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

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Is it too late to suggest Pixar's Up Instead of Indy?

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Probably nothing. It's one of several shows that absorbs huge crowds. It's not really "Indy" anyway but stunt performers taking on the parts and the stunts they do.

Yes but you could pretty easily capture that crowd level by replacing it and expanding into the parking lot and backstage with new attractions - especially if it involves revamping that whole seciton of the park (Backlot Express and Star Tours). But I don't see that happening any time soon. More of a master plan concept.

 

[gerarar]

Looks like some backstage space behind the Primeval Whirl plot is going to be used up for new Encanto ride and the PW space is being converted to greenery/queue space (if the concept are is to be accurate).

Pics borrowed from:

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Doesn't a family member in Encanto have the ability to understand animals? That could easily be worked into the attraction's story.

yeah, the young boy Antonio's gift is communicating with Animals and his room in the Casita is a big treehouse and all the animals come to stay there, etc - so they can definitely play off that

 

[James Alucobond]

Pretty funny that people who screech over the idea of Zootopia (a movie with animals in it) being put into Animal Kingdom are happy with Encanto (a movie NOT about animals) being wedged into Animal Kingdom. Whereas many other people might feel that the real reason Encanto is being shoved into that round hole is that the movie, while a box-office failure, had a song that got popular for some reason. And of course representation had to be shoved into WDW somewhere...

I think it was more the fear of the Shanghai ride being cloned since it very clearly focuses on the human-like behavior of the animals. There is at least potential within Encanto to explore flora and fauna given the nature of two of the main characters’ rooms, plus Casita fits much better into the visual vibe of a tropics-based land than a random set of skyscrapers does into … Animal Kingdom at all.

Anyway, this just overall makes me less anxious about the possible revamp. If they go this route, they’re centering it around a region of the world, they’re averting a potential Zootopia catastrophe, we’re getting a ride that is likely more all-age accessible than the flume, and Moana saturation is not reaching critical levels. Pretty much the best one can hope for at this point.

 

[doctornick]

Off the cuff reaction: Tokyo’s version of IJ is based in South America, no? I assume it will cosmetically be similar to that

 

[CJR]

Pretty funny that people who screech over the idea of Zootopia (a movie with animals in it) being put into Animal Kingdom are happy with Encanto (a movie NOT about animals) being wedged into Animal Kingdom. Whereas many other people might feel that the real reason Encanto is being shoved into that round hole is that the movie, while a box-office failure, had a song that got popular for some reason. And of course representation had to be shoved into WDW somewhere...

It's not about the IP's, but what they can do with the IP's. Zootopia wouldn't work as well with real animals, IMHO. The characters are basically humans. You can tie Encanto and Indy with actual creatures that you can see in the real world.

 

[EeyoreFan#24]

I like this concept a lot more than the last one. I think it has a couple of thing going for it that make it more likely too.

 

[Chupaca Bruh]

Is that a mountain behind the Encanto house?

 

[celluloid]

Realistically, do you think that current Disney could do that level of retheming to Dinosaur in under a year and a half?

 

[doctornick]

So, in principle I’m not nearly as upset about this idea as the previous blue sky. First, bringing S America to WDW and DAK in particular is great. It is a very appropriate concept for a land DAK. I really hope that it includes some animal enclosures or ideally a new walking trail for animals from that part of the world. IIRC there are some alligators in Dinoland so it’s not like they’ve never had live animals there.

Hopefully the Boneyard lives on. It can go fairly well with the archeology theme of Indiana Jones. Honestly probably wouldn’t feel too awkward even if they keep it focused on dinosaur digs.

I’m more disappointed by losing the presence of dinosaurs - which I really think should have a presence in DAK - than problems with this addition per se. Dinorama though has to go so it’s nice to see if they finally do that.

I hope Nemo stays or at least the theater in some capacity. Nemo isn’t a terrible fit - at least they are in the Pacific bordering S America - but they could I guess do something related to Up or even Emperor’s New Groove (a show about llamas?) if they were looking to change it out sometime

 

[Squishy]

Looks like some backstage space behind the Primeval Whirl plot is going to be used up for new Encanto ride and the PW space is being converted to greenery/queue space (if the concept are is to be accurate).
View attachment 741834
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Pics borrowed from:

This concept is definitely a budget cut/more budget friendly than the zootopia & moana ones.

 

[MisterPenguin]

For reference - Dinoland to Central America:

View attachment 741809

 

[DavidDL]

Not gonna sit here and pretend that Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama was worth saving. Virtually anything that would’ve replaced that would have been an objective improvement to the park.

That said, still having Dinosaurs represented somewhere in the park is a concept absolutely worth preserving. Heartbroken to see Disney completely give up on these creatures beloved by children and adults all over the world for what will most likely be an easy DL Indy clone.

In a perfect world, we’d of gotten a refreshed Dinosaur attraction and a (finally) properly built Dinosaur themed land as to keep Animal Kingdom’s original vision of celebrating animals current, past and imagined intact. There’s always that small, small chance they do something unique with AK’s Indy storyline to somehow tie Dinosaurs into it (preserving the past and now time travel are no longer strangers to that franchise and character) but I absolutely will not hold my breath.

I still think Encanto would have been a better fit someplace like Magic Kingdom. I like that, when combined with Indy, you do get a cohesively themed part of the world but tossing it in there just because one minor character can commune with animals seems like it’s going to be a stretch. But I’m sure Abuela and Mirabel have also always had much to say about the animal kingdom and conservation of our planet. You know, themes and messages we totally associate with those characters and with that film.

 

[celluloid]

This concept is definitely a budget cut/more budget friendly than the zootopia & moana ones.

It is more retheme than ground up.

Also. Energy left without them added into Cosmic Rewind, a time travel story ride and now none in AK.

T-Rex Cafe is now the only WDW property with dinos.

Gertie, look out!

 

[Kamikaze]

Oh good, replace the worst ride at WDW with the worst ride at DLR. I imagine they will replicate it without the issues that plague the DLR version, but the ride system/vehicle is the reason they are awful, not the sets.

Encanto & South/Central America over all the other junk? Absolutely a win.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I'm with those who see this as a best-case scenario.

We still have to see how they work animals into the new land, but that AK's new land will be based off another region of the world rather than a single IP gives me some hope the park will remain the most thematically cohesive of WDW's parks. Considering we all assumed the only options were either Moanaland or Zootopialand until a day or so ago, Central & South America (or whatever they call it) sitting alongside Asia and Africa with, of course, IP-themed attractions makes me breathe a sigh of relief.

Like others, also hoping for some decent food from the region!

As for Dinosaur, I was among those who always found it just ok. I certainly won't mourn it for a superior Indy reworking.

 

[doctornick]

I will say though that I liked the idea of an Oceania type land (even featuring Moana) in DAK. And the idea of a boat ride there. I would be okay to see that concept come back in a new land that has animals from that part of the world.

 

[Mike S]

This concept is definitely a budget cut/more budget friendly than the zootopia & moana ones.

Which makes me think this is likely to happen even though it’s just being “considered.”

Also I’d like to point out there’s land between Africa and Asia. DinoLand could’ve stayed with a modern update.

 

[Kamikaze]

They pretty much have to do a trail, right? How exciting.

The trails are great. Just because they aren't E tickets or thrilling doesn't mean they aren't worthwhile.