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

Brer Panther

Well-Known Member
A parking lot with dino-themed flat rides and carnival games stands out like sore thumb.

A lush land full of animals, trees, and cultural areas themed to a specific geographical area intune with the other lands (Africa, Asia) works. Even with IPs in there.

I hope this clears things up.
You think a land dedicated to IPs that have nothing to do with animals fits better in Animal Kingdom than dinosaurs?
 

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
That was my original thought too. But looking closer, there’s a clear separation between the Encanto section and the rest of the land. And the buildings don’t really actually resemble anything out of Encanto if you actually compare them.

They do look strikingly similar to Santa Cecilia though. For example:View attachment 774242View attachment 774243

It’s certainly possible that they hadn’t fully committed to Coco when they released this art. But I’m highly confident that that’s what they put here.
This is not unique to Santa Cecilia. Encanto's village has many similar structures, like the tower in the background here:
encanto_village.png
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
That was my original thought too. But looking closer, there’s a clear separation between the Encanto section and the rest of the land. And the buildings don’t really actually resemble anything out of Encanto if you actually compare them.
The story is that the village grew up outside of and around the Casita.

They do look strikingly similar to Santa Cecilia though. For example:View attachment 774242View attachment 774243

It’s certainly possible that they hadn’t fully committed to Coco when they released this art. But I’m highly confident that that’s what they put here.
There is no similarity beyond being towers. One is offset, the other is centered. Is one octagonal the other square. The windows and arches are different. One has a clock.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
That was my original thought too. But looking closer, there’s a clear separation between the Encanto section and the rest of the land. And the buildings don’t really actually resemble anything out of Encanto if you actually compare them.

They do look strikingly similar to Santa Cecilia though. For example:View attachment 774242View attachment 774243

It’s certainly possible that they hadn’t fully committed to Coco when they released this art. But I’m highly confident that that’s what they put here.
Not to mention that the Papel Picado is a Mexican thing...

1711111087234.png


But I won't discount the artist from not knowing that...
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
My critique of DinoRama was that it was *too accurate.* It re-created the cheesiness of American pop tourist traps too well. Right down to being boring and mundane.

There was no Disney flare. No special moments. Nothing happens.

They could have played on how run-down it was by having fake moments of near catastrophe on the rides (remember Safari's bridge that 'almost collapsed'?). They could have had a dino meet and greet in an awful costume that always fell apart revealing the poor Chester and Hester employee comically embarrassed. Like Gringott's dragon that spit fire every half hour, they could have had a fake transformer spit sparks every half hour.

DinoRama was like if Test Track was just a leisurely car ride around a loop. Yep.. that's how cars are! Yep! that's how a tourist trap is!

Universal did it better with the Simpsons land.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
I hope they save Coco for something more grander. Beyond BTM or Epcot Mexico pavilion would be my preference.

And- I can’t see how that IP will tie into AK at all. Indy is a stretch but achievable. Encanto is even more of a stretch, but Antonio helps.

Coco not really…

Yeah. The main issue there is that the only "animal" aspect that really exits from Coco is Alebrijes and we really wouldn't encounter them unless we entered the land of the dead. Which could certainly be a premise for an attraction but not really for a land (or a portion thereof) where we are in the normal living world.
 

britain

Well-Known Member
Yeah. The main issue there is that the only "animal" aspect that really exits from Coco is Alebrijes and we really wouldn't encounter them unless we entered the land of the dead. Which could certainly be a premise for an attraction but not really for a land (or a portion thereof) where we are in the normal living world.

I think it’s obvious that it’s an Alebrijes carousel. Latin American spirit animals, how does that NOT fit into this area? If they added it and had no signage saying that it has anything to do with Coco, everyone would say this is a perfect, IP-less addition.

And we wouldn’t have to be in the land of the dead for this carousel to exist. It’s just a Mexican market carousel full of handcrafted, beautifully painted Alebrijes. Just like Lion King is a show being put on by the locals in Harambe. This isn’t that hard people.
 

PREMiERdrum

Well-Known Member
I mentioned in the other thread that I'm taking a group of about 160 next week, we leave tomorrow night.

On Thursday, I booked a private, pre-opening attraction experience (6:15 a.m. choice of Everest or Na'vi River Journey) and private 6:45 a.m. breakfast service for the group. The venue? Resturantosaurus. Looking forward to poking around and inquiring on how much farther out they're allowed to book events there.
 

KDM31091

Well-Known Member
DinoRama is excellently themed for what it's supposed to be. We can debate about whether it belongs in a Disney park, but it was executed well for what it is going for. Now, that part of Dinoland is absolutely barren, and it does need something else, for sure, but I wish Disney did not think the only answer was leveling it.
 

britain

Well-Known Member
I do not disagree that this is a possibility, but I don’t see how it can be classified as an obvious outcome.
Well, I feel it’s obvious only based on the concept art showing the roof of a circular-ish pavilion. They could pull a fast one AGAIN and have all new artwork and my theory goes out the door.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
I think it’s obvious

Woah, that’s exactly why I brought this up to begin with. It’s not obvious. Obvious would be the company saying “tropical Americas, a place focused on some of our wonderful IP like Encanto, Indy and Coco”.

But they have consistently not mentioned coco.

We don’t even know if there’s a carousel in there, I think it’s a good assumption! But there’s a perfectly viable Encanto story treatment for the carousel
 

britain

Well-Known Member
Woah, that’s exactly why I brought this up to begin with. It’s not obvious. Obvious would be the company saying “tropical Americas, a place focused on some of our wonderful IP like Encanto, Indy and Coco”.

But they have consistently not mentioned coco.

We don’t even know if there’s a carousel in there, I think it’s a good assumption! But there’s a perfectly viable Encanto story treatment for the carousel

Sorry, I meant it’s obvious if they WERE going to do Coco in this concept art, it would be the carousel at the bottom there. I agree that it’s not obvious that they are going to do Coco.
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
I hope they save Coco for something more grander. Beyond BTM or Epcot Mexico pavilion would be my preference.

And- I can’t see how that IP will tie into AK at all. Indy is a stretch but achievable. Encanto is even more of a stretch, but Antonio helps.

Coco not really…
It would certainly be a great transitional area between the mesa region of BTMRR and the alleged Villains Land (Coco's theme of death mixes well with the dark and brooding theme of the villains). Will they do this? Probably not.
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
Woah, that’s exactly why I brought this up to begin with. It’s not obvious. Obvious would be the company saying “tropical Americas, a place focused on some of our wonderful IP like Encanto, Indy and Coco”.

But they have consistently not mentioned coco.

We don’t even know if there’s a carousel in there, I think it’s a good assumption! But there’s a perfectly viable Encanto story treatment for the carousel
This would beg to differ.
 

rd805

Well-Known Member

Yellow Strap

Well-Known Member
You think a land dedicated to IPs that have nothing to do with animals fits better in Animal Kingdom than dinosaurs?
How do you know there won't be any animals? They mentioned in the Blue Sky presentation that one of the reasons they chose this region was its incredible array of different animals and plant life.

They still might not include real animals...but there is a chance.
 

Yellow Strap

Well-Known Member
It would certainly be a great transitional area between the mesa region of BTMRR and the alleged Villains Land (Coco's theme of death mixes well with the dark and brooding theme of the villains). Will they do this? Probably not.

Why does there need to be a great transition? An archway/portal to Villains Land is all I need and, to be honest...is all we usually get.

I don't mean "Settling for less"...but there aren't great transitions between lands in MK now.
 
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