Does Raya and the Last Dragon have a future in the Disney Parks?

Does Raya and the Last Dragon have a future within the Disney empire?

  • Yes, she will become a Disney Princess and heavily be featured within the Parks and merchandise

    Votes: 6 3.1%
  • She will make small cameos at the Disney Parks (like an appearance in Fantasmic), but nothing major

    Votes: 75 39.3%
  • Raya and Sisu will soon vanish, and the film will be ignored by the Walt Disney Company

    Votes: 110 57.6%
  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    191

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
Anyone else besides me think the plot seemed like a video game?

I doubt you'll see it in the parks. It wasn't nearly popular enough and probably won't provide much of an on-going revenue stream for Disney. In Chapek's mind, it won't continue to sell merchandise, which means the movie is dead to him.
 

Beacon Joe

Well-Known Member
Brave sucked IMO. Total ripoff of Brother Bear, and the Cabbage-Patch-Kid-Faced Princess treated her mom like crap.

As for Mary Sue and the My Little Pony Valley Girl Dragon, let's hope they don't show up in the parks. Those two don't even deserve their own bathroom.

The Critical Drinker needs to review Raya so badly.

But damn, let me channel my inner Robot Chapek and do some low-rent armchair imagineering here... if Raya had to be forcefully shoved down a park's throat, where would it do the least damage? Eureka! Let's build out a Philippines Pavilion and shove Raya there. Mickey riding around on Jeepneys, a flying carabao themed flat ride, a riff on Three Caballeros where guests board bangkas and take a jungle cruise with Raya, and a new E ticket "Escape from Taal." Crispy Pata on a stick could totally be the new turkey leg. Or even put in a Jollibee as a counter service because seriously, every American needs to try their mango peach pie if only to realize what McDonalds took away from us when they changed their fruit pie recipe to something ostensibly healthier but far less crispy and amazing. Guests would maybe finally realize that lumpia aren't deserts made by blue space aliens or generally deserts at all, which would be nice. Yeah, I know Raya isn't really Filipino but laughably supposed to be "all of SE Asia." Should have told the marketing division when they released that ad with the mano po, or the animators who put a kris in her hands. But this is also the resort where Indian food is passed off as African food with a straight face so...
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
But damn, let me channel my inner Robot Chapek and do some low-rent armchair imagineering here... if Raya had to be forcefully shoved down a park's throat, where would it do the least damage? Eureka! Let's build out a Philippines Pavilion and shove Raya there.
If you think Chapek will spend Disney money instead of some Filipino company's money to build a pavilion, your Robot circuits are fried.
 

Magicart87

No Refunds!
Premium Member
Raya's going the way of Pocahontas.

I honestly think Disney has a different IP in mind for Adventureland depending upon it's success. And DAK's currently locked awaiting changes in Dinoland and Rafikis. So both of those "options" are out. I think this one's done. Of course, the biggest prerequisite is that it be a behemoth commercial success. It wasn't. Short of M&G I think it unlikely.
 
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Kirby86

Well-Known Member
I mean anything is possible. I could see her being a meet and greet in Epcot like the Disney princesses that aren't Cinderella,Elsa,and Anna. She might have merchandise in the China Pavillion in the world showcase However I don't see her getting an attraction.
 

Ghost93

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Raya's going the way of Pocahontas.

At least Pocahontas is an official princess. I doubt Raya will get that status unless it's fandom becomes more vocal.

Though considering the fact that Pocahontas is looked back more and more negatively for the way it portrays American history and Native American culture, I wouldn't be shocked if Disney quietly phased her out of the Princess line in about 10 years or so. I like Pocahontas, but it's one of the company's most controversial animated features. I could imagine Disney executives getting nervous the past few years every time Trump used Pocahontas to refer to Elizabeth Warren and the subsequent online backlash and Twitter discourse surrounding the way Pocahontas has been portrayed in pop culture.
 

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
At least Pocahontas is an official princess. I doubt Raya will get that status unless it's fandom becomes more vocal.

