What's Next For DHS And AK??

[RSoxNo1]

If the Discovery Island trails were eliminated, I might literally cry.

At this point the Discovery Island trails need some attention. I believe at last check the trails behind the tree of life had a Galapagoise Tortoise, a few macaws and a stork along the water front.

These animals could easily be relocated if they wanted to use this land for smaller attractions as I've suggested. I'd also be more than content with them adding more animals to this area and creating an entirely new themed environment elsewhere instead of Flik's Fun Fair.

There will be no nighttime show in DAK for the same reasons they have no fireworks, the park closes that early because of the animals and they will not expand the evening opening time to assure the animals are not disturbed.

And PLEASE no fairground on Discovery Island, isn't one Chester and Hester enough? I don't consider fairgrounds very disneyish.

That's ridiculous. Busch Gardens has roaring coasters and longer operating hours and it's just "down the road" from Animal Kingdom. So either the Busch animals are immune to all things noise, or it's just the case that there's still not enough in AK to warrant full day hours. Moreover, a WoC show for AK, located somewhere distinctly off the beaten path (say... that wasted space named Camp Minnie-Mickey), would hardly be a disturbance to the animals of the park. There are some relatively easy solutions to increasing park hours and adding nighttime offerings, it all boils down to when TDO are interested in thinking them up.

I only say what Disney officials said about that years ago when DAK had the first problems with attendance and it was discussed what to add. It's not my opinion.

That's an excellent point.

Maybe the real problem is that it's impractical to run the Safari ride when it's dark due to increased animal activity across the roads and decreased visibility. Shutting down the parks main attraction would cause severe headaches for capacity and guest satisfaction.

It wouldn't surprise me for the hours to be extended if/when they have more than 5 actual attractions.

Although... how fun would the safari ride be if they somehow integrated infrared goggles into the ride vehicles?

They had a nighttime safari when AK first opened. Since it was dark seeing the animals was near impossible and at the time night vision would have been prohibitively expensive. The attraction took on very different, rather environmental preachy theme. Needless to say, it was not all that well received and required an hour or two to switch over to the night time version. It was quickly discontinued.

All of these are related so I'll respond to all of them at the same time. The park closes early because a significant portion of it's attractions do not lend themselves to nighttime operation (I'm including the animal trails as attractions). They don't have enough to do to necessitate staying in the park later than that.

For the park to add a nighttime show, it would also have to add 2-3 more rides with at least one of those rides being a D/E ticket. Otherwise, people will go to the park during the day and continue to hop to any of the other parks that are open until 9 or later.

 

[Mansion Butler]

At this point the Discovery Island trails need some attention. I believe at last check the trails behind the tree of life had a Galapagoise Tortoise, a few macaws and a stork along the water front.

. . . and wonderful themeing and sightlines in a quiet, natural setting that go in to making it my favorite park.

Don't forget the giant awesome catfish.

What makes the trails awesome is not the number of animals you can cross off a check list. It's the place and ambiance that is created, animals included.

 

[Zac Skellington]

I hardly consider Flik's Fun Fair to be on par with Chester and Hester's. In my opinion it's better done than Toontown was/is (Disney World/Disneyland).[/QUOTE

Although it had a special place in my heart due to my children, I was very glad to see Toontown go. IMHO, Flik's is way too "plasticy" looking for DAK.

 

[Zac Skellington]

That's ridiculous. Busch Gardens has roaring coasters and longer operating hours and it's just "down the road" from Animal Kingdom. So either the Busch animals are immune to all things noise, or it's just the case that there's still not enough in AK to warrant full day hours. Moreover, a WoC show for AK, located somewhere distinctly off the beaten path (say... that wasted space named Camp Minnie-Mickey), would hardly be a disturbance to the animals of the park. There are some relatively easy solutions to increasing park hours and adding nighttime offerings, it all boils down to when TDO are interested in thinking them up.

