Lack of Princess at DAK?

[AndyS2992]

Look up Mermaid Lagoon at Tokyo DisneySea if you have never seen it. What an amazing land/section...completely emmersive. Most likely will not come to WDW after the opening of the Mermaid attraction at MK (not that we are complaining about it), but that would be something fitting at DAK. Glad to finally have a Mermaid dark ride regardless.

Not really unless it was full of aquariums. It would fit in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios at a push.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Kids who want to see grown ups in costumes talk to them should be taken to the theater.

WDW is for family fun in themed environments.

 

[networkpro]

What exactly besides occupying your particular offspring would princesses bring to DAK and its stated mission of The park leads the way in animal care, education and research—for an enchanting experience that blends learning with family fun. ?

Want to see princesses harvesting the natural bounty of the rest of the park as hunter gatherers frequently do ? Grilling up Pumba ? A "princess" is a societal construct and speaks volumes on how resources are concentrated and utilized by urban populations at the expense of the rest.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Incidentally, isn't Pocahontas in CMM anymore? Or are they clearing the area out for Avatar?

I thought she fitted right in.
Shame her show is gone. It was always meant as just a filler, but I thought it a pretty fun show.

 

[thomas998]

Jasmine could fit in the India section of the park and Pocahontas could surely fit. However, keep them out!

Why would you put Jasmine in India?

Frankly I would prefer if ALL the princesses were at MK only. For me they are all fairy tales and the other parks are not really where they belong.

 

[BryceM]

Why would you put Jasmine in India?

Frankly I would prefer if ALL the princesses were at MK only. For me they are all fairy tales and the other parks are not really where they belong.

I thought she lived in India when I posted that... Now I realize.

 

[FettFan]

Epcot does it brilliantly with the characters in their respective countries from which the story took place.

Except that Aladdin was actually Chinese.

EDIT -- Though part of the tale does take place in "Maghreb" (the "Jafar" character steals the lamp, kidnaps the princess and flees) , which is thought to be northwest Africa, so having Aladdin and Jasmine popping up in the Morocco pavilion actually has a strain of logic to it.

 

[cheezbat]

I don't see why Princesses need to be in every park. If you can find them in one park, that should be enough.
I can't even find my favorite characters in the park anymore...Darkwing and Scrooge(except Christmas).

Besides, they wouldn't fit thematically in DAK.

 

[Chrononymous]

I totally get that there doesn't need to be any princesses in DAK.
But what about ANY strong Female presence?

I like that DAK is another world...one of animals and nature and conservation, and wonders of the natural world.

But last time I was there, Pocahontas wasn't to be found, and there weren't even any female characters (other than Minnie) in the Meet and Greets that I could see.

I would love if Disney created a unique character that could fit in here. Someone to show that girls aren't just princesses, but adventurers and explorers and animal activists etc....
Mulan (not really a princess, but a butt kicking good role model) and Jane(also not a princess) would be an Ok fit...though I know they could create something even better.
Have either of those character ever had M&Gs in DAK?

 

[doctornick]

Incidentally, isn't Pocahontas in CMM anymore? Or are they clearing the area out for Avatar?

I thought she fitted right in.
Shame her show is gone. It was always meant as just a filler, but I thought it a pretty fun show.

I thought it was a cute show too. I have mentioned it before but I think a family oriented "critter country" would be a great addition to DAK. It could feature rides/attractions themed to various Disney animals like from Bambi, Jungle Book, etc. plus a more robust animal character meet and greet. I imagined that a rebooted Pocahontas show would be a great addition to such a concept.

 

[luv]

OP is right. The AK is one place that doesn't specifically cater to young girls. Amen and hallelujah!

There is still a lot at AK for younger kids to enjoy, but it isn't packed with a bunch of little girl stuff and/or Princesses, thank God.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

OP is right. The AK is one place that doesn't specifically cater to young girls. Amen and hallelujah!

There is still a lot at AK for younger kids to enjoy, but it isn't packed with a bunch of little girl stuff and/or Princesses, thank God.

A big 'Yes!' to all of that.

However, to explore the subject further, what should be ungirly about animals, exploration, nature conservation? Little girls like more than pinky princesses and tarting themselves up. There's a big world out there.

The sad thing here is not DAK - which totally caters to girls - but that Disney should have reduced its public image to that of 'pink, plastic, little girl stuff'. How deep to fall for the company fallen that once gave the world EPCOT, nature documentaries and theme parks where astronauts and American history was brought to life!

The result of the clueless Philistines that have reduced Disney to an infantile IP exploitation experience is that people go to WDW and expect infantilia, constantly, everywhere. 'Where are the princesses?' And so, little by little, bit by bit, WDW is rebuild in this image, cartoonified and dumbed down to meet ever lower customer expectations.

