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

[UNCgolf]

I think the issue is the trackless tech. It kind of sucks. Too limiting.

I don't think the tech itself is too limiting; I just think they haven't been imaginative enough in utilizing the positives of the tech over the downsides. They too often fall back on having at least one giant, mostly empty room so the vehicles can move around each other.

There are things the trackless tech allows that can't be done with an omnimover, and some which probably couldn't be done with a non-omnimover tracked ride, but they shouldn't just automatically default to trackless either. It's not as though omnimovers or other tracked rides are obsolete and worthless just because trackless tech exists.

 

[No Name]

DAK isn’t Disneyland. They won’t be packing a flat ride into the Dino courtyard. They could build teacups on top of Dino, too, but that won’t happen either.

So you’re halfway admitting they won’t build it because they don’t want to, but still trying to imply there’s hardly room. No, there’s an absolute poop ton of easily-accessible room for another flat ride or two.

 

[James Alucobond]

So you’re halfway admitting they won’t build it because they don’t want to, but still trying to imply there’s hardly room. No, there’s an absolute poop ton of easily-accessible room for another flat ride or two.

View attachment 744781

The artwork suggests they intend to use the triangle-shaped wedge for something, though it's not clear what.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I've said this before, but I've had enough of trackless dark rides. The novelty has worn off.

I think they’re in a tough position with dark rides. On the one hand dark rides are a defining feature of the Disney Parks, very much iconic. On the other (spicy take warning, lol) new dark rides often don’t really impress people in 2023. It seems that the dark rides with serious appeal all have a heavy dose of nostalgia attached (or, for those too young to be nostalgic, a sense of history, in the way that walking around a colonial era town like Williamsburg is charming.)

I know there are the usual complaints - too book report-y, too much unused space, not enough animatronics, crappy animatronics. But when push comes to shove, I think today’s generation, with so much technology at their fingertips, are just not wowed by traditional dark rides in quite the same way. This leaves Disney trying to find ways to “jazz them up”. I think there recent attempts with Rat and Runaway Railway are a step up from Little Mermaid and Frozen, but still not quite… there (wherever “there” ends up being) yet.

 

[No Name]

The artwork suggests they intend to use the triangle-shaped wedge for something, though it's not clear what.

Not sure what you’re seeing…

Looks like nothing more than trees to me, but even if they use that as an animal trail or something, they do have two other large and readily available areas.

 

[James Alucobond]

Not sure what you’re seeing…

View attachment 744783

Looks like nothing more than trees to me, but even if they use that as an animal trail or something, they do have two other large and readily available areas.

There's a set of side-by-side entrances at the south (relative to the image orientation) that aren't there at present and pass under some canopies to the north, so either a new exit from Indy or an animal trail.

 

[Jrb1979]

I think they’re in a tough position with dark rides. On the one hand dark rides are a defining feature of the Disney Parks, very much iconic. On the other (spicy take warning, lol) new dark rides often don’t really impress people in 2023. It seems that the dark rides with serious appeal all have a heavy dose of nostalgia attached (or, for those too young to be nostalgic, a sense of history, in the way that walking around a colonial era town like Williamsburg is charming.)

I know there are the usual complaints - too book report-y, too much unused space, not enough animatronics, crappy animatronics. But when push comes to shove, I think today’s generation, with so much technology at their fingertips, are just not wowed by traditional dark rides in quite the same way. This leaves Disney trying to find ways to “jazz them up”. I think there recent attempts with Rat and Runaway Railway are a step up from Little Mermaid and Frozen, but still not quite… there (wherever “there” ends up being) yet.

It's also why I think they are trying to add more thrill rides to the parks. What Disney excelled at was those dark rides but as you said today's generation aren't wowed by them. They also like thrill rides but due to their target guest they can't make them as intense or with high G forces to compete with other parks in that area.


iMO Disney is in a tough spot right now with the type of attractions they add.

 

[ToTBellHop]

So you’re halfway admitting they won’t build it because they don’t want to, but still trying to imply there’s hardly room. No, there’s an absolute poop ton of easily-accessible room for another flat ride or two.

View attachment 744781

No, I’m saying DAK is a tropical rainforest that doesn’t pack rides in. The places you label are filled with trees that make DAK look like a forest and not DHS. If we remove the trees or fill courtyards for flat rides, that’s Magic Kingdom. We frequently complain about lack of trees there.

Is Magic Carpets of Aladdin the goal?

I just think 3 rides in a land (and, hopefully, some animal exhibits) is fine. And I certainly don’t need Lion King bumper cars in front of Kilimanjaro Safaris or a Jungle Book tilt-a-whirl next to Kali even if both would fit.

I also object to the claim that Disney is being cheap by keeping all of that horticulture they maintain instead of dropping in flat rides. Haven’t we been complaining about how cheap Dino-Rama is for 2 decades?

 

[Brer Panther]

Guidewire and true trackless systems are already capable of switches without a moving mechanical part that needs to be maintained.

Yes, and does Disney take advantage of that? No. Instead, we get gigantic empty rooms for the vehicles to crawl around in and parking the riders in front of a giant screen for half the ride.

Ratatouille could've been a simulator and it wouldn't have made a difference.