You are correct, pure fabrication by Disney. If the grass eaters can get used to the sounds, and smells of lions and Cheetahs around the corner, I would think they would adapt to a few other noises as well.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

I only say what Disney officials said about that years ago when DAK had the first problems with attendance and it was discussed what to add. It's not my opinion.

Oh, I know. It wasn't aimed at you personally, sorry if I offended you.
I'd have to agree RSoxNo1, the only way they're going to manage extended night offerings is by adding more attractions that don't require the guests to actually see/interact with the animals. Some flat rides, maybe a modest dark ride, another big E-Ticket. Otherwise there's not much incentive for people to stay later even if they do include a night show.

 

[Zac Skellington]

...What makes the trails awesome is not the number of animals you can cross off a check list. It's the place and ambiance that is created, animals included.

Yes, THIS!

 

[RSoxNo1]

. . . and wonderful themeing and sightlines in a quiet, natural setting that go in to making it my favorite park.

Don't forget the giant awesome catfish.

What makes the trails awesome is not the number of animals you can cross off a check list. It's the place and ambiance that is created, animals included.

Is the catfish technically part of the Discovery Island trails? I suppose technically it is - it's just not along the normal path I take across Discovery Island from the Asia side to the Africa side. I believe it forks away from Africa and that's where the Catfish swims.

I miss the capybara.

Although it had a special place in my heart due to my children, I was very glad to see Toontown go. IMHO, Flik's is way too "plasticy" looking for DAK.

It's a matter of opinion, but I really believe that Flik's Fun Fair is much better done than Chester and Hester's. Having said that, you're probably right in that it would probably look too fake for that portion of the park. However, I would still not oppose to a Flik's Fun Fair addition to the Animal Kingdom, it just wouldn't be first (or only choice) for ways to bring that park up to par.

As for the dark ride suggestion - In my opinion, The Chester and Hester theme could actually be implemented correctly with that backstory. A C/D family dark ride could function as a cartoonized version of the Primeval Whirl story and would likely be better received.

For those unfamiliar with the backstory, here's a quick sumamry of Primeval Whirl - it's meant to be a cheap reproduction of the story in Dinosaur - I think this could be done better ad a Fun House ride with Dinosaurs.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Is the catfish technically part of the Discovery Island trails? I suppose technically it is - it's just not along the normal path I take across Discovery Island from the Asia side to the Africa side. I believe it forks away from Africa and that's where the Catfish swims.

I dunno, it's on a trail that offshoots from the main path around Discovery Island. When I have a full day to spend in the park, I spend a lot of time on those trails and try and hit all of them, with time spent to take in the atmosphere.

DAK has easily become the hardest park for me to be satisfied with in a single visit.

I miss the capybara.

Me, too.

 

[Bairstow]

For those unfamiliar with the backstory, here's a quick sumamry of Primeval Whirl - it's meant to be a cheap reproduction of the story in Dinosaur - I think this could be done better ad a Fun House ride with Dinosaurs.

There's an idea...

Maybe make Primeval Whirl an intentionally cheap-looking dark ride with intentional biological inaccuracies (dinosaurs from different epochs chasing eachother, Igaunodons standing upright, cavemen, etc.). Countdown to Extinction then could be the more "adult" ride that presents the "real" version of the Cretaceous that corrects the unreality of the kiddy dark ride.

Would guests react badly to a bad dark ride if it were intentionally done poorly? Plus, how much fun would could imagineers have making a bad dark ride on purpose?

[Youtube]r3dhSnEtdWw[/youtube]

 

[Master Yoda]

There's an idea...

Maybe make Primeval Whirl an intentionally cheap-looking dark ride with intentional biological inaccuracies (dinosaurs from different epochs chasing eachother, Igaunodons standing upright, cavemen, etc.). Countdown to Extinction then could be the more "adult" ride that presents the "real" version of the Cretaceous that corrects the unreality of the kiddy dark ride.

Would guests react badly to a bad dark ride if it were intentionally done poorly? Plus, how much fun would could imagineers have making a bad dark ride on purpose?

