Zootopia at Animal Kingdom?

[peter11435]

It states it quite clearly in the film that there were predators and that they evolved out of the from that. Again I watched it once on a plane ride to a conference. Clearly the creative director for the park doesn't have issues fro the park otherwise it would not be blue of any kind for DAK and would be getting pursued at other parks ... maybe that is the hint you require?

You're missing the point that the entire film is about animals doing human things, not animals doing animal things. There's a reason the birds of flights of wonder don't ride tricycles.

Again. I never said they won't build zootopia, I said it doesn't fit. And it doesn't. Joe will build whatever the company makes him because that is his job. That doesn't mean it fits or that he likes it.

As for it being blue. Maybe it is. I don't know, and I'm not sure you do either.

 

[ford91exploder]

Not only that, but the biggest difference between Animal Kingdom and every other park at Disney World, or Florida in general, is that it the aesthetic of the park maintains a near-perfect tone of realistic hyper-reality. As opposed to say, the Magic Kingdom, where you have a Georgia mountain full of antebellum singing half-animal creatures next door to a late-1800s western mining railway in the same "land," every ride, restaurant, and shop in the Animal Kingdom is in perfect harmony with the themed reality of its area and requires minimal suspension of disbelief. To that end, every attraction vehicle also exists as it should be- the vehicles for the safari are safari trucks and the raft expedition company at Kali sure enough puts you on a raft. Again, as opposed to the Magic Kingom, where there's a massive unbroken chain of bubble-shaped benches moving through the Haunted Mansion because....? In this way, every area in the Animal Kingdom off of the hub is one that does, or could exist in our world. Pandora is far from a perfect fit, but at least it's a live-action science fiction universe with its own non-magical logic and not, say, Treasure Planet, or even Star Wars.
The only possible exceptions are Theater in the Wild, which is either totally unthemed and/or part of Dinoland, and It's Tough to be a Bug, which is nestled so far inside a maze of walkways that it doesn't "taint" the area around it with its cartoony-ness. Same deal for Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is so far removed from the "real" part of Africa that you can't even get there on foot.
I'm not saying one approach is better than the other, but the fact that Animal Kingdom had such a successful run of adhering to its own themed realities that it would be a shame to break it now.

So as we've discussed, Zootopia is an obvious fit because, uh, animals? but an absolutely terrible fit for every other possible reason.

There is only one word to describe the appropriate future for Disney's Animal Kingdom:

You win the internet for that meme!

 

[SirLink]

You're missing the point that the entire film is about animals doing human things, not animals doing animal things. There's a reason the birds of flights of wonder don't ride tricycles.

Again. I never said they won't build zootopia, I said it doesn't fit. And it doesn't. Joe will build whatever the company makes him because that is his job. That doesn't mean it fits or that he likes it.

As for it being blue. Maybe it is. I don't know, and I'm not sure you do either.

Why would I not know - information if a rumor comes across the these boards I may speculate or state that I have no information on specific topics. However, when I get told things are in development or blue I'll state that. I stated a long time ago that there was a proposal for Zootopia to come to DAK I believe spring of last year I passed that info on these very boards.

Anyway at the end of the day I really don't care if the park is about animals, or humans relationship with nature. I don't really care as its degrees of differences between those two themes that it isn't worth a battle over.

 

[peter11435]

Why would I not know - information if a rumor comes across the these boards I may speculate or state that I have no information on specific topics. However, when I get told things are in development or blue I'll state that. I stated a long time ago that there was a proposal for Zootopia to come to DAK I believe spring of last year I passed that info on these very boards.

Anyway at the end of the day I really don't care if the park is about animals, or humans relationship with nature. I don't really care as its degrees of differences between those two themes that it isn't worth a battle over.

Look I don't know who you are or who your sources are. I've been on the boards for a very long time and don't think you've ever been a trusted insider. Not saying you're wrong but I won't believe everything I read on the internet. Maybe zootopia is proposed for a DAK expansion but I don't have enough evidence at this point to say that it is actually being considered within WDI.

As for degrees of difference. It's a slippery slope and in this case more than just a few degrees. Look what a few degrees here and there has done for MK and Epcot. I would still argue that Zootopia at Animal kingdom is just as bad if not worse than frozen in Epcot.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I stated a long time ago that there was a proposal for Zootopia to come to DAK I believe spring of last year I passed that info on these very boards.

What stage of development was that?

I am sure that with every hit movie that comes out that there are imagineers, execs, marketers, and everyone in a Disney office spit-balling rides, attractions, and whole lands for that IP. They're all looking for that next big thing and to utilize the big things that fall in their laps.

