News Wakanda joins Coco, Zootopia, and Encanto on Disney Parks' future blue sky expansion list, reveals Josh D'Amaro

[Mike S]

Why are you framing things in terms of stability? The point of these pavilions is to celebrate the a country’s architecture, traditions, and culture, not to wade into politics. Any number of African countries would lend itself very well to such a mission.

Stability is why we don’t have Israel even though imo I think 90% of people wouldn’t care. Or at least I hope the percentage is that high.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I guess I missed it someplace. Where is it written where they are thinking of putting Wakanda?

 

[MrPromey]

I would turn your question on its head and ask you to list those African counties that you seriously consider to be at risk of not existing in 20-50 years’ time.

I have no idea because I wasn't posing my original question to you as some sort of gotcha.

That's why I made clear about it being an "honest question" - it's not something I'm against you on and trying to debate.

Also, it's not just those countries not existing, it's the chances of what the host country (the US) for this theme park's relations with said country might look like over time.

In my entire lifetime, that part of the world has, as far as I know, not been stable.

My understanding of politics in that region are limited but from what I do know, most of those countries are currently more aligned with one of our most serious international adversaries right now than us and for that reason, Disney would probably steer clear from attempts at representing them in a Florida theme park.

Maybe in a decade that flips.

Does it stay that way?

It would be nice to think we could separate the people and the cultures from the governments and within the abstracts of It's a Small World I think they pull it off just fine but I think in the context of Epcot, that becomes a much tougher thing for a company like Disney to navigate which I believe, again, is why they were shooting for Equatorial Africa in the first place.

 

[MrPromey]

I guess I missed it someplace. Where is it written where they are thinking of putting Wakanda?

I don't think they actually said.

 

[Drdcm]

I have no idea because I wasn't posing my original question to you as some sort of gotcha.

That's why I made clear about it being an "honest question" - it's not something I'm against you on and trying to debate.

Also, it's not just those countries not existing, it's the chances of what the host country (the US) for this theme park's relations with said country might look like over time.

In my entire lifetime, that part of the world has, as far as I know, not been stable.

My understanding of politics in that region are limited but from what I do know, most of those countries are currently more aligned with one of our most serious international adversaries right now than us and for that reason, Disney would probably steer clear from attempts at representing them in a Florida theme park.

Maybe in a decade that flips.

Does it stay that way?

It would be nice to think we could separate the people and the cultures from the governments and within the abstracts of It's a Small World I think they pull it off just fine but I think in the context of Epcot, that becomes a much tougher thing for a company like Disney to navigate which I believe, again, is why they were shooting for Equatorial Africa in the first place.

Probably Kenya would be a safe bet.

Edit: Tanzania as well

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

Wakanda --> EPCOT ?

I wouldn't be against it in World Showcase.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I don't think they actually said.

Very strange but I am not surprised as they have no idea what they are doing,

Maybe they just included the word "Wakanda" for the search engines.

 

[TomboyJanet]

I guess I missed it someplace. Where is it written where they are thinking of putting Wakanda?

Oh God this just made me think Imagine if they put Wakanda in World Showcase as Equitorial Africa I think I'd Die

 

[MrPromey]

Probably Kenya would be a safe bet.

Edit: Tanzania as well

Okay, this is what I'm talkin' about.

I admit enough ignorance on this to neither agree or disagree with those choices so I'll just say if either is viable, this should have been a Millennium Celebration addition* and not something we're still talking/debating about at this point.

*Based on how the park began, I'm not foolish enough to think Disney would have footed the bill themselves on day one but the Millennium Celebration would have been an excellent time for them to show a true embracing of the global community their 18 month marketing campaign was supposed to honor.

 

[Bocabear]

Oh God this just made me think Imagine if they put Wakanda in World Showcase as Equitorial Africa I think I'd Die

Way back in one of the threads someone actually suggested that with a straight face....lol

 

[voodoo321]

I believe we got the countries we got because either their tourism boards or private industry were willing to fork over the funds to help get their pavilions built. I don't know if it was when it started but when it ended, Norway, was supported by a private sponsor, for instance.

I'm sure that late 70's to mid 80's international politics had a lot to do with who had their check books out and who's calls Disney was taking on the matter, too.

It was my understanding, for instance, that Israel wanted a spot for years but was turned down for the obvious reasons.

I remember they did manage to get into the World Showplace pavilion during the Millennium Celebration and they were the only country there that had an actual ride. (it was a simulator)

There were plans announced when the park opened for an upcoming Equatorial Africa - none other than Darth Vader himself* announced so on the park opening TV special. Personally, I'd very much welcome that addition if someone somewhere would pay to have it added.

