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

[doctornick]

I'd be up for a North America land at Animal Kingdom (especially if it gives them an excuse to put dinosaurs back in the park like @Moth suggested). Problem is, Brother Bear and Bambi aren't particularly popular IPs so I doubt Disney would greenlight it.

I've always thought a North American-esque land (or more broadly temperate woodlands so it can nominally include European nature too) called Critter Country or something like that would work well. something where you can use Bambi, Pocahontas, Brother Bear, Chip & Dale (and maybe Humphrey), even 101 Dalmatians, Fox & the Hound, etc. Basically an animal Fantasyland. Couple of smaller dark rides or flats, maybe a show like the old Pocahontas one with live animals, indoor meat and greet, etc.

 

[doctornick]

Black Panther is under the Universal licensing deal under the Avengers family.



Wakanda has been mentioned several times as part of Disneyland IP they are exploring. Especially if the goal is to diversify the resorts, that seems a likely target.

If you want to be technical, I don't think Uni could use Black Panther either since he isn't already in substantive use. But, yes, he would be prohibited from WDW because of his association with the "families" of characters that are being used at Uni

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I feel like Frontierland is turning into North America exploration land so might be somewhat duplicative - obviously not the focus on animals of the area but the environments, etc

While we haven't seen updated concept art for Lakeshore Lodge, assuming it is keeping a lot of what was in z reflections that did include a lot of the North American animals (Bambi, etc) plus things like Pocahontas

Obviously can have things in multiple locations but feels like they are working on adding North America elsewhere currently

 

[phillip9698]

If your kid is afraid of snakes, that's YOUR fault.
I taught my son's that snakes were cool since they were toddlers.
They were catching snakes on their own by about age six.

Disney isn’t going to build a multi million dollar attraction like this and then put a massive phobia barrier in there with the caveat “if you are afraid it’s your or your parents fault”.

The fact is if you made the only way to enter this queue a path that goes by a large number of snakes you will reduce the number of guests willing to enter that queue significantly.

Making people stand next to snakes would cause legit panic on a daily basis. No way their lawyers would sign off on that.

 

[Bocabear]

If only there were enough people with a phobia of anthropomorphic automobiles....

 

[josiah mazelin]

I just rewatched Brother Bear for the first time since seeing in theaters 22 years ago (!), and it would fit really well in a North American section of Animal Kingdom. I guess this is kind of off-topic, but a North American wilderness section would be quite nice.

I agree wholeheartedly.

I genuinely think that Disney, at least the Disney Imagineers who came up with something like Splash Mountain could make anything wildly popular. Disney controls the guests. Guests will go to an attraction because it’s there and return to it because it’s great.

I’ve seen arguments about “why use characters people don’t know” assuming that the Guests would only enjoy an attraction based on something they have an awareness of. I think this is incorrect.

When I worked at Shanghai Disney they had a Star Wars m&g in Tomorrowland. Iger wanted it there to familiarize the Chinese with Star Wars. It ended up closing due to lack of interest. Had they come up with an incredible Star Wars attraction, they could have made headlines timed with the release of the new trilogy and perhaps gotten some butts in seats as well. Alas, Star Wars is dead in China (some would argue everywhere, but that’s another story)

This, this, and this!! Exactly! They could make the best Disney ride in existence even out of whatever their worst movie is (Home on the Range? Black Cauldron?) It’s about the ride itself. But I do believe Emporers New Groove is much more popular with Gen Z than people seem to think. I was born in 1999 and many of my friends cite that as their favorite Disney movie. Plus there are a handful of possible attractions you could easily create out of it.

This argument is why I believe they could have actually saved Dinoland USA with a spectacular ride based around Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, despite it not being very well received.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

If your kid is afraid of snakes, that's YOUR fault.

Not necessarily. My parents went to great lengths to normalize snakes to me because they both like them.

I still am terrified of them.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

A North American area with the Pocahontas show brought back, a Bambi flat, and a Brother Bear ride could work.

They will never do anything based completely around Pocahontas. Ever. She will be kept for meet and greets/character roaming and maybe will be part of things, but a whole thing around her is absolutely never going to happen any time in the foreseeable future. And really, it probably shouldn't.