So, someone proposing Zootopialand for DAK? Sure. I 100% believed that happened. And I'm sure they had the same arguments here whether it belonged here or DHS or MK. And then they argued whether to move ahead with a formal proposal.

That doesn't mean at all that there "were plans" for a Zootopialand in DAK... unless someone says they saw the concept art or a preliminary layout of the land, or a spec sheet for the type of attractions. If it doesn't get to that point, I don't consider it as being considered.

There are hundreds and hundreds of blue-sky spit-balls thrown around. Can't count them all as "there were plans to do X"... unless it actual got to an action phase.

So... did the proposal for Zootopia in DAK that you heard about ever get to an action phase?

 

[Brer Oswald]

Zootopia wouldn't have to be used to create a book report ride. Why can't the characters and locations be used to tell a message or convey an idea that fits with the theme of the park? It has the perfect template to do so.

 

[2351metalcloud]

Beastly Kinddomme was cut from the initial build years before the park opened and then cut entirely. None of us know exactly how the land would have been developed. The relationship between humans and the natural world definitely could have fit with beastly kingdomme if they desired it to. Much like the yeti at expedition Everest. The creatures that would have lived in the kingdomme would have been creations in the minds of humans where they coexisted in a world with humans. There are several ways to go at that theme.

Interestingly, a similar concept was going to be part of Monsters, Inc. at one point. Also, I think it's interesting that 2 years after Monsters, Inc. came out Expedition Everest was announced and both of them feature yetis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters,_Inc.#Production

The idea for Monsters, Inc. was conceived in a lunch in 1994 attended by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft during the production of Toy Story.[9] One of the ideas that came out of the brainstorming session was a film about monsters. "When we were making Toy Story", Docter said, "everybody came up to me and said 'Hey, I totally believed that my toys came to life when I left the room.' So when Disney asked us to do some more films, I wanted to tap into a childlike notion that was similar to that. I knew monsters were coming out of my closet when I was a kid. So I said, 'Hey, let's do a film about monsters.'"

www.slashfilm.com/the-original-pitch-for-monsters-inc/

Well, my idea was that what it was about was about a 30 year old man who is like an accountant or something, he hates his job, and one day he gets a book with some drawings in it that he did when he was a kid from his mom, and he doesn’t think anything of it and he puts it on the shelf and that night, monsters show up. And nobody else can see them. He thinks he’s starting to go crazy, they follow him to his job, and on his dates, and all this— and it turns out these monsters are fears that he never dealt with as a kid.

And each one of them represents a different kind of fear. As he conquers those fears, the guys who he slowly becomes kind of friends with, they disappear as he conquers those fears. It’s this bittersweet kinda ending where they go away, and so not much of that stayed.

www.jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2011/03/04/the-quot-monsters-inc-quot-that-might-have-been.aspx

 

[SCOTLORR]

Yes I agree 100%. No park can maintain itself 100% on theme everywhere. But that's not a reason to just throw the original theme out the window. That's what happened to Epcot.

AK may not fit entirely into its own theme, but it still mostly does.

And I agree about Lion King. It doesn't really fit. That's why it shouldn't have its own land in AK. Same thing people are saying about Zootopia.

One mistake doesn't excuse another one.

Lion king is way more about animal life than zootopia is. The lion king is animals interacting with one another just as they would in real life except we can understand their language and interactions. The setting and mannerisms of the animals did not change at all.

However, in Zootopia, the animals are acting as humans. They may as well be humans. They walk on two feet, live in a city, etc.

Lion King Certainly fits AK, and it shouldn't be given the same evaluation as zootopia as far as how well it fits.

 

[Magenta Panther]

The dedication plaque for DAK says this:

DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM

Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.

Dedicated this 22nd day of April, 1998
Michael D. Eisner

Notice the words "ruled by lions", "real and imagined", "balance", and "harmony". It seems to me that Lion King, Jungle Book and Zootopia all fit those descriptions in their own way. So why wouldn't they fit in DAK?

Now of course, DAK does have a (kinda lame IMO) Lion King show. Too bad we got "banshees" instead of dragons though.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The way Disney was cross promoting Zootopia with Animal Kingdom it seems like it's just a matter of time before this happens... The cast all did press interviews from the Animal Kingdom lodge, there is a "thank you" to Animal Kingdom in the credits of the film because in the "making of" feature on the Blu-Ray they explain that their first step toward doing research for the movie was going to visit the Animal Kingdom park, and Rafiki's Planet Watch also had a small tie in exhibit with the film when it was first released in theaters, and Zootopia is basically just a "buddy cop" detective story, which they could easily do endless sequels to, so like Star Wars, Toy Story, and Cars, it's something that will hang around for a while

I think Animal Kingdom could use a "Fantasyland" type of area anyway, and then they could finally build a proper Dinoland. Plus they could also use a replacement for that great afternoon parade they used to have, and Zootopia would fit into that pretty well with that song Shakira did for the movie

You mean with a couple of graphics in the least explored part of any WDW park? that wasn't exactly heavily promoted in DAK.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The underlying themes of Disney's Animal Kingdom are as follows:

• The intrinsic and superior value of nature - this means that nature, above all else is at the forefront of the design. This leads to parts of the park being out of their true control (live animals, overgrown pathways, etc.).
• Transformation through adventure - this idea is that adventure changes people when they experience something they've never experienced before.
• Personal call to action - a sense of responsibility for the animals and the conservation message.

