Beastly Kingdom Questions

[enchantressj]

Hey guys, I just had some questions and was hoping you might have the answers.

I've read some dated articles on the internet that says you can see the construction of a dragon's lair or some ride that's part of the "beastly kingdom" behind the RainForest Cafe if you stand on the bridge leading to Camp Mickey & Minnie.

I was wondering if anyone has been recently & seen this? I know they're building Everest, but that's in Asia, nowhere near Camp Mickey & Minnie.

Also, is there still a dragon on the Animal Kingdom's logo? I was just wondering since my first trip the the Animal Kingdom will be in May.

I really hope they're still planning to buid the beastly kingdom section of the park. Anyways, if anyone has any info about this I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Dan Murphy]

It appears there is......

 

[eeyore0062]

Yes, there is a dragon in the logo of Animal Kingdom, just as there is a parking area in the parking lot named Unicorn. When DAK was 1st in the planning stages, there were to be 5 areas, including Asia, Africa, Dinoland, the Oasis, and Beastly Kingdom (working name), which would concentrate on mythical beasts such as dragons, unicorns, and the like. Camp Minnie/Mickey was stated to be the entrance to this area, according to original drawings, which you may find in The Making of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park by Melody Malmberg. The area of "Beastly Kingdom" never came about, and although there is much speculation as to the reason, no firm explanation has been given.

Now, it seems, that WDW is concentrating on "filling out" the existing lands within DAK, with the addition of Hester and Chester's Dinorama in Dinoland, and the currently under construction Expedition Everest, , which is slated to open in 2006. It is based on the "mythical beast" Yeti, or the Adbonable Snowman of the Himalayas.... thus tying in both Asia, and the original concept of mythical beasts.

I hope that you enjoy your vacation, and your trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

 

[aesalsa]

I'd like to see Disney do something with mythical creatures, too.

 

[eeyore0062]

I'd like to see Disney do something with mythical creatures, too.

They are.... Expedition Everest will center around the mythological beast, Yeti.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

This could be completely wrong, but here goes:

When Animal Kingdom first opened, there was a boat ride that traveled the "river" that flows through the park - the dock was where the Pooh Bear meet and greet is now. I remember taking this ride on a sneak preview of Animal Kingdom in 1998. While sailing the river, there was some sort of dragon along the side of the water, and I remember hearing snorting and seeing smoke or something like that. I can't remember if we actually saw a dragon or just a cave with noises or something. I believe the dragon part was on the side going towards Camp Minnie Mickey. Could that be what you read?

This boat ride has been discontinued for a few years now.

Anyone else remember? Oh well! Just an idea!

<img src="http://home.att.net/~disneysue/hugsmall3.gif">

 

[enchantressj]

No, I read that too, but that's not what I'm talking about. This article was about a cave or something you could see over the trees when you were on the bridge to Camp Mickey & Minnie. People said they could see something that was being built, and I just wondered if this was actually true & if you could still see it.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by HugsForEeyore
This could be completely wrong, but here goes:

When Animal Kingdom first opened, there was a boat ride that traveled the "river" that flows through the park - the dock was where the Pooh Bear meet and greet is now. I remember taking this ride on a sneak preview of Animal Kingdom in 1998. While sailing the river, there was some sort of dragon along the side of the water, and I remember hearing snorting and seeing smoke or something like that. I can't remember if we actually saw a dragon or just a cave with noises or something. I believe the dragon part was on the side going towards Camp Minnie Mickey. Could that be what you read?

This boat ride has been discontinued for a few years now.

Anyone else remember? Oh well! Just an idea!

<img src="http://home.att.net/~disneysue/hugsmall3.gif">

I was there when AK first opened and I don't recall this at all. I love dragons so I think I would remember. It would be so awesome if they built this though.

 

[aesalsa]

Thanks, eeyore0062. I knew that already. I wished Disney would do MORE with other mythical creatures--maybe a ride that feels like one is flying with a dragon, etc. Maybe Disney can take clues from some of their movies like Fantasia, Hercules. . . Just an idea.

 

[NLK]

HugsforEeyore, we were there the week after DAK opened. We took the boat ride too and I remember what your talking about. You didn't see anything but, you saw smoke and heard things in the grass and in a cave. I thought it was a great idea but then the stopped the boat ride. That was a shame because it was nice to be able to sit for awhile and not have to walk across the park.

 

[dgaston]

I too went on the boat ride "Radio Boats" maybe, and remember the smoke and caves in December 98, I think. The ride wasn't open on our next trip. I remember it got us about 1/2 way around AK, and then everyone had to get off and reboard for the rest of the trip.