Did you really read it? The whole point is a 5th gate ISN'T needed. It wasn't an argument for a 5th gate, but an argument that Disney hasn't supported the parks it already has. Therefore If they made a 5th gate, yes it would help capacity. But in my opinion the net result would be a negative because we would just have another park, lacking in things to do. I'm sorry you didn't pick up on that. The end point was build out the parks you already have, not add another.
So the word "however" is needed in the original poster somewhere.
Mgm studios only had 2 rides when it opened......I recently posted an article on my blog explaining why I think Disney's 4th park was a mistake:
"Disney opened its fourth theme park in Florida in 1998 to mixed reviews and confusion regarding what the heck Animal Kingdom was supposed to be. Marketing for the newest addition to Walt Disney World insisted that whatever it was, the park was “nahtazu”. What’s that? It’s an attempt to make the phrase “not a zoo” seem like an African word. (Yeah, it hasn’t aged well.) But here’s the thing. When it opened, Animal Kingdom was totally a zoo. It was a beautifully themed zoo with two Disney-caliber rides, but the primary draw was the animal exhibits making Animal Kingdom “azu”, I mean, a zoo.
Few would argue that mistakes were made with the opening of Animal Kingdom. For at least a decade, it was stuck with the dreaded label of a “half day park”. Since the park opened, Disney has slowly addressed those concerns. As it exists today, Animal Kingdom is arguably a full day experience and worthy of being included in Walt Disney World Resort. Even so, I think it was a mistake."
At a high level, I argue the following points
1. WDW didn't really need a 4th park
2. If you were going to build a 4th park, a zoo wasn't the way to go
I also discuss some of the more common "mistakes" like opening the park with only two rides and miscalculating the expense and difficulty of dealing with live animals.
I can't imagine anyone here will feel otherwise.
.....albeit by 5:00 I am ready to head to Boma for dinner.....and if we get there early we like to stroll around behind and see more animals as well as explore the lobby. I love plants.....the lush tropical greenery when we travel late Jan early Feb is so restoring and immersive visually and to see and hear the animals, simply priceless with some theming to enhance/plus....and I agree this is a park to wander and discover. I never considered it a half day park, that was always DHS for us....we always plan one whole day at AK with joy. Flights of Wonder former show was a great thing we had bypassed for years.....there are many gems such as this if you take the time to explore. The Animal Kingdom episodes on Disneyplus give more insight to the animal care behind the scenes.....I highly recommend! I will never forget the first time we noticed Devine......eating outside on the patios from Flame Tree BBQ with view of EE.....seems rather private and calming.....not such a fan of avatar, and would like to see them redo Dinoland with a period Indiana Jones themed land.....more John Williams music for this area too.....sigh. 
Thank you for this really well thought-out response. I too think we largely agree with one another, and I likewise see a role for a smaller number of "reformed" zoos in the future.
Something that I think would have to be addressed for zoos to become truly focused on conservation is the issue of captive breeding. As things stand, there are too many animals (the large majority of them unendangered) being born within existing zoo populations, such that hundreds of "surplus" animals are put down each year. The problem appears to be worse in Europe than in the US, where contraceptives are used to prevent such excess numbers.
How many healthy animals do zoos put down?
When Copenhagen Zoo put down a healthy male giraffe earlier this month, much of the world was outraged. But many Danes could not understand what the problem was.www.bbc.com
I agree with this assessment. I've been to a lot of zoos, and some truly are not good stewards for the animals. Zoo standards have evolved so much over the past few decades, and although many are trying, many zoos do not have the capital to invest in redeveloping their infrastructure. Disney may not have done everything right. When AK was designed and opened, it was clear that they had learning to do, but they genuinely have put in a great deal of time and effort into creating the best experience they can, for both their guests and animals. One of my very favorite parts of the park is the conservation station, being able to see procedures being performed, and just talking to the animal caretakers and hearing about the different animals' personalities and preferences.
Arguably, FoP is centered though on connecting with an animal, and living and breathing his world through his eyes.
I so miss Discovery Island!
