carnival rides down? Many people have argued that Dinorama is a blight on Disney's Animal Kingdom. But if you look carefully, you'll actually see themes similar to the Excavator are present. The land explores how modern people still think of Dinosaurs today. Dinosaurs are somewhat culturally constructed. Dinosaurs are influencing the economics and culture of modern society long after they have gone extinct. We see how cultures make sense of extinct animals and how their presence still looms large.

This is not to say that the Imagineers who built Dinorama were satisfied with the product. They realized that Dinorama was a compromise. I've heard that they hoped it would be temporary. Obviously, it would persist for decades. But it actually does have a message. And I've gotten the sense that Rohde is actually proud of Dinorama in a way. It represents how even in the worst of financial situations, art can still find a way.

This is pure perfection, bless you.

 

[Brer Panther]

So how does the Tree of Life lead us to this?

View attachment 774337

They're turning that into Indiana Jones and Encanto Land With Coco Shoved in There Too For Some Reason, so does it really matter?

 

[Epcot81Fan]

They're turning that into Indiana Jones and Encanto Land With Coco Shoved in There Too For Some Reason, so does it really matter?

Nope. They gave up years ago.

It's just Magic Kingdom North, South, East, and West now.

WDI's new motto:

 

[Tom P.]

Nope. They gave up years ago.

It's just Magic Kingdom North, South, East, and West now.

WDI's new motto:

View attachment 774399

In fairness to Disney, what do people want? Which of those four parks are the one that Disney always has to work to draw people *away* from? Magic Kingdom. When people think of Walt Disney World, they think of Magic Kingdom. That's where they want to go. That's what attracts them. While I don't want to see every other park turn into Magic Kingdom Lite, I can understand why Disney would be tempted to add more MK-esque elements to the other parks.

 

[Bocabear]

the other parks just need to have the same amount of physical rides and shows...and then it would not be as much about people only wanting to go to the Magic Kingdom... DHS was a good start but it was short on attractions... Animal kingdom is beautiful...but short on rides...Same with EPCOT... the parks just need more.... Crowd levels are way higher now...

 

[Figments Friend]

Is ITTBAB playing to Empty theaters? Do they really need to redo the show?

The current operating show is sadly lacking due to the impressive Hopper animatronic missing.
For me, that element missing really brings the experience down several notches.

Some of the in house effects have also been toned down / pulled back.

The audience however still reacts as they always have…especially at the end when the ‘bugs leave the theatre first’.

-

 

[Bill Cipher]

A fair question! Dinoland itself is admittedly a compromise. Originally, it was was to include two flagship attractions. These were Countdown to Extinction and the Excavator. There were to be two different messages going on in Dinoland as originally conceived. CTX/Dinosaur is packed with meaning. It's a cautionary tale about the importance of retaining our ethics when we conduct scientific research. Dr. Seeker believes that his scientific objectives are so important, that he's willing to break laws, ignore codes of ethics, and risk the lives of innocents. The message of Dinosaur is that we can't shirk important responsibilities when conducting science. It's also a message, similar to Everest, that nature is a powerful and chastening thing. It can lash out at you if you don't properly respect it.

The Excavator would have been a different ride entirely. Set in the mountains of the American west (inspired by places like the badlands or south Utah), guests would have hopped on a mining cart to visit a dinosaur dig site. But to our surprise, the Dinosaurs skeletons would come alive and chase the train around. This ride had a pretty interesting message. Rohde and his team wanted to create an attraction that explored how dinosaurs still stick in the American public's minds despite their ancient extinction. No modern person has ever seen a dinosaur, but everyone "knows" (or thinks they know) what a dinosaur looks like. The dinosaur skeletons coming alive at the dig site would have been a metaphor for how dinosaurs have come alive in modern society. Not literally alive, but alive through culture, media, and imagination. Dinosaurs can scare us, even though they are largely an invention of our own imaginations. It's another neat exploration of how nature has shaped humanity.

Unfortunately, Imagineers were constrained by two factors that meant Dinoland was never built out as intended. The first constraint was time. When Disney's Animal Kingdom opened, there were not enough attractions. While excuses can be made, the reality was the opening lineup was sparse. That's why Disney itself promised rapid additions in Asia, Dinoland, and eventually Beastly Kingdom. The decision to launch an underdeveloped park had proven penny wise and pound foolish. While they saved money on building rides, they created a park that was financially weak. This led to panic amongst the Disney executive team. They needed new rides to open ASAP. The other constraint was financial. Disney wanted the new rides ASAP while not spending all that much.

What emerged from that period were a variety of rides characterized by compromise. Within a few short years Asia would be built out along with the Dinoland expansion. But instead of the Excavator, Imagineers were forced to massively scale back the plans. Hence, we got Dinorama. The expanded version of Kali River Rapids was also shelved in this period.

So does Dinorama serve any storytelling purpose beyond placing a few cheap carnival rides down? Many people have argued that Dinorama is a blight on Disney's Animal Kingdom. But if you look carefully, you'll actually see themes similar to the Excavator are present. The land explores how modern people still think of Dinosaurs today. Dinosaurs are somewhat culturally constructed. Dinosaurs are influencing the economics and culture of modern society long after they have gone extinct. We see how cultures make sense of extinct animals and how their presence still looms large.

This is not to say that the Imagineers who built Dinorama were satisfied with the product. They realized that Dinorama was a compromise. I've heard that they hoped it would be temporary. Obviously, it would persist for decades. But it actually does have a message. And I've gotten the sense that Rohde is actually proud of Dinorama in a way. It represents how even in the worst of financial situations, art can still find a way.

This is one of the most eloquent descriptions of the messages and artistic themes at play in Dinoland USA I've ever read. So criminally overlooked, even if the budgetary issues show the seams and compromises. Bravo!

 

[Eric Graham]

My wife loved Tough To Be A Bug, but I do really enjoy Zootopia. We are definitely a house divided on this issue