I'm not sure how Zootopia fits into those themes other than maybe the middle one.

• 
  
  

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

What stage of development was that?

I am sure that with every hit movie that comes out that there are imagineers, execs, marketers, and everyone in a Disney office spit-balling rides, attractions, and whole lands for that IP. They're all looking for that next big thing and to utilize the big things that fall in their laps.

So, someone proposing Zootopialand for DAK? Sure. I 100% believed that happened. And I'm sure they had the same arguments here whether it belonged here or DHS or MK. And then they argued whether to move ahead with a formal proposal.

That doesn't mean at all that there "were plans" for a Zootopialand in DAK... unless someone says they saw the concept art or a preliminary layout of the land, or a spec sheet for the type of attractions. If it doesn't get to that point, I don't consider it as being considered.

There are hundreds and hundreds of blue-sky spit-balls thrown around. Can't count them all as "there were plans to do X"... unless it actual got to an action phase.

So... did the proposal for Zootopia in DAK that you heard about ever get to an action phase?

What stage of development ???? Armchair

 

[troy.]

Notice the words "ruled by lions", "real and imagined", "balance", and "harmony". It seems to me that Lion King, Jungle Book and Zootopia all fit those descriptions in their own way. So why wouldn't they fit in DAK?

Take those examples and tell me which one has the animals in clothes? Which one has animals walking on two feet? Which one has animals living in houses and driving cars?

No matter how you stretch the "animal connection" in various Disney films. The connection to any animal being an "Animal Kingdom" animal is lost when you put them in clothes. Period.

 

[Indiana Stone]

The social messages conveyed in Zootopia would probably work better as part of a multiculturalism/diversity attraction in the reimagined EPCOT. The "animal characteristics" were used primarily to enhance perceived stereotypes we have for those creatures, just like we do as a society based on gender, race, beliefs, etc. I am not sure if the new focus of EPCOT will still be edutaining through the use of Disney IPs, but I think this would be a better fit for the characters than Animal Kingdom.

 

[Tom P.]

Zootopia made a lot of money. Animal Kingdom is designed to make money. Therefore, Zootopia fits within Animal Kingdom.

Well, at least that's how Disney sees it.

 

[jt04]

Zootopia made a lot of money. Animal Kingdom is designed to make money. Therefore, Zootopia fits within Animal Kingdom.

Well, at least that's how Disney sees it.

And perhaps they can add a restaurant that serves up their golden goose on a platter too.

 

[Phicinfan]

And perhaps they can add a restaurant that serves up their golden goose on a platter too.

Golden Egg Omlete?????

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Um. It's not like Disney couldn't just release a sequel with the message focused on conservation. Currently however, yeah Zootopia better fits HS or EPCOT.

 

[mikenatcity1]

I kind of like the idea of Zoopotia at AK...if in the proposed location, it's not attached (in the sense of how each land is)- you have to take transportation there...you are transported to another view of the world...yes, there are cityscapes, but don't forget there other locations within Zootopia. This shows a society of animals all living together and thriving. DHS has morphed over time to something else...why can't DAK include another form of society? I mean, people have accepted Pandora into the mix overall...if an alien planet years in the future, and a land ruled by dinosaurs and a show with talking fish or lions can be accepted, why not other talking animals? It's not like they are trying to squeeze it into Asia...

 

[Bocabear]

I kind of like the idea of Zoopotia at AK...if in the proposed location, it's not attached (in the sense of how each land is)- you have to take transportation there...you are transported to another view of the world...yes, there are cityscapes, but don't forget there other locations within Zootopia. This shows a society of animals all living together and thriving. DHS has morphed over time to something else...why can't DAK include another form of society? I mean, people have accepted Pandora into the mix overall...if an alien planet years in the future, and a land ruled by dinosaurs and a show with talking fish or lions can be accepted, why not other talking animals? It's not like they are trying to squeeze it into Asia...

Ugh.... just...Ugh... It is just so completely wrong for that park....Just because they are animals, does not make it fit....