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

[Bocabear]

But why? Seriously those are all things you can see at "Any Zoo USA" DAK has beautifully themed exotic locations and more exotic animals than most people would ever see....and a large majority of the audience is coming from North America...which means they will be recreating a large portion of the audience's back yard...
How would they even market that? Come see less exotic animals?
UNLESS they are building Big Grizzly Runaway Mine Cars with a couple extra rides and restaurants....and they have a few live bears.....
If they are going to build and add a new section it would need to be something that would draw an audience to justify the expense....and I don't see squirrels, bears and racoons as a big ticket draw...Panda Bears? Yes...Kangaroos? Yes Foxes and possums? no....

 

[J4546]

it would be cool if they had a new aquarium/aquatic area but i know since they already have one in epcot thatd never happen and itd be redundant. But if they built something like that turtle shaped aquarium in vietnam, in the northeaster quadrant of the park...id be ok with that. hers a video of that aquarium btw, its super super cool looking imo. way better than epcot aquarium

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Have you tried Tiffins--This is a really top notch table service.

Actually did for the first time in our last trip - my wife and I did a "date lunch" there while the kids went off doing other stuff

Very much enjoyed it and my "hot take" is I liked the bread service there more than the one at Sanaa

But meant a TS in Pandora themed to the last that was part of the original plans for the land

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Exactly, and I think that this would help further differentiate the park from just a very high quality zoo. Most zoos in America just have a generic ‘jungle’ theme and let you see lions, tigers, elephants, etc. But how many let you see moose, elk, grizzly bears, or even a polar bear? I think the North American theme is relatively untapped when it comes to a zoo. Just imagine something that looks and feels like Grizzly Peak at DCA but with animal exhibits!

Not all those animals but the Bear Mountain zoo near me has just animals native to New York (it is in NY) - they are all rescue animals and pets people see animals that are native to where they live. Animals include Black bear, eastern coyote, porcupine, bald eagle, and black rat snakes.

Other fun thing about it is that it is located on a paved part of the Appalachian trail so if you go to the zoo you can technically say you have hiked/walked on the application trail

 

[ToTBellHop]

Exactly, and I think that this would help further differentiate the park from just a very high quality zoo. Most zoos in America just have a generic ‘jungle’ theme and let you see lions, tigers, elephants, etc. But how many let you see moose, elk, grizzly bears, or even a polar bear? I think the North American theme is relatively untapped when it comes to a zoo. Just imagine something that looks and feels like Grizzly Peak at DCA but with animal exhibits!

I guess I’m just lucky. My local zoo, the Beardsley Zoo, has North American animals. The Bronx Zoo has North American animals if I want to splurge. The zoo I worked at as a kid (Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY) had North American animals.

I saw a black bear going through my trash a few weeks ago in the suburbs of New Haven, CT.

Give me giraffes and Tasmanian devils.

Polar bears don’t have white fur. They have clear fur. It would turn green from algae in Florida for most of the year given the climate.

 

[celluloid]

Polar bears don’t have white fur. They have clear fur. It would turn green from algae in Florida for most of the year given the climate.

I really miss Sea World having Polar Bears. No fault of them. They were amazing and no pictures do them justice when you are close. I was fortunate enough to work close to Animal Husbandry at the time.

 

[Rhinocerous]

The Bronx Zoo used to have a polar bear. He always looked miserable in the New York heat. RIP.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

It'd have to be a cottage that's in a heavily forested area. The large amounts of foliage is part of what makes DAK so special IMO; it adds so much natural life & beauty to the park. I hope any future expansions continue on that path.

That's what I pictured.

Do we really need a bona fide N. America land? Like, “ooh a rabbit and a duck! Amazing!” And then, “Mom, we saw both while walking to the food court at Pop this morning…~eyeroll~”

We had deer all around growing up, but they were something that occasionally flitted at the edge of sight. Perhaps there was a moment of staring at me in the yard before lighting. I think that how much people actually see local wildlife can be overstated, especially for those who actively seek it out and thus don't know about the average person's experience.

And even if it is something that child has seen, I doubt a child is going to see an adorable rabbit and complain, especially in an enclosure that allows good viewing. I've never seen a child not react to a rabbit with anything but wonder and a desire to keep looking.

The Children's Zoo at the Bronx Zoo holds a great deal of beloved memories for me, and I didn't care about how exotic a groundhog or fennec fox was. Adults may complain, but I can see the less exotic animals appealing to children. The real issue is the overlap with Rafiki's Planet Watch, which includes a lot of domestics, but haven't some spoken about a refresh or replacement for that area?

 

[Bocabear]

That's what I pictured.



We had deer all around growing up, but they were something that occasionally flitted at the edge of sight. Perhaps there was a moment of staring at me in the yard before lighting. I think that how much people actually see local wildlife can be overstated, especially for those who actively seek it out and thus don't know about the average person's experience.

And even if it is something that child has seen, I doubt a child is going to see an adorable rabbit and complain, especially in an enclosure that allows good viewing. I've never seen a child not react to a rabbit with anything but wonder and a desire to keep looking.

