New attraction for AK?

[NewfieFan]

I would love to see pandas but....
There are only 4 zoos in America that are displaying pandas at the present time. The National Zoo in Washington D.C., Memphis Zoo, Zoo Atlanta and the San Diego Zoo.

Pandas are VERY expensive to obtain and maintain. The Chinese government lends (not sells) pandas to zoos outside of China and the last price that I've heard is one million dollars per year for a pair for a 10 year loan. After 10 years, both pandas and any offspring (if any) are to be returned to China unless another 10 year/10 million dollar contract can be arranged. In the meantime, the zoo can hope that the pandas will increase attendance and souvenir sales to make the investment worthwhile.

Pandas are also very sensitive to hot and humid conditions. The pandas that I've seen in Memphis and Atlanta were behind glass in air-conditioned exhibits for most of the year and only allowed outside during the late fall through early spring. Pandas in central Florida would almost certainly have to displayed indoors year round making a exhibit building quite expensive.

Could Disney do this? Of course. A China area could be added and could possibly be tied in with a Mulan theme with perhaps a Mushu themed coaster for considerably less money than Avatarland.

I'm sure cute little panda plush with Mickey Ears on their head would recover the 1mil a year!

Seriously, AK needs something... anything (well, not anything... honestly I'm not thrilled with Avatar but I'm trying to reserve judgement until it happens). The park is so lacking it's embarassing. And I'm in the AK fan club! I think it's the most beautiful park with some of the best theming. But there's no substance, a beautiful park is great when you're walking from attraction to attraction but it's JUST a beautiful park! There's not much for families to do there at all. There needs to be rides that are geared to more a varied age group. EE is great and all but the rest of my family won't touch it (and let's not bring up the yeti). Dinosaur is ok, but so much is turned off and/or not working (and it is terrifing for young children). The same goes for ITTBAB, great little 4D attraction but scares the bejees out of most kids (and some adults). Primeval Whirl is nothing to right home about and Tricertop spin is the same ole' spinner found everywhere else (although my kids do enjoy). Kali River Rapids is fun if you enjoy walking around in wet clothes for a couple of hours afterwards (and isn't that fun in the cooler months).

FOTLK, Safari, Nemo musical and animal trails are about all that's left to do in that park with a family.

 

[tl77]

Urgh... just ... no ...

It's time like these that we really need a DISLIKE button!

 

[tl77]

I really like this idea. I would have never thought of this.

They really could put those pixies all over the park...with a different one doing something different with different kinds of animals. And "Pixie Hollow" could be built under the Tree of Life where the Bug's Life thing is. To me that would be much better than having the bugs in there.

Yeah I agree, I found out she's already got a job working for the United Nations (posted above)

 

[BryceM]

Disney's Animal Kingdom is such a beautiful park, but it does not need fairies... The park is about discovery and nature. Head over to Magic Kingdom if you want a hoard of Disney character rides and meet & greets.

Plus, Animal Kingdom already has Chester & Hester's DinoRama tainting it's image... It does not need Pixie Hollow.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

Yeah I agree, I found out she's already got a job working for the United Nations (posted above)

That is... I don't know what to type. That was... Nope, nothing's coming out. Even as a 30 year-old male I can respect the Tinkerbell movies. The two I have seen were pretty good & I'm sure are great for kids, but this video is just... Ugh, my vocabulary blanks on what to say about it.

 

[Skibum1970]

Wouldn't mind the the Imagineers dusting off the Excavator coaster concept again.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I could not care less about more new animals at AK. I have a very excellent zoo near me where I can go if I have a yen to see animals. I don't go to Florida and spend big bucks to visit WDW to see stuff I can see at home. Pandas? I can see them just fine on Youtube.

Now, an animatronic TALKING panda...now that's something you don't see every day.

 

[celluloid]

WDI likely already has push to do things to Dinoland USA based on the upcoming Pixar Dinosaur themed project. That is about as most as we will get. A rush to the merch.

