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

[Dinoman96]

Not even the first time they’ve done it in this park.

IMO Fichwa Fellow comes off better because at the end of the day, it's really just a little background detail, it's functionally a glorified Hidden Mickey, and not, you know, a full blown attraction lol

edit: looking deeper into it, "fichwa" literally means "hidden" in Swahili, so yeah...it literally is just a Hidden Mickey hahaha

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Not even the first time they’ve done it in this park.

I didn’t realize this was a Disney ride? Where do I board? Is there a LL?

 

[PizzaPlanet]

The old rumor of the carousel being Coco themed with colorful wooden alebrijes would've been a perfect way to incorporate IP in a way that feels more authentic and organic to the land

I have a feeling they decided against it in order to save Coco for something bigger at WDW later on. Maybe something at MK or Epcot is still on the table…

 

[Brer Panther]

Tell me again how Coco fits in Animal Kingdom?

 

[Horizons '83]

Tell me again how Coco fits in Animal Kingdom?

Fit doesn’t matter now. IP does.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Tell me again how Coco fits in Animal Kingdom?

Alebrijes. The belief in connections to specific animals and our afterlife. It's a fantasy creature based on real animals of the area that directly talk about our connections with animals. It actually fits very well if you look at more than the surface area. (Especially if it was a Carousel)

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I have a feeling they decided against it in order to save Coco for something bigger at WDW later on. Maybe something at MK or Epcot is still on the table…

I still think it might be what ends up actually Beyond Big Thunder but man would that make Frontierland imo the strongest land in MK. Would have Tiana's, BTM, CBMJ, Rally Race, another flat ride, AND a Coco ride. I would dream of these times.

 

[Nickm2022]

Coco would fit in the mythical animal category. In the same vain as Everest and soon Indy. But also Coco is weird because is kinda works at any Disney park. MK&DL for how close Mexico was to the Frontier, DCA for Californias close relation to Mexico and Pixer Pier w Coco being Pixar. DHS because honestly any film now works in DHS since the park is entering the world of your favorite films and where they're made. And my personal want EPCOT since they have the Mexico pavilion. And for those who say it wouldn't fit it abosolutly would it would just need rerouted and have a new enterence/exit, exactly like what they did with Toy Story mania at DHS once Toy Story land was built.

On the upside I think its good they're saving Coco for something bigger, and I think having the carousel not be tied to any specific IP and have wooden alebrijes for the carousel feels a lot more Disney and a lot of authentic to the land. Plus personally feel if Tropical Americas ever had or gets a 3rd IP it should be UP, as that fits AK a lot better

 

[Moth]

I think Tropical Americas needs Rio. I accept all challenges on this front.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I think Tropical Americas needs Rio. I accept all challenges on this front.

Agreed on that, I would go co Up as well as both feature different versions of Poachers. I say replace Finding Nemo with a musical based on one of those properties.

 

[MisterPenguin]

There was also Donald Duck being part of Dinoland since he's a descendant of therapod dinosaurs.

Not to mention all the other M&Gs that never truly 'fit' their lands.

It is unknown how much of Encanto is incorporated into Tropical Americas. It seems most certain that the Indy attraction and the Encanto ride are being kept as separate geographically-bounded IPs that don't cross over. You can get to both by going to the town of Esperanza. How much of Esperanza will be wrapped up in the Indy IP or the Encanto IP? I don't know.

Does Esperanza celebrate the Madrigals' magic? Does Esperanza tie into Aztec mythology? (Other than by the merch in the gift shop.)

And so, is the carousel really part of the Encanto world? I don't know. It seems it's certain that it's part of the Esperanza world. And so, it is perhaps that it is in Esperanza that we have a 'real world' modern town that knows of Disney IP. That town also has mystic portals to the world of Encanto and the world of Indy.