The Children's Zoo at the Bronx Zoo holds a great deal of beloved memories for me, and I didn't care about how exotic a groundhog or fennec fox was. Adults may complain, but I can see the less exotic animals appealing to children. The real issue is the overlap with Rafiki's Planet Watch, which includes a lot of domestics, but haven't some spoken about a refresh or replacement for that area?

That's all great, but you are spending over a hundred dollars to see a rabbit, goats and a squirrel.... I love the animal walks they currently have and would love to see them add Australia...but not North America... I would rather see them aim higher VS jumping on a band wagon of local animals just to have something else....

 

[ToTBellHop]

That's what I pictured.



We had deer all around growing up, but they were something that occasionally flitted at the edge of sight. Perhaps there was a moment of staring at me in the yard before lighting. I think that how much people actually see local wildlife can be overstated, especially for those who actively seek it out and thus don't know about the average person's experience.

And even if it is something that child has seen, I doubt a child is going to see an adorable rabbit and complain, especially in an enclosure that allows good viewing. I've never seen a child not react to a rabbit with anything but wonder and a desire to keep looking.

The Children's Zoo at the Bronx Zoo holds a great deal of beloved memories for me, and I didn't care about how exotic a groundhog or fennec fox was. Adults may complain, but I can see the less exotic animals appealing to children. The real issue is the overlap with Rafiki's Planet Watch, which includes a lot of domestics, but haven't some spoken about a refresh or replacement for that area?

Disney transports us to places we can’t easily reach. They didn’t want New Orleans Square in MK because New Orleans is too close to Orlando. I don’t think deer will cut it. The deer they do have (Maharajah) are still exotic to most Americans and even still, they seldom draw a crowd. Compare that to the tigers or bats (when visible).

They already have the most popular terrestrial N. American animals as it is (they have gators (or are they crocs in Dinoland?) and otters) and then go exotic for others (the aforementioned deer; African cattle; Asian ducks, etc.).

As for Affection Section, that’s kinda the only route they could go. We’d all love to pet a penguin but animal rights folks would have a field day. So, goats, it is. Even if they wanted something more unique, they wouldn’t because the train ride back can’t handle the increases number of guests.

 

[MisterPenguin]

We’d all love to pet a penguin but animal rights folks would have a field day.

Don't listen to them!!!!

 

[Brer Panther]

If only Disney had a popular animated movie that took place in Australia (I know there's Finding Nemo, but that's already represented in Animal Kingdom and EPCOT)... that's probably the only way we'd get an Australia land in Animal Kingdom.

 

[WaluigiTime]

If only Disney had a popular animated movie that took place in Australia (I know there's Finding Nemo, but that's already represented in Animal Kingdom and EPCOT)... that's probably the only way we'd get an Australia land in Animal Kingdom.

The Rescuers Down Under but I doubt they would do anything with that in the parks.

 

[ToTBellHop]

If only Disney had a popular animated movie that took place in Australia (I know there's Finding Nemo, but that's already represented in Animal Kingdom and EPCOT)... that's probably the only way we'd get an Australia land in Animal Kingdom.

The Little Mermaid can be offshore anywhere we need her to be.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

That's all great, but you are spending over a hundred dollars to see a rabbit, goats and a squirrel....

You're right. It would be absolutely insane to put that price on a small local zoo that only has a few local animals. It's a good thing there's all the other animals and three super-headliner E-tickets.

Disney transports us to places we can’t easily reach. They didn’t want New Orleans Square in MK because New Orleans is too close to Orlando. I don’t think deer will cut it. The deer they do have (Maharajah) are still exotic to most Americans and even still, they seldom draw a crowd. Compare that to the tigers or bats (when visible).

They already have the most popular terrestrial N. American animals as it is (they have gators (or are they crocs in Dinoland?) and otters) and then go exotic for others (the aforementioned deer; African cattle; Asian ducks, etc.).

As for Affection Section, that’s kinda the only route they could go. We’d all love to pet a penguin but animal rights folks would have a field day. So, goats, it is. Even if they wanted something more unique, they wouldn’t because the train ride back can’t handle the increases number of guests.

Hehehe, and then they built Caribbean Plaza.

People speak a lot about Imagineering betraying Shiva. I don't know if this is as much a concern of theirs. But it's not like they haven't transported Americans by creating idealized versions of beauty found within: the PNW lodge, the cottages of the Keys, the old wilds of Frontierland.

Also, there's all the animals that were pictured earlier.

Having a North American area themed after a National Park could display beautiful animals that many don't usually see and being incredibly thematically consistent with the park as a whole. Camp Minnie-Mickey wasn't a bad idea, but it was built to be a cheap placeholder and only had animals in the show (a show featuring Pocahontas, who was mentioned earlier as a great IP to tied into NA). With no bears anywhere in the park and lions being a relatively short time on the safari, either could be an anchor to draw people in.

But as I often do on here, I'm just musing at what could be possible, debating against something being absolutely wrong by suggesting the multitude of ways it could possibly work.

