Animal Kingdom never finished?

[Toxic!]

Is it true that they never really finished building Animal Kingdom? Like, they got far, but decided it was enough but also decided to save the rest for later dates?

It's an interesting rumor that a Disney Worker told me, I'm wondering if it's true.

Also, any other interesting park rumors?

 

[tazdeb]

Where camp Minnie Mickey is now was supposed to be a mythical kingdom that contained animals like unicorns and dragons. However that part of the park was never finished.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

It's true but according to Walt's philosophy a Park was NEVER finished.

 

[Plasticletters]

Allegedly the "Beastly Kingdom" part of the park (what tazdeb was talking about) was being designed by Imagineers who were laid off. These Imagineers joined Universal and took their ideas with them to create what became the Dueling Dragons and Flight of the Unicorn roller coasters (now both Harry Potter rides) at Islands of Adventure.

When you cross the bridge into camp Minnie-Mickey, take a look at the rocks on the far bank...they make a dragon face. This is one of the relics for the land that was never created.

Festival of the Lion King also was not supposed to be permanent. It was created as a placeholder for whatever was going to be put in there permanently, but it got so popular that it stayed put and no new "land" was built.

 

[gymnastgirlflips]

It's true but according to Walt's philosophy a Park was NEVER finished.

That's exaclty what I thought of.

I wish Beastly Kingdom existed though- I've seen a blog about it with art and everything but I can't remember the site.

 

[yitbos96bb]

Allegedly the "Beastly Kingdom" part of the park (what tazdeb was talking about) was being designed by Imagineers who were laid off. These Imagineers joined Universal and took their ideas with them to create what became the Dueling Dragons and Flight of the Unicorn roller coasters (now both Harry Potter rides) at Islands of Adventure.

When you cross the bridge into camp Minnie-Mickey, take a look at the rocks on the far bank...they make a dragon face. This is one of the relics for the land that was never created.

Festival of the Lion King also was not supposed to be permanent. It was created as a placeholder for whatever was going to be put in there permanently, but it got so popular that it stayed put and no new "land" was built.

Not entirely true. Beastly Kingdom was cut way before the park opened, not due to the FOLK popularity.

 

[srferson]

That's exaclty what I thought of.

I wish Beastly Kingdom existed though- I've seen a blog about it with art and everything but I can't remember the site.

Gymnast,

What is that game looking thingy (great description, eh?) in your signature/footer thingy? (My goodness I'm at a loss for proper words at the moment. Too tired.)

 

[Figment632]

There was supposed to be Beastly Kingdom and a big E-ticket roller coaster in Dino USA called the Excavator and Dinosaur was supposed to be longer with an out door scene.

But the budget was cut and we got stuck with the crap that is Camp M&M and Dinorama.

 

[troynkasey]

With how good the FOLK is, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm in the minority in stating I'm happy the Beastly Kingdom wasn't built. I wish there was more to Camp Minnie/Mickey, but there still may be more development. Looking at GoogleMaps you can see there is room for expansion. The greeting trails are a nice way to meet the characters and not stand in ridiculously long lines to do so. Maybe future expansion won't center around the Beastly Kingdom, but around the Lion King and the Camp Minnie/Mickey theme and get something else in that area...

 

[CandyMandy]

The real "strategy" issue with Animal Kingdom (AK) isn't just that it is incomplete (ergo, missing a key component of the original plan) but the fact it doesn't have the "draw breadth" of the other three parks.

Specifically, AK doesn't offer a true evening experience (EMH there is at best a pale shadow of that) and has therefore been condemned to being an "in and out" daytime destination. That lowers its appeal as well as the cash flow available from the average visiting guest (fewer hours spent in park = less spent on dining and shopping).

I know, I know, the excuse for this is things have to be keep "quiet" at night as to not disturb the "natural rythms" of the animals. I'm not a zoologist, so I can't debate that - albeit the wildlife at places like Busch Gardens in Tampa seem to do just fine being in a theme park environment that stays open at night. Frankly, the biggest noise at night in parks comes from fireworks, which aren't a mandate for evening draw (HS pulls in people at night despite the fact there is not a nightly fireworks show there).

Bottom line: AK is a vision that was never fully realized, partly due to budget and partly due to mis-reading what the actual guest experience there would really be like. And one is left wondering whether the addition of the "Beastly" element would have changed that. For we actually we did get one "mythical animal E-ticket experience:": the Yeti on Expedition Everest.

And that fact he broke down early and has never been repaired is an almost bittersweet symbol of all the issues at AK....

 

[rluey29]

I think AK needs more to do. Love whats there but a half a day and were ready to leave mostly because what is great there is very crowded.

 

[jimmytammy]

I think AK needs more to do. Love whats there but a half a day and were ready to leave mostly because what is great there is very crowded.

We feel the same way. It had been yrs since we rode the train so decided to do that again, just so we could break the monotony of doing the same things over and over.

AK has such great potential, but EE, Dinosaur and Safaris just cant carry it anymore, enough for us ol timers

 

[daleswife]

I think AK needs more to do. Love whats there but a half a day and were ready to leave mostly because what is great there is very crowded.

I agree. We usually spend one whole day in AK, just to take our time and see all the animals. My son is 3 and he loves animals right now....but after that one day, we are done. Id like to see more there.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Animal Kingdom and MGM (yeah...whatever it is called now) will be the first two things i address when i seize the federal reserve, take Disney private, and appoint myself Chief Ride Thinker-Upper, test pilot, and General Goofy Guy who has fun....

