Disney's Animal Kingdom May Need More Help Than Avatar

[rteetz]

I never understood the expansion of dino land. The play ground was cool, but to add all that carnival stuff just seems really kitsch and irrelevant to the theme of the park, even more so than Avatar land. They should move some of that stuff over to the boardwalk maybe. But to tear that stuff done and put in some dark rides for an old disney animated film like the Jungle Book or the Lion King seems like such a better and more appropriate use of that space. People LOVE this dark rides! I fall on the AK is a half day park. Some of my family could spend 2 days there. Everyone is different. I'm not crazy about the Avatar idea, but seeing the drawings is getting me excited and at least they are trying something innovative and something that will compete, if only slightly, with Harry Potter land. My biggest recommendation for AK would be to ditch

I know dark rides would be cool and I would to see them happen but camp Minnie Mickey was never part of the original plans it was supposed to be beastly kingdom which was never done because of being over budget. I kind of see this as disney making up for having a temporary land for 15 years. I also don't think disney would want to go out and do beastly kingdom after 15 years either. So they kept with that fantasy or not real land with avatar. Adding just a. Ride or two isn't going to do it for AK. They need an expansion they need a new area and thats what avatar is going to be. We just have to hope that disney doesn't have a low budget on this project and that they don't take short cuts that would really take out of what avatar could potentially be.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

I never understood the expansion of dino land. The play ground was cool, but to add all that carnival stuff just seems really kitsch and irrelevant to the theme of the park, even more so than Avatar land. They should move some of that stuff over to the boardwalk maybe. But to tear that stuff done and put in some dark rides for an old disney animated film like the Jungle Book or the Lion King seems like such a better and more appropriate use of that space. People LOVE this dark rides! I fall on the AK is a half day park. Some of my family could spend 2 days there. Everyone is different. I'm not crazy about the Avatar idea, but seeing the drawings is getting me excited and at least they are trying something innovative and something that will compete, if only slightly, with Harry Potter land. My biggest recommendation for AK would be to ditch

I understand the reasoning for dino-land (1950's fascination with dinos) but I think it was a miss, too. I would love the idea of a Jungle book dark ride!!

I am absolutely stoked about walking at night through floating mountains and then riding a flying dragon!

 

[disneymac000]

Avatarland wil be a bust but know what if Disney really wants to pick up steam...but the Hunger Games IP and put it in Animal Kingdom...supports darwinism and a huge film series.

 

[rteetz]

Avatarland wil be a bust but know what if Disney really wants to pick up steam...but the Hunger Games IP and put it in Animal Kingdom...supports darwinism and a huge film series.

how do you know it will be a bust its barely just started construction

 

[beer dave]

how do you know it will be a bust its barely just started construction

not another one-- I have to find a different forum. Just go back to the beginning of any avatar thread and read, and pretend the comments you agree with are yours.

 

[massmickeypal]

I understand the reasoning for dino-land (1950's fascination with dinos) but I think it was a miss, too. I would love the idea of a Jungle book dark ride!!

I am absolutely stoked about walking at night through floating mountains and then riding a flying dragon!

Wow! A Jungle Book dark ride is an excellent idea and a great fit.

 

[beer dave]

I understand the reasoning for dino-land (1950's fascination with dinos) but I think it was a miss, too. I would love the idea of a Jungle book dark ride!!

I am absolutely stoked about walking at night through floating mountains and then riding a flying dragon!

I am on board with you about all the avatar stuff-- but my opinion about a jungle book ride is similar to my opinion about aulani-- why build a simulated jungle (insert hawaii) with simulated animals (insert beaches/waterfalls, etc) when there are real ones already there. And the kids can see the JB characters all over the park. Maybe I am missing something.

 

[disneymac000]

how do you know it will be a bust its barely just started construction

Its a bust not in terms of interest but in having that cult following to it. Why WWoHP and all the rest of Disney is so sucessful is because of its cult following? Why do you hear people yelling and screaming at Disney to make Star Wars Land (huge cult following) or Pixar land again such as carsland (huge cult following). We live in a time and era unlike the earlier times where theme parks could create new 100% original themed rides and still be wildly popular and make people run and rush to the parks. Yes Avatar was great in movie sales, yes it was one of the most watched films but how many people do you hear raving at it. How many people are like Avatar is the best movie ever and have viewing parties just to watch it over and over. Literally no one and even on this forum, people seem to agree it was a good movie but not all that. In the end, the land will be visual stunning but very little will be able to be done to add to that section of the park if the next film is not sucessful. As I said before if Disney wanted to add a new IP and hit a demographic they are desperate need of that Universal gets (males and teens) Hunger Games would of been a better IP to go with and I have tons of things, Disney could do.

 

[massmickeypal]

I am on board with you about all the avatar stuff-- but my opinion about a jungle book ride is similar to my opinion about aulani-- why build a simulated jungle (insert hawaii) with simulated animals (insert beaches/waterfalls, etc) when there are real ones already there. And the kids can see the JB characters all over the park. Maybe I am missing something.

Reliving the story in person would be fun. Floating down a river and seeing Mowgli, Baloo, monkeys in the trees, Bagheera, Shere Kahn, King Louie ....
Not really different from the Little Mermaid ride or Peter Pan's Flight in MK. or the Seas with Nemo and Friend in EPCOT. If that's not your thing I get it, but my family would ride.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

I am on board with you about all the avatar stuff-- but my opinion about a jungle book ride is similar to my opinion about aulani-- why build a simulated jungle (insert hawaii) with simulated animals (insert beaches/waterfalls, etc) when there are real ones already there. And the kids can see the JB characters all over the park. Maybe I am missing something.