Nobody looks at Fantasyland and inquires how the old timey princesses can live in a world with IaSW or a 20th century circus. Sometimes a "land" loosely groups IPs together. And each IP has its own place and time that differs from the other attractions in the same "land."

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

There was also Donald Duck being part of Dinoland since he's a descendant of therapod dinosaurs.

Not to mention all the other M&Gs that never truly 'fit' their lands.

It is unknown how much of Encanto is incorporated into Tropical Americas. It seems most certain that the Indy attraction and the Encanto ride are being kept as separate geographically-bounded IPs that don't cross over. You can get to both by going to the town of Esperanza. How much of Esperanza will be wrapped up in the Indy IP or the Encanto IP? I don't know.

Does Esperanza celebrate the Madrigals' magic? Does Esperanza tie into Aztec mythology? (Other than by the merch in the gift shop.)

And so, is the carousel really part of the Encanto world? I don't know. It seems it's certain that it's part of the Esperanza world. And so, it is perhaps that it is in Esperanza that we have a 'real world' modern town that knows of Disney IP. That town also has mystic portals to the world of Encanto and the world of Indy.

Nobody looks a Fantasyland and inquires how the old timey princesses can live in a world with IaSW or a 20th century circus. Sometimes a "land" loosely groups IPs together. And each IP has its own place and time that differs from the other attractions in the same "land."

Not to mention how vast and different time periods are depicted in Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and many other lands. TSL, Star Wars, and far more lands have small breaks in continuity that are usually spread out from each other but as a whole land definitely wouldn’t “fit”

 

[DisneyDodo]

I still think it might be what ends up actually Beyond Big Thunder but man would that make Frontierland imo the strongest land in MK. Would have Tiana's, BTM, CBMJ, Rally Race, another flat ride, AND a Coco ride. I would dream of these times.

FWIW the proposed Coco (+ Encanto) addition to MK would not have been part of Frontierland. They also would not have been located exactly where Piston Peak is going, as the original BBT plan was for part of RoA to stay.

Much of that concept has been migrated over to Pueblo Esperanza (including a reworked version of the Encanto ride), but without the Coco E-ticket flying theater ride or any explicit references to Coco.

My personal hope would be that they build that ride where the Odyssey is and add a bridge from the Mexico pavilion (which would server as the ride entrance/exit), giving us a new Coco attraction without sacrificing GFT. Though I’m sure someone here can explain why that would be completely infeasible.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

FWIW the proposed Coco (+ Encanto) addition to MK would not have been part of Frontierland. They also would not have been located exactly where Piston Peak is going, as the original BBT plan was for part of RoA to stay.

Much of that concept has been migrated over to Pueblo Esperanza (including a reworked version of the Encanto ride), but without the Coco E-ticket flying theater ride or any explicit references to Coco.

My personal hope would be that they build that ride where the Odyssey is and add a bridge from the Mexico pavilion (which would server as the ride entrance/exit), giving us a new Coco attraction without sacrificing GFT. Though I’m sure someone here can explain why that would be completely infeasible.

Oh I know that, I think though if you just had Coco, you can fit it into a Frontierland aesthetic especially by a ride themed already towards Arizona + one based on California (iirc) out behind BTM. I would actually say it shouldn't be a flying theater ride anymore. As while that would be cool, I think a trolley car dark ride system more similar Kong Frontation could be something very special. They can even do a multi layered attraciton building where the bottom can be something of villians and on top it would be the Coco Ride.

 

[Disney Analyst]

There was also Donald Duck being part of Dinoland since he's a descendant of therapod dinosaurs.

Not to mention all the other M&Gs that never truly 'fit' their lands.

It is unknown how much of Encanto is incorporated into Tropical Americas. It seems most certain that the Indy attraction and the Encanto ride are being kept as separate geographically-bounded IPs that don't cross over. You can get to both by going to the town of Esperanza. How much of Esperanza will be wrapped up in the Indy IP or the Encanto IP? I don't know.

