New construction at Disney's Animal Kingdom?

[DKampy]

MiceAge is reporting some construction activity going on behind everest which is not where the new Yin and Yak eatery is being built. Click here: MiceAge.com

I was wondering if anyone here can confirm this. it makes sense one more adddition to DAK...it will certainly become a full day park for most.

 

[pacochran]

We stayed at AKL last week and on the balcony we could hear the construction a couple of mornings, in fact I was a little upset as it was a little ofter 7am and you could here the construction equipment. I had also stopped at the DVC desk to see if they had any dates yet on when they would start selling (sorry she said she didn't know). Someone came up and was looking into it, and he said he thought they started construction already, or he was hearing the construction. I didn't get a chance to question it further, but there is something going on near AKL.

 

[Shaman]

My vote: It's the restaurant. :lookaroun
Cool tidbit though...land clearing at WDW is always interesting.

 

[Alztybrn]

I liked the part about being able to get a dole whip at Captain Cook's :sohappy:

 

[Madison]

That land has been cleared since at least Everest's construction. It's not a new development and it seems very unlikely that it's for the park.

 

[wdwmagic]

That land has been in that state for a long time now, it isnt new. I believe it was done at the same time as Asia.

 

[T-i-doubleguher]

I really hope that the land is used for something worthwhile, or even used at all. I really like where Animal Kingdom is going with its ideas. So far it's gone with great choices like Everest and Finding Nemo. Now if they could only build Beaslty Kingdom...:animwink:

 

[Walt_Disney]

I really hope that the land is used for something worthwhile, or even used at all. I really like where Animal Kingdom is going with its ideas. So far it's gone with great choices like Everest and Finding Nemo. Now if they could only build Beaslty Kingdom...:animwink:

could you have used any smaller of a font:brick:

 

[DisneyDefenders]

The Land Down Under

My understanding is that at this point, a more realistic expectation than having Beastly Kingdom built is to see the development of Australia.

 

[pacochran]

There is some type of construction going on near AKL because we could here it every morning that we were there last week except for Saturday.

 

[VillanovaBlue]

Two known projects right now at AK/AKL...

The new DVC

The new Ying & Yak (or whatever it's called) Restaurant near EE

 

[Madison]

There is some type of construction going on near AKL because we could here it every morning that we were there last week except for Saturday.

AKL is on the opposite side of the park and then some from where the photograph shown in the MiceAge update was taken.

 

[DigitalDisney]

If that "construction" can be heard from AKL, then it must be annoyingly loud in the park, and it probably bothers the All-Stars and Coronado Springs too.

 

[Monty]

The Google Earth photo of that area shows it cleared at that time. Everest was still in early construction. So whatever it is it A) isn't "new" construction and B) is an unlikely location for the restaurant, since access would be a deterrent to people going. Given its location, I'd guess it is part of the support/maintenance of Kali.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

The Google Earth photo of that area shows it cleared at that time. Everest was still in early construction. So whatever it is it A) isn't "new" construction and B) is an unlikely location for the restaurant, since access would be a deterrent to people going. Given its location, I'd guess it is part of the support/maintenance of Kali.

Yep. Was just about to say that. I think it was cleared as part of the initial building of the park for "future development" that never has happened. It provides a nice staging area. Maybe someday, although I would love to slate the Camp MinnieMickey area first just to balance out the front of the park more.

 

[Liverstealer]

There is indeed construction equipment in the area north of Asia and somewhat east of Rafiki's. If you look in the bushes behind the train station at Rafiki's, you can even see some sort of structure forming out of girders. This area was used for building tests for Everest way back when, but now there seems to be something built a bit more permanent. Keep in mind from a few weeks back that someone discovered Orange County construction permits detailing a "moving water screen." I've heard cast members in the animal programs department describe the area as a site for a future attraction, but without solid evidence, I don't think it's worth expanding upon...

 

[Rob562]

Yep. Was just about to say that. I think it was cleared as part of the initial building of the park for "future development" that never has happened. It provides a nice staging area. Maybe someday, although I would love to slate the Camp MinnieMickey area first just to balance out the front of the park more.

My suggestion would be to relocate Camp Minnie-Mickey to this open land between Asia and Conservation Station, and then use the entire land available in the current Camp Minnie-Mickey for a new section of the park (Beastly Kingdom which is what was supposed to be there in the first place, Australia, etc) There's not much more that they can expand on with the Camp Minnie-Mickey theme, making the open plot of land behind Lion King and Pocahontas useless.
CMM would also work well as a thematic extension onto Conservation Station and its Affection Section...

-Rob

 

[malice]

is there space behind the theatre in the wild? i think an australia section would make sense to be built there as finding nemo the musical already represents that continent.

 

[RSoxNo1]

My own two cents:

Australia - I don't think it's happening. They have Red Kangaroos in the parks already, and most of the other animals (save Koala's and a few other marsupials) are too small to devote an entire land. I have read similiar explanations on this site in the past from people seemingly in the know.

The land by everest has been cleared for quite some time as far as I know. I was also under the impression that there was also some more cleared land near Camp Minnie Mickey. Wouldn't the CMM area be closer to the Animal Kingdom Lodge indicating that any construction you would hear would be coming from that area and not Asia? With that said, the construction is probably at the lodge itself for the DVC addition they plan on adding.

As for improving the park - I would like to see more animals in the walk through trails leading up to Africa (you can also access these if you take a left out of It's tought to be a bug). The last few years I've been the Capybara and Giant Galapagos Tortoise haven't been there. This would be a great location to include more animals from South America and Australia.

Rafiki's planet watch definitely needs to be improved. More animals presented in a zoo like setting would make it more appealing as that's the section of the park that's most like other zoos in the world. I was also under the impression that they had Fennec Foxes at Rafiki's Planet Watch but I have never seen them.

If they are indeed developing plots of land in Asia (especially those that are otherwise difficult to get to), then it would seem to me that the Asian Safari could possibly be in the works (this is pure speculation). However if the entrance to the attraction is easy to get to, the attraction itself can be out of the way (much like Kilimanjaro Safaris). I've long been a proponent of the expansion of animal variety in Asia with so many major animals currently omitted from the parks. There really has been little to no dialogue about Disney's progress with the Chinese government about obtaining Giant Pandas or Asian Elephants, but those two, along with Black Bears, Red Pandas, Snow Leopards and Orangutans would be an expansion that could arguably put the Animal Kingdom on par with some of the top Zoos in the country, while still maintaining the other thrills in the park that make it a full day experience.

 

[MetFan81]

I agree with RSox1, in that Australia is not as certain to come to AK as some may believe. Aus. would be a "nice" addition in that it would be NEW, have a walking trail and some sort of new attraction.

However, really what could you do with Aus. that makes it worth of having its own land.

Problems:
- The animals are rather small. We have a hard enough time seeing Gorrillas in Asia let alone a Kowala bear, lol.

- Does Aus. have any type of foods that would even make a fast food restraunt logical?

- What attraction could possibly be used for this area? The imagineers would have to really think outside of the box for this to work.