Though considering the fact that Pocahontas is looked back more and more negatively for the way it portrays American history and Native American culture, I wouldn't be shocked if Disney quietly phased her out of the Princess line in about 10 years or so. I like Pocahontas, but it's one of the company's most controversial animated features. I could imagine Disney executives getting nervous the past few years every time Trump used Pocahontas to refer to Elizabeth Warren and the subsequent online backlash and Twitter discourse surrounding the way Pocahontas has been portrayed in pop culture.
Yes, Pocahontas also does pop up a lot in nighttime shows as they seem to like to use those leaves and Colors of the Wind! I think she's in the concept art for Harmonious.

I will say that I have also wondered whether Disney would now quietly back away from promoting the film, though. I don't think it's 'problematic' enough to receive a warning on Disney+ or anything and I wonder whether it's not as controversial in its portrayal of Native Americans as we might presume beyond those who analyse these issues for a living. Even the issue of historical accuracy by now might be taken for granted and create less controversy than when it was first released. I agree, though, that Trump's use of Pocahontas to refer to Warren and the commentary that stirred probably didn't make Disney particularly happy! It's also clearly not a film they would make in the same way, if at all, today.

As an aside, I am one of the rare people who would rank Pocahontas among my absolute favourite Disney animated films from the 1990s. I think I like the animation the most, and the music and score was also quite lovely. I know most people had a different reaction, but considering the negativity around it at the time I wouldn't say the film has faded away into obscurity.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Yes, Pocahontas also does pop up a lot in nighttime shows as they seem to like to use those leaves and Colors of the Wind! I think she's in the concept art for Harmonious.

I will say that I have also wondered whether Disney would now quietly back away from promoting the film, though. I don't think it's 'problematic' enough to receive a warning on Disney+ or anything and I wonder whether it's not as controversial in its portrayal of Native Americans as we might presume beyond those who analyse these issues for a living. Even the issue of historical accuracy by now might be taken for granted and create less controversy than when it was first released. I agree, though, that Trump's use of Pocahontas to refer to Warren and the commentary that stirred probably didn't make Disney particularly happy! It's also clearly not a film they would make in the same way, if at all, today.

As an aside, I am one of the rare people who would rank Pocahontas among my absolute favourite Disney animated films from the 1990s. I think I like the animation the most, and the music and score was also quite lovely. I know most people had a different reaction, but considering the negativity around it at the time I wouldn't say the film has faded away into obscurity.
Maybe what's needed is a live action Pocahontas that's better contextualized and more historically accurate.
 

GimpYancIent

Well-Known Member
I mean anything is possible. I could see her being a meet and greet in Epcot like the Disney princesses that aren't Cinderella,Elsa,and Anna. She might have merchandise in the China Pavillion in the world showcase However I don't see her getting an attraction.
Her merch is quite popular, I do see a meet and greet in AK being popular but a ride attraction seems like it would be too far a reach.
 

JohnD

Well-Known Member
I dunno. Movies released direct to Disney+ feel like direct to DVD, no matter how good. They need box office first.
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Brave sucked IMO. Total ripoff of Brother Bear, and the Cabbage-Patch-Kid-Faced Princess treated her mom like crap.

As for Mary Sue and the My Little Pony Valley Girl Dragon, let's hope they don't show up in the parks. Those two don't even deserve their own bathroom.
Blame John Lasseter for changing the story for "Brave"!
 

aliceismad

Well-Known Member
I mean anything is possible. I could see her being a meet and greet in Epcot like the Disney princesses that aren't Cinderella,Elsa,and Anna. She might have merchandise in the China Pavillion in the world showcase However I don't see her getting an attraction.
Raya is influenced by Southeast Asian cultures, though. That's like putting Coco in the American Pavilion because they're on the same continent.

Also Elsa and Anna's M&G is in Epcot.
I dunno. Movies released direct to Disney+ feel like direct to DVD, no matter how good. They need box office first.
Raya was released in theaters. And it was only released to Disney+ as premier access at first. (At $30 a pop, I believe.) I feel like streaming services that align with box office openings are going to continue in the future regardless of covid. It's an easy revenue stream with service like Disney+, and there are a lot of people who actually prefer watching movies at home to theaters.
 

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