Does Esperanza celebrate the Madrigals' magic? Does Esperanza tie into Aztec mythology? (Other than by the merch in the gift shop.)

And so, is the carousel really part of the Encanto world? I don't know. It seems it's certain that it's part of the Esperanza world. And so, it is perhaps that it is in Esperanza that we have a 'real world' modern town that knows of Disney IP. That town also has mystic portals to the world of Encanto and the world of Indy.

Nobody looks a Fantasyland and inquires how the old timey princesses can live in a world with IaSW or a 20th century circus. Sometimes a "land" loosely groups IPs together. And each IP has its own place and time that differs from the other attractions in the same "land."

Sometimes we just need to get back to basics and not get hung up on the most finite of details.

Theming and details matter, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes we get too hung up on a narrative story vs a geographic or placemaking story.


Tropical America is the theme and story, they are placing IP into that land that fits that geographic theme. Just like they fit things into Fantasyland, or Tomorrowland.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I see this as a complete non issue considering what also already exists in this park. Lion King is canonically real based on the Lion King festival but there is also a bunch of lion king merchandise and references to it being a movie just a little ways away in Rafikis Planet Watch etc. You are in India for part of Asia (Kali is based on a real river off the coast of Asia iirc) while in Nepal for Everest to feasibly work. There are still hidden mickeys + depictions of Mickey but Mickey is depicted as a real safari outpost explorer inside Tusker House + Discovery Island.

The comparisons kinda go on forever and its best to not really think that much into it. The only land that has ever tried to claim to be 100% "consistent" is Galaxys Edge and even that has moved away.

I guess the weirdest thing about the carousal to me is that, well, its backstory indicates that Disney animated characters and movies are fictional in the context of Tropical Americas, yes? So it's just kinda weird to me that right by, one of those animated features that inspired the villager to make that carousal...also exists in the real world, as Casa Madrigal and the whole Madrigal family also somehow exist in Pueblo Esperanza.

A weird question I know, but has Disney offered any sort of explanation for how the Encanto ride even factors into the "overarching mythology" of the land? Like they already tried handwaving the carousal having random animated Disney characters with the "a Pueblo villager based it on his favorite Disney stories!" thing and even Indiana Jones I'll let slide because he at least ain't a cartoon and his whole thing is being a worldwide adventurer, so I suppose just saying that he heard about the legends of this mythical creature hanging out in the temples on the outskirts of Pueblo and obviously came to visit isn't a big stretch, but like...I know Casa Madrigal to supposed to be magical, did it teleport through time and space to get into the real world? lol

 

[threvester]

So far we have yet to see current Disney leadership pivot away from their onslaught of IP that has been going on for the last 10-15 years. At WDW, arguably almost 20, as Expedition Everest was the last non-IP attraction at WDW.

it was the last non-ip ride..not attraction
Awesome planet was more recent

 

[doctornick]

I think the big miss with Constellation Carousel is that it doesn't feel like a carousel, and more like you're just awkwardly moving around a big open space. The direction changing and dancing is a unique idea, but also kills any sort of exhilaration that might be had. Also, it needed to have a centerpiece on the ground that you travel around instead of nothing.

Constellation Carousel is one of those things that’s way better to look at than to actually ride. It’s a beautiful centerpiece to the park.

 

[danlb_2000]

They should bring back the Discovery River Boats if they want a low ticket ride. Would be perfect, just need to bring some scenery around the river back.

Add a couple more docks and make it transportation.

 

[HMF]

it was the last non-ip ride..not attraction
Awesome planet was more recent

There have been a few non-IP attractions that have somehow slipped through the cracks such as that and the Adventureland Treehouse at DL but those aren't exactly large-scale projects. I am legitimately amazed that Awesome Planet made it through considering it was replacing something with IP and basic science is considered political now. Though I will add the caveat that Circle of Life was actually an effective way to use IP at EPCOT rather than the IP invasion model they have been using since Nemo.