Journey To Center of Earth Rumor!!

[jrriddle]

......to me, Beastly Kingdom always seems like a lot of style, with not a lot of substance.

Agreed. In fact if they did want to put in a another coaster eventually, I would say build the Excavator in Dinoland. But even that would still be overkill for the forseeable future.

 

[Yen_Sid1]

The problem is the parks animal exhibits (the 2 treks and KS) close at sunset, so on days like this Friday, when the park is open until 8pm, and the animal exhibits close at 5pm, what is there really to do in the park that would not have already been done throughout the day.

The park's ultimate goal is most likely to become a "2 meal" park.....that is a park where people will be there long enough to eat both lunch and dinner......doing so would drastically increase the parks revenue.

It is going to take a lot more than just Everest to make this happen.

This past Monday, AK was open until 8:00 pm also. After 7:00 pm they still had over 17,000 still in the park. The rides were crowded and fast passes were sold out.

The problem is if they normally have 15 - 20,000 during the morning hours and then around 3:00 pm, there is only about 2,000 people left then of course they are going to close early.

 

[DarkMeasures]

I like this rumor because the idea sounds cool...but how in the world does it fit in Animal Kingdom?

At least this would save me from having to go all the way to Paris for some Jules Verne-coolness.

If you have seen any videos or rode the ride, you would notice the ride is teaming full of animal AAs as well as many other kinds of life.

 

[Hakunamatata]

The problem is the parks animal exhibits (the 2 treks and KS) close at sunset, so on days like this Friday, when the park is open until 8pm, and the animal exhibits close at 5pm, what is there really to do in the park that would not have already been done throughout the day.

The park's ultimate goal is most likely to become a "2 meal" park.....that is a park where people will be there long enough to eat both lunch and dinner......doing so would drastically increase the parks revenue.

It is going to take a lot more than just Everest to make this happen.

I agree and think they could have pulled of putting Soarin in Ak. It would have required revamping the "movie", but they could have themed it as Soarin over Africa, the Serengetti (sp) or something like that. Worked in soarin over some stampeding animals, etc. EPCOT did not need this attraction right now with MS just opening........

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Getting Park Hoppers

I personally think that Journey or any other type of attraction in that vein is needed, but it needs to anchor another land like Beastly Kingdom or something else. As many have said, people don't stay in the park after 4:00 because it is not open. As we have seen this week, though, people will come, but you need to give them something to do. If DAK became a "half-and-half" park (ala Epcot), I think they could start getting people to both start here and park hop AND hop here after going somewhere else. NOTE: By Half-and-Half I mean focus the back half on Animals (African and Asia) and the front half on attractions, much like FW and WS are. While the occassional spirit of the other half creeps in (like Maelstrom in WS and Innoventions in FW), it keeps people in the park when they decide to come. That also helps with the themeing aspect because the front half could use "non-real" creatures that open HUGE avenues of creativity that can work 24-7, and the real creatures can stay in the back and only work during the light (which gets around how to make these attractions "do-able" at night if that was even an option).

I think anything from a Pridelands area (think I posted that idea elsewhere) to Beastly Kingdom to a Jules Verne-ish area with attractions and interactive exhibits (touch the mole people) to a Mythical area (with Fantasia, Hercules, etc.) to any others would work well. Just give us another area to visit after dark when we have the chance.

Having said all this, I personally think the concept of Journey should be rethemed to Ayres Rock and its mysterious surroundings and serve as the foundation for Australia (which would connect Asia to Rafiki's Planet Watch), but that's just my opinion. Light it up from behind at night in eerie lighting and have a really neat attraction based on the Australian Outback (with "strange encounters" obviously).

 

[Jusjuice]

Journey To the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are great rides, but I don't see Mysterious Island fitting into Animal Kingdom. All of the other lands are based on Reigions of Animals (Africa, Asia) or Types of animals (Dinoland, Camp Minnie-Mickey) and Mysterious Island doesn't fit into either of these categories. Even a radically revamped Beastly Kingdom, with Journey as its Anchor would be a big stretch with a Jules Verne theme. What kind of animals would the section have? Mytical Jules Verne animals? I say save it for Florida DisneySea.