[Youtube]r3dhSnEtdWw[/youtube]

I have a feeling that quite a few guests would not get it. Most do not get the theme of Dinoland as it is, myself included at one time. I would love to see it but I would not want to see anything that is already there taken down for it.

 

[drew81]

At this point the Discovery Island trails need some attention. I believe at last check the trails behind the tree of life had a Galapagoise Tortoise, a few macaws and a stork along the water front.

These animals could easily be relocated if they wanted to use this land for smaller attractions as I've suggested. I'd also be more than content with them adding more animals to this area and creating an entirely new themed environment elsewhere instead of Flik's Fun Fair.








All of these are related so I'll respond to all of them at the same time. The park closes early because a significant portion of it's attractions do not lend themselves to nighttime operation (I'm including the animal trails as attractions). They don't have enough to do to necessitate staying in the park later than that.

For the park to add a nighttime show, it would also have to add 2-3 more rides with at least one of those rides being a D/E ticket. Otherwise, people will go to the park during the day and continue to hop to any of the other parks that are open until 9 or later.

They also have African Crested Porcupines and Nene Geese back there. The storks they have on exhibit are also on Kilimanjaro. I would like to see some new birds/storks put back there in place of them.

 

[RunnerEd]

I have a zoo at home. I've heard it said that DAK is a two day park because they want you to slow down and walk the trails and view the animals in beautiful environments. That's fine but it's not what I go to WDW for. I go there for "magical" experiences that aren't repeated other places; being scared by a big, anatomically correct Yeti reaching out to grab a runaway train....oh wait; sorry. Great theming can only carry a park so far but there has to be a unique reason to visit it. DAK doesn't have much to warrant more than a 1/2 day unless you're having a meal at Yak and Yeti or Tusker house, both of which are worth staying in the park an extra hour.

 

[Skippy's Pal]

I have a zoo at home. I've heard it said that DAK is a two day park because they want you to slow down and walk the trails and view the animals in beautiful environments. That's fine but it's not what I go to WDW for. I go there for "magical" experiences that aren't repeated other places; being scared by a big, anatomically correct Yeti reaching out to grab a runaway train....oh wait; sorry. Great theming can only carry a park so far but there has to be a unique reason to visit it. DAK doesn't have much to warrant more than a 1/2 day unless you're having a meal at Yak and Yeti or Tusker house, both of which are worth staying in the park an extra hour.

Everyone's mileage seems to vary greatly with respect to AK. We can spend a reasonably magical half-hour with the naked mole rats alone. On our upcoming trip we're budgeting 3 days for AK, but that's just us. (The Wild Africa Trek will be 3-4 hours by itself.) That said, would certainly welcome some additional attractions and further build-out, but for us it's not about E-ticket-level additions.

 

[Mansion Butler]

I have a zoo at home. I've heard it said that DAK is a two day park because they want you to slow down and walk the trails and view the animals in beautiful environments. That's fine but it's not what I go to WDW for. I go there for "magical" experiences that aren't repeated other places; being scared by a big, anatomically correct Yeti reaching out to grab a runaway train....oh wait; sorry. Great theming can only carry a park so far but there has to be a unique reason to visit it. DAK doesn't have much to warrant more than a 1/2 day unless you're having a meal at Yak and Yeti or Tusker house, both of which are worth staying in the park an extra hour.

And yet I have trouble feeling like I had enough time almost every time I go. . .

That said, would certainly welcome some additional attractions and further build-out, but for us it's not about E-ticket-level additions.

You can definitely say that and not be "hating" on the park. I agree, I'd like to see more. I'd like to see more in every park, two or three of them more than I would DAK.

 

[flavious27]

This is what I have been thinking about for an addition to DHS:

First the hat and entrance will be moved next to South Lake, this will reestablish the sightlines of Hollywood Blvd and allow access to other areas of expansion.

The theater of the stars will be replaced with an enclosed theater that can also be used for nightly dinner shows for traveling acts. The theater would look similar to the exterior of studio 60 from the show studio 60 on the sunset strip.