But apparently we modern park-goers are dumb hicks who hate dark rides because they're not thrilling enough for us (the extremely long lines for Toy Story Mania and Peter Pan say otherwise) unless they're trackless. Add that to the list of things that modern park-goers hate (attractions not based on IPs, animatronic shows, dinosaurs).

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes, and does Disney take advantage of that? No. Instead, we get gigantic empty rooms for the vehicles to crawl around in and parking the riders in front of a giant screen for half the ride.

Ratatouille could've been a simulator and it wouldn't have made a difference.

But apparently we modern park-goers are dumb hicks who hate dark rides because they're not thrilling enough for us (the extremely long lines for Toy Story Mania and Peter Pan say otherwise) unless they're trackless. Add that to the list of things that modern park-goers hate (attractions not based on IPs, animatronic shows, dinosaurs).

You complain about being considered dumb while clearly thinking everyone else is too dumb to realize that you’re again being dishonest. All of the trackless dark rides at Walt Disney World utilize switches. It’s the big gag that they even highlight in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Rise of the Resistance has two different ways upstairs. Even Ratatouille uses switches to place the vehicles in different positions in front of the screens. Stop trying to sound edgy. You’re trying to blame technology for design decisions it does not inherently dictate.

 

[Magicart87]

I know it's not apples to apples but the frenetic ride through ancient ruins caused by a mcguffin and the frenetic ride through an enchanted house caused by a mcguffin might be too similar. Thoughts?

 

[MisterPenguin]

And I certainly don’t need Lion King bumper cars

But I do!

If and only if you can push other cars off a small cliff.

And the cars are decorated as wildebeests and there are guests standing in the ride you can run over.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I know it's not apples to apples but the frenetic ride through ancient ruins caused by a mcguffin and the frenetic ride through an enchanted house caused by a mcguffin might be too similar. Thoughts?

Who says a ride through Casita has to be frenetic or MacGuffin motivated?

 

[Magicart87]

Who says a ride through Casita has to be frenetic or MacGuffin motivated?

It was implied or presumed that the ride would be a Mystic Manor type which is why I posed the question.

 

[JD80]

As someone who works with autonomous vehicles that use the same tech as the track less vehicles, it's not the tech itself that breaks down. It's the whole systems of PLCs and redundant safety systems that get mucked up.

If I had to guess.

 

[DisneyHead123]

It's also why I think they are trying to add more thrill rides to the parks. What Disney excelled at was those dark rides but as you said today's generation aren't wowed by them. They also like thrill rides but due to their target guest they can't make them as intense or with high G forces to compete with other parks in that area.


iMO Disney is in a tough spot right now with the type of attractions they add.

Agree… it’s consistently been the “family friendly thrill rides” that have gotten rave reviews and long lines, while the new-ish dark rides are usually reliably low wait time (Frozen being an exception because of the fan base). I think the insistence on IP doesn’t help much either - even for the classic dark rides, I believe Peter Pan is the only IP based ride that draws huge crowds. Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and Small World make me wonder if insisting on IP is part of the problem. Possibly it’s just harder to build atmosphere around a movie because they’re trying to squeeze too many events into a small space - whereas a simpler theme like “haunted house” or “pirates” allows for a fuller experience.

 

[Bocabear]

How do we even know what the Encanto attraction will be? at this point it could be an elaborate Meet-n-Greet / Enchanted Tales with Bell type scenario where you go through the enchanted doors to meet the different characters...that would not surprise me at all.
an Omnimover dark ride or additional trackless vehicle ride next door to Indy seems like a larger expansion than they seem to do these days....

 

[neo999955]

Agree… it’s consistently been the “family friendly thrill rides” that have gotten rave reviews and long lines, while the new-ish dark rides are usually reliably low wait time (Frozen being an exception because of the fan base). I think the insistence on IP doesn’t help much either - even for the classic dark rides, I believe Peter Pan is the only IP based ride that draws huge crowds. Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and Small World make me wonder if insisting on IP is part of the problem. Possibly it’s just harder to build atmosphere around a movie because they’re trying to squeeze too many events into a small space - whereas a simpler theme like “haunted house” or “pirates” allows for a fuller experience.

Which Disney World are you going to where RoTR, M&M or Ratatouille don't have long wait times?

Personally, I love RoTR and M&M and think they'll stay very popular for many years. Ratatouille is fine, but I don't think it deserves the long waits it often has and I imagine it'll wane over time.

 

[neo999955]

How do we even know what the Encanto attraction will be? at this point it could be an elaborate Meet-n-Greet / Enchanted Tales with Bell type scenario where you go through the enchanted doors to meet the different characters...that would not surprise me at all.
an Omnimover dark ride or additional trackless vehicle ride next door to Indy seems like a larger expansion than they seem to do these days....

We don't, but we're assuming. And I think it's more likely based on the og Moana ride they were going to build and the new blue sky with the giant Encanto house seeming like a ride entrance. Plus, obviously, AK needs the ride.

It seems the smartest approach is to build this, keep Dino open and then retheme Dino once it's open.

 

[Tha Realest]

As someone who works with autonomous vehicles that use the same tech as the track less vehicles, it's not the tech itself that breaks down. It's the whole systems of PLCs and redundant safety systems that get mucked up.

If I had to guess.

Yeah. Rat seems to be pretty reliable.

If I hard to guess ROTR’s issues are more with the doe-see-doe it used to do with the cannons and the drop mechanism?