News 'Raya and the Last Dragon' offerings coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Thematic fit aside, if Raya is a runaway hit (IMO unlikely due to the distribution format, but we’ll see), it’s a shoe in for a Kali River Rapids retheme.

Well hopefully it's not a hit, then. That would be disastrous to Animal Kingdom.

It's going to happen eventually, but it would be nice for AK to remain the best, most consistent WDW park for at least a little while longer.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Thematic fit aside, if Raya is a runaway hit (IMO unlikely due to the distribution format, but we’ll see), it’s a shoe in for a Kali River Rapids retheme.
When Mulan became no-extra-cost on D+, it made the top ten list of movies streamed (among the top streamers). Soul's been riding that list for over a month. And Moana and Frozen II.

Then again, by being present in the park, a property that wasn't hot/profitable at it's release can take on a life of its own, cf. Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph; Brave.
 

Dan Deesnee

Well-Known Member
There's just something...off about Raya. I think the trailers are just trying to hard to make it look super bad . The music is just really the wrong choice for what essentially seems to be a fantasy movie. I also feel it committed a cardinal sin of trailers and gives way to much of the storyline away.

Collider actually has an interview up talking about why the film seems so contemporary. Doesn't give me much hope for the film.

I really hope I'm wrong because the concept sounds great and there are things I do like in the trailer. Guess we'll see soon enough but I'm predicting an average Rotten Tomatoes score of around 60-70%.
 
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The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Thematic fit aside, if Raya is a runaway hit (IMO unlikely due to the distribution format, but we’ll see), it’s a shoe in for a Kali River Rapids retheme.
Raya is set in a pan-Asia fantasyland, the way the MK FL is pan-European. Which is really interesting, I would kill for an Asian FL, somewhere, anywhere, but not taking over DAK Asia, that is just daft. Like putting a Dumbo spinner in Harambe because he's an African elephant. But we've all had this conversation before and know how these tend to end in real life.
 

Piebald

Well-Known Member
Raya is set in a pan-Asia fantasyland, the way the MK FL is pan-European. Which is really interesting, I would kill for an Asian FL, somewhere, anywhere, but not taking over DAK Asia, that is just daft. Like putting a Dumbo spinner in Harambe because he's an African elephant. But we've all had this conversation before and know how these tend to end in real life.
Not to be pedantic but Dumbo is an Asian elephant. He just has big ears. Asian elephants are domesticated easily and are the ones you would see in circuses... African elephants not so much (if at all)
 

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Raya is set in a pan-Asia fantasyland, the way the MK FL is pan-European. Which is really interesting, I would kill for an Asian FL, somewhere, anywhere, but not taking over DAK Asia, that is just daft. Like putting a Dumbo spinner in Harambe because he's an African elephant. But we've all had this conversation before and know how these tend to end in real life.

I think that's why Beastly Kingdome was its own separate land, just like how the extinct dinosaurs are in their own, despite those fossils being found all over the world. The fantastic and the real were intended to both be represented, but not mixed together. That's what made Africa, Asia different from Adventureland or older Imagineering concepts. You went to the "real world" in those areas.
 

Giss Neric

Well-Known Member
Thematic fit aside, if Raya is a runaway hit (IMO unlikely due to the distribution format, but we’ll see), it’s a shoe in for a Kali River Rapids retheme.
Early reviews are generally very positive aside from the criticisms some have regarding casting choices. People have choices to watch it in theaters if they don't wanna pay $30. I wouldn't mind paying $30 cause I'm really intrigued by the movie but I would rather watch it in theaters cause my home entertainment system ain't up to par. I really need surround sound and bigger screen to appreciate a movie.

Oh and I'm on board with retheming Kali BUT if they do please lengthen the ride in the process. This water ride is so short.
 

seabreezept813

Well-Known Member
There's just something...off about Raya. I think the trailers are just trying to hard to make it look super bad ***. The music is just really the wrong choice for what essentially seems to be a fantasy movie. I also feel it committed a cardinal sin of trailers and gives way to much of the storyline away.

Collider actually has an interview up talking about why the film seems so contemporary. Doesn't give me much hope for the film.

I really hope I'm wrong because the concept sounds great and there are things I do like in the trailer. Guess we'll see soon enough but I'm predicting an average Rotten Tomatoes score of around 60-70%.
I just want a new animation Renaissance.. but not sure this will start one
 

seabreezept813

Well-Known Member
The recent WDAS animated features have been well regarded, haven't they? I feel like ever since PATF/Tangled, we've been seeing pretty consistently quality films
There have been some solid films like Moana.. but Disney seems much less invested in traditional animation when you consider how frequently some of these types of films used to be released. I always wonder/worry that they will drop animation entirely.
 

tcool123

Well-Known Member
I would say we our in the midst of a modern animated Disney Renaissance, much like the 90's one every WDAS film starting with Princess and the Frog has been a financial success. Just like the Renaissance in the 90's not every film is a critical darling (Pocahontas and Hercules), and we already have a sequel that's frequently forgotten about (Winnie the Pooh is this Renaissance's Rescuers Down Under).
 

Touchdown

Well-Known Member
I feel like PatF-Moana represented an era “the revival” but ever since (the totally justifiable) departure of John Lassiter Disney movies have lost a step and are not of the same quality. I am hoping Raya reverses course (it is after all the first original film since Moana) but I’m not sure it will.
 

DCBaker

Premium Member
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MrPromey

Well-Known Member
Raya is set in a pan-Asia fantasyland, the way the MK FL is pan-European. Which is really interesting, I would kill for an Asian FL, somewhere, anywhere, but not taking over DAK Asia, that is just daft. Like putting a Dumbo spinner in Harambe because he's an African elephant. But we've all had this conversation before and know how these tend to end in real life.

Got the impression from the start, which seemed confirmed by the trailers that this movie's main purpose was to appeal to the Chinese market. Having watched the live action Mulan, I feel the exact same way about that one.

Just doesn't seem like the primary focus of either of these are the US which would explain why Disney's so cool with releasing them this way. They probably weren't expecting huge things over here for either of them so they're good projects to use for experimenting with release formats.
 

Touchdown

Well-Known Member
Got the impression from the start, which seemed confirmed by the trailers that this movie's main purpose was to appeal to the Chinese market. Having watched the live action Mulan, I feel the exact same way about that one.
It’s actually not, this film borrows elements from Southeast Asia (countries south of China) and is not Chinese in the same way Coco isn’t an American inspired film.
 

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