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

[ToTBellHop]

I wonder if they would bother changing the track and if they don't then there should be no need for a height requirement change. My DD5 did dino this summer and last summer and was never super scared of it, but just a little overstimulated enough not to want to repeat it. The bug show never did in my kids at age 1 or 2, but my SD flipped at age 7. Knowing when to avoid the sting or shut their eyes helps though.

It’s not the track. It’s the amount of motion in the vehicle. I presume the level of violence is required by the movement they are simulating. Driving over steps and the like. Dinosaur opened with a higher height requirement as Countdown to Extinction but was later toned down with the height requirement reduced. I guess that’s an option here.

 

[Brer Panther]

I wonder how many of the celebrity voices from the movie will reprise their roles for the attraction. They got everybody back for Zootopia Plus, didn't they?

 

[FettFan]

1. For the life of me, I will never understand how Zootopia ever became so overhyped.

2. If they are really going to kill off Bugs Life, I think I would have preferred converting the theater into the original restaurant that was planned for the Tree of Life.

 

[James Alucobond]

1. For the life of me, I will never understand how Zootopia ever became so overhyped.

It’s incredibly popular elsewhere in the world. They must either be targeting international guests or convinced they can force it to be popular here as well.

2. If they are really going to kill off Bugs Life, I think I would have preferred converting the theater into the original restaurant that was planned for the Tree of Life.

This park does not need fewer attractions.

 

[FettFan]

This park does not need fewer attractions.

No. They need *quality* attractions. Most of animal kingdom is lacking in that respect.

It’s incredibly popular elsewhere in the world. They must either be targeting international guests or convinced they can force it to be popular here as well.

That will ultimately fail if they won't do any better than one hidden/hard to find 3D movie with a labyrinthine queue replacing another hidden/hard to find 3D movie with a labyrinthine queue.

 

[James Alucobond]

No. They need *quality* attractions. Most of animal kingdom is lacking in that respect.

Animal Kingdom is almost nothing but premier attractions. The aim of the D23 proposal seems to be a refresh of everything that's not already pulling more than its fair share of the attendance weight aside from Kali. Quality should obviously always be a goal, but Animal Kingdom should not cut any existing attraction space and could probably stand to introduce a few more mid-tier attractions and shows to help mitigate wait times and round out a full day at the park.

 

[cjkeating]

The aim of the D23 proposal seems to be a refresh of everything that's not already pulling more than its fair share of the attendance weight aside from Kali.

Whilst I know Kali isn't popular on here and likely scores on the lower end of guest satisfaction however during my recent hot August visits it was comfortably pulling 35-40 minute waits which was on the higher end of the scale for the park (excluding Pandora) with the ride operating efficiently - all boats full and being dispatched before requiring the turntable to be stopped etc.

 

[flyerjab]

Whilst I know Kali isn't popular on here and likely scores on the lower end of guest satisfaction however during my recent hot August visits it was comfortably pulling 35-40 minute waits which was on the higher end of the scale for the park (excluding Pandora) with the ride operating efficiently - all boats full and being dispatched before requiring the turntable to be stopped etc.

It’s a shame that this ride wasn’t fully realized as initially designed - ‘Tiger River Rapids’ I believe? We were there last month and everything was functioning as intended. I just try to imagine it 3 times as long going through an Asian jungle with tigers along the river banks. It would have been incredible. You can tell they had big plans initially as the queue is almost as impressive as the ride itself ended up after massive budget cuts.

 

[erasure fan1]

but Animal Kingdom should not cut any existing attraction space and could probably stand to introduce a few more mid-tier attractions and shows to help mitigate wait times and round out a full day at the park.

100%. Animal kingdom suffers terribly from a lack of rides. And before anyone @s me, I know, the park is more than rides, there's walkthroughs, shows... It's still a theme park, in the busiest resort in the world. It needs more rides, especially some mid tier family friendly dark rides.

Whilst I know Kali isn't popular on here and likely scores on the lower end of guest satisfaction however during my recent hot August visits it was comfortably pulling 35-40 minute waits which was on the higher end of the scale for the park

I would say that's more a product of the situation versus the quality/popularity of the ride. Hot day in central Florida, in what is always the hottest feeling park, with limited attractions. Of course it's going to have a wait. It will be the same when splash reopens. It could make current imagination look like it was the greatest ride ever created. But it won't matter, it's going to have lines.

