WDW Answer to Hagrid's/VelociCoaster

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Apparently very difficult. I've heard that given the amount of illegal animal trading that happens with Kangaroos and Koalas, it's become increasingly difficult outside of Australia to get those animals.

I'm sure Disney could manage it, but it's not easy. Look at what happened when they made all of those efforts to try and get a panda to Animal Kingdom from China.

I think they could swing it.

I actually think they could get a couple of pandas too…considering what the master thinks of them.

 

[erasure fan1]

I always thought that they needed the Australian pavilion/land behind the Nemo show.

I've said that as well. Australia would be a great land. I would also demo the seas with nemo at Epcot. I would create a new aquarium in the new land that would put the focus squarely on reef conservation and ocean exploration. I would bring back the wonder of sea base alpha with no IP. Couple that with a cool coaster and a nice dark ride and you have one of the best lands in any Disney park. Period.

Dang it! See what you've done. Getting me all worked up for something Disney wouldn't (maybe couldn't) do.

Maybe dreaming is all we have left.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I forgot about Nemo…that is the Australian IP

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Possibly, it would be very difficult. After all, the Atlanta Zoo has pandas and they don't have nearly the attendance numbers that Animal Kingdom has.

Did Atlanta zoo order near trillions of sweatshop merchandise from the land of pandas?

Did they also build to monuments to the regime and embrace the homeland while being know as a “100% pro-American” international conglomerate?


I think it could work

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Honestly, with how popular Disney is in Australia and how many guests they get at Disneyland or Aulani from Australia, you'd think that Disney by now would have done an Australia-themed area of Animal Kingdom.

A Great Barrier Reef-style Aquarium and habitat component with rides would be an ideal expansion pad, certainly alongside a potential South America-themed area. Perhaps you could build it by Dinoland, USA with the area around Nemo the musical being the entry.

I could see an original, non-IP Australian outback-themed E-ticket coaster, a sit-down barbeque restaurant, exhibits for Kangaroos, Platypus, Koalas, other marsupials, and crocodiles being the animal component, and maybe an aquarium with a Nemo dark ride similar to Under the Sea in Magic Kingdom.

Since Dinoland was specifically to try and grab the eyes generated by a 1993 dinosaur movie they didn’t even make…

The argument could be made to replace it with another continent

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well...you're not wrong. Certainly from a purely macro-economically and statistically based argument, Disney should have the inside track. Let's see if the situation with the trade war and Taiwan cool off in 5-10 years.

I don’t think they have any inklings for pandas.

1. Animals cost money and they want to only make it.
2. They’d never own or control them. Deal breaker

 

[erasure fan1]

I don’t think they have any inklings for pandas.

1. Animals cost money and they want to only make it.

Not even the ones that poop gold nuggets? That seems right up Disneys alley.

 

[UNCgolf]

I used to wonder why the Atlanta Zoo had giant pandas, considering it's a relatively small zoo and there are much larger/nicer zoos in the US that don't have them.

But I'm pretty sure having giant pandas is simply about paying money to China and most zoos aren't willing to pony up. China charges "rent" of $1 million (or more) per panda every year, and if the pandas have a baby, you have to pay China for that as well.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I used to wonder why the Atlanta Zoo had giant pandas, considering it's a relatively small zoo and there are much larger/nicer zoos in the US that don't have them.

But I'm pretty sure having giant pandas is simply about paying money to China and most zoos aren't willing to pony up. China charges "rent" of $1 million (or more) per panda every year, and if the pandas have a baby, you have to pay China for that as well.

I think it’s entirely those that agree to the terms and allow one side to alter then at any time.

Hence only 4

It’s also been suggested that one has them so the embassy not far away can display their “ownership of a certain county’s capital” by marching past them anytime they want

 

[UNCgolf]

I think it’s entirely those that agree to the terms and allow one side to alter then at any time.

Hence only 4

It’s also been suggested that one has them so the embassy not far away can display their “ownership of a certain county’s capital” by marching past them anytime they want

It's down to 3, I think -- pretty sure the San Diego Zoo no longer has them.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's down to 3, I think -- pretty sure the San Diego Zoo no longer has them.

You might be right

So Memphis, DC and Atlanta?

 

[marni1971]

Love it…in all it’s 1992 vekoma “head banging” glory

That’s so 2017

New MK 1212 cars are as smooth as silk now. Almost.

 

[networkpro]

I think it's because Atlanta caters more to a local consumer basis than some of the other zoos, so they're more comfortable spending money to get big animals like Pandas. Plus, the city is growing at a considerable rate and will likely become the second or third biggest city in the South after Houston and Dallas.

A few caveats: Its DFW as the MSA . In Atlanta the city proper, the population has been in decline for decades. The majority of the population is transient and from somewhere else.

 

[Mickey5150]

You might be right

So Memphis, DC and Atlanta?

Yes, San Diego didn't renew their panda "lease." The zoos get a pair of pandas to breed and any of their children get sent back to China once they are 3 - 5 years old. Basically China lets zoos pay them for the opportunity to breed pandas for them.

 

[UNCgolf]

A few caveats: Its DFW as the MSA . In Atlanta the city proper, the population has been in decline for decades. The majority of the population is transient and from somewhere else.

Atlanta's city limits are pretty small (and potentially shrinking). Metro area is the much better indicator (and growing pretty rapidly for Atlanta), although even it can sometimes have arbitrary lines -- Greensboro and Winston-Salem in North Carolina were split into two separate metro areas relatively recently even though they're only a few miles apart and there's no break in development between them.

 

[networkpro]

Atlanta's city limits are pretty small (and potentially shrinking). Metro area is the much better indicator (and growing pretty rapidly for Atlanta), although even it can sometimes have arbitrary lines -- Greensboro and Winston-Salem in North Carolina were split into two separate metro areas relatively recently even though they're only a few miles apart and there's no break in development between them.

Thate why I was taking umbrage at calling it Dallas instead of the proper DFW...there's not a majority of population in either, nor is there any seperation in development around them. Historically Dallas was the office park built around the swamp, while Fort Worth was the Western part where the railyards are.

 

[KaliSplash]

WDW doesn't need to compete with SeaWorld/Universal, but they definitely need to build more coasters.

WDW has a total of 8 coasters spread over 4 parks. (+1 for Tron)
UO has a total of 8 spread over 2 parks (+3/4 coming to Epic Universe)

GOTG is a great response to Hagrid, and they continue to build similar coasters at the other parks.

Walt Disney World Was not and Is not and hopefully Never will be a roller coaster park. If you want a roller coaster park, go to Universal, go to Six Flags, go to Cedar Point.
The World does not need Any more coasters.

(not that I'm grumpy or anything, I just would hate to see WDW turn into a roller coaster mecca)

 

[bhg469]

Walt Disney World Was not and Is not and hopefully Never will be a roller coaster park. If you want a roller coaster park, go to Universal, go to Six Flags, go to Cedar Point.
The World does not need Any more coasters.

(not that I'm grumpy or anything, I just would hate to see WDW turn into a roller coaster mecca)

Well... If they build a ride like Hagrids, bring it on! But Tron is the opposite of that so i don't trust them to build more coasters.