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

[ToTBellHop]

Empty Wakanda will work as well as empty Star Wars Land.

Who needs known characters, anyway? We can journey around Wakanda with Steve the trash collector because someone needs to pick up the trash.

Meanwhile, Universal be like

 

[osian]

They seem to be pandering here throwing stuff in every which direction out to the wind, they definitely have a problem.

It's very much obsession-level now. They've got in mind a particular demographic and caterting for that market segment exclusively. It's a shame they can't be more diverse and inclusive, there are other segments that are being left out and not being made to feel as welcome. Not only that, when there are movies and characters everywhere like Six Flags and Universal, it's overkill. They've overdone Star Wars and ruined it, for example.

 

[TalkingHead]

It’s amazing how Parks and WDI have realized they can generate clicks and fan enthusiasm by only hinting at expansion possibilities, lazy IP dumps, and what-ifs. Absolute snake oil of the lowest mucking degree.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Can’t wait for the 20 acre Wakanda land that features one E ticket, a reservation only restaurant, and no shade!

 

[Coaster Lover]

Wakanda --> EPCOT ?

I mean, yeah... And they would use GotG as justification. We'd have a whole section of the park as "World Showcase" pavilions for imaginary/Marvel locations. "You came to EPCOT to learn all about Xandar, now learn all about Wakanda"

Canonically, it makes sense too given how at the end of the first Black Panther movie T'Challa tasks Shuri with starting an outreach program to teach the world about Wakanda and this would be just that. They could have the Dora Milaje as "cultural ambassadors" and if you need a character for a ride tied to the pavilion, I think Iron Heart is available based on the contract. Could even keep Shuri as part of the pavilion if you spin the whole "alternate timeline" where T'Challa is still alive (just not present at the pavilion) and Shuri never became the Black Panther.

I don't like it, but I could see Disney using it as an easy option to fill the empty Life Pavillion...

 

[Riverrafter21]

I mean, yeah... And they would use GotG as justification. We'd have a whole section of the park as "World Showcase" pavilions for imaginary/Marvel locations. "You came to EPCOT to learn all about Xandar, now learn all about Wakanda"

Canonically, it makes sense too given how at the end of the first Black Panther movie T'Challa tasks Shuri with starting an outreach program to teach the world about Wakanda and this would be just that. They could have the Dora Milaje as "cultural ambassadors" and if you need a character for a ride tied to the pavilion, I think Iron Heart is available based on the contract. Could even keep Shuri as part of the pavilion if you spin the whole "alternate timeline" where T'Challa is still alive (just not present at the pavilion) and Shuri never became the Black Panther.

I don't like it, but I could see Disney using it as an easy option to fill the empty Life Pavillion...

That sounds bad enough to actually be a leak from Imagineering

 

[wdwmagic]

He never mentioned WDW. The headline on this website is misleading and overblown. It was just a quick offhand mention about the idea and nothing more.

Wakanda has been thrown around for WDW over the past couple of years, but I think this is the first time it has been mentioned by Disney execs. I think its relevant, and nowhere in the article did I say it was specifically for WDW.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I mean, yeah... And they would use GotG as justification. We'd have a whole section of the park as "World Showcase" pavilions for imaginary/Marvel locations. "You came to EPCOT to learn all about Xandar, now learn all about Wakanda"

Canonically, it makes sense too given how at the end of the first Black Panther movie T'Challa tasks Shuri with starting an outreach program to teach the world about Wakanda and this would be just that. They could have the Dora Milaje as "cultural ambassadors" and if you need a character for a ride tied to the pavilion, I think Iron Heart is available based on the contract. Could even keep Shuri as part of the pavilion if you spin the whole "alternate timeline" where T'Challa is still alive (just not present at the pavilion) and Shuri never became the Black Panther.

I don't like it, but I could see Disney using it as an easy option to fill the empty Life Pavillion...

So every other nation and ethnicity of note gets its own culturally authentic pavilion, but those of African ancestry get one based on a make-believe country? That would be incredibly tone-deaf, though still probably an upgrade over the janky Refreshment Outpost that’s supposed to stand in for West Africa.

 

[Coaster Lover]

So every other nation and ethnicity of note gets its own culturally authentic pavilion, but those of African ancestry get one based on a make-believe country? That would be incredibly tone-deaf, though still probably an upgrade over the janky Refreshment Outpost that’s supposed to stand in for West Africa.

I don't disagree with what you are saying, though with what is presented at Animal Kingdom and AKL, having a dedicated pavilion at EPCOT for any African nation would seem a bit overkill. I thought I had heard at one point that AKL has so many authentic African pieces of art/artifacts that it could be considered a museum.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Mario, Pokémon, Zelda, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter VS Coco, Encanto, Zootopia, Wakanda, and Indiana Jones

I wonder which will come out on top?

 

[JohnD]

Yawn. There is nothing about Wakanda that would make it a compelling theme park land.

Wakanda is a fictional nation in Africa. So elements of it could be pulled into the Africa area of AK.

