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

[neo999955]

I don’t think the “overall response” is what you imagine it to be.

I'll voice my take as someone who generally likes more IP in the parks. I personally love Disney properties and love good implementations. I've loved Avatar, Star Wars land, Rise, Mickie and Minnie and Guardians.

I know I am pretty distanced from most on this forum because I only have come to Disney as an adult and don't have a connection to how the parks were before these past ten years - but I love Moana and feel it can easily make sense in DAK. Really hope it happens.

As for Zootopia, I think it's a great movie and can be a great franchise and would love to see it in the parks. I do agree it's a mismatch for AK, but not nearly as strongly as many do. I realize the animals are heavily anthropomorphized, but I agree there is a connection to nature and I think it could be done in a non-offensive way. If they built a city in AK, I would be mad, but I also think the Dino area is trash. I'm more annoyed they are thinking of just reskinning Dinosaur, I think it deserves more than that in a park severely lacking in rides.

 

[Bocabear]

Here is the D23 presentation about DinoLand.

Notice

As I wrote before, Jennifer Lee, who was a writer for Zootopia, thinks it represents a connection to animals and nature for the audience. No use trying to convince me that the characters are fundamentally human: even if you convinced me, you can't convince her. She helped make them.

Also, the fans were actually a bit more excited for Zootopia than Moana! Since there is gong to be a sequel to Zootopia coming up, you can see why the Zootppia attraction may be more than just "blue sky."

I don't really care if it comes or not, but I don't like seeing fans disappointed, or forum members setting themselves up for disappointment. A lot of folks really want this, far more than the forum wants to believe. You might be able to keep downtown out of the park and such, but trying to say the animals shouldn't be there because they are human will get you nowhere.

You can believe they're furry humans if you like, but that's just not how Disney sees them.

You can't please all the fans because there are as many fans of Disney Parks that thought Zootopia was episodic and not worthy of consideration...and honestly if the woman that wrote the characters says the characters represent a connection to animals and nature.... (but they have jobs, wear clothes, and work in a city?) She is fooling herself... It is a human story with animals playing the parts... It certainly does not feel like a connection to nature when the animals take public transportation....

 

[BlakeW39]

You can't please all the fans because there are as many fans of Disney Parks that thought Zootopia was episodic and not worthy of consideration...and honestly if the woman that wrote the characters says the characters represent a connection to animals and nature.... (but they have jobs, wear clothes, and work in a city?) She is fooling herself... It is a human story with animals playing the parts... It certainly does not feel like a connection to nature when the animals take public transportation....

Zootopia thinks a world where animals act like humans is more interesting than a world where animals act like animals. Personally I feel the exact opposite

 

[Stumpos]

Most of those, no. They might actually be about animals, but I don't think their more suburban settings would fit in Animal Kingdom (for example, The AristoCats takes place in France. France would be out of place in Animal Kingdom).

Fair. Then what about just Bambi? That wasn't an animals in suburban settings movie like the other animal Disney movies I mentioned.

 

[Bocabear]

OK Bambi would be acceptable if it corresponded to an engaging habitat and attraction... a powered coaster where you outrun a forest fire? lol it could work... but Bambi is not a fire chief in a big city taking a bus to work...

 

[MadderAdder]

I’m sorry… but Bambi is boring. And so are woodland animals.

 

[BlakeW39]

I’m sorry… but Bambi is boring. And so are woodland animals.

bears, wolves, and moose are boring???

 

[SamusAranX]

I still hold out forlorn hope for Beastly Kingdom

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I still hold out forlorn hope for Beastly Kingdom

Amazing how the one option that would please everybody, increase park capacity, fulfill the park's mission statement (and initial advertising) and get the fanbase riled up with excitement continues to be ignored.

 

[BlakeW39]

I still hold out forlorn hope for Beastly Kingdom

Amazing how the one option that would please everybody, increase park capacity, fulfill the park's mission statement (and initial advertising) and get the fanbase riled up with excitement continues to be ignored.

Beastly Kingdom would be a legitimate hit. Moreso than Moanaland or Zootopia. And I'd stand by that. But it's not IP so oh well

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Beastly Kingdom would be a legitimate hit. Moreso than Moanaland or Zootopia. And I'd stand by that. But it's not IP so oh well

How about using Sleeping Beauty/Maleficent and Hercules as choice of IP for Beastly Kingdom? The former has a dragon and the latter features mythical creatures of Ancient Greece. Percy Jackson and the Olympians can also be used as a substitute for Hercules, since it has a Disney+ show coming.

