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

[UNCgolf]

I'd say it's much worse now because of all the cuts and changes since, to say nothing of show quality.

I wasn't factoring in stuff like show quality -- just what's there now vs. 1993 if everything was functioning perfectly.

It was a better park in 1993, but the gap between then and now is not remotely as wide as the difference between EPCOT then and now.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

I loved it when I went. The always wet bottom level with skeletons in it is Incredible.

I went with a friend who’d studied Mayan religious beliefs and temples in school… and the queue was so detailed and accurate that she could actually explain the meaning and purpose of everything we were looking at (including, if I recall correctly, that pit for human sacrifices you’re referring to).

Since the new temple is also Mayan, assuming an adequate budget (which supposedly they’re getting), this might be a perfect “test” of whether current Imagineering can live up to its predecessors…

 

[celluloid]

I went with a friend who’d studied Mayan religious beliefs and temples in school… and the queue was so detailed and accurate that she could actually explain the meaning and purpose of everything we were looking at (including, if I recall correctly, that pit for human sacrifices you’re referring to).

Since the new temple is also Mayan, assuming an adequate budget (which supposedly they’re getting), this might be a perfect “test” of whether current Imagineering can live up to its predecessors…

Here is hoping. With an animal and harmony focus. If we lose a bit of Indy in it, I would rather they go all out and all in.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Indy is being thrown in here as a convenience. Encanto was/is the goal for driving new attendance to this area of the park. I suspect with almost certain budget cuts, we're going to be very disappointed in the Indy ride.

The irony is, the Indy conversion doesn't even have to be done. The Dino Institute could have been built in South America (I know, the land is called DinoLand USA, but that backstory could be altered along with the land), considering it sends you back in time to that geographic region. How do I know that? Well, the only Carnotaurus skeletons ever found were in Argentina.

 

[KDM31091]

Indy is being thrown in here as a convenience. Encanto was/is the goal for driving new attendance to this area of the park. I suspect with almost certain budget cuts, we're going to be very disappointed in the Indy ride.

The irony is, the Indy conversion doesn't even have to be done. The Dino Institute could have been built in South America (I know, the land is called DinoLand USA, but that backstory could be altered along with the land), considering it sends you back in time to that geographic region. How do I know that? Well, the only Carnotaurus skeletons ever found were in Argentina.

This is the part that puzzles me too. There is really no need to retheme Dinosaur at all.

 

[Bocabear]

This is the part that puzzles me too. There is really no need to retheme Dinosaur at all.

well....kind of if they are trying to do a Tropical Americas theme... Yes it could probably be fine, but it would look odd to have the outpost restaurant and a Dinosaur museum in the middle of the jungle in Colombia...Better to add the IP amd make it a fresh new adventure... Dinosaur was not the best version of the Indiana Jones ride... Now it has a chance to be a better attraction, and to really add to the storyline of the area...

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Now it has a chance to be a better attraction, and to really add to the storyline of the area...

Slim chance with today's management. Fully functioning dinosaur animatronics chasing you around a jungle > Indiana Jones running around a temple.

Plus the storyline of the area doesn't actually make any sense if you combine them—the Family Madrigal and Indiana Jones don't seem like they exist in the same universe whatsoever. It would make just as much sense to keep the Dinosaur museum there.

 

[Bocabear]

Slim chance with today's management. Fully functioning dinosaur animatronics chasing you around a jungle > Indiana Jones running around a temple.

Plus the storyline of the area doesn't actually make any sense if you combine them—the Family Madrigal and Indiana Jones don't seem like they exist in the same universe whatsoever. It would make just as much sense to keep the Dinosaur museum there.

but a modern Dinosaur museum in the middle of a South American jungle setting would feel very strange... but a temple buried in the jungle at least seems like an exciting location to explore...and it is not quite in viewline of the Madrigal family house and village...so there is some separation there at least...to allow the area to look fairly complementary... like the old Fantasyland conglomeration of multiple country European buildings... It will feel ok... I am all for thematic consistency, and this seems the least problematic of anything they have announced coming up... this doesn't bother me nearly as much as just about everything else...

 

[Brer Panther]

There is really no need to retheme Dinosaur at all.

They're probably just too lazy to maintain the dinosaur animatronics.

 

[JackCH]

Am I losing my mind or hasn't Indy at Disneyland always been viewed as the far superior attraction to Dinosaur?