 

[speck76]

Having said all this, I personally think the concept of Journey should be rethemed to Ayres Rock and its mysterious surroundings and serve as the foundation for Australia (which would connect Asia to Rafiki's Planet Watch), but that's just my opinion. Light it up from behind at night in eerie lighting and have a really neat attraction based on the Australian Outback (with "strange encounters" obviously).

Uluru.....great idea

The Aborigines believe that there it is hollow below ground, and that there is an energy source that they call 'Tjukurpa' the 'dream time'. The term Tjukurpa is also used to refer to the record of all activities of a particular ancestral being from the very beginning of his or her travels to their end. Anangu know that the area around Ayers Rock (Mount Uluru) is inhabited by dozens of ancestral beings whose activities are recorded at many separate sites. At each site, the events that took place can be recounted, whether those events were of significance or whether the ancestral being just rested at a certain place before going on.

Sounds like a great foundation for an attraction.

So much could be done with Australia ......another animal trek with Austrailia animals (or, another KS type ride into the outback), a Sydney Opera House could hold some live entertainment.....

I would love to see a "China" section beuilt behind Everest (since the real Everest is between India and China.....it would work) They could have another animal trek with Pandas....also, they could play off some attractions based on the Chinese Dragon.....also, Mulan and friends could be featured somehow.

 

[bhg469]

AK could definitely use some pandas. but everyone should have a panda, they look so much fun.

 

[Lynx04]

One thing that probably stuck their minds is that with the addition of EE, most will be flocking to it. Not just because it is new, but also because it is the only true E attraction that they will have, besides Dinosaur. I think the park is really filled with a bunch of C and D attractions since due to a lack of E attractions feel like E attractions. I just hope that if they do get JITCOTE then it is place on the other side of the park from EE.

 

[Jusjuice]

I don't see Australia being built until they adress the problem of AK's lack of rides. The biggest gap in that park is that there are no family-friendly dark rides. Look at the Magic Kingdom: the park is built around family friendly dark rides, and it is wildly successful. They could even use the Jungle Book, Tarzan, or the Lion King to provide a distinclty Disney basis for some rides. Until they balance out what they have with more rides, I don't think another Animal area is going to be built. Pandas, however, would make a nice, smaller addition to Asia.

 

[Lynx04]

Does anyone have any photos that shows the areas of future expansion?

 

[Jusjuice]

Try this aerial photo out:
http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=8560&password=&sort=1&cat=all&page=1

There's a TON of land cleared behind Africa and Asia, although I don't know why they would use this for, other than an expansion of the existing lands. Camp Minnie-Mickey has plenty of room to expand, and there is room for an additional land Between Africa and Camp Minnie-Mickey. (Assuming they move the Cast Access bridge to Discovery Island ) It also apperars that there is enough space for a small China, or panda-themed area between Kali and Everest.

 

[speck76]

I don't see Australia being built until they adress the problem of AK's lack of rides. The biggest gap in that park is that there are no family-friendly dark rides. Look at the Magic Kingdom: the park is built around family friendly dark rides, and it is wildly successful. They could even use the Jungle Book, Tarzan, or the Lion King to provide a distinclty Disney basis for some rides. Until they balance out what they have with more rides, I don't think another Animal area is going to be built. Pandas, however, would make a nice, smaller addition to Asia.

I am not sure why they would want DAK to become a "MK with animals"....Sure, Disney (and the Magic Kingdom) has been very good at creating dark rides, but why recreate what already exists?

The way I see it now....the park basically has the following:

Major Attractions:
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kali River Rapids
Dinosaur
It's Tough to be a Bug
Expedition Everest

Minor Attractions:
Rafiki's Planet Watch & Affection Section
Maharaja Jungle Trek
Pangani Forest Trail
Discovery Island Trails
The Oasis Animal Exhibits
Primevil Whirl
Triceratops Spin
The Boneyard
Lucky the Dinosaur

Live Shows:
Festival of the Lion King
Pocahontas and her Forest Friends
Tarzan Rocks!
Flights of Wonder
Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade

Things WDW Considers Attractions, (but they really are not):
The Tree of Life
The Meet and Greets
Cretatious Trail
Dino-Rama Games

That being said, I think DAK lacks 3 major elements:

1. It needs 1 more major E-ticket thrill-style ride
2. It needs "minor attractions" that are more than just "animal walk-throughs"
3. If it is going to stay opening later, it needs a nighttime show or parade.

