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

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I wish that they could have kept Countdown to Extinction/ DINOSAUR and upgraded effects and expanded into a different type of land- all the while adding Indy and Encanto. As far as Dinorama, I'm glad it's gone. I still think an outdoor based excursion that focused on more friendly dinosaurs could have been a hit for families with littler kids. Oh that blessing of size. I hate to see part of the park's history disappear, but change can be good depending on what it is.

 

[WorldExplorer]

Once again: Dinosaur was not a flop. Dinosaur was the fifth highest grossing film of 2000. It was the fourth best selling home video release of 2001.

It made about 349 million box office in 2000s, which, adjusted for inflation, hits around 650 million dollars. Then it made 222 million (unadjusted) on home video sales, back when those mattered.

"Not a mainstay classic" isn't the same as a flop.

"Wasn't milked" isn't the same as a flop.

"I don't like it" isn't the same as a flop.

If this forum existed in 2000 Countdown to Extinction becoming Dinosaur would be getting all the defenses the stupid decisions they make now get.

"Oh, so you think it was a good idea?" No. It was a dumb one. But objective reality remains objective reality and Dinosaur flopping and being rejected en masse isn't what happened.

But hey, assuming everyone agrees with you and insisting reality reflects that in the Dinoland removal thread. What an absolute shock.


Really, though, I wish more IP in Animal Kingdom was like Dinosaur; the "yeah sure whatever, we're just gonna make whatever story we feel like" mindset is the best possible outcome. If Indy opens and it turns out he's just got a statue outside and a couple seconds of footage in the ride taken completely out of context, then the ride accidentally implies we killed the entire cast of the movies except for him (or a guy that's lightly implied to be him but doesn't actually look like him and logically can't be him) because of its sheer apathy for the film it's got slapped on it, someone DM me, because I know that's not going to happen so I won't be reading this thread. I will take back everything I said.

(I won't take back anything I said because that won't happen.)

 

[HMF]

We obviously don't know yet... but my guess is that Indy will be just as much about Animals as EE is.

Last time I checked Indiana Jones is a human being and other than snakes, monkeys and horses I don't recall seeing many animals in the movies. Also, it would have made more sense to have done an Indy ride 28 years ago rather than now. The Indy franchise is over, so they won't be making any further revenue from the franchise most likely, and I am saying that as someone who liked the widely despised last two movies

 

[James Alucobond]

Las t time I checked Indiana Jones is a human being and other than snakes, monkeys and horses I don't recall seeing many animals in the movies. Also, it would have made more sense to have done an Indy ride 28 years ago rather than now. The Indy franchise is over, so they won't be making any further revenue from the franchise most likely, and I am saying that as someone who liked the widely despised last two movies

Why is it so hard for people to assimilate basic information that has been shared about the ride's premise?

 

[HMF]

Pretty sure Joe was not the one who decided what got to go where. He had lots of input an influence in AK I’m sure, but I don’t believe he was calling the shots

Obviously, he reported to Sklar and Eisner, but he was given more creative control than Disney would trust any Imagineer with especially now

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Why is it so hard for people to assimilate basic information that has been shared about the ride's premise?

The premise itself makes no sense, as I pointed out 100 pages ago. Indiana Jones doesn't go seeking out mythical creatures. I believe they said "he's heard tell of a mysterious creature inside the temple and he's got to see it for himself." He's an adventurer, but not for the sake of the adventure. The adventure he goes on is incidental to (and often quite frustrating for him) his search for an antiquity for a museum. This premise doesn't match ANY of the actual character traits of Indiana Jones.

 

[James Alucobond]

The premise itself makes no sense, as I pointed out 100 pages ago. Indiana Jones doesn't go seeking out mythical creatures. I believe they said "he's heard tell of a mysterious creature inside the temple and he's got to see it for himself." He's an adventurer, but not for the sake of the adventure. The adventure he goes on is always in search of an antiquity for a museum. This premise doesn't match ANY of the actual character traits of Indiana Jones.