 

[neo999955]

I could easily see Wakanda making its way to other parks, but also am sure Disney has long been discussing with Universal the possibility of taking back Marvel, or at least some characters. It's not an impossibility. Hulu, the Simpsons theme park contract ending and who knows what other deals all matter. With Universal unable to really update or build new Marvel attractions, I think over time they will want to replace that land with other franchises.

I would put Wakanda and Simpsons in HS. That said, although maybe rude to put a fake African country in EPCOT, I would be happy to visit it.

 

[The Moles Family]

Regardless of the WDI talent at the moment, the use of I.P. is coming from above. At the top level it is I.P. or nothing, and all about Return on Investment.

What’s worse though it’s not just that they enforce IP, because I understand why but it’s that they won’t touch IP that they have and is over 10 years old.

People would go nuts for the Jungle Book ride that they had a new ride system for but never moved forward in Animal Kingdom. A logical addition.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I don't disagree with what you are saying, though with what is presented at Animal Kingdom and AKL, having a dedicated pavilion at EPCOT for any African nation would seem a bit overkill. I thought I had heard at one point that AKL has so many authentic African pieces of art/artifacts that it could be considered a museum.

I have no doubt they do. I think they will do right by making whatever they do authentic. I just think it would be a bad (and diminishing) look if they went with a fictional country. I think they also run into issues as to which country is picked - African culture is not monolithic.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I could easily see Wakanda making its way to other parks, but also am sure Disney has long been discussing with Universal the possibility of taking back Marvel, or at least some characters. It's not an impossibility. Hulu, the Simpsons theme park contract ending and who knows what other deals all matter. With Universal unable to really update or build new Marvel attractions, I think over time they will want to replace that land with other franchises.

I would put Wakanda and Simpsons in HS. That said, although maybe rude to put a fake African country in EPCOT, I would be happy to visit it.

Universal is allowed to update (they have) and build new attractions.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Didn't one of the early renderings that went along with Disneyland Forward seem to suggest the giant carved black panther statue that is at the entrance to Wakanda suggesting a potential Black Panther/Wakanda attraction in Disneyland? I know those initial renderings/images were solely blue-sky, but it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see this as something planned for California (not to say they wouldn't just duplicate things and put something in Orlando as well).

 

[The Moles Family]

Didn't one of the early renderings that went along with Disneyland Forward seem to suggest the giant carved black panther statue that is at the entrance to Wakanda suggesting a potential Black Panther/Wakanda attraction in Disneyland? I know those initial renderings/images were solely blue-sky, but it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see this as something planned for California (not to say they wouldn't just duplicate things and put something in Orlando as well).

I was going to say the same. Disneyland Forward originally showed a Wakanda land

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wakanda as a place and concept could almost certainly be used at WDW. T’Challa is almost certainly off limits, but sure I could see Shuri being possible.

If they hypothetically were putting Wakanda in Epcot (say replacing WoL), having it science/tech based would be something that could work with directly needing T’Challa.

That’s completely stupid…which means it has a “non-zero” chance of being greenlit

The Nondescript Coaster Themed Like India or Whatever was still a better return on investment than anything they’d done since. While that’s not due to a rejection of franchises (a term I think better defines the requirement than just IP and explains why older, smaller properties are ignored) it shows how the franchise mandate was not in response to a failure and the serious problems with cost control. Expedition Everest was a huge success that immediately rejected by Iger who was convinced that only franchises could appeal to audiences and were the key to success. While costs were to rise, that view of the unflappable power of franchises justified an acceleration of costs that resulted in things like Pixar Pier costing more than a true E ticket experience.

A ride that doesn’t work as designed in a park that has always had a hard time keeping people there past lunch is a bit of a “low bar” to measure by.

While I wouldn’t frame quite like that, I do think the drive for more inclusive representation is probably part of why these specific IPs are on the table. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as they are all quite good IPs in terms of their popularity and how they could be used.

It’s not necessarily a good thing either.

Disney has really gotten off course with some of its initiatives. Quality has to be there with it.

It can’t be “we’re being inclusive…so it doesn’t matter if it’s sucks”

Like it or not…that’s been a shockingly high percentage of their movies and programming for awhile…
…doing that in parks is incredibly stupid

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

I am not a fan of any of these properties. This does absolutely nothing for me. Give me an original idea and I’ll at least bite every time.

Also if they are actually considering Wakanda without Black Panther then this company is beyond saving in the short run at least. Would be like building a Star Wars land without Darth Vader or Luke, Leia, and Han.

Huh.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Didn't one of the early renderings that went along with Disneyland Forward seem to suggest the giant carved black panther statue that is at the entrance to Wakanda suggesting a potential Black Panther/Wakanda attraction in Disneyland? I know those initial renderings/images were solely blue-sky, but it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see this as something planned for California (not to say they wouldn't just duplicate things and put something in Orlando as well).

Well it did…

But then the MCU has taken a pretty huge turn downward…

And…you know?…black panther…sorta…died…