[Question] Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Do you think a mix of live animals and audio-animatronic Disney ones, like attractions based on The Lion King, Jungle Book, Tarzan, Bambi, maybe Finding Nemo or others - would add a Disney touch to the park or would it take away from the real animals on exhibit?

[MarkTwain]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I've always thought having just a few could work well for the park. I think a Tarzan dark ride with realistic AAs, or a Jungle Book dark ride that really played up the realism of the ruins and jungle, would actually work really well in the African or Asian sections of AK. The challenge would be to make sure they fit stylistically with the existing and very realistic themes in the park, and don't get too "toonified".

[Bronco21]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

Lion King was originally a huge part of the park. Early promotion concepts and other material clearly showed that a Lion King show/ ride was designed to reside under the tree of life. It wasn't until Michael Eisner had a brilliant idea that ants live in trees so they should do an ant attraction, that it's tough to be a bug came about. I don't know about everyone else, but personally I would rather have The Lion King (one of Disney's best movies) makes a lot more sense at the center of a park about nature than an attraction based on a bug's life (one of Pixar's worst movies). The Tree of Life connects a lot better with the Lion King as well since a major theme of that movie revolves around the circle of life. Honestly if they had went with their plans before Eisner and his crew started to cut it back, Animal Kingdom would be 100 times better.

Animal Kingdom doesn't need more character tie ins. Dinosaur, it's tough to be a bug, Finding Nemo show, Camp Minnie Mickey/ Avatarland, Festival of the Lion King, and Rafikki's Planet Watch are plenty of character based attraction for a park with very few actual rides. The park needs desperately to demolish Dinoland USA and start over. Dinosaur (one of only 3/4 e-tickets in the park depending on your ranking of Kali River Rapids) is a joke! Want to fix it? Remove the phony time travel aspect of Dinosaur (especially the annoying computer voice), remove the Rollercoaster, Triceratops spinner, and all the surrounding areas except the boneyard. Add a minor child friendly forest exploration ride (maybe autopia with jeeps and animatronic dinosaurs). Replace the roller coaster with an update version of Soarin'. Riders would fly over a lake Cretacious world.

Another problem with the park is the lack of transportation rides. Discovery River Taxis would be renovated. Smaller, faster loading boats would replace the awkward boats that caused problems. More boats would mean that a boat was at each dock every 2 minutes meaning that the line would move much more smoothly. New docks would be constructed in front of EE and at Africa. Along the shore new animal exhibits would be placed. These new exhibits would showcase other new animals not found throughout the land (ie Indian Elephants, Galapogos turtles, ect), to help make it into more of an attraction then it was before. Transportation rides help to enhance guest experiences and Animal Kingdom is in need of one.

With the worst area of the park fixed and transportation needs met, the park would seem more complete (not to mention the addition of avatar). With the park now able to stand alone, a few minor additions would fix the rest of the issues. The park closes early in the day because the animals need to be cared for at night, however, the park doesn't all need to close for this. It would be difficult and would require a lot of planning, but they would be able to close the exploration trails, exhibits, and Kilamanjaro Safaris early, but keeping the rest of the park open. This would allow Animal Kingdom to become a park that could keep people much later. However, what offerings would keep people after dark?

Avatarland would be the first area since it would have crazy lighting effects and no animal exhibits that would close at night. This would be only one of the nighttime offerings though. In order to keep people in the park later into the night, DHS added Fantasmic. DCA did something similar with WoC. Animal Kingdom deserves its own Nightime extravaganza. Obviously fireworks (except low level fireworks) are out of the questions because the loud noises would upset the animals. The obvious choice would be a WoC style show. WoC is pretty awesome, but it still lacks that power that Fantasmic has. Therefore I suggest a WoC style fountain show utilizing large animatronic figures floated out on barges. Use the flying dragon Disney recently tested, in the climax of the show with it swooping down and breathing fire into the burning of a forest (or something like that). Also unlike WoC the show would be viewable from around the bay and not require FP since FP at WoC creates as many problems as it solves.

[sbk1234]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

While I'm kinda "charactered-out" when it comes to Disney theme parks, I definately think they could add some non-real, animatronic-based attractions. This would help to further elevate the park beyond the level of just a zoo. (albeit a rather nice zoo.) Personally, I come from a large city, and we have a nice zoo. Observing the animals is really a minor part of the attraction of Animal Kingdom to me. I realize many people don't have that available to them at home, but that's something they can get elsewhere. Before I'm flogged, I absolutely admit that Kilimanjaro Safari is not something they can get elsewhere, and presents the animals in a unique way, but that's only one attraction.

Not only Disney-based attractions, but I've always felt an area focusing on the fictional animals (Yes, I mean Beastly Kingdom) would be the best addition to the park and would greatly enhance it, giving it more of that Disney feel. I believe it would do for Animal Kingdom what Cars Land has done for California Adventure.

