News 'Encanto' and 'Indiana Jones'-themed experiences at Animal Kingdom

[Brer Panther]

FYI can confirm Encanto will be a dark ride experience.

Will it have anything to do with, y'know, animals?

I cannot believe that Disney feels that dinosaurs should have zero presence in AK

Me neither. I also cannot believe that Disney feels that dinosaurs should have zero presence in Disney World as a whole.

 

[Starship824]

And soon.

In DAK?

 

[doctornick]

I don’t understand how this is really an “expansion” since the attraction count will almost certainly be the same or lower

Agreed, though if there really ends up being an Encanto dark ride with high capacity, it will certainly help a lot. My one gut reaction is if they are really closing off the Boneyard then couldn't they at least have two flat rides - keep the spinner and retheme and also add a carousel. Even as small capacity as that would be, why not at least make anet positive in the ride count?

Also, it would help if they have an animal trail as well. Even if not as lavish as the ones in Asia or Africa, those are a valuable supporting feature for DAK in between rides.

 

[Ice Gator]

I’m actually completely on-board with everything they have planned for this area. Sure, there are IPs- but they actually all do fit the theme of the area. It’s going to be far more beautiful and fit with the look of AK than Dino Rama’s trashy Carnival look. And I KNOW we’re going to get some killer new South American food options.

 

[Eric Graham]

Which was why the original Moana boat ride concept (which was much further along than Beyond Big Thunder at the time) will be used elsewhere.

I kind of felt that the Moana boat ride concept would've been perfect to have incorporated that into Journey of Water. That was my opinion, anyways.

 

[Yellow Strap]

I don’t understand how this is really an “expansion” since the attraction count will almost certainly be the same or lower

Encanto House, if the rumored Omnimover system is correct, will allow 2000+ riders per hour which is way more than the estimated 900 per hour Primeval Whirl allowed.
New technology for the Indy ride will mean less breakdowns like on Dinosaur.
Plus the draw of an evergreen IP...I'm sorry...will attract more riders, like Frozen Ever After.

Thematics aside...it will increase some capacity on that side of the park.

 

[Stevie Amsterdam]

Will it have anything to do with, y'know, animals?

Animal Kingdom is about man’s relationship to nature and conservation, not just animals.

Also, do you remember this scene from the movie?

 

[GhostHost1000]

They need to make AK a full day park and have a nice nighttime show that can perform multiple times since the seating is limited. I’m not sure this expansion will make AK a full day park still for many

 

[arich35]

Will be curious if they add any animal exhibits to the area

 

[LSLS]

Absolutely. Norway did not gain an attraction, but it does have increased attendance and guest pull. Capacity is being utilized fully now.

But that's the thing. It opened in 2016. With the exception of Soarin (which might have to do with the movie change in 2016, so people flocked in 2015?), every ride at Epcot stayed the same or increased in wait times. So adding a popular ride didn't do much to pull guests away from other rides and bring down waits, it just added people to the park with no other things to do. So replacements won't help with the wait times, they need to add more.

 

[Andrew25]

They need to make AK a full day park and have a nice nighttime show that can perform multiple times since the seating is limited. I’m not sure this expansion will make AK a full day park still for many

With this expansion, it'll get closer to DHS's lineup. If they put a nighttime show there, it'll give them the opportunity to keep folks late into the night like Fantasmic does... if it's good.

DAK

• 5.5 major attractions (Na'vi is 1/2 lol)
• 2 major live shows

DHS

• 6.5 major attractions (Star Tours isn't as popular as it used to be)
• 3 major live shows

 

[Yellow Strap]

They need to make AK a full day park and have a nice nighttime show that can perform multiple times since the seating is limited. I’m not sure this expansion will make AK a full day park still for many

YES! THIS!
I am hoping the Drone show in Disney Springs will convince them to create one for AK at the Discovery River viewing area.

People will stay for that!

 

[Stevie Amsterdam]

They need to make AK a full day park and have a nice nighttime show that can perform multiple times since the seating is limited. I’m not sure this expansion will make AK a full day park still for many

The night time show should be a no brainer. Take the 500 drone show from Paris, retheme it, incorporate the Tree of Life et voila

 

[Tha Realest]

Ah, Joe Rohde really did do some working sessions with Imagineers and taught them what he knows!

One, get a Passport.

Two, use it.

Three, submit your travel reimbursement forms on time.

 

[Andrew25]

But that's the thing. It opened in 2016. With the exception of Soarin (which might have to do with the movie change in 2016, so people flocked in 2015?), every ride at Epcot stayed the same or increased in wait times. So adding a popular ride didn't do much to pull guests away from other rides and bring down waits, it just added people to the park with no other things to do. So replacements won't help with the wait times, they need to add more.
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Well, take into account that we also "lost" capacity over time with Ellen/Figment losing popularity due to lack of upkeep/updates, horrendous replacements to high-capacity experiences like the Magic Eye theater or weak attractions like Awesome Planet.

 

[Brer Panther]

Snow White loves animals too, that doesn't mean a Snow White ride belongs in Animal Kingdom.

 

[LSLS]

Well, take into account that we also "lost" capacity over time with Ellen/Figment losing popularity due to lack of upkeep/updates, horrendous replacements to high-capacity experiences like the Magic Eye theater or weak attractions like Awesome Planet.

Figment had longer waits in 2017 than before (albeit just a couple of minutes). Ellen saw a minute or two decrease (gone by 2018). People didn't really stop going to the smaller rides, there were just more people in the park for the Frozen ride. Which goes back to why people scream we don't need all these E ticket rides, and why they say replacements aren't going to help a ton, we need more smaller attractions to spread people out.

 

[DisneyDodo]

But that's the thing. It opened in 2016. With the exception of Soarin (which might have to do with the movie change in 2016, so people flocked in 2015?), every ride at Epcot stayed the same or increased in wait times. So adding a popular ride didn't do much to pull guests away from other rides and bring down waits, it just added people to the park with no other things to do. So replacements won't help with the wait times, they need to add more.
View attachment 777044

With something as popular as Frozen, the wait time improvements would have been more likely to have been seen in the other parks than in Epcot itself because FEA likely pulled many families who would have otherwise skipped Epcot to that park. In turn, they may have skipped DHS or DAK instead.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I believe the Moana boat ride is coming to MK. And that can come sooner than the rest of BBT. It’s a cool ride system.

 

[doctornick]

They need to make AK a full day park and have a nice nighttime show that can perform multiple times since the seating is limited. I’m not sure this expansion will make AK a full day park still for many

Well, there is supposedly an additional attraction being considered/planned besides the Tropical Americas stuff. e.g maybe a third ride in Pandora shared with DL or a Lion King ride in Africa. I think something like that, coupled with an Encanto dark ride with high capacity, would make a big difference.

Would also be good if they used the theater on the water for both a daytime show and a night time show.