The biggest change to the park would be the hollywood hills area being completely redeveloped. The single purpose hollywood hills amphitheater would be removed, along with the current version of fantasmic. A new amphitheater would be made that would be more of a plaza, that would be more multipurposed. This South Lake Amphitheater will be the site for day time shows and concerts, along with a new nighttime show. The look of the amphitheater would be a mix between the great plaza at Penn's Landing, the WOC viewing area and the walkway around the World Showcase Lagoon. There would be a deluxe hotel added next to the ToT that matches its look and allow hotel guests access to the park through the hotel. Also there would be an area for a d or e ticket ride, possibly themed to roger the rabbit.

Pixar Place would actually be a real land with more than one attraction. The backlot tour would be removed with PP taking over the pearl harbor set and the lma practice area taking over the canyon. Instead of having a monsters themed attraction, PP would have an attraction based on the Incredibles. A B&L gift shop would be built next to an exhibit on how the world in Wall-E gets transformed back to normal.

Finally would be a 20ish acre site for expansion that can include the star wars and tron franchises.

DAk's expansion is easy:

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

Very nice, I like especially that you chose South America instead of the highly overrated Australia-theme for the expansion. South America is so much better.

Only the Roger Rabbit Ride is a little, well, late. I know Splash Mountain is a ride about a movie hardly any one knows today but the characters became Disney classics at least and a good made water plume ride works with a lot of different themes. The Roger Rabbit movie is however quite a long time ago know and I don't think it is strong enough to pull masses today.

 

[MissAlmyra]

HS and AK were both parks that I felt "done" with well before closing time. I don't go to many of the shows, so that was probably why. :shrug:
I love AK for its gorgeous theming, but I agree that another attraction or two (expansion!) would really make it a stunning park. An expansion at HS would be amazing...what I wouldn't give for Flynn's Arcade!

 

[RSoxNo1]

The problem is, you still need to move some stuff around to add what you've dubbed as "Beastly Kingdom" and "South America" While they created large expansion pads, they're not the most accessible areas.

Edit: I also forgot about the Porcupines

 

[MotherOfBirds]

Very nice, I like especially that you chose South America instead of the highly overrated Australia-theme for the expansion. South America is so much better.

Only the Roger Rabbit Ride is a little, well, late. I know Splash Mountain is a ride about a movie hardly any one knows today but the characters became Disney classics at least and a good made water plume ride works with a lot of different themes. The Roger Rabbit movie is however quite a long time ago know and I don't think it is strong enough to pull masses today.

You must not be aware of the abundance of *ahem* "pictures" of Jessica Rabbit all over the interwebs :lol:

 

[flavious27]

Very nice, I like especially that you chose South America instead of the highly overrated Australia-theme for the expansion. South America is so much better.

Only the Roger Rabbit Ride is a little, well, late. I know Splash Mountain is a ride about a movie hardly any one knows today but the characters became Disney classics at least and a good made water plume ride works with a lot of different themes. The Roger Rabbit movie is however quite a long time ago know and I don't think it is strong enough to pull masses today.

Thanks. I can see more potential with having South America than Australia. As for Roger Rabbit, it is an idea because it kind of works in with the theme of the area. If the storytelling of the ride is good enough, the length of time that the source material has been released would not matter.

HS and AK were both parks that I felt "done" with well before closing time. I don't go to many of the shows, so that was probably why. :shrug:
I love AK for its gorgeous theming, but I agree that another attraction or two (expansion!) would really make it a stunning park. An expansion at HS would be amazing...what I wouldn't give for Flynn's Arcade!

Agreed, being able to walk through the world created in both movies would be great.

The problem is, you still need to move some stuff around to add what you've dubbed as "Beastly Kingdom" and "South America" While they created large expansion pads, they're not the most accessible areas.

Edit: I also forgot about the Porcupines

Well wasn't camp mickey always suppose to be a temporary solution? Part of what I was thinking of adding to this land was a chairlift that would have stops on the pathway in Asia, the middle of South America, and Planet Watch.