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

[dennis-in-ct]

Don't we know what's being built at Epic Universe? You can bet Disney knows in even greater detail.

They just don't seem to be concerned.

I mean, once universal makes an official announcement about what is being built. Then Disney would release their plans is my guess.

You are right - WE know what is being built. Not the details or what ride systems will be used.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I mean, once universal makes an official announcement about what is being built. Then Disney would release their plans is my guess.

You are right - WE know what is being built. Not the details or what ride systems will be used.

The point that they were making is, if we know what is being built, you can bet that Disney has an even better idea. They don’t care what ride systems they’re using, they just need to build bigger and better

 

[doctornick]

I mean, once universal makes an official announcement about what is being built. Then Disney would release their plans is my guess.

You are right - WE know what is being built. Not the details or what ride systems will be used.

Sure, they might wait to announce anything, as a way to “steal thunder”. But they really need to be building now to be ready to compete with Epic Universe in 2025.

 

[UNCgolf]

Don't we know what's being built at Epic Universe? You can bet Disney knows in even greater detail.

They just don't seem to be concerned.

To be honest, what we know (or think we know) about Epic Universe is pretty underwhelming to me. I think locking it into a handful of specific IP lands is a big mistake, especially with the HP area based on Fantastic Beasts.

Super Nintendo World should nominally allow for multiple distinct IPs, but it seems like it's entirely focused on the Mario IP in both attractions and theming. It will be a big hit, but at least one of the attractions is a huge misfire.

Classic monsters is relatively open-ended and should provide for some freedom in future additions, and if the other land is Dreamworks/Illuminations animation in general instead of specifically How to Train Your Dragon that would also open up to multiple things, but it just feels like they're unnecessarily putting themselves into a box.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

To be honest, what we know (or think we know) about Epic Universe is pretty underwhelming to me. I think locking it into a handful of specific IP lands is a big mistake, especially with the HP area based on Fantastic Beasts.

Super Nintendo World should nominally allow for multiple distinct IPs, but it seems like it's entirely focused on the Mario IP in both attractions and theming. It will be a big hit, but at least one of the attractions is a huge misfire.

Classic monsters is relatively open-ended and should provide for some freedom in future additions, and if the other land is Dreamworks/Illuminations animation in general instead of specifically How to Train Your Dragon that would also open up to multiple things, but it just feels like they're unnecessarily putting themselves into a box.

The HP area is a mix of Fantastic Beasts and Potter proper.

There's a few expansion pads in the park, so they have room to add more IPs than what is on offer at opening. The central area of the park is also not locked into any specific movie.

The goal with Nintendo is to spread the characters and games across the three parks.

 

[Bthoma10]

To be honest, what we know (or think we know) about Epic Universe is pretty underwhelming to me.

Yeah this is thought process and likely the thinking of Disney, as to why there is no response. It will be a big mistake.

In the past, the ride/theming quality differences between universal and Disney were huge. The gap is hardly noticeable anymore. Universal is putting out quality stuff, many times, better than Disney. Disney still has a huge edge in overall property/infrastructure development. But that might not be as noticeable in 20 years.

I highly doubt EU will be “underwhelming”. This is their chance to make a huge step, and Disney just sitting there like …

 

[Magicart87]

Still think it's dumb to have two Moana attractions but whatever, you do you Disney.

 

[Disney Maddux]

To be honest, what we know (or think we know) about Epic Universe is pretty underwhelming to me. I think locking it into a handful of specific IP lands is a big mistake, especially with the HP area based on Fantastic Beasts.

Super Nintendo World should nominally allow for multiple distinct IPs, but it seems like it's entirely focused on the Mario IP in both attractions and theming. It will be a big hit, but at least one of the attractions is a huge misfire.

Classic monsters is relatively open-ended and should provide for some freedom in future additions, and if the other land is Dreamworks/Illuminations animation in general instead of specifically How to Train Your Dragon that would also open up to multiple things, but it just feels like they're unnecessarily putting themselves into a box.

*Was going to be Fantastic Beasts, word now is it's much more mainline Potter.

As Animaniac said, Nintendo is their new HP, with the plan being for each park to get a land. Epic will have Mario, Studio will likely get Pokemon, and IoA will likely get Zelda.

Classic Monsters is gonna be great, and we're now getting DreamWorks land in the main studio park, meanwhile this will be HTTYD.

And, word is that the 20-acre expansion pad will be used for a Middle Earth land.

 

[SNS]

*Was going to be Fantastic Beasts, word now is it's much more mainline Potter.

As Animaniac said, Nintendo is their new HP, with the plan being for each park to get a land. Epic will have Mario, Studio will likely get Pokemon, and IoA will likely get Zelda.

Classic Monsters is gonna be great, and we're now getting DreamWorks land in the main studio park, meanwhile this will be HTTYD.

And, word is that the 20-acre expansion pad will be used for a Middle Earth land.

I figured they would modify their plans for Fantastic Beasts now that the future of that series is in question (I didn't see them but I heard there was supposed to be five movies but the third one bombed).

