News Zootopia and Moana Blue Sky concepts for Disney's Animal Kingdom

[JohnD]

More photos from Themeparx

Shanghai Disneyland expansion

www.themeparx.com

View attachment 741099
View attachment 741100
View attachment 741101View attachment 741102View attachment 741103

Love it! Just not for AK.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

Ok, who wins between a Carnotaurus and an Ikran?

How about Carnotaurus vs Ikran vs Yeti?

We need more park smackdowns.

 

[Disnutz311]

Love it! Just not for AK.

Yep. Never liked the idea, in fact hated it as a lot of us do. Photos just reinforce how much it does not belong. HS & MK is a much better fit. The cop chase story is/could be a bad choice as well for the ride.

 

[Bocabear]

Yep. Never liked the idea, in fact hated it as a lot of us do. Photos just reinforce how much it does not belong. HS & MK is a much better fit. The cop chase story is/could be a bad choice as well for the ride.

I don't even think MK is a good fit for Zootopia... It has none of the fairytale elements that the rest of the park has, and it fits with none of the existing lands... DHS is about the only park it would fit in....and I don't fine the source material particularly compelling. Why do we need this at all? If we have to clne rides from Asian theme parks, I would much rather have Mystic Manor, Journey to the center of the Earth, Sinbad's Storybook Voyage, Mermaid Lagoon, Big Grizzley Mountain, Roaring Rapids, Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin, Aquatopia, and then from Disneyland, Radiator Springs Racers. We don't need Zootopia with all of those better choices to work with...

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Yep. Never liked the idea, in fact hated it as a lot of us do. Photos just reinforce how much it does not belong. HS & MK is a much better fit. The cop chase story is/could be a bad choice as well for the ride.

Given the "revised concept" for DHS, Studios really would be the best park for this (if they have to build something Zootopia). But it would basically have to be its own new land, since there's nothing in DHS to which you could attach it organically. One of the big blunders of the DHS redo was that it almost totally failed to consider future expansion possibilities, both conceptually and in terms of physical space.

You know if they put it in MK it would end up in Tomorrowland, which would just be wrong.

 

[ToTBellHop]

DAK Dinoland redevelopment is far enough along for us to hear about it tomorrow if they want. Will be curious to watch. Hope we aren’t disappointed again…

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

DAK Dinoland redevelopment is far enough along for us to hear about it tomorrow if they want. Will be curious to watch. Hope we aren’t disappointed again…

I'm in this really lovely place where I'll be disappointed if they don't announce anything, but will also be disappointed if they annouce a Dinoland redevelopment plan that doesn't feature any Dinos.

What a time.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'm in this really lovely place where I'll be disappointed if they don't announce anything, but will also be disappointed if they annouce a Dinoland redevelopment plan that doesn't feature any Dinos.

What a time.

At the pace they build, we will keep Dinosaur for at least a couple more years. Let them really run it into the ground until we beg them to close it because we are offended at how few feathers the velociraptors have.

 

[Disnutz311]

I don't even think MK is a good fit for Zootopia... It has none of the fairytale elements that the rest of the park has, and it fits with none of the existing lands... DHS is about the only park it would fit in....and I don't fine the source material particularly compelling. Why do we need this at all? If we have to clne rides from Asian theme parks, I would much rather have Mystic Manor, Journey to the center of the Earth, Sinbad's Storybook Voyage, Mermaid Lagoon, Big Grizzley Mountain, Roaring Rapids, Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin, Aquatopia, and then from Disneyland, Radiator Springs Racers. We don't need Zootopia with all of those better choices to work with...

Good call and I agree. HS is best if it is forced on us. With MK location I was more relating it to the kid/toontown vibe of the land. I'd take any one on your list you mentioned before Zootopia.

 

[UNCgolf]

DAK Dinoland redevelopment is far enough along for us to hear about it tomorrow if they want. Will be curious to watch. Hope we aren’t disappointed again…

I'll definitely be disappointed if they announce they are, in fact, building Zootopia.

No announcement would be very welcome news if that's the only option. It would be a mindbogglingly stupid decision from essentially every perspective.

 

[doctornick]

Zootopia in DAK is a bad idea and doesn't fit the park.

But Zootopia in DAK, removing Dinosaur/Dinoland USA in a park desperate for increased capacity (and can't afford to lose existing capacity for any period of time) is just a terrible idea that is so insane to hear that it is even being considered let alone seemingly approved.

Just my plea to any Disney folks reading this forum: if you really must put Zootopia in DAK, please make it a new build and expansion. Leave Dinoland as is (feel free to replace the Dinorama portion with Moana/Oceania though).

 

[doctornick]

I'll definitely be disappointed if they announce they are, in fact, building Zootopia.

Zootopia replacing Dinoland USA is a double whammy: doesn't fit the park, so it worsens the thematic strength. And doesn't increase capacity, so it doesn't even "improve" the park in any tangible way - plus we get to have Dinosaur taken off line and capacity reduced for a period of time.