 

[Mr.Skunkape]

November while staying at AKL one night I Was enjoying a beverage by the fire pit and talked with a guy who said that he was with cirque du soleil and that he was in town for a few days working on a project for Animal Kingdom. I ask if it had to do with Avatar and he said no it was somthing else. Maybe it may be somthing or maybe it was just a bunch of bull.

 

[tl77]

That is... I don't know what to type. That was... Nope, nothing's coming out. Even as a 30 year-old male I can respect the Tinkerbell movies. The two I have seen were pretty good & I'm sure are great for kids, but this video is just... Ugh, my vocabulary blanks on what to say about it.

Yeah the video is a little odd but the intention of it is what I was getting at...

In the same way they have the Lion King film in the Land, or Nemo and Friends at the Living Seas acting as hosts to explain the environment to kids, it seems to me they could do something similar with Tinker Bell at Animal Kingdom, since she is one of their most recognizable characters and the films all deal with nature and animals

 

[SirLink]

I really think Pocahontas and Tarzan are the characters I would like to see more of in Animal Kingdom. They should have attractions for their movies...and also the Jungle Book characters. There are so many great animal themed movies...and I never understand why they don't put these characters in the parks.

They did have for both Pocahontos and Tarzan had filler attractions - if memory serves me right for they had a Jungle Book show in AK for 2 years or thereabouts, in Theatre in the Wild ... my mind may be a little fuzzy though ... because for the same reason movie characters shouldn't be in Epcot is the same reason they shouldn't be in the AK ... if ya wanna hug a 5ft teenager dressed in fur - there are two parks that accommodate your ideal time of pretending to hug a fantasy character - just like your creator Patty ...

 

[SirLink]

Yeah the video is a little odd but the intention of it is what I was getting at...

In the same way they have the Lion King film in the Land, or Nemo and Friends at the Living Seas acting as hosts to explain the environment to kids, it seems to me they could do something similar with Tinker Bell at Animal Kingdom, since she is one of their most recognizable characters and the films all deal with nature and animals

Just because they had those at the Land and The Seas ... doesn't mean it is a good idea! They wanted to use Little Mermaid in The Seas...

 

[marni1971]

Any clues ... please...

Sorry!

 

[SirLink]

Sorry!

Oh Martin Smith you could send me a PM I would sign a NDA just for you

 

[marni1971]

I really like this idea. I would have never thought of this.

They really could put those pixies all over the park...with a different one doing something different with different kinds of animals. And "Pixie Hollow" could be built under the Tree of Life where the Bug's Life thing is. To me that would be much better than having the bugs in there.

Wow Patty.
To me that's a horrible idea. Tree of Life Theatre is ideal for bugs. Luckily that's where they'll stay.

 

[drew81]

Sorry!

Heard anything about an Asian water safari featuring Asian elephants?

 

[SirLink]

Wow Patty.
To me that's a horrible idea. Tree of Life Theatre is ideal for bugs. Luckily that's where they'll stay.

Personally I always thought that pitch with mother nature in the Theatre made more sense ... as it is the Tree of Life ... but it is better than putting a generic brand of Fairies in...

 

[The Empress Lilly]

...but, the Tree of Life theater already uses cartoon characters to tell its story. What's the qualitative difference between Disney fairies and Pixar's talking cartoon bugs?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

In an act of complete randomness, I would like to make a plea for this upcoming attraction to feature the Duckbilled Platypus.

While we're at it, show Australia / Oceania some love! An Oz section would be so cool! Maybe they can tie it in to a new movie, 'The Wizard of Oi'.

[obligatory battle cry]
Ozzy ozzy ozzy, oi oi oi!
[/oiness]

 

[SirLink]

...but, the Tree of Life theater already uses cartoon characters to tell its story. What's the qualitative difference between Disney fairies and Pixar's talking cartoon bugs?

I think you answered your own question, one 'fits' in AK the other brand should be put in a longboat and set fire to it and let it drift away...