I'm guessing Zelda would replace what remains of the Lost Continent.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Still think it's dumb to have two Moana attractions but whatever, you do you Disney.

Up next will be the Moana sing-along at DHS and a Moana BBB experience in MK where Pirate's League used to be.

 

[seabreezept813]

It won’t make as much merchandising $$$

Creative minds could make Balloo plushies and Bare Necessities logos a hit..

 

[seabreezept813]

Yeah, but I doubt Disney's going to do that.

I don't think Zootopia is a good fit either.

If Disney wants to shove more IPs into Animal Kingdom, there are plenty that WOULD work (or at least make more sense than Moana).

Outside of whether it fits the park, I’m also confused why they think kids care about Zootopia. My little ones won’t sit through it. I thought it was a decent movie, but it doesn’t have catchy songs and is at times weirdly political. My daughters.. toddler and preschooler..are fascinated with dinos. At least with Moana, I get why they’d assume it would draw crowds due to its popularity.

 

[UNCgolf]

The HP area is a mix of Fantastic Beasts and Potter proper.

There's a few expansion pads in the park, so they have room to add more IPs than what is on offer at opening. The central area of the park is also not locked into any specific movie.

The goal with Nintendo is to spread the characters and games across the three parks.

Not having the HP area tied entirely to Fantastic Beasts is a big improvement (although they should just be building Hogwarts with a TSR in the Great Hall...). I didn't know they were planning to do a separate Nintendo land in each park (that's probably a good idea), but the Donkey Kong coaster is going to need to be truly great to prop up the one at EU since the Mario Kart attraction is so bad.

Is the other land still supposed to be entirely How to Train Your Dragon or is it supposed to be a more general Dreamworks/Illuminations catch-all? An entire land based solely on How to Train Your Dragon doesn't seem like a good idea at all.

Regardless, building a bunch of IP specific lands just isn't a good plan to me. It works for specific IPs (Harry Potter is one), but it's too limiting overall, and there aren't enough IPs with the draw/interest to make it work. The fact that Disney has pivoted hard into doing so is also a mistake -- if people don't care about the IP being used, it's a lot harder to get them interested in the whole area. And if it's not working the way you wanted, there's not much you can do without demolishing and starting over since you've already committed that whole space to a very specific theme.

I maintain that most of what we know about EU thus far isn't very interesting to me, but I'd definitely like to hear more about what they're planning to do for HP and for the monsters area. That said, I also dislike the majority of Universal's recent attractions, so if it's more in the same vein I'm probably not going to like it much anyways.

 

[UNCgolf]

And, word is that the 20-acre expansion pad will be used for a Middle Earth land.

This one of the few remaining IPs that is both popular enough and distinct enough where an immersive themed land actually makes sense.

That would be fantastic.

 

[Ghost93]

This one of the few remaining IPs that is both popular enough and distinct enough where an immersive themed land actually makes sense.

That would be fantastic.

I don't have much interest in visiting Universal compared to Disney, but I would DEFINITELY book a trip to Universal if they made a Middle Earth land!

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Yeah, but I doubt Disney's going to do that.

I don't think Zootopia is a good fit either.

If Disney wants to shove more IPs into Animal Kingdom, there are plenty that WOULD work (or at least make more sense than Moana).

Does National Geographic count as IP?

Also, I think Encanto makes sense for AK, since Antonio Madrigal, one of the characters in the film, has the special gift of communicating with animals.

 

[doctornick]

Does National Geographic count as

Or Disneynature?

 

[Brer Panther]

Creative minds could make Balloo plushies and Bare Necessities logos a hit..

They're ANIMALS! Kids love animals! Plushes of the characters would definitely sell!

 

[NotCalledBob]

Is the other land still supposed to be entirely How to Train Your Dragon or is it supposed to be a more general Dreamworks/Illuminations catch-all? An entire land based solely on How to Train Your Dragon doesn't seem like a good idea at all.

HTTYD is my 8 year old and his friend's absolute favorite thing in the World. They spend half their days talking about dragons.

They've all read the entire series of books over, and over, and over.

It is so popular in his class at school the teacher based an art project around it, and the class all designed their own dragons.

Unless my 8 year old is very unusual, the land could be a huge hit. It's a really fun IP.

 

[UNCgolf]

HTTYD is my 8 year old and his friend's absolute favorite thing in the World. They spend half their days talking about dragons.

They've all read the entire series of books over, and over, and over.

It is so popular in his class at school the teacher based an art project around it, and the class all designed their own dragons.

Unless my 8 year old is very unusual, the land could be a huge hit. It's a really fun IP.

It's just that it's not an IP remotely near the level of Mario, Star Wars, or Harry Potter. Pandora is a bit different in that the movies make a ton of money without having much market penetration elsewhere, but Pandora works from a unique/beautiful environment standpoint that draws people in regardless of interest in the IP.

I have nieces and nephews ranging from 3-16 and none of them or their friends care about HTTYD. It's not that it's unpopular (I certainly wouldn't call your son unusual in loving it); it's that it's not overwhelmingly popular across a broad spectrum.

That doesn't mean it won't be a huge hit, though. It just has a steeper hill to climb.