Beastly Kingdom

[steve2wdw]

It was supposed to open with the park (at least a portion of it). I have a Disney magazine article that talked about what we would see when the park opened in 1998. Proposals are never shown in Disney Magazine.

I think they originally did plan on including it in the opening day lineup, but costs associated with the "live" animals backstage enclosures far exceeded their original estimates, so something had to be dropped, and as we know, BK, as well as the Excavator, were the first victims. So were the elaborate plans for the Discovery River boat ride. Also, Kali River Rapids was originally planned as Tiger Rapids Run, and was planned as a very long raft ride including live animals (much like the safari-only on water.) Of course we know those plans changed too.

 

[Tim G]

I think they originally did plan on including it in the opening day lineup, but costs associated with the "live" animals backstage enclosures far exceeded their original estimates, so something had to be dropped, and as we know, BK, as well as the Excavator, were the first victims. So were the elaborate plans for the Discovery River boat ride. Also, Kali River Rapids was originally planned as Tiger Rapids Run, and was planned as a very long raft ride including live animals (much like the safari-only on water.) Of course we know those plans changed too.

Yep!... But just a day before, most of the dragons died...

 

[marni1971]

Yep!... But just a day before, most of the dragons died...

LMAO!

BK concept art was published in Since the World Began in 1996. The same batch of art had the `wooden` rollercoaster at AK too. Neither happened.

 

[Ghostbuster626]

What if the second Narnia movie proves sucessful? Surely SOMEONE at WDI is thinking about tieing Beastly Kingdom into Narnia as a way to revive the project!

 

[trendicoff]

Sure they could put something in from Narnia, but there are enough hours put into BK already that they have plenty of material to work with first. Next time anyone is down in Orlando, ask the Disney operator for the number to the Library and Research center. There they've got all the official documents about BK and the original DAK logo (it was a mickey ears with the 3 circles being the 3 types of animals at DAK -- historic, present, and mythical. Kind of cheesy so I'm glad they changed it.)

 

[Ghostbuster626]

Sure they could put something in from Narnia, but there are enough hours put into BK already that they have plenty of material to work with first. Next time anyone is down in Orlando, ask the Disney operator for the number to the Library and Research center. There they've got all the official documents about BK and the original DAK logo (it was a mickey ears with the 3 circles being the 3 types of animals at DAK -- historic, present, and mythical. Kind of cheesy so I'm glad they changed it.)

Dont you have to be an Imagineer or upper disney mangement to access the Library and Research center?

 

[Ralphlaw]

Of course

Thank you for clarifying. Now I understand.

But I don't quite agree. I don't think AK's success pends on movie tie-ins. They're nice, but the park is still good without them. I'm not saying that characters should NOT be integrated into AK, just that I think they're unnecessary.

I think the main reason why Narnia and BK aren't meshing in my head is because BK was imagineered WAY before Narnia. The original plans didn't incorporate the Chronicles, and since they're the only plans we have to go by, the link just isn't being made.

Either way, I'm with Corrus.

No, characters are probably not essential to Beastly Kingdom's success, but they would probably help an area succeed, especially an area that is not dependent on the zoo-like novelty of seeing unique live animals. (The mythical beasts will assuredly be animatronic.) I agree that Disney could make an uncharactered, untied-in Beastly Kingdom successful. They did similar things with Future World, Space Mountain, Big Thunder, etc . . .

However, theming and characters would likely assure success, or make it even more successful. One of the early complaints about EPCOT was that Mickey and the gang were nowhere to be seen. Now they are, although it is far less obvious than in Magic Kingdom.

I do not believe it was mere coincidence that Animal Kingdom was built AFTER The Lion King was so successful. It also became a natural place to feature The Jungle Book and Pocahantus (sp). Similarly, Narnia and/or Harry Potter may be the preceding requirement for the building of Beastly Kingdom.

Feel free to disagree; I am sure many people will. I am also sure that the Disney Board of Directors would feel more comfortable devoting a few hundred-million dollars to the project, including the modification of earlier designs, if movie and character tie-ins were incorporated into Beastly Kingdom. The characters and movies are a HUGE asset, so they might as well use them if it works thematically and economically.

 

[Tim G]

LMAO!

BK concept art was published in Since the World Began in 1996. The same batch of art had the `wooden` rollercoaster at AK too. Neither happened.

The story of my life... Blue skyed Concepts... Maybe about 1 in 50 projects actually gets built.

 

[Tim G]

What if the second Narnia movie proves sucessful? Surely SOMEONE at WDI is thinking about tieing Beastly Kingdom into Narnia as a way to revive the project!

No they won't...

 

[Pongo]

Why can't people just accept that BK isn't going to be built? The Western River Expansion at Magic Kingdom was never and will never be built, and people seem to accept that. Project Gemini is never going to happen, and people seem to accept that.

Why does Beastly Kingdom never seem to DIE?!

Yeah, it was a good concept and I, too, would love to see it, But I know it's not gonna happen. Socialism was a good concept too, in theory. But look how that turned out.

 

[peter11435]

Dont you have to be an Imagineer or upper disney mangement to access the Library and Research center?

Usually.

 

[Rosso11]

Why can't people just accept that BK isn't going to be built? The Western River Expansion at Magic Kingdom was never and will never be built, and people seem to accept that. Project Gemini is never going to happen, and people seem to accept that.

