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

[celluloid]

I think it's too early to say that Splash was a mistake since we haven't seen Tiana's finished. losing Imagination is 100% the biggest mistake.

It is the only attraction of the list that was closed when still a popular draw. Unique in that regard. It's replacement is a different chapter.

 

[doctornick]

It is unique and very well done, it just feels a little out of place for Epcot. Epcot’s all about ‘future idealism’ and a realistic space simulator while good for what it is just doesn’t seem to fit for me. I’d rather have it inside the old stitch building at MK

The idea that ordinary people would need training for space flight (because ostensibly space travel is attainable for everyone) strikes me as an aspirational futuristic concept.

 

[zipadee999]

The idea that ordinary people would need training for space flight (because ostensibly space travel is attainable for everyone) strikes me as an aspirational futuristic concept.

Ok, I’ll give you that. Where I’m coming from though is that the vibe feels a little too much like a NASA exhibit at the Smithsonian. Everything else that is/was at Epcot feels a little ‘grander.’

You’re right, getting a ‘space travel’ experience as an average guest is unarguably pretty cool. It feels very much like Test Track 1.0 and 2000s Epcot. In the late 90s and early 2000s Epcot seemed to take a turn from ‘what the future could be’ to a more ‘present day science’ take on things. Although I’d take test track 1.0 over 2.0 any day of the week, I do prefer the older style of theming that would be more in line with something like Horizons than more of the ‘modern scientific’ feel. When I’m at a theme park, I want to be wowed and feel like I’m doing things that no human being could actually do. Mission space just feels a little too grounded for me.

Yes it’s cool for what it is and very well done at achieving its goal, it just has never done much for me personally. All of the other screen based rides immerse me almost completely, but when I’m on MS I’m always completely aware that I’m just sitting inside a plastic lunchbox

 

[Bocabear]

I think if they had fleshed out Mission Space with the entire Mars Base Pavilion as was the original intent it would be extremely popular...The training and the long walk to the gift shop and indoor children's play space are a real let-down. They could have used the WOL Pavilion for the Mars Base and like the old Living Seas, put everyone on a fantastic thematic journey from the landing pad to Mars Base...It could have been amazing~!

 

[sedati]

Most of the mistakes in WDW have been EPCOT in my opinion.

Looking at "If You Had Wings" both in structure and financing and thinking "what if half our new park was just this" was maybe an error.

Looking at New Orleans Square and thinking "What if the other half of our new park was just this minus Pirates and Mansion but keeping the overpriced merch and dining" was also maybe an error.

(Yes this is absurdly reductive but so are 90% of the arguments here)

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

If we must use IP, I wonder why they don’t just make a Lion King dark ride. It’s still an extremely popular IP for the company with another film incoming and it is actually about animals doing animal things. FotLK doesn’t really tell the story so they’d complement each other well.

And Bob approved the remake and new prequel so it’d be a win for him!

Or Jungle Book in Asia. I don't get it either..

 

[HauntedPirate]

If we must use IP, I wonder why they don’t just make a Lion King dark ride. It’s still an extremely popular IP for the company with another film incoming and it is actually about animals doing animal things. FotLK doesn’t really tell the story so they’d complement each other well.

And Bob approved the remake and new prequel so it’d be a win for him!

Wait. Did Bob approve a remake of the remake, or another remake of the original? And what happens to the original sequel and the original in-between-original-and-sequal half-sequel? Where will the live-action remake fit into the timeline? Will the prequel be based on the original, the remake, or the remake of the remake?

 

[HauntedPirate]

Still have no idea what Encanto, Coco, Indiana Jones, or anything else suggested has to do with the theme of Animal Kingdom. But neither do Bob or Josh, so it's full-steam ahead with anything they decide on, because ... money. And stuff.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Wait. Did Bob approve a remake of the remake, or another remake of the original? And what happens to the original sequel and the original in-between-original-and-sequal half-sequel? Where will the live-action remake fit into the timeline? Will the prequel be based on the original, the remake, or the remake of the remake?

It’s a remake of the prequel to the sequel’s remake. Don’t be daft.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Looking at "If You Had Wings" both in structure and financing and thinking "what if half our new park was just this" was maybe an error.

Looking at New Orleans Square and thinking "What if the other half of our new park was just this minus Pirates and Mansion but keeping the overpriced merch and dining" was also maybe an error.

(Yes this is absurdly reductive but so are 90% of the arguments here)

And yet the park was more successful in its first 15 years than it has been any of the time that followed. Which is (coincidentally, I'm sure) when they started to deviate from the original approach.