Now, I want to focus on point number 2, the need for more minor attractions that are not just animal walk-throughs.

A study was done a while back (and I can not seem to find the link) that concluded "theme park guests do not apprectiate attractions that do not require some type of formal waiting and boarding process"....That is, how many guests, when they look back at their trip to DAK, think about the various walk-through exhibits? How many guests have Rafiki's Planet Watch as a highlight of their trip?
Another problem with the walk-throughs is that they are unpredictable. When a guest boards It's a Small World at the MK, they are going to see the same ride as the person that rode 20 minutes earlier, or 4 hours later. This is not the case with the animal exhibits. The Tigers could be running around, playing, or near the viewing areas, or they could be sleeping, or hiding in the bushes. The attraction can not gurantee the same experience or quality for each visitor.

What DAK needs is 3 or 4 "filler" rides/attractions that would be considered "minor"......they may relate to animals in some way, they may not, but they give a quality experience to each and every visitor. The attractions should be in the "20 minute wait" catagory.....and should appeal to a large audiance.

Think.....if DAK was able to add 4 "minor" attractions, each averaged a 20 minute wait, and and mass appeal, the park has just accomplished keeping a large amount of guests in the park for 80+ additional minutes.

 

[jrriddle]

Does anyone have any photos that shows the areas of future expansion?

Again, when Lee first mentioned this rumour a few months back (and I'm still waiting for him to post to see if he has any new info..hint...hint ) he indicated that it would go in the area just north of Camp Mickey.

 

[Lynx04]

looking at the pics it looks as if there is loads of land north of kali and land available south west of the tree of life.

 

[jrriddle]

2. It needs "minor attractions" that are more than just "animal walk-throughs"

Now, I want to focus on point number 2, the need for more minor attractions that are not just animal walk-throughs.

A study was done a while back (and I can not seem to find the link) that concluded "theme park guests do not apprectiate attractions that do not require some type of formal waiting and boarding process"....That is, how many guests, when they look back at their trip to DAK, think about the various walk-through exhibits? How many guests have Rafiki's Planet Watch as a highlight of their trip?
Another problem with the walk-throughs is that they are unpredictable. When a guest boards It's a Small World at the MK, they are going to see the same ride as the person that rode 20 minutes earlier, or 4 hours later. This is not the case with the animal exhibits. The Tigers could be running around, playing, or near the viewing areas, or they could be sleeping, or hiding in the bushes. The attraction can not gurantee the same experience or quality for each visitor.

What DAK needs is 3 or 4 "filler" rides/attractions that would be considered "minor"......they may relate to animals in some way, they may not, but they give a quality experience to each and every visitor. The attractions should be in the "20 minute wait" catagory.....and should appeal to a large audiance.

Think.....if DAK was able to add 4 "minor" attractions, each averaged a 20 minute wait, and and mass appeal, the park has just accomplished keeping a large amount of guests in the park for 80+ additional minutes.

I agree that they do need more minor rides (C-Tichets?) but since you are generally against MK style dark rides in DAK (unless I read that wrong) what would you suggest?

 

[speck76]

I agree that they do need more minor rides (C-Tichets?) but since you are generally against MK style dark rides in DAK (unless I read that wrong) what would you suggest?

Details are too small picture for me :lookaroun .......but that is what Imagineering is for

 

[jrriddle]

Details are too small picture for me :lookaroun .......but that is what Imagineering is for

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

JTCOTE, would be an excellent addition to AK, and I agree with the Austraillian theme.

I don't mean to get off subject but...

With MS and Soarin' to Epcot
The Motor Stunt Show and possibly Cinemagigue(sp) to DS
EE and possibly JITCOTE and 20KL to AK
MK needs a E-ticket attraction, hate to bring this up....but FM ?

All of these additions would be fantastic and boost revenue in all parks and boost attendance....

Im hoping.....

 

[tirian]

FM! Oh, that would be GREAT!