So I'm with you: announcing Zootopia for DAK actually is a net negative and they are better off just twiddling their thumbs on stage instead.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'll definitely be disappointed if they announce they are, in fact, building Zootopia.

No announcement would be very welcome news if that's the only option.

I think Moana is more likely tomorrow as that’s fleshed out. Only thing I could imagine on Zootopia is “look at our new Zootopia land in Asia. Doesn’t it look amazing?!?! Good, because we are bringing its headliner to WDW!”

Of course, they change their minds on a dime. They could decide tonight to build Zootopia first. We will see.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think Moana is more likely tomorrow as that’s fleshed out. Only thing I could imagine on Zootopia is “look at our new Zootopia land in Asia. Doesn’t it look amazing?!?! Good, because we are bringing its headliner to WDW!”

Moana is fine -- don't think it's the greatest fit for DAK, especially over other potential options, but it's workable and it would be an actual addition (since Primeval Whirl is already gone). It would be especially good if they actually added some animals from the region, although I won't be holding my breath for that. Either way I'd be on board with a Moana announcement.

Zootopia would be a disaster if they tie it to DAK in any way.

 

[Disnutz311]

Given the "revised concept" for DHS, Studios really would be the best park for this (if they have to build something Zootopia). But it would basically have to be its own new land, since there's nothing in DHS to which you could attach it organically. One of the big blunders of the DHS redo was that it almost totally failed to consider future expansion possibilities, both conceptually and in terms of physical space.

You know if they put it in MK it would end up in Tomorrowland, which would just be wrong.

Lol. Yeah, the current Imagineers would try to shoehorn it into Tomorrowland. DHS is obviously les studios by every day (been dead for awhile) and more Lands of Movies type of park. DHS still has plenty of expansion just will take some demo. Animation Courtyard, to the left as you walk down Sunset Blvd, a ton behind Galaxy's Edge, Move BATB Show and that some more, Blacklot express into parking lot. Sure it might take moving a road, parking lot, lake, river, whatever in any park. Old Disney brass has shown they will do this. New Disney brass won't.

 

[doctornick]

I think Moana is more likely tomorrow as that’s fleshed out. Only thing I could imagine on Zootopia is “look at our new Zootopia land in Asia. Doesn’t it look amazing?!?! Good, because we are bringing its headliner to WDW!”

Well, I'd prefer that, especially if it gives Ops a chance to maybe convince the decision makers that taking Dinosaur and Dinoland off-line would be a killer for guests. And then maybe they'd change course and put Zootopia in a more appropirate place (DHS ideally, but even an expansion pad in DAK would be much better).

 

[Disnutz311]

I keep thinking what the bridge into former Dinoland would be called. You enter into Pandora, Africa, Asia, Dinoland. Is this Moana & Zootopia hybrid land possibility called "Hey, look parents we have better kids stuff now land" "Look we created a land to sell more merch Land"

 

[doctornick]

Given the "revised concept" for DHS, Studios really would be the best park for this (if they have to build something Zootopia). But it would basically have to be its own new land, since there's nothing in DHS to which you could attach it organically. One of the big blunders of the DHS redo was that it almost totally failed to consider future expansion possibilities, both conceptually and in terms of physical space.

DHS certainly has expansion space, but agree that it is not readily accessible. But I don't think that they "failed to consider" future expansion, just that they didn't make an effort to prepare for it. They just kicked that can down the road.

We know that had specific pads available in Galaxy's Edge for expansion set aside (for the restaurant and for another attraction). And there's still a bunch of backstage area on the west side that can be used for expansion, they would just need to relocate those functions currently housed there (but that was true before the DHS revamp, so it didn't change or worsen at all).

When the time comes, they basically just need to tear down the Animation building including the offices (+whatever they want to do with Mermaid) and connect that area to the RNR courtyard to make the most logical next location for a big expansion.

Separately or additionally, they can remove the IJ theater and the use the Echo Lake area to build into the parking lot. which could be a very large footprint if desired.

 

[doctornick]

I keep thinking what the bridge into former Dinoland would be called. You enter into Pandora, Africa, Asia, Dinoland. Is this Moana & Zootopia hybrid land possibility called "Hey, look parents we have better kids stuff now land" "Look we created a land to sell more merch Land"

The scuttlebutt is that the current Dinorama + Nemo theater footprint would be separated into a new land (presumably something like "Oceania" to be consistent with the rest of the park) and the rest of current Dinoland USA would be relabeled as Zootopia in some way.

 

[bmr1591]

Zootopia in DAK is a bad idea and doesn't fit the park.

But Zootopia in DAK, removing Dinosaur/Dinoland USA in a park desperate for increased capacity (and can't afford to lose existing capacity for any period of time) is just a terrible idea that is so insane to hear that it is even being considered let alone seemingly approved.

Just my plea to any Disney folks reading this forum: if you really must put Zootopia in DAK, please make it a new build and expansion. Leave Dinoland as is (feel free to replace the Dinorama portion with Moana/Oceania though).

If Zootopia must be in AK, put it at Planet Watch and make people take the train to it. Disconnect it from the rest of the park.