 

[Jedi14]

Not necessarily. My parents went to great lengths to normalize snakes to me because they both like them.

I still am terrified of them.

A reptile house with real snakes in the queue would probably limit how often I go on the ride.

They will never do anything based completely around Pocahontas. Ever. She will be kept for meet and greets/character roaming and maybe will be part of things, but a whole thing around her is absolutely never going to happen any time in the foreseeable future. And really, it probably shouldn't.

A lot of her more recent appearances in stuff are normally just her and sometimes Meeko.

 

[Moth]

How about an alternative route in the queue that has live snakes?

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

Until there is a Jungle Book attraction/area, AK will be an incomplete park.

 

[Bocabear]

Disney would never put a live snake enclosure in an attraction queue full stop...It would be difficult to maintain among other issues. This would just never happen... Even if they did want to do one, there would be a bypass of some sort... This is not even worth discussing as something to be worried about.

 

[ChewbaccaYourMum]

Disney would never put a live snake enclosure in an attraction queue full stop...It would be difficult to maintain among other issues. This would just never happen... Even if they did want to do one, there would be a bypass of some sort... This is not even worth discussing as something to be worried about.

I can't wait for the tweets and YouTube videos from our "favorite" vloggers in about 24 hours saying:
"CAN YOU BELIEVE DISNEY IS GOING TO PUT THIS IN THEIR NEW RIDE???????"
And then the video being about how they are putting snakes in Indy and how they aren't thinking about the safety of guests or some dumb thing

 

[DCLcruiser]

Disney would never put a live snake enclosure in an attraction queue full stop...It would be difficult to maintain among other issues. This would just never happen... Even if they did want to do one, there would be a bypass of some sort... This is not even worth discussing as something to be worried about.

Most likely some snake-like rock work, carvings, etc, in the queue. References w/o being off-putting.

 

[Moth]

They should have fifteen fifteen-foot King Cobras in the queue free-roaming. Whoever survives gets to ride.

 

[Purduevian]

Disney isn’t going to build a multi million dollar attraction like this and then put a massive phobia barrier in there with the caveat “if you are afraid it’s your or your parents fault”.

The fact is if you made the only way to enter this queue a path that goes by a large number of snakes you will reduce the number of guests willing to enter that queue significantly.

Making people stand next to snakes would cause legit panic on a daily basis. No way their lawyers would sign off on that.

Easy answer... Put snakes in the standby Queue and no snakes in the ILL queue... /s

 

[Bocabear]

Again, Disney would never put a live snake enclosure in an attraction queue full stop...It would be difficult to maintain among other issues. This would just never happen... Even if they did want to do one, there would be a bypass of some sort... This is not even worth discussing as something to be concerned about. It is akin to being concerned that Disney would instally a graphic gore-fest display of serial killers in the queue to Haunted Mansion....and then spend three pages discussing how yu won't go if they do.... Of course they wouldn't...nor will they force people to stand next to a snake enclosure in order to go on a an attraction.....

 

[DisneyHead123]

Not necessarily. My parents went to great lengths to normalize snakes to me because they both like them.

I still am terrified of them.

I think fear of things like snakes, spiders, heights, etc. definitely has deep evolutionary roots for some people. Interestingly I’ve read how we are rather poorly equipped in terms of phobias these days because our fears are centered more around the Paleolithic era, even though texting and driving is statistically much more dangerous for many people in 2025.

 

[EagleScout610]

These last few posts have been a good reminder that, no matter what you're doing...

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I think fear of things like snakes, spiders, heights, etc. definitely has deep evolutionary roots for some people. Interestingly I’ve read how we are rather poorly equipped in terms of phobias these days because our fears are centered more around the Paleolithic era, even though texting and driving is statistically much more dangerous for many people in 2025.

That is interesting!

I don’t really know where the fear comes from, no one in my family is really notably afraid of them.

I’m very much pro keeping them around and I recognize their importance on our ecosystem and I want them to be safe and plentiful. If I encounter one in the wild, I definitely do not want to kill it even in self-defense. I am very happy to let them vibe just as long as they are over there and I am over here LOL