But i really think that they have reconciled what they didn't do with the two "newer" parks in orlando as opposed to the original two into some kind of model that shows that they are wise to keep the offerings down and allow the majority of bodies to migrate to Eppy and Magic Kingdom each day...

For one...it would take far less operational logistics for the parks with fewer offerings and shorter hours....though i'm sure that animal kingdom offsets that some because of the operation involved.

But i would hope that somebody grows the yams to eventually push through some real expansion of the parks footprints to provide full day activities. neither will ever be packed with things like the others and be "2 day parks"...but a full solid day without repetition and looking to go somewhere else during the evening would be nice.

One solid new "continent" at Animal Kingdom would go along way toward that. An austrailia would be fantastic...and provide lots of zoo friendly animals and ride ideas that could go in fairly easily (i have a full rollercoaster that is integrated into the Ulura (ayer's rock) on the drawing boards...just waiting for a call)

As far as the studios...the fact that they haven't just gone ahead and taken over the production facilities to install somekind of new land or zone is just silly. they have more than enough material to build new offerings (midway mania being an obvious example)...and the disjointed park layout just always made the park a little less aesthetically pleasing.


Granted...my plan A probably wont' come to pass...so i for one hope that the majority of new bucks spent in WDW will go away from the MK and Downtown in the future (its pretty obvious what they think of us when all the investment goes to timeshare, third party stores and restaurants, and a new zone of he magic kingdom to specifically sell product to girls) and goes to the studios and animal kingdom.

And it might have already happened had not Eisner the great thrown up 5 cheapie parks in his tenure in Anaheim....with only DLP, Tokyosea (which they don't really shell out for), and an unfinished Animal Kingdom being the only fully laid out construction projects to show for...

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

I guess I should chime in, dissenting of course, I like AK best of all WDW parks. My fear is that Iger and the Beancounters (good name for a retro rockgroup) will continue to ignore the animal aspect in favor of the thrill aspect. Walt would slap bobby upside the head.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I guess I should chime in, dissenting of course, I like AK best of all WDW parks. My fear is that Iger and the Beancounters (good name for a retro rockgroup) will continue to ignore the animal aspect in favor of the thrill aspect. Walt would slap bobby upside the head.

it seems to me that they've ignored both.

the dinorama thing was a kneejerk to attempt and provide something to do....the show changes and everest were more well thought out...everest was actually too much effort for what it produced.

but beyond that...they've done nothing to improve the animal offerings and pretty little to improve the ride aspects in a park that is now 12 1/2 years old.

it needs a real re-commitment by the suits. they took a living park too lightly...in my opinion...and instead of fully committing to building a showcase for the natural elements of it...they made it just another gated idea that was downsized for the purpose of printing tickets quicker

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

it seems to me that they've ignored both.

the dinorama thing was a kneejerk to attempt and provide something to do....the show changes and everest were more well thought out...everest was actually too much effort for what it produced.

but beyond that...they've done nothing to improve the animal offerings and pretty little to improve the ride aspects in a park that is now 12 1/2 years old.

it needs a real re-commitment by the suits. they took a living park too lightly...in my opinion...and instead of fully committing to building a showcase for the natural elements of it...they made it just another gated idea that was downsized for the purpose of printing tickets quicker

I really agree with your last statement. Maybe they didn't have to be a "zoo" but the animal elements needed (need) that commitment and not just short term. Stick with it and grow into what you will be. To be sentimental, AK is the one Park Walt would have loved. Anyone old enough to remember Disney's Wonderful World of Color would certainly know his love of animals and let's face it, when Walt loved something it had a habit of being something we all would love, didn't it?

On MGM - Yes, we'll continue calling that - it had such promise at one time. Then they decided things like the Hunchback, Doug and the real animation tour were the wrong road and decided the auto show was a good expenditure and now American Idiot (what a joke). Now I know Doug wouldn't be relevant today but an upgrade to another synergistic show for kids would have been better. Don't even start on Fantasmic's reduced hours despite the fact that it was full virtually every night.

Oh, talking about this is sad.

 

[LisaxMarie]

I heard about this too.. Like the little dragon in the AK logo..
Wonder if they will ever finish it!

Gymnast,

What is that game looking thingy (great description, eh?) in your signature/footer thingy? (My goodness I'm at a loss for proper words at the moment. Too tired.)

That is Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK).. Probs was the best game ever invented. But it closed three years ago..

 

[gymnastgirlflips]

Gymnast,

What is that game looking thingy (great description, eh?) in your signature/footer thingy? (My goodness I'm at a loss for proper words at the moment. Too tired.)

It's VMK, Virtual Magic Kingdom. I get asked about it alot. It's not open anymore sadly... It was basically a virtual Disneyland you could walk around in with amazing Disney type clothes like princess outfits or pirate costumes. They had games about the Haunted Mansion, Pirates, fireworks, and the Jungle Cruise. Best community ever, but they shut it down in May 2008 because "it was just a promotion". Everyone on disboards would have loved it if they love Disney.

 

[skiingfast]

I'm not sure AK is not focused on animals. If you have been to the San Diego zoo and the Wild Animal park, you will see that the animal aspect is modeled after the premier zoos of the country. I can only think of several common zoo species that are represented that are common elsewhere. AK is limited by it's lands. Still I would guess that the species count puts it on par with large zoos.

I'd like to point out that Walt said DL would never be finished, why should anyone think that any Disney park would ever be done. They spent a lot of money building it, and adjusting it afterward. Who knows what it will be like in 15 years.