The post quoted wasn't about whether or not IJ makes sense as the steward of such a ride. The post just said that, if what has been shared pans out, it will likely have as much to do with animals as Everest in that you encounter a cryptid or a rough equivalent. Simple as that.

 

[HMF]

The premise itself makes no sense, as I pointed out 100 pages ago. Indiana Jones doesn't go seeking out mythical creatures. I believe they said "he's heard tell of a mysterious creature inside the temple and he's got to see it for himself." He's an adventurer, but not for the sake of the adventure. The adventure he goes on is incidental to (and often quite frustrating for him) his search for an antiquity for a museum. This premise doesn't match ANY of the actual character traits of Indiana Jones.

Disney seems to have a habit of misunderstanding the motivations and characterizations of characters from Lucasfilm.

 

[WorldExplorer]

The difference between Indy and Everest is that there isn't a human host with his name slapped on the marquee on Everest.

These rides don't have people in them for a reason.

And please no one say Seeker counts, the dude keeps his sorry butt in the present when they absolutely could've put him in the ride. He's there for exposition while you focus on the real stars, being the dozen or so amazing dinosaur animatronics.


If Indy gets zero animatronics and does nothing but talk about the monster and how wonderful it is and how much he wants to learn more about it, maybe it'd be acceptable. But that isn't going to happen. Edit: He's allowed some "whoa! Look out! Oh no it's thing!" exposition lines, too. But that still won't happen.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Pretty sure Joe was not the one who decided what got to go where. He had lots of input an influence in AK I’m sure, but I don’t believe he was calling the shots

Deciding how the program is fulfilled is part of being the creative lead on a park or even land. It’s not the final decision, but you’re putting together the package that gets the larger approval.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I wanted to address what I said earlier about Jurassic Park River Adventure being inferior. I think it stems from a lack of believability. I don't feel like I'm really looking at an Ultrasaur when I can see that he is frozen with his neck bent in an unnatural position as my boat slowly approaches it, and then the motors in its neck are failing so that there is a bit of a jitter to its movement (see timestamped video):



The rest of the animatronics have the same problem.

And then there's the T-Rex randomly standing there inside the building right over the waterfall. The T-Rex, whose metal superstructure is illuminated by the show-lights, half-heartedly roars at you as he also wonders how he got inside the building and how he got into that particular position, perched over a hole (see timestamped video):



So yeah, it's a fun ride. But Dinosaur is WAY better than this.

The sense of urgency of Dinosaur VS the random industrial lift-hill where there are raptors and spitting dilophosauruses randomly waiting around for us.

There's no comparison in my opinion, when you take into account the storytelling and the animatronic quality.

 

[Nickm2022]

I wanted to address what I said earlier about Jurassic Park River Adventure being inferior. I think it stems from a lack of believability. I don't feel like I'm really looking at an Ultrasaur when I can see that he is frozen with his neck bent in an unnatural position as my boat slowly approaches it, and then the motors in its neck are failing so that there is a bit of a jitter to its movement (see timestamped video):



The rest of the animatronics have the same problem.

And then there's the T-Rex randomly standing there inside the building right over the waterfall. The T-Rex, whose metal superstructure is illuminated by the show-lights, half-heartedly roars at you as he also wonders how he got inside the building and how he got into that particular position, perched over a hole (see timestamped video):



So yeah, it's a fun ride. But Dinosaur is WAY better than this.

The sense of urgency of Dinosaur VS the random industrial lift-hill where there are raptors and spitting dilophosauruses randomly waiting around for us.

There's no comparison in my opinion, when you take into account the storytelling and the animatronic quality.

Dinosaur is a better ride but a worst land

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Las t time I checked Indiana Jones is a human being and other than snakes, monkeys and horses I don't recall seeing many animals in the movies. Also, it would have made more sense to have done an Indy ride 28 years ago rather than now. The Indy franchise is over, so they won't be making any further revenue from the franchise most likely, and I am saying that as someone who liked the widely despised last two movies

You're right! Lion King is also a human story told with animals, should get rid of that. And while we're at it, that Tree of Life isn't a real tree so thats also bad. Kali River Rapids has no animals in it! Where's the animals on expedition everest?

