Australia coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

[Disney Dad Canada]

http://thedisneyblog.com/2010/11/28/gday-mate-australia-coming-to-disneys-animal-kingdom/

Sounds cool! Maybe they'll serve beets on their burgers there.

 

[safetymom]

We talk about it on this weeks podcast.

 

[ADP]

The area where Australia is proposed in the map has been cleared for years...Even before 2007. I also don't like the idea of dashing the hub and spoke design of DAK. It seems like it totally goes against Disney's bible of theme park design. I always felt one of Disney's biggest design mistakes was how they laid out DHS (MGM Studios). No hub and spoke design and it just seems like areas of the park were dropped into place with no rhyme or reason.

 

[Applemomma]

We talk about it on this weeks podcast.

Just listened to the podcast. It's exciting but I agree with kevin....we don't need another killer whale show!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Just listened to the podcast. It's exciting but I agree with kevin....we don't need another killer whale show!

Read John Frost's article at his "The Disney Blog" carefully.

Frost seems to believe honestly that "the rumored Australia section of the park has reportedly been approved" (although I have my doubts).

However, Frost doesn't claim to know what's going into Australia. He's just sharing his ideas. In fact, he starts the paragraph that mentions the aquatic concept with the phrase "The way I see it."

Frost wrote, "The park currently lacks any aquatic/sea-life exhibits. So picture a Great Barrier Reef exhibit and a Killer Whale and/or Dolphin show." Frost doesn't say that's what Disney is actually building.

Moving the "The Festival of the Lion King" to Africa is also just Frost's "armchair Imagineering." Over on the thread "New Continent Australia At Disney Animal Kingdom?" on the DISboards Disney Rumors and News forum, I wrote this about the supposed move:

The idea that removing the Wildlife Express train would "free up important land in Africa which will finally allow The Festival of the Lion King to move to its rightful place in the park" suggests that Joe Rohde would want to destroy the carefully honed, immersive theming of Harambe by invading it with a glitzy show based on an animated musical -- and that Disney executives would want to pay many millions to rebuild a theater that already exists in another part of the park.
​

WESH reported what Frost wrote. That doesn't mean WESH is confirming that it's true. The wording that WESH used is sloppy because it doesn't identify that any of this is just speculation by Frost.

 

[DavidandLeahZ]

I'll file this under the category of "I'll believe it when it opens."

Not when:
1) It's reported (see: Fire Mountain)
2) It's announced (1st version of Fantasyland expansion)

I've turned into a bit of a skeptic.

 

[safetymom]

I agree that this is no place for performing killer whales.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

I for one would, love to see an aquatic exhibit, including sea lions, dolphins, whales etc. WE stay on site every trip, and therefore don't go to other parks.

Are there a lot of these types of shows in Orlando already? Obviously in Seaworld, but are there others? I think that showing children animals is a good thing.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I for one would, love to see an aquatic exhibit, including sea lions, dolphins, whales etc. WE stay on site every trip, and therefore don't go to other parks.

Are there a lot of these types of shows in Orlando already? Obviously in Seaworld, but are there others? I think that showing children animals is a good thing.

SeaWorld is a huge aquatic park, with multiple stadiums for shows, and with spectacular aquatic habitats.

Unless Disney does something even more impressive, Disney would come across as an "also ran." I don't see Disney wanting that.

Also, by now, the whole business of capturing whales, confining them to man-made tanks, and having them perform has become quite controversial. I doubt Disney would want to open that can of worms. And the era when theme parks could capture whales in the wild has passed.

Disney could do a wonderful Australia, without having orcas jumping out of a giant salt water swimming pool. (In fact, what does that have to do with Australia?)

I am, however, not convinced that Disney wants to fund another full-fledged land at DAK in the tradition of Africa and Asia. One blogger says it will happen. His rumor has been repeated as if it were an announced certainty. But Disney has announced nothing, and there's a lot in the blogger's post that makes me question the validity of the rumor, including the odd location beyond Conservation Station.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

Thanks for the clarification. I was under the impression that whales weren't captured any more, but only those born in captivity was allowed. I could be totally wrong about that, so forgive me if I am mistaken.

As for being an also ran in the field, that makes a lot of sense. I can't see Disney not wanting to be the best at everything.

 

[Minnie Lor]

I would love to see Australia at AK but without a sea theme.

 

[steve76]

I had always assumed that aquatic exhibits were off the cards for Animal Kingdom since they have the Living Seas (or whatever it's called now!) at Epcot.

 

[teskak]

As an Aussie

Yes Australia has the Great Barrier Reef.

We DO NOT have killer whales. There are places where you can swim with or feed wild dolphins who are totally free to come and go as they please. There is one Seaworld type place.

We do have lots of kangaroos, emus and koala bears. Aussies are the only country who eats the animals on our national emblem - kangaroo & emu.

It would be good to have a colony of koalas in AKL as the native ones are having problems with Chlamidya infections (naughty naughty koalas). The Tasmanian Devils also have an infection problem that means isolated colonies of 'uninfected' animals are being established so the USA would be good for that.

What we are famous for - as Pete would attest is all of the killer wildlife. 7 of the 10 most deadly snakes. Killer spiders, jellyfish that kill, fish that kill either if you step on them or eat them.

That would be fun to have as an attraction

 

[jediobiwan]

I agree about taking anything written on John Frost's "The Disney Blog" with a grain of salt. I have his posts in my Google reader but I always take the writing with a grain of salt mixed in with some incredulity about his apparent naivete of how Disney (or any large company for that matter) runs its company. Don't believe everything you read....That said, Australia would be a cool addition.

 

[QuirkyButterfly]

We DO NOT have killer whales.

Ummm yes we do: http://www.abc.net.au/oceans/whale/type.htm

Australia may not be as well known for Orcas as it is for other types of whales but that doesn't mean that they aren't found here .

I went whale watching once, unfortunately didn't get to see any Orcas but I did see a humpback and her calf. It was beautiful. It got better when some dolphins joined in and the calf started playing with them. I love that when any animal is a baby it enjoys playing around like we do as kids, it is amazing to see.

I do agree with you that it would be good to set up a colony of "devils". We have to do everything in our power to make sure they don't go the way of the Tasmanian tigers. It breaks my heart when I see pictures of them dying.

I don't think that an aquatic area is a good idea, but I love the thought of a deadly animal section. I think that we Aussies are extremely proud that we live with so many dangerous creatures without fear It is a source of national pride.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Australia may not be as well known for Orcas as it is for other types of whales but that doesn't mean that they aren't found here .

Yes, orcas are found in many parts of world, including waters off Australia. But orcas are really not associated with Australia.

Again, the only connection between an Australia section and orcas is coming from John Frost of "The Disney Blog" (which in not run by Disney), because, in Frost's words, "The park currently lacks any aquatic/sea-life exhibits."

 

[wishspirit]

I really, REALLY hope that Disney does not put killer whales in Animal Kingdom- not at all appropriate (whether it is ethical or not, I will leave for another time). I like that (par the birds) the animals in Animal Kingdom don't perform.

Australia has a lot of other amazing sites- plus Finding Nemo was based there. They could very easily think of something else.