I ramble a bit, but you get what I'm saying.

[robbiem]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I`ve always thought a Jungle Book flume would be great either here or in a magic kingdom without a without Splash mountain. Some of the scenes in the film, baloo floating down the river, king Louie in the temple, kaa and the Beatle vultures would be great as animatronics.

Similarly Avatar land could be an amazing nighttime spectacle with a WOC type show and the dragon things flying round

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I've always felt an area focusing on the fictional animals (Yes, I mean Beastly Kingdom) would be the best addition to the park and would greatly enhance it, giving it more of that Disney feel. I believe it would do for Animal Kingdom what Cars Land has done for California Adventure.

I ramble a bit, but you get what I'm saying.

You're saying BEASTLY KINGDOM would do for Animal Kingdom what Cars Land has done for DCA. Who agrees, and who disagrees?

[DancinBelle]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I've always felt that Beastly Kingdom would be a huge boost to the park. Disney is all about magic, and there would be a lot more flexibility in an area like that. It also has potential to be a land free of a major character tie-in, which be a breath of fresh air. If they want to compete with Harry Potter, this would be one of their best shots.

I've also designed a whole Jungle Book dark ride in my head that I think would fit in beautifully =D

[Bronco21]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

Beastly Kingdom was, is, and will continue to be the second best idea for the park that WDI had (the first being Kilamanjaro safaris).

[sbk1234]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

You're saying BEASTLY KINGDOM would do for Animal Kingdom what Cars Land has done for DCA. Who agrees, and who disagrees?

I will go out on a limb and say yes. Now, it's up to Disney to actually go ahead and build Beastly Kingdom, with the same level of quality, and immersion that Cars Land has to prove me right or wrong.
If I'm proven wrong, I will admit it freely, and think about my mistake while I stroll through Beastly Kingdom, looking for unicorns and enjoying attractions based on mythological animals like Pegasus and dragons and stuff.

[YahooEEE]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

The park needs desperately to demolish Dinoland USA and start over. Dinosaur (one of only 3/4 e-tickets in the park depending on your ranking of Kali River Rapids) is a joke!

I agree the Dinosaur ride is a joke yet ironically, it is based on the most popular ride in Disneyland. The day after I rode it I was having lunch with an Imagineer and mentioned the similarity of the layout and vehicles to the Indiana Jones ride. He said that is because the hardware is the same. They put a different skin on the vehicle but otherwise the only real difference is the theming. This all goes to show the genius of Disney has always been in the theme and atmosphere. They take ordinary rides and make them special. Dumbo is the best example. So why not turn Dinosaur into what peolpe really want...Indiana Jones. It certainly would fit with the jungle theme.

[MJMcB]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I would love a Beastly Kingdomme. The talking bats on the Dragon Tower sounded amazing

Or even a Wonderland

or maybe a "Middle Earth"?

[ttintagel]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I`ve always thought a Jungle Book flume would be great either here or in a magic kingdom without a without Splash mountain. Some of the scenes in the film, baloo floating down the river, king Louie in the temple, kaa and the Beatle vultures would be great as animatronics.

Totally agree. The Jungle Book characters are there for meet-and-greets, but the Jungle Book is such a great movie, and still so popular with kids, that a ride where you could step into the film would be a very welcome addition. And with all those great Sherman Brothers songs, the ride soundtrack is already written!

Personally, I'd make it a less-intense flume than Splash Mountain, and make it more of a gentler family ride. Maybe a couple of small drops. Hopefully you could make it with a lower height requirement than Splash.

[MJMcB]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

I would be in for a Jungle Book flume over in Asia. I do think some more character based attractions would be good at DAk in small doses

[goofy donald]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

unfortunately we will never see a beastly kingdome because of the atrocious Avatar land, its as simple as that.

[MJMcB]

Yeah. We never will. It would be nice to see some elements of it thou

[danyoung]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

unfortunately we will never see a beastly kingdome because of the atrocious Avatar land, its as simple as that.

Ridiculous to call something that not only isn't built yet but isn't even fully conceptualized as atrocious.

[Witches of Morva]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

ORDDU: My sisters and I would prefer to see Beastly Kingdom over that atrocious idea for Avatar, too, goofy donald, dear. After all, Avatar isn't even a Disney movie. And you can call it atrocious all you want. You're entitled.

[danyoung]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

Really? We've worked so hard at finding a way to live together, where you leave me alone and I leave you alone. And you're gonna take a shot like this?

[MJMcB]

I really don't like avatar but I'm willing to str if the attraction is cool

[goofy donald]

Re: Disney Animal Kingdom character-based rides

Ridiculous to call something that not only isn't built yet but isn't even fully conceptualized as atrocious.

its not rediculous if its essentially the core concept and idea that is atrocious.....