 

[Tinkerbell 8]

As much as I LOVE meeting characters in Disney, especially the Princesses, I WOULD HATE them to be in AK, it makes NO SENSE. I enjoy meeting characters in areas where they "fit" and they aren't just thrown in because someone wants every part of Disney to have characters so kids can enjoy it. I miss the days when characters just roamed around the parks, it was fun to just run into one of them, now we have fastpasses to meet characters, and soon with the NexGen stuff, we will have a specific time at which we can meet Mickey, that's absurd! Sorry about the rant, but no, I do not think that Princesses should be in AK, MK has plenty.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I know this could be difficult considering the safari...trek into the wilds theme about the place, but could Disney quite possibly add certain aspects to delight those who come to the parks to mingle in the world of the princess. Pocahontas, sure, but other than that theme it seemed rather lacking.

Excepting the Disney-MGM Studios, the Disney theme parks were not really about bringing you into the world of movies. They were about creating their own world with their own stories. Yes, at times stories crossed mediums, but it was not about specifically ensuring a "step into the film" experience. Even being able to meet the characters is a rather recent phenomenon.

I would love if Disney created a unique character that could fit in here. Someone to show that girls aren't just princesses, but adventurers and explorers and animal activists etc....
Mulan (not really a princess, but a butt kicking good role model) and Jane(also not a princess) would be an Ok fit...though I know they could create something even better.
Have either of those character ever had M&Gs in DAK?

Disney won't because, even amongst Disney's fans, such a character would not be a "Disney" character.

 

[GeorgiaPinesRJB]

The funny thing is, growing up, I only expected to find characters at MK... MGM-Studios and Epcot (Animal Kingdom wasn't around yet) were their own unique parks, with their own unique experience devoid of references to the characters, etc. where MK was where the tie-ins to the movies and cartoons were... I guess now people assume the opposite?

 

[lazyboy97o]

I guess now people assume the opposite?

I am going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but this is what I think. I am of the opinion that there are two main groups who make up the larger category of Disney theme park fans: themed entertainment fans and Disney fans. The first group love the Disney parks because they love theme parks and Disney has a long history as being the industry leader. This group wants to see theme park stuff. The other group loves other facets of Disney more and that is their connection and point of entry to the parks. To them it is a representation of more what is already loved, so they want more of the characters from other parts of the company.

 

[Yzma]

But last time I was there, Pocahontas wasn't to be found...

Pocahontas is out daily, and has been for years. She has moved around to different locations, but her set times are listed in the Times Guide so she is easy to find.

....Mulan (not really a princess, but a butt kicking good role model) and Jane(also not a princess) would be an Ok fit...though I know they could create something even better.Have either of those character ever had M&Gs in DAK?

Jane did used to have regular meet and greets at DAK YEARS ago, however, her and Tarzan did make a couple appearances together earlier this year (August/Sept).

Mulan is at Epcot and I just don't think she's popular enough to warrant 2 M&Gs. A big part of how common a character is has to do with how well the photos sell and how long the lines are.

Though - her line today was HUGE - but that's because Shang joined her for a couple sets.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I am going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but this is what I think. I am of the opinion that there are two main groups who make up the larger category of Disney theme park fans: themed entertainment fans and Disney fans. The first group love the Disney parks because they love theme parks and Disney has a long history as being the industry leader. This group wants to see theme park stuff. The other group loves other facets of Disney more and that is their connection and point of entry to the parks. To them it is a representation of more what is already loved, so they want more of the characters from other parts of the company.

You may get flack, but I agree, especially when most new park offerings are tie-ins to other parts of the company and that becomes the expectation for the second group.

 

[bdearl41]

I am sorry but this post is ridiculous. Princesses have essentially taken over the entire marketing front of Disney, and all of MK has become focused around it. Leave AK alone. It is a state of the art zoo, not fantasyland south, get over it. AK was not designed to be a haven for princesses to be surrounded by animals. I suppose you want Jasmine with a live tiger greeting guest. I don't vent often, but jeez, this opening post is ridiculous.

 

[luv]

A big 'Yes!' to all of that.

However, to explore the subject further, what should be ungirly about animals, exploration, nature conservation? Little girls like more than pinky princesses and tarting themselves up. There's a big world out there.

The sad thing here is not DAK - which totally caters to girls - but that Disney should have reduced its public image to that of 'pink, plastic, little girl stuff'. How deep to fall for the company fallen that once gave the world EPCOT, nature documentaries and theme parks where astronauts and American history was brought to life!

The result of the clueless Philistines that have reduced Disney to an infantile IP exploitation experience is that people go to WDW and expect infantilia, constantly, everywhere. 'Where are the princesses?' And so, little by little, bit by bit, WDW is rebuild in this image, cartoonified and dumbed down to meet ever lower customer expectations.

I don't think the AK caters to girls, but to everyone. Of course girls can like what is there, but so can boys. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...those are the people who can appreciate the AK. Not all of them do, sadly, but it isn't aimed specifically at 5yo girls like so much of Disney.

Frilly dresses and tiaras are just not a good fit for the AK. Yay.

Jumanji would be an excellent fit for the AK. IMO, it is the best fantasy-based family movie since Wizard of Oz...and is good for both sexes. I don't know how they could do it, but I wish they could work that in. I still show it to school-aged kids when they're with me and they always like it.

I'd also like a Jungle Book show. And since every time I say that, some snippy person says, "You do know there was one, don't you?" Yes, I know. I still want one.