Animal Kingdom

[mikedvcmember]

When you start to walk over the first bridge and first start to see the tree of life have you ever gone to the right hand side of the bridge and looked off? there is some type of dock there is this for some type of river ride that might be in the makings?

 

[WDWspider]

Old Short lived River Ride. It was there for a few months. It is currently used for Character Meet and Greet with Winnie the Pooh and friends. There is another Dock close to the Bird Show, this currently has a few tables and chairs, but nothing else. maybe when they build a few more lands and extend the walkways on around the water area we may see the boats return, but I don't know... seems like someone got injured also.

 

[mikedvcmember]

hmmm

do you know what type of ride and maybe what it did?

 

[WDWspider]

I think there were two incarnations... the first was mainly a boat ride from one side to the other, you passed a Dragon Cave were Fire jutted out ever once in a while, some Water Geysers, and an Animatronic Dinosaur before approaching Dinoland.

The Second incarnation included a piped in Radio Broadcast from the bugs at "Tree of Life" and there were some actual insect and such shown during the ride. i never went so I could be mixing this up a little, and again, it didn't last long at all.

The original concept of the ride would have had many more things to view during the trip, pumping up the coming "beastly kingdom" land and having more creatures during the actual boat trip like a Liviathon, and I think unicorns drinking water. I'm sure someone who knows more can fill you in and correct me in what I'm screwing up. :lol:

 

[Imagineer Jer]

Originally posted by mikedvcmember
When you start to walk over the first bridge and first start to see the tree of life have you ever gone to the right hand side of the bridge and looked off? there is some type of dock there is this for some type of river ride that might be in the makings?

Hey!
Yeah I noticed that too! Then actually I went on it and didn't even realize it. It was and maybe still is a boat attraction. That is all I know.

 

[TURKEY]

Re: Re: Animal Kingdom

Originally posted by Imagineer Jer
Hey!
Yeah I noticed that too! Then actually I went on it and didn't even realize it. It was and maybe still is a boat attraction. That is all I know.

Hi everyone! :wave:

It is no longer in operation. There is no boat attraction at this time and probally won't return unless additions are made to AK where the ride could be more meaningfull.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

They turned one of the docks in to a Pooh meet and greet.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The problem with this ride is that it was designed to transport guests around, and ONLY transport guests. It was not to be any sort of e-ride, but people thought it was, and formed lines in excess of an hour long--it of course ed them off when they found out they had waiting that long for very little. Disney got many complaints, redid the ride, still got the complaints, and closed it.

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
The problem with this ride is that it was designed to transport guests around, and ONLY transport guests. It was not to be any sort of e-ride, but people thought it was, and formed lines in excess of an hour long--it of course ed them off when they found out they had waiting that long for very little. Disney got many complaints, redid the ride, still got the complaints, and closed it.

It's too bad the concept failed... it would have been a nice relaxing way to get to a different part of the theme park...

 

[WDWspider]

Originally posted by Fantasia Boi
It's too bad the concept failed... it would have been a nice relaxing way to get to a different part of the theme park...

That was the other problem... It really didn't take you anywhere. You went all the way around the Island and got off just a hop skip and a jump from where you got on. That's why it could work if more lands are added.

 

[Invero]

What's the purpose of transportation, if it doesn't take you anywhere? Oh well.

 

[wed050499]

hello all,

During my time at wdw this past year, I spent some of it investigating the fate of the Discovery River Boat Ride of which we are discussing here. Most of what I had found has been said already. (i.e. long waits for nothing, took you basically nowhere, etc.) RUMOR has it (emphasizing RUMOR strenously as I really don't have any facts to prove it at this time) this attraction my still be resurrected once another land is place in AK. (whether it's beastly kingdom or australia or whatever is yet to be determined from my understanding) Again, this is only a rumor, but they still do have the boats from it hiding away in the backstage warehouses of AK (which i did see on one of my shadowing ventures). Hope this helps.

thanks,
Brian

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

As someone who actually rode it in its first incarnation, I found it quire enjoyable, a bit like a poor mans Jungle Cruise. I was gutted that it had gone when it wasnt there on our next trip.

Having said that it is tyhe latest genre of Disney ride, its called The closed attraction. now featuring heavily in all their parks.

 

[GaryT977]

If you pick up the '100 Years of Magic' DVD, the Animal Kingdom segment shows the boats in use. It's too bad it didn't work out. I really like boat rides, and I would've liked a boat's eye view of AK.

 

[Goofster]

Maybe they'll build a waterway from the Animal Kingdom Lodge and be able to use one of the docks. I'm sure it's been rumored.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by Goofster
Maybe they'll build a waterway from the Animal Kingdom Lodge and be able to use one of the docks. I'm sure it's been rumored.

Hi everyone! :wave:

I don't think that would really work but it might. It seems that the path to get to AK wouldn't be very easily dug out and built, but it might. What do you think?

 

[wed050499]

Originally posted by turkey leg boy
Hi everyone! :wave:

I don't think that would really work but it might. It seems that the path to get to AK wouldn't be very easily dug out and built, but it might. What do you think?

Hey all,

that may work, but you'd have to see how the backstage area that you'd be cutting through would be affected and more importantly how it could be concealed, not that's it's done so great now there. It would be interesting to look into that more.

thanks,
Brian

 

[WDWspider]

It certainly would be great if this were possible. That would greatly increase the Transportaion issue of AKL as a Deluxe Resort, and you already have the docks and boats. Just don't think it's possible to connect to the resort though.

 

[SirNim]

Hey all - I posted this before, i'll post it again!

Gray blocks are roads the water would have to go over or under,

two red circles indicate backstage water plant area

yellow circle indicates DAK entrance

black blocks indicate docks/stations for guests

white circle is AKL

yellow block outline indicates savannah area in AKL the canal would have to make its way through...

 

[wed050499]

hey thanks for the photo,

it seems to me from that that building a canal between DAK and AKL would severely cut into the AKL savanna and possibly lose the affect for the guests staying at the resort.

just a thought,
Brian