Rumor Lion King Flume Ride being considered for Animal Kingdom

[James Alucobond]

Animals don’t feel responsibility? They don’t betray? They don’t feel guilt? Redemption? Animals don’t love? They do all of those things, and you must not have a dog.

Your logic suggests animals are empty emotionless robots that operate solely on instinct. That the “point” of being an animal is just to eat, sleep and roar. That if a fictional animal exhibits emotion, it must be a stand-in for a human because a real animal could’ve never…

This really isn't a discussion worth having if you can't even concede that The Lion King is very clearly a human narrative with animals superimposed over it. It is truly plain as day. I didn't say that animals have no emotions, but they don't check them against human morals or logic. Their actions are not governed by the kinds of motivations and rationalizations presented in the film. The animals are window dressing. The conclusion isn't even some fabulistic ponderance of animal nature; it's just ascension to the throne via destiny and divine right.

Animals, especially fictional animals, are humanized because we are the ones trying to consume their stories. Attenborough humanizes animals on Planet Earth all the time; who knows how much of what he’s saying is made up or if that penguin really does “go to work” every day. Dinosaurs don’t hold up falling trees to save time traveling jeeps from meteors. Bugs don’t put on variety shows for humans, either. But seeing these behaviors gives us an opening to connect with them, and empathize. That doesn’t make them any less animal. Animals that do hunt in packs. Animals do stray from their diet to avoid starvation. Animals do have natural social hierarchies that are often challenged. So what if these are brought to life with a little Shakespeare?

As to the bolded, yes it does. That's exactly what it does. When you anthropomorphize something, you make it more human and less animal. That doesn't mean anthropomorphized animals are incapable of delivering attraction content that is on theme for Animal Kingdom, but I personally believe it does mean that you have to put in a bit of extra effort to make doubly sure that they're doing so.