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

[Purduevian]

What percentage of the park still has actual animals?? After passing Discovery Island you see more in the back than you do up front.

like 80%?
About real animals: Oasis, Discovery Island Trails, Kilimanjaro Safari, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Gorilla Falls, Bird Show Maharaja Jungle Trek, random enclosures like the Cotton Top Tamarians.

About Fictional animals: Expedition Everest, Festival of the Lion King, Nemo

About human's relation to fake animals: Flight of Passage, maybe Encanto and Indy

Not really about animals: Zootpia (I don't consider those characters animals), Kali, the carousel, Navi River Journey

 

[TheMaxRebo]

like 80%?
About real animals: Oasis, Discovery Island Trails, Kilimanjaro Safari, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Gorilla Falls, Bird Show Maharaja Jungle Trek, random enclosures like the Cotton Top Tamarians.

About Fictional animals: Expedition Everest, Festival of the Lion King, Nemo

About human's relation to fake animals: Flight of Passage, maybe Encanto and Indy

Not really about animals: Zootpia (I don't consider those characters animals), Kali, the carousel, Navi River Journey

Kali is about deforestation which has an impact on the environment, including animals - so at least some connection and to the general theme of conservation

 

[Purduevian]

Kali is about deforestation which has an impact on the environment, including animals - so at least some connection and to the general theme of conservation

Not saying Kali doesn't fit the conservation theme... but IMHO it's a stretch to say its "about animals". Too me that's kind of like saying POTC is about the flammability of of old Spanish Forts...

 

[davis_unoxx]

I'm just hoping we get new nighttime show as well so Animal Kingdom open late again!

 

[andre85]

I'm just hoping we get new nighttime show as well so Animal Kingdom open late again!

It's wild they built an entire stadium seating for it, which has barely been used

 

[joanna71985]

Nemo already has a sign at Epcot. Besides I think the Nemo musical might be on the way out.

I don't see the show closing

Maybe, If you are under a certain age and are only familiar with the mediocrity pit that is todays Walt Disney Company.

I've been going to WDW for decades, and I have no problems with any of the upcoming changes (only one I'm a little sad about is MuppetVision closing)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Not saying Kali doesn't fit the conservation theme... but IMHO it's a stretch to say its "about animals". Too me that's kind of like saying POTC is about the flammability of of old Spanish Forts...

Maybe I am stretching it a bit too much and like animals = nature, just Kali feels like it fits the park at least as much as Encanto will (but maybe different discussion than what your focus is on animals specifically)

 

[UNCgolf]

Ride wasn't great but it was unique. Now it feels like WDW is getting a clone from Disneyland. Why go to the other parks if they same things are in all of them.

I doubt that's really a major concern for Disney -- people that visit multiple Disney resorts are a small minority of guests.

 

[gerarar]

More photos I just took of The Boneyard demolition from this afternoon (9/23).
All of the old rockwork for the play area was removed, revealing the foundations below:

Refer back to this report from 4 days ago (9/19) to see the aforementioned rockwork:

Photo I just took of The Boneyard demolition from this afternoon (9/19):
View attachment 883875

 

[Brer Panther]

I have very little faith that the new Indiana Jones ride will be better than Dinosaur. I'd be surprised if it's as good as Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride supposedly is.

My concern is that it will be a screen fest.

It likely will. I'm expecting at least one Mirabel A1000 animatronic, if nothing else.

Also, do we know if Lin Manuel is doing any songs for the attraction as well?

I imagine they'll just reuse the songs from the film.

the art style of the Paul Rudish Mickey Mouse cartoons doesn't translate well into 3D

If the animatronics of Mickey and Minnie featured in the ride are any indication, it doesn't.

and kind of has to use screens to make it look good.

And even then, it doesn't.

 

[co10064]

Encanto needs to be a step above TBA, FEA, and Mermaid to move the needle at DAK. It doesn’t need to be thrilling, but it needs to be hyper-immersive and more importantly, fun.

As the land currently stands, I think Tropical Americas will be a thematic improvement over Dinoland, but I don’t see it drawing anywhere near Pandora level crowds… if anything, it will stop the bleeding at DAK. But I don’t think DAK attendance will ever rebound to its peak (13.8 mil in 2019), nor do I see it overtaking EPCOT ever again. It would really need at least 2 more rides beyond Tropical Americas in order to do that.

 

[James Alucobond]

It would really need at least 2 more rides beyond Tropical Americas in order to do that.

... Which wouldn't be difficult. Add a third Pandora ride and something Lion King to Africa.

 

[TheTwilightZone]

- Tropical Americas (3 planned attractions)
- New show to replace Nemo
- 3rd Pandora ride
- Lion King ride in Africa
- Night time show
- Themed lounge

If they were able to deliver on these additions, I think the park would be set for years to come!

I'd be greedy and say throw 1 new coaster into the mix, maybe Pandora or something else, this would help round out the balance of attractions throughout the park

 

[Brer Panther]

- Tropical Americas (3 planned attractions)
- New show to replace Nemo
- 3rd Pandora ride
- Lion King ride in Africa
- Night time show
- Themed lounge

If there's any room in Asia, I'd suggest adding a Jungle Book dark ride to the list.

 

[HMF]

If there's a park that I have some faith Disney won't screw up, it's Animal Kingdom.

The only problem is Joe Rohde is no longer there to prevent them from screwing it up. Just like Tony wasn't there to prevent Imagination and Splash from being screwed up.

 

[HMF]

It likely will. I'm expecting at least one Mirabel A1000 animatronic, if nothing else.

That seems to be their mode of operating these days. Have one genuinely impressive Animatronic and surround it with screens.

 

[NelsonRD]

Sorry if this has been discussed and I missed it over the 500 pages of this thread.
Is the Encanto attraction a Mystic Manor style clone? I remember reading something along those lines once with objects coming to life…. I hope that is the plan.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I have very little faith that the new Indiana Jones ride will be better than Dinosaur. I'd be surprised if it's as good as Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride supposedly is.

One thing worth considering is that IJA is one of the headliners at DLR, whereas I don't think Dinosaur is considered a headliner at WDW. I would be interested to know how it ranks among DAK's relatively few attractions in terms of guest ratings.

To me, anyway, it appears to be one of those attractions that on paper had a lot of potential but in practice was never quite the draw it was supposed to be. For that reason, I don't think it is a huge loss or that there is quite as big a risk they can't come up with a new version that is at least as good as what it replaced.

 

[James Alucobond]

Is the Encanto attraction a Mystic Manor style clone? I remember reading something along those lines once with objects coming to life…. I hope that is the plan.

No. The vehicles are connected sets of a few cars akin to those in Imagination, and they're styled as furniture Casita has animated for you. Neither the ride system nor the narrative (which focuses on the day Antonio gets his gift) seem related to Mystic Manor.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Oh, another A1000 waving her arms? They can definitely do that.