Disney Imagineering Testing Dragon

[unkadug]

Someone may have made this point already but I can't see how they would want to fly something over AK. The noise would be highly agitating to the animals in the park.

Could it be any more agitating than the safari vehicles (which come a lot closer than the dragon would) and the thousands of humans constantly around these wild animals?

 

[WDW1974]

Please ... doncha know the lawyers won't allow anything to be on top of/over the guests now?

That precludes flying dragons!!!

 

[threeyoda]

This was the first thing I thought of too, I don't know where the "Surprise in the Skies" gliders took off from, but they turned the original WDW air strip into employee parking a while back

I looks great though

The air strip is now the site of the Art of Animation hotel

Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark

 

[Prototype82]

I pray this is for AK's Pandora. It seems like only yesterday I saw the patent. I love seeing things come to fruition.

 

[Jim Handy]

Not for Animal Kingdom, not for daytime.

So, seriously. You can stop talking about AK now.

 

[tl77]

a process that can be easily revered by simply not parking there ....

They stopped using the original WDW airstrip back in the 70's, so it may need some work, but you've definitely got a point there

They took off from behind the Caribbean Beach resort, we always called the Surprise show "Mistake by the Lake"

"Mistake by the Lake" LOL, I remember seeing this show thinking "wow this is really pretty ...and remarkably dangerous"

The air strip is now the site of the Art of Animation hotel

Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark

Thanks for this, I didn't know Epcot had its own little airfield just for that show, but the original WDW is still there ...sort of, it runs parallel to World Drive next to the MK parking lot

 

[threeyoda]

Thanks for this, I didn't know Epcot had its own little airfield just for that show, but the original WDW is still there ...sort of, it runs parallel to World Drive next to the MK parking lot

Ahhh gotcha. I knew about that one, just didn't make the connection that that's the one you were referring to.

 

[marni1971]

Yep. SitS used a grass strip at what is now POP / Animation resort.

I think it's more reminiscent of Skylidascope.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for this, I didn't know Epcot had its own little airfield just for that show, but the original WDW is still there ...sort of, it runs parallel to World Drive next to the MK parking lot

Indeed. But it's currently full of construction office trailers for FLE and the DVC @ GF projects. They also stage buses there, and park all the holiday decoration semi trailers there during each respective season.

 

[Captain Neo]

That dragon looks nothing like the creatures in Avatar. If anything it looks like the traditional medieval dragons originally planned for Beastly kingdom. Perhaps it will be part of DAK's rumored nighttime show as a tip of the hat to fans who still want BK?

 

[trs518]

They talked about this extensively on the podcast Betamouse in episode 48.

I agree it's going to have to be in a nighttime show, as the attached parachute would be obvious during the day.

 

[Did Knee]

They talked about this extensively on the podcast Betamouse in episode 48.

I agree it's going to have to be in a nighttime show, as the attached parachute would be obvious during the day.

While in its present form I agree, I don't put it past either modern technology or the abilities of WDI to make a parachute out of some sort of strong but translucent material. While you couldn't make it totally invisible, how unnoticeable would it have to be at a couple hundred feet in the air?

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I agree it's going to have to be in a nighttime show, as the attached parachute would be obvious during the day.

While in its present form I agree, I don't put it past either modern technology or the abilities of WDI to make a parachute out of some sort of strong but translucent material. While you couldn't make it totally invisible, how unnoticeable would it have to be at a couple hundred feet in the air?

Somewhere there is a trade-off point. You can see the arm controlling the hopping Brer Rabbit, but I think most people would agree that it's a good effect. WDI will decide and get back to us.

 

[ShookieJones]

Please ... doncha know the lawyers won't allow anything to be on top of/over the guests now?

That precludes flying dragons!!!

Couldn't they erect a giant net over all the parks?

 

[DocMcHulk]

maybe it's just me, but the giant fan in the back and parachute kinda takes away from the aesthetics of it.

 

[DocMcHulk]

Please ... doncha know the lawyers won't allow anything to be on top of/over the guests now?

That precludes flying dragons!!!

That is EXACTLY what I thought. There is no way Disney would fly something over guests that could malfunction and crash into them!

 

[InsiderImagine]

Would be great if it was used for Fantasmic!

 

[IWant2GoNow]

I'm gonna have to go along with others and say this is something for Shanghai Disneyland and some form of night time show there. It could very well be something they plan on adding to some stateside parks later on if it works the way they want it to, but I have a feeling this will debut at Shanghai.

 

[bethymouse]

Stitch Kingdom. This is what they said:

According to the report, the dragon has been making monthly appearances at the airport where Disney has been renting a hangar, golf cart and other paraphernalia and plans to ship the dragon (not fly it) to Orlando later this summer.

While all signs point to possible research for Avatarland at Disney's Animal Kingdom, one commenter on the original photo in May says its not Avatar related, though she wasn't sure what the intent was. To her credit, she was also able to note the flying puppet would be able to breath fire as well as that it would return to the airport for further testing in June/July.

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Link to main article​

Yep- the AVATAR "dragon" doesn't breathe fire.

 

[bethymouse]

I've got flashbacks to Epcot's Surprise in the Skies!

Never seen it, unfortunately 'til now.
Thanks for posting!