It certainly has by me lol, and I think this is an obvious good move.

Not adding a fourth attraction is a miss though. Get some more capacity at that park stat!

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Am I losing my mind or hasn't Indy at Disneyland always been viewed as the far superior attraction to Dinosaur?

Not by me. Peak Dinosaur has more thrill for me than Indy.

Remember, you're not getting Disneyland's Indy, so don't expect that. It's been confirmed by multiple insiders that this has a different story altogether, and I don't trust modern WDI to match, let alone exceed Disneyland's Indy.

 

[JackCH]

Not by me. Peak Dinosaur has more thrill for me than Indy.

Remember, you're not getting Disneyland's Indy, so don't expect that. It's been confirmed by multiple insiders that this has a different story altogether, and I don't trust modern WDI to match, let alone exceed Disneyland's Indy.

Fair enough, I just feel the wider opinion is Indy is greater than Dinosaur. But that is subjective of course.

I'm also not "Disgruntled" so I'm more optimistic about what WDI can do But I've also loved most of their recent projects, not counting TBA... but I believe this is a totally different team.

 

[Rosso11]

I'm also not "Disgruntled" so I'm more optimistic about what WDI can do But I've also loved most of their recent projects, not counting TBA... but I believe this is a totally different team

Correct. This is coming out of Orlando. TBA came out of Cali. Completely different teams.

 

[celluloid]

Indy is being thrown in here as a convenience. Encanto was/is the goal for driving new attendance to this area of the park. I suspect with almost certain budget cuts, we're going to be very disappointed in the Indy ride.

The irony is, the Indy conversion doesn't even have to be done. The Dino Institute could have been built in South America (I know, the land is called DinoLand USA, but that backstory could be altered along with the land), considering it sends you back in time to that geographic region. How do I know that? Well, the only Carnotaurus skeletons ever found were in Argentina.

Stop it. You are Imagineering too well.

 

[Blobbles]

Correct. This is coming out of Orlando. TBA came out of Cali. Completely different teams.

i forgot that wdi has it's own team in Orlando. good for the lake Nona people getting to keep their jobs! How does that work, are they like the main people for Florida projects now? what have they done so far? Do they have their own building? basically, how do they operate?

Fair enough, I just feel the wider opinion is Indy is greater than Dinosaur. But that is subjective of course.

I'm also not "Disgruntled" so I'm more optimistic about what WDI can do But I've also loved most of their recent projects, not counting TBA... but I believe this is a totally different team.

I agree, i think imagineering is in a much better spot now than they were. Other than Florida tba, I think they've been moving in the right direction as of late.

 

[celluloid]

We'd be getting a better Indy if the attraction was under further design than it was when Dial of Destiny fizzled.

 

[BrianLo]

It's been confirmed by multiple insiders that this has a different story altogether

FYI, Disney said that. There was a rash of people ‘predicting’ things that Disney told us.

If @lentesta or @wdwmagic come and say this ride is going to be worse on spec, I’ll perk up

 

[Rosso11]

i forgot that wdi has it's own team in Orlando. good for the lake Nona people getting to keep their jobs! How does that work, are they like the main people for Florida projects now? what have they done so far? Do they have their own building? basically, how do they operate?

Yes Florida WDI now runs most projects that happen in WDW with the exception of mandates that come out of Cali such as TBA. I know for sure the projects in AK and MK are all being done in Florida. I have not heard specifically about who is running the projects at Hollywood studios but I believe those are also Florida. WDI has bulked up tremendously the past few years in Florida with anticipation of being the new headquarters and all of this expansion in the pipeline. As we know the Lake Nona office is no longer happening but I wouldn’t be surprised if there will soon still be more Imagineers based out of Florida over California.

Their main building is in Epcot behind Test Track but they do need to expand that at some point.

 

[JackCH]

WDI has bulked up tremendously the past few years in Florida with anticipation of being the new headquarters and all of this expansion in the pipeline. As we know the Lake Nona office is no longer happening but I wouldn’t be surprised if there will soon still be more Imagineers based out of Florida over California.

That is really exciting if true. Would be great for them to be "gearing up" for a decade of focused WDW projects.

 

[Rosso11]

FYI, Disney said that. There was a rash of people ‘predicting’ things that Disney told us.

The plan is to be unique and the story to fit into AK.

Yes some people here said specifically that it would be unique almost a year before Disney announced that but yes it has now been confirmed by Disney.