 

[Brer Panther]

Fair. Then what about just Bambi? That wasn't an animals in suburban settings movie like the other animal Disney movies I mentioned.

Yeah, Bambi could work. I dunno if it really lends itself to a ride, though...

 

[James Alucobond]

Yeah, Bambi could work. I dunno if it really lends itself to a ride, though...

IP for the Frontierland shooting gallery?

(Sorry.)

 

[RSoxNo1]

I’m afraid The Walt Disney Company is too caring for the ecosystem to put in a dolphin habitat. They’d rather let those creatures live outside of captivity in peace.

Also, if @imagineer97 is right and Disney does indeed go forward with plans to replace Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama, will they stick with a Moana/Oceania land, or do you guys think they have come up with an alternate replacement? To me, the Blue Sky concept art felt too ambitious, especially with the flume ride.

Long term prediction here.
Oceania type land in DAK that has no live animals. The Seas with Nemo and Friends is removed for a completely different concept that doesn't involve live animals.

 

[brb1006]

I still hold out forlorn hope for Beastly Kingdom

Amazing how the one option that would please everybody, increase park capacity, fulfill the park's mission statement (and initial advertising) and get the fanbase riled up with excitement continues to be ignored.

Please tell me I'm not the only person who stills get super bummed seeing the amount of remnants for the Beastly Kingdom land across the park.

Dragons are still present on the park's logo, main entrance.

And the now defunct Discovery River Boats used to feature a Unicorn statue (now removed) and a section that hinted on a presence of a dragon.

I know that shipped has sailed 20 years ago, but it still makes me sad knowing what could have been.

 

[brb1006]

OK Bambi would be acceptable if it corresponded to an engaging habitat and attraction... a powered coaster where you outrun a forest fire? lol it could work... but Bambi is not a fire chief in a big city taking a bus to work...

There's always Thumper and his family (and wife) and Flower.

 

[RSoxNo1]

But what's Moana's attachment to Animal Kingdom? She has an attachment to the sea, that's true, but I still don't think that ties in very well to AK. IMO, Zootopia would make more sense for AK than Moana.

Neither of them have a strong connection to DAK. Zootopia is much worse, in my opinion. DAK was never intended to feature anthropomorphic animals (aside from Mickey & Co). Moana you could argue ties into the “intrinsic value of nature” foundational principle of DAK.

My biggest problem with Moana in DAK is they just built a big Moana attraction in Epcot. I wish they would place things with a bit more intent and long range planning.

One of the main themes of the Animal Kingdom is the intrinsic value of nature / nature being in control. The value of nature is also a component of the right side of Future World / World Nature. There are absolutely parallels to this theme in the same way that there were general parallels between Future World and Tomorrowland. A point of contention historically was delineating the difference between the two. With the distinction of World Nature, Disney is leaning into the parallels between that specific section of EPCOT and DAK's overall theme.

In theory, you could pick up all of World Nature and plop it into DAK. Soarin' would be a stretch, but a new film highlighting only natural environments would make it work.

So back to the thematic fit. Zootopia is a poor fit. With the following from Joe Rohde himself:



On the other hand, while Moana doesn't have a focus on animals, one of the underlying themes of Moana is the value of nature. Assuming it's given the Pandora treatment and that theme is a factor in any attractions than Moana could be as seamless as Pandora for that park.

 

[Advisable Joseph]

I don’t think the “overall response” is what you imagine it to be.

Anything to back that up? I've seen recall a tweet about guests in Dinoland hearing the Zootopia news from the D23 presentation and cheering (!) and I recall a tweet from an Animal Kingdom cast member mentioning frequent requests for a Zootopia attraction (don't have them right now), but more news would be welcome.

Also, is there any opportunity for expansion at Epcot or Hollywood Studios?

 

[Advisable Joseph]

So back to the thematic fit. Zootopia is a poor fit. With the following from Joe Rohde himself:

As I mentioned before, Byron Howard, director of Zootopia, and the writers disagree with Rohde's description of the movie.

I assume "no pants" is a joke.

Fixed autocorrect.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Also, is there any opportunity for expansion at Epcot or Hollywood Studios?

There’s opportunity. Disney hasn’t announced anything though. At DHS they could use the Indy/Parking Lot plot. They also could expand behind Animation Courtyard but they’d have to knock down the old Animation building as well as other BoH facilities. At Epcot, they still have quite a few expansion plots in between the countries.