Why does Beastly Kingdom never seem to DIE?!

It wont die for a few reasons.

#1 Because it was so widely reported that it was going to be built with many pieces of concept art officially released.

#2 Because there is still a lot of evidence of it all around AK and Disney in no rush to get rid of it.

#3 Because it was one of the greatest concepts to ever go officially public.

I really don't think BK will ever die until Disney makes an official announcement which I don't see them doing.

 

[Tim G]

It wont die for a few reasons.

Because YOU don't want it to die???

#1 Because it was so widely reported that it was going to be built with many pieces of concept art officially released.

So?? That doesn't PROOF anything...BTW. It was never released, not by the WDC.
(People talk too much)

#2 Because there is still a lot of evidence of it all around AK and Disney in no rush to get rid of it.
(People think too much)

C'mon... There's no REAL evidence... It's what people make of it...
(Again... People think too much)

#3 Because it was one of the greatest concepts to ever go officially public.

True... But "Blue Skyed" almost immediately, and it was never made public by WDC. It was the news media, Internet rumor sites...
(And again... People talk, think AND doubt too much)

I really don't think BK will ever die until Disney makes an official announcement which I don't see them doing.

(See??? You're thinking too much as well)

Disney doesn't need to do that...(Has no obligation) The whole project was buried a long, long time ago...
And putting the dragon in the entrance sign of DAK was a actually a joke (it really was)... and that's the truth...
There will always be die hard people (read: stubborn people) who'll say 'BK WILL come', same as some still believe that Walt is frozen, Elvis Presley is still alive and Jim Morrison is living somewhere in the remote mountains.
(maybe the Yeti?)

People always want things their way, and after a while, they want it so bad, that they're going to believe their own thoughts...

Forget it... It'll never happen, get over it, they're not going to do it, because you want it to happen... that's life... and that's a fact...

Welcome to the Theme park business.... errr... Welcome to the Walt Disney Company... Welcome to life...

 

[Lee]

True... But "Blue Skyed" almost immediately, and it was never made public by WDC. It was the news media, Internet rumor sites...

Except for books like "Since the World Began" and "The Making of Animal Kingdom". It was shown and discussed in both books.:wave:

 

[Rosso11]

BTW. It was never released, not by the WDC.


C'mon... There's no REAL evidence... It's what people make of it...
True... But "Blue Skyed" almost immediately, and it was never made public by WDC. It was the news media, Internet rumor sites...
(And again... People talk, think AND doubt too much)
(See??? You're thinking too much as well)

What??? It was released in official Disney Books. How can you possibly say it wasn't released by the WDC? Look I know its never going to be built but I gave reasons why it always keeps popping up on these boards and will continue to.

 

[Tim G]

What??? It was released in official Disney Books. How can you possibly say it wasn't released by the WDC?

Alot of "Disney books" are not released by the WDC... but released for the WDC

Look I know its never going to be built but I gave reasons why it always keeps popping up on these boards and will continue to.

I know, but I had to give some reaction, and really... it didn't mean to be personal... (but it seems I was...)

If I gave you or anyone else that idea, I sincerely apologize...

 

[peter11435]

Alot of "Disney books" are not released by the WDC... but released for the WDC

While that is very true. "The Making of Disney's Animal Kingdom" was released by the WDC. It was published by a Disney owned publishing company.

 

[Ghostbuster626]

Corrus what are you talking about??! I have a Disney Magazine from 1997 that TOTALLY says one of the three lands of AK would feature fantasy animals (they didnt actually call it beastly kingdom but that was obviously what they were talking about) and it described some of the attractions guests would see including the dragon ride and then I remember them mentioning something about an Amplitheater type thing with hefalops and other fantasy charecters..not sure what the hell that was about. But my point is the WDC made it clear beastly kingdom was coming..it was in making of books, disney magazine, etc. etc. and even for the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" when they first put up those Circular signs that said "NEW MAGIC for the 50th." or whatever..a dragon was clearly shown SMACK at the center of the sign (I belive next to a shadow of Lucky the dinosaur) with Everest in the background.

Now im not trying to imply beastly kingdom is coming soon or anything im just saying the WDC makes it pretty clear that it exists and I think its foolish to say "beastly kingdom is never going to happen". I mean I know when Eisner/Pressler/Weiss/Sklar were running the show only 1 in 50 blue sky ideas got greenlit because it was all about keeping costs down, lowering expectations, and trying to raise short term profits. But now a new era has begun under Jobs/Iger/Lasseter with marty sklar on the way out and Al Weiss moving to a different position. So the possibility exists that a VERSION of Beastly Kingdom, no matter how different from the original concept, will eventually get built at DAK.

 

[Tim G]

Guys?? I've lost it with the books and magazines, I was always taught that nothing came out...

BTW... DM, is (errr... was) not all Disney... It was copyrighted by the WDC, but even the subscriptions weren't theirs, altough they made it look that way... Same as now, with Family Fun...
The news articles were made by non Disney people who interviewed people within the WDC...
But they were not on their Payroll...

And for the rest... I was way to quick with my answer... it seems...

 

[ballewclan]

For some reason i get the feeling that Expedition Everest is their version of Beastly Kingdom, cause the Yeti is a mythological creature. Or maybe its just the start of a new section of the park.

Yeah i know im wrong.