 

[UNCgolf]

And yet the park was more successful in its first 15 years than it has been any of the time that followed. Which is (coincidentally, I'm sure) when they started to deviate from the original approach.

The original EPCOT also engendered more lasting love than any other theme park, absent maybe Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom (but they haven't changed nearly as much).

 

[sedati]

The original EPCOT also engendered more lasting love than any other theme park, absent maybe Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom (but they haven't changed nearly as much).

Yes, nostalgia oddly does coincide with the age of a thing.

 

[UNCgolf]

Yes, nostalgia oddly does coincide with the age of a thing.

If it was nostalgia, every single theme park would fall into this category -- both Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida, e.g., are very different parks than they were when they opened and neither gets anything close to the reverence EPCOT receives.

It could just be possible that original EPCOT actually was great and people truly did love it, and that's why it gets so much more discussion, call backs, etc. than any other park.

 

[Rich Brownn]

If it was nostalgia, every single theme park would fall into this category -- both Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida, e.g., are very different parks than they were when they opened and neither gets anything close to the reverence EPCOT receives.

It could just be possible that original EPCOT actually was great and people truly did love it, and that's why it gets so much more discussion, call backs, etc. than any other park.

It was unique because literally every ride in Future World was a 15-minute epic extravaganza, filled with animatronics and each was its own little "world". Now they have been replaced with 5-minute thrill rides or IP-filled nonsense.

 

[LittleBuford]

And yet the park was more successful in its first 15 years than it has been any of the time that followed. Which is (coincidentally, I'm sure) when they started to deviate from the original approach.

Perhaps attendance isn’t what you’re referring to, but the numbers complicate your claim a bit:

Your numbers are a bit too high across the board but it peaked in 1987 and didn’t approach the same number again until the last few years.

 

[UNCgolf]

Perhaps attendance isn’t what you’re referring to, but the numbers complicate your claim a bit:

If I remember the data correctly (for whatever it's worth, considering it's not like Disney officially released numbers), while EPCOT did peak in 1987, it drew essentially the same amount of guests as Magic Kingdom in 1988 and actually outdrew the Magic Kingdom in 1989, so the fact that the peak was in 1987 doesn't necessarily say much -- e.g., I think Magic Kingdom's attendance peaked in the late 1970s and didn't hit that number again until the mid-late 90s.

EPCOT finally dropped a bit behind the MK in 1990 (that was Splash Mountain's first full year of operation, which I imagine had an impact, as well as Disney-MGM's first full year of operation), but stayed solidly in second place and relatively close to the MK until the mid-late 90s.

 

[Indy_UK]

The fact that Animal Kingdom Lodge only has buses too is a scandal. Skyliner needs sending to there and AK

 

[doctornick]

While true, Hollywood's more pressing problem is a lack of depth of things to do and walkable areas.

Lines are all exceptionally long because it's a rides park save for a couple of shows, and unlike EPCOT, MK, and AK which all have many things to do between rides, HWS just doesn't so it has long lines for rides.

This. There’s a lack of “lesser” rides in DHS to fill out the day. And the shows are largely scheduled at specific times so they aren’t really convenient to just pop in to them when you have time. Only Muppetvision and (I guess) the Mickey short in Sounds Dangerous are continuously showing.

The park has headliners, it needs C ticket rides and some additional continuously running AA or 3D shows (as opposed to live performances) to make touring the park easier and more enjoyable. It also could use a connection from Animation Courtyard to the RNR area to improve guest flow

 

[UNCgolf]

The fact that Animal Kingdom Lodge only has buses too is a scandal. Skyliner needs sending to there and AK

The Skyliner probably wouldn't be a good option there; it's too far away.

It could work to connect the AKL and Animal Kingdom, but it wouldn't make much sense to connect it over to the existing Skyliner. They'd be better off with a different option that doesn't have all the downsides of the Skyliner.

 

[JD80]

The Skyliner probably wouldn't be a good option there; it's too far away.

It could work to connect the AKL and Animal Kingdom, but it wouldn't make much sense to connect it over to the existing Skyliner. They'd be better off with a different option that doesn't have all the downsides of the Skyliner.

Current Skyliner run from POP/AOA to Epcot is 2.4mi

CBR to DHS is .8mi. I have no idea how you would route it, but if you go south about a half mile, the west to Blizzard Beach and the West again to AK it's only a total of 3.39mi from CBR.

Not drastically longer. Though I don't know how you can route it anyway so that could be problematic with World Dr. etc.