 

[FettFan]

Animal Kingdom is almost nothing but premier attractions. The aim of the D23 proposal seems to be a refresh of everything that's not already pulling more than its fair share of the attendance weight aside from Kali. Quality should obviously always be a goal, but Animal Kingdom should not cut any existing attraction space and could probably stand to introduce a few more mid-tier attractions and shows to help mitigate wait times and round out a full day at the park.

I’ll agree to this.

Though I will add that they should be expanding on current attractions.
Kali River Rapids is too short…it is essentially the final scene of the planned Tiger River Rapids which was to move past a few animal exhibits, notably the Tiger enclosures, which after budget cuts were moved to the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Navi River Journey is a lame waste of time and space. It’s barely even half of the length of Gran Fiesta (4m 30 seconds compared to GFT’s 8 minutes), and barely has anything to look at. If not for the Shaman animatronic, it could be called “plastic plants: the ride”.

Knock out a few walls, double the flume, and for the love of God, add some life size animatronics of more of the Pandora creatures.

We don’t need a giant panther attack, but maybe a herd of the Avatar horses? Or the hammerhead rhino?

 

[Twirlnhurl]

[Zootopia is] incredibly popular elsewhere in the world. They must either be targeting international guests or convinced they can force it to be popular here as well.

Zootopia made $341 million in it's domestic box office run. Additionally, it had a great multiplier of 4.41, meaning that it made the vast majority of its money after opening weekend and that word of mouth was very good. In fact, the only more popular Disney animated film with a better multiplier in the modern era was Frozen at 5.95 (Frozen also came out in the winter, when movies naturally have greater multipliers due to school schedules and the like.)

Zootopia was a very popular film. Among non-sequel Disney or Pixar animated films in the United States and Canada, only Frozen ($400 million), Finding Nemo ($380 million), and Inside Out ($356 million) made more in North America.

Does it sell as much merchandise as other recent hits (that fewer people saw in theaters) such as Coco, Encanto, or Moana? Probably not. But the Tree of Life theater doesn't have any retail at the exit anyway. So the name recognition and very positive reputation should make it a very popular addition.

Let's debate whether it is a good idea or whether it will be artistically meritorious. But let's not pretend this mega-hit is somehow unpopular.

 

[mickEblu]

It’s was a shame to lose ITTBAB at DCA even just from a variety perspective. Webslingers isn’t even the best shooter ride in the park. ITTBAB was an amazing 4D show with a fantastic queue. One of the few themed indoor spaces in all of DCA too.

 

[solidyne]

No. They need *quality* attractions. Most of animal kingdom is lacking in that respect.



That will ultimately fail if they won't do any better than one hidden/hard to find 3D movie with a labyrinthine queue replacing another hidden/hard to find 3D movie with a labyrinthine queue.

But labyrinthine queues are the best kind of queues!

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I wonder how many of the celebrity voices from the movie will reprise their roles for the attraction. They got everybody back for Zootopia Plus, didn't they?

I believe so. I think Ginnifer Goodwin & Jason Bateman's voices were archival. I didn't watch and don't know how large of a part they had.

It's also getting a sequel, so I'd imagine most if not all the actors would come back for the attraction.

 

[EagleScout610]

Given more of the D23 announced projects (Test Track, Indy/Encanto, and Bears) are either about to start or have started, where does that put TTBAB?

 

[mickEblu]

Given more of the D23 announced projects (Test Track, Indy/Encanto, and Bears) are either about to start or have started, where does that put TTBAB?

Cancelled hopefully. If Joe Rohde is back maybe he talked some sense into them.

 

[GhostHost1000]

1. For the life of me, I will never understand how Zootopia ever became so overhyped.

2. If they are really going to kill off Bugs Life, I think I would have preferred converting the theater into the original restaurant that was planned for the Tree of Life.

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)

 

[mickEblu]

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)

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

 

[doctornick]

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

IMHO it’s the best 4D show Disney has. I won’t be heartbreaker to see it go, but I don’t see much reason that they “need” to change it.

 

[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!