We’re experiencing some forum drift, but I have to add my two cents...
What was Zootopia saying? Think bigger than Judy and Nick. Remember the iconic song “try everything?” This was a movie about overcoming obstacles and stereotypes and being the person you want to be.
Judy just couldn’t be a real police officer because she was a little rabbit. Even if she went through the academy, it was only because she was their “token bunny.” Nick is a fox. We all know that foxes are untrustworthy criminals. Never mind that by labeling him cruelly they turned him into the very thing they despised. Carnivores are dangerous and one second away from becoming a monster.
Each one of those preconceptions is eliminated one by one throughout the film. A herbivore can be bad, and a carnivore good. Small people can make a big impact. The “untrustworthy” can become a hero.
“Try everything” the film preaches! Why? Because if you try, you may just change the world. “In Zootopia, you can be anything.” When that slogan turns out false, the protagonist makes it true.
That is what Zootopia is about. While I personally found the delivery of those themes a little unsophisticated (see the same year’s Moana for similar themes given in a more impactful way) they’re very good messages to send to kids and adults alike.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is just not the place to share them.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is laser focused on three themes. The intrinsic (or inherent) value of nature, the ability for adventure to change families and individuals, and a call to action (or creating a desire to do something to save the Earth).
The Yeti on Expedition Everest is a metaphor for nature. It is wild and untamable, strong and majestic, and leaves you stunned. After confronting the Yeti, do you doubt the power or value of nature? Are you changed by the experience? Do you feel a desire to do something to save other creature habitats?
Go through every attraction in the park (expect things like Donald’s Dino Bash), and you’ll find those themes are shared over and over.
Asking a park like Disney’s Animal Kingdom to suddenly 180 and focus on themes like the ones in Zootopia, is like asking a cardiac surgeon to also specialize in neurosurgery. It would be loco!
Let Disney’s Animal Kingdom focus one what it’s good at- teaching us about man’s relationship with nature and calling us to action. Leave the very good messages that Zootopia shares to other parks.
I know my passion for Disney’s Animal Kingdom has actually helped change me through the experiences I’ve had there. Its made me appreciate animals and nature more. I would hate if that call to action was lost or obscured by even other good messages. That would be a loss for everyone.