 

[Chi84]

You're right! Lion King is also a human story told with animals, should get rid of that. And while we're at it, that Tree of Life isn't a real tree so thats also bad. Kali River Rapids has no animals in it! Where's the animals on expedition everest?

People forget it’s Nahtazu.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Because the ones in Ellen's weren't generating interest in guests anymore.

That is not true. My mom and I loved seeing those dinosaurs and last I checked we are still counted as “guests” when at WDW.

Do I also enjoy guardians? Yes. My mom will never ride it, and that’s one less thing we can do together when visiting Epcot.

That’s the point.

It’s the same situation at MK and DHS.

At DAK it might be a win if Encanto is tame (no spinning etc.)

 

[Brer Panther]

Y'know, if the ride were about Indiana Jones facing off against dinosaurs, I could probably forgive this whole project.

It'd be a good compromise - you'd still have dinosaurs in the park, you could keep all the dinosaur animatronics, and Disney still gets their stupid IP takeover.

So what if the Indiana Jones movies don't have dinosaurs in them? Pretty sure they don't have mythical creatures in 'em either.

 

[Touchdown]

And then there's the T-Rex randomly standing there inside the building right over the waterfall. The T-Rex, whose metal superstructure is illuminated by the show-lights, half-heartedly roars at you as he also wonders how he got inside the building and how he got into that particular position, perched over a hole (see timestamped video):

So I assume you hate the HM because it’s clear the ride isnt in the building, and breaks realism by having the house we see as we descend into the graveyard is clearly not the same house we entered. Not to mention, it’s always night in the graveyard! Totally reality breaking when you ride during the day. Ditto for Pirates in Orlando.

I guess I’m not really a stickler for ride geography conforming to real world geography. While I know the T-Rex is up against the outer wall of the building that doesn’t register on the ride. It’s not a random industrial building it’s a hydrothermal power plant. The dinos have managed to get inside and wreck havoc because that’s what they do. The waterfall is there because part of the plant uses the now cooled water as a hydroelectric system. The only thing that doesn’t make in ride sense is why there is a lift for the boats. The T Rex smashes through the building on the other side because she doesn’t want to risk going down the waterfall, she’s smarter than you.

The ultrasaur absolutely needs work, here’s hoping they fix it.

 

[Bocabear]

now that you mention it....even as a kid I wondered why the graveyard descent outside of the mansion did not architecturally match the exterior of the building.... Seems like just direct-lifting the setting from Disneyland was not the best idea....and it would not be riduculously hard to fix...

 

[Purduevian]

Isn't the story of expedition Everest that some entrepreneurs set up a tourist business to utilize old tea trains to journey to Everest. In order to increase profits, the entrepeneurs decide to use the shortcut through the Forbidden Mountain. However, the locals see this as disrespecting the mountain and that the guardian of the mountain (the yeti) will not take kindly to visitors. The Yeti does indeed exist and we escape back to the tourist station with the lesson that nature should be respected.

I'm assuming the story of Indy will be that he is searching for some ancient artifact buried in some long abandoned temple and for some reason has asked us to join him on the quest. The locals see this as disrespecting the mountain temple and that the guardian of the mountain (the yeti) temple (Questacoatl) will not take kindly to visitors. The Yeti Questacoatl does indeed exist and we escape back to the tourist station temple entrance with the lesson that nature should be respected.

 

[jah4955]

now that you mention it....even as a kid I wondered why the graveyard descent outside of the mansion did not architecturally match the exterior of the building.... Seems like just direct-lifting the setting from Disneyland was not the best idea....and it would not be riduculously hard to fix...

yes...indeed...but.... out of the hundreds of millions who have ridden it, how many made that connection?

Until I rode it enough times to remember to anticipate it, every time the omnimover made that sharp tilt all I was thinking was "WHAT'S GOIN' ON!?"