The Little Mermaid can be offshore anywhere we need her to be.

They did it in Anaheim's Small World.

If only Disney had a popular animated movie that took place in Australia (I know there's Finding Nemo, but that's already represented in Animal Kingdom and EPCOT)... that's probably the only way we'd get an Australia land in Animal Kingdom.

My preferred outcome would be to leave the original Dinoland and use the carnival space to combine with the eternally orphaned Theatre in the Wild for an Oceanic region. I'd love Nemo to be pulled out of EPCOT, but doubt that would happen.

 

[ToTBellHop]

You're right. It would be absolutely insane to put that price on a small local zoo that only has a few local animals. It's a good thing there's all the other animals and three super-headliner E-tickets.



Hehehe, and then they built Caribbean Plaza.

People speak a lot about Imagineering betraying Shiva. I don't know if this is as much a concern of theirs. But it's not like they haven't transported Americans by creating idealized versions of beauty found within: the PNW lodge, the cottages of the Keys, the old wilds of Frontierland.

Also, there's all the animals that were pictured earlier.

Having a North American area themed after a National Park could display beautiful animals that many don't usually see and being incredibly thematically consistent with the park as a whole. Camp Minnie-Mickey wasn't a bad idea, but it was built to be a cheap placeholder and only had animals in the show (a show featuring Pocahontas, who was mentioned earlier as a great IP to tied into NA). With no bears anywhere in the park and lions being a relatively short time on the safari, either could be an anchor to draw people in.

But as I often do on here, I'm just musing at what could be possible, debating against something being absolutely wrong by suggesting the multitude of ways it could possibly work.



They did it in Anaheim's Small World.



My preferred outcome would be to leave the original Dinoland and use the carnival space to combine with the eternally orphaned Theatre in the Wild for an Oceanic region. I'd love Nemo to be pulled out of EPCOT, but doubt that would happen.

I give you credit for finding ways it could work. At this point, I just want something under construction somewhere in DAK. I’m not picky. Pandora isn’t new anymore and it’s inexcusable that this park, as under built as it is, will likely go 10 years between substantial additions. Again.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

I give you credit for finding ways it could work. At this point, I just want something under construction somewhere in DAK. I’m not picky. Pandora isn’t new anymore and it’s inexcusable that this park, as under built as it is, will likely go 10 years between substantial additions. Again.

Considering the rotation of major additions that Orlando is supposed to go through, that isn't the worst timetable. The problem is that EPCOT's rotation got crippled from what it was meant to be and lagged on, while at the same time Animal Kingdom has always been behind and lost things in the interim. And that's not even touching the Studios being in the same hole.

If Encanto is indeed a translation of Mystic Manor, that would add 540 riders-per-hour over Primeval Whirl. I don't know if that's a huge amount or not, because I don't usually delve into such numbers, but I expect it would also get a lot more demand than Primeval Whirl ever did.

But without a South American version of the trails, and even with that possibility, are we up to full-day status yet?

 

[SpectreJordan]

But why? Seriously those are all things you can see at "Any Zoo USA" DAK has beautifully themed exotic locations and more exotic animals than most people would ever see....and a large majority of the audience is coming from North America...which means they will be recreating a large portion of the audience's back yard...
How would they even market that? Come see less exotic animals?
UNLESS they are building Big Grizzly Runaway Mine Cars with a couple extra rides and restaurants....and they have a few live bears.....
If they are going to build and add a new section it would need to be something that would draw an audience to justify the expense....and I don't see squirrels, bears and racoons as a big ticket draw...Panda Bears? Yes...Kangaroos? Yes Foxes and possums? no....

Yeah, most WDW guests are Americans. But I imagine most of them are from the cities or the midwest. How many of them get to experience the natural beauties of the Pacific Northwest or Canada? I think it'd serve a good conservational message that the animals that live where we live are just as worthy of protection as those that live in exotic locations. & no, they don't have to fill the exhibits with deer, bunnies & ducks; there's plenty of beautiful animals that don't wander into our backyards here.

Imagine views like this done similarly to how Africa & Asia are. The segment about Canada's wildlife in the show at the EPCOT pavilion is a good example too.

I'd be down for Australia too. But we shouldn't underestimate how great a North America land could be just because we live here.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yeah, most WDW guests are Americans. But I imagine most of them are from the cities or the midwest. How many of them get to experience the natural beauties of the Pacific Northwest or Canada? I think it'd serve a good conservational message that the animals that live where we live are just as worthy of protection as those that live in exotic locations. & no, they don't have to fill the exhibits with deer, bunnies & ducks; there's plenty of beautiful animals that don't wander into our backyards here.

Imagine views like this done similarly to how Africa & Asia are. The segment about Canada's wildlife in the show at the EPCOT pavilion is a good example too.

I'd be down for Australia too. But we shouldn't underestimate how great a North America land could be just because we live here.

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I imagine considerably more will have visited a national park than the Amazon rainforest.

 

[JD80]

Australia could have a giant death spider attraction.