*of course, I mean this guy and if I remember correctly, he was standing next to a Fire Starter-era Drew Barrymore when he said it.

I think that was Alex Haley, writer of "Roots" on the Epcot special

 

[MrPromey]

I think that was Alex Haley, writer of "Roots" on the Epcot special

A quick trip to Youtube and I think you're right (and I want to crawl under a rock right now).

My memory of that whole thing was entirely garbled because I don't remember them talking about it in as much length as they did in the video I saw, either but yes, the host is definitely talking to Alex Haley about the plans.

I for some reason have a memory of James Earl Jones sitting somewhere outside with Drew Barymore and them buzzing through a few future expansions including Equatorial Africa rather than them talking with Alex Haley in front of a model about that specific pavilion.

I'm slipping.

 

[pdude81]

Let's say T'Challa is off limits due to time in the Avengers, so he couldn't appear in a WDW iteration of Wakanda. What about T'Chaka though? John Kani could probably film some promo videos for a Wakanda pavilion in World Discovery.

 

[James Alucobond]

If they must do more Marvel, put it in Hollywood Studios, please. Like, ditch Indy and revamp the Echo Lake area to center on a "Hollywood Sanctum" modeled on the Los Angeles Public Library with some Agamotto details or something. Pop in an atrium with paths to rides for Doctor Strange, Black Panther, or maybe even something reminiscent of the Great Movie Ride in the form of Agatha Harkness' Great Moments in Television using the WandaVision aesthetic. Also offload all Marvel merchandise from Hollywood Boulevard to this location.

 

[MrPromey]

Let's say T'Challa is off limits due to time in the Avengers, so he couldn't appear in a WDW iteration of Wakanda. What about T'Chaka though? John Kani could probably film some promo videos for a Wakanda pavilion in World Discovery.

So what if - now hear me out - they included T'Chala on the Avengers Campus in Californa Adventure and then provided a live feed to him from Wakanda at WDW?

He's not actually in the park and he's talking to you remotely because he's off doing stuff with the avengers and it's like a live screen-based meet-and-greet of him with his mask on so the feed isn't being stored anywhere in Florida.

Bet Universal wouldn't see that one coming!

And they can put Wakanda on the other side of BTM because, why not?

They should just hire me now before I get snatched up by a competitor.

 

[LittleBuford]

My understanding of politics in that region are limited but from what I do know, most of those countries are currently more aligned with one of our most serious international adversaries right now than us and for that reason, Disney would probably steer clear from attempts at representing them in a Florida theme park.

Given that one of the existing pavilions already represents China, I still don’t really understand why this matters to the extent that you suggest.

At any rate, if I had to propose a country, I would go for Ethiopia.

 

[LittleBuford]

Stability is why we don’t have Israel even though imo I think 90% of people wouldn’t care. Or at least I hope the percentage is that high.

I’m not sure what you mean here.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I have no idea because I wasn't posing my original question to you as some sort of gotcha.

That's why I made clear about it being an "honest question" - it's not something I'm against you on and trying to debate.

Also, it's not just those countries not existing, it's the chances of what the host country (the US) for this theme park's relations with said country might look like over time.

In my entire lifetime, that part of the world has, as far as I know, not been stable.

My understanding of politics in that region are limited but from what I do know, most of those countries are currently more aligned with one of our most serious international adversaries right now than us and for that reason, Disney would probably steer clear from attempts at representing them in a Florida theme park.

Maybe in a decade that flips.

Does it stay that way?

It would be nice to think we could separate the people and the cultures from the governments and within the abstracts of It's a Small World I think they pull it off just fine but I think in the context of Epcot, that becomes a much tougher thing for a company like Disney to navigate which I believe, again, is why they were shooting for Equatorial Africa in the first place.

Some countries in Africa have had successful coups but honestly, the only difference for the USA is that our recent attempted coup failed.

 

[No Name]

The interesting thing about a Wakanda land is that previously all Marvel based theme park additions were self aware of existing within a theme park. Ideally, a Wakanda land built as a themed destination would break that mold.

The story would be “we heard from Peter Quill, who recently helped finance an extremely popular pavilion in his favorite theme park, that the people of Epcot absolutely love Wakanda. So we decided we had to bring a taste of it to them!”

 

[Mike S]

I’m not sure what you mean here.

Israel was considered for World Showcase, then it wasn’t because of its issues. The same issue could arise for any African country.

The other bit was me saying (or hoping) most people wouldn’t care if Israel was added and it wouldn’t cause a stir.