Your probably right. I'm just nostalgically thinking of the great music and characters in Jungle book. There wouldn't necessarily be anything ground breaking. And I'm old enough to be nostalgic for Jungle Book.

 

[xie]

Its a bust not in terms of interest but in having that cult following to it. Why WWoHP and all the rest of Disney is so sucessful is because of its cult following? Why do you hear people yelling and screaming at Disney to make Star Wars Land (huge cult following) or Pixar land again such as carsland (huge cult following). We live in a time and era unlike the earlier times where theme parks could create new 100% original themed rides and still be wildly popular and make people run and rush to the parks. Yes Avatar was great in movie sales, yes it was one of the most watched films but how many people do you hear raving at it. How many people are like Avatar is the best movie ever and have viewing parties just to watch it over and over. Literally no one and even on this forum, people seem to agree it was a good movie but not all that. In the end, the land will be visual stunning but very little will be able to be done to add to that section of the park if the next film is not sucessful. As I said before if Disney wanted to add a new IP and hit a demographic they are desperate need of that Universal gets (males and teens) Hunger Games would of been a better IP to go with and I have tons of things, Disney could do.

This, basically. There is a definite "edge" if you have a beloved IP. Harry Potter is definitely a beloved IP; Disney has many of them too.

Disney doesn't always make the best use of their IPs in their parks; sometimes they build rides that exploit older IPs that aren't terribly meaningful to a wider audience. And we all know they have a bit of a "boy" problem, especially in Florida where there's no Cars land to appeal.

Disney paid a bloody fortune for the rights to Star Wars. Honestly it's one of the few IPs Disney owns that could reel guys of all ages in. Most of the guys I know who go to WDW are either going with their extended families, or are parents themselves and are taking their young kids. A lot of them have switched to Universal as their kids became teens. They don't see WDW as a "manly" destination, per se, because it's full of princesses and stuffed animals. Except during Star Wars weekends, when it makes them nostalgic for their manly childhoods.

Yeah, I'm married to a man who spent an obscene amount of money in the Star Wars souvenir tent last May. Obscene. Amount. Of. Money. If they built a Star Wars park with a bunch of proper rides and stuff, he'd want to go twice a year.

I think that what is MOST important to recognize, though, is that when you exploit a well known worldwide-beloved IP like Star Wars or Harry Potter, you have the potential to draw in guests who normally wouldn't think of vacationing at a theme park resort. You are expanding your audience beyond those who are watching Disney animation with their little ones, and that's a good thing.

 

[rteetz]

Its a bust not in terms of interest but in having that cult following to it. Why WWoHP and all the rest of Disney is so sucessful is because of its cult following? Why do you hear people yelling and screaming at Disney to make Star Wars Land (huge cult following) or Pixar land again such as carsland (huge cult following). We live in a time and era unlike the earlier times where theme parks could create new 100% original themed rides and still be wildly popular and make people run and rush to the parks. Yes Avatar was great in movie sales, yes it was one of the most watched films but how many people do you hear raving at it. How many people are like Avatar is the best movie ever and have viewing parties just to watch it over and over. Literally no one and even on this forum, people seem to agree it was a good movie but not all that. In the end, the land will be visual stunning but very little will be able to be done to add to that section of the park if the next film is not sucessful. As I said before if Disney wanted to add a new IP and hit a demographic they are desperate need of that Universal gets (males and teens) Hunger Games would of been a better IP to go with and I have tons of things, Disney could do.

I agree with you but I don't think disney would buy hunger games thats another thing that I could see universal doing but I just don't see it as something disney would take on. If disney were to take on hunger games it wouldn't be for another few years yet. And what kind of rides would you make? A virtual hunger games? I don't know if that would be that great I just don't see anything that would make a good ride I've read the books and seen the movies and don't recall something that stands out for a good ride. Avatar has the banshees and floating mountains, HP has gringotts and the trains and plenty of other things they could still make rides off of.

 

[disneymac000]

I agree with you but I don't think disney would buy hunger games thats another thing that I could see universal doing but I just don't see it as something disney would take on. If disney were to take on hunger games it wouldn't be for another few years yet. And what kind of rides would you make? A virtual hunger games? I don't know if that would be that great I just don't see anything that would make a good ride I've read the books and seen the movies and don't recall something that stands out for a good ride. Avatar has the banshees and floating mountains, HP has gringotts and the trains and plenty of other things they could still make rides off of.

Even if its not Hunger Games, they had an option of adding Narnia when they were producing the films which they totally missed out on. All the other modern male/young adult concepts they can't use like Marvel (just in WDW) or DC (because of six flags) and a vast majority of the male based IPs are owned by Comcast which puts Disney in a hard place. And they can't get LOTR anytime soon even when the movies are done until Tolkien's son dies and someone in the family is willing to give Disney the rights (Tolkien hated disney with a passion). I guess Avatar was their best option at the time but i just don't think it was the best option.

And Disney should pray to God, Universal doesn't plan to utilize their rights to Star Trek before Star Wars land otherwise its going to be bloody.

 

[rteetz]

Even if its not Hunger Games, they had an option of adding Narnia when they were producing the films which they totally missed out on. All the other modern male/young adult concepts they can't use like Marvel (just in WDW) or DC (because of six flags) and a vast majority of the male based IPs are owned by Comcast which puts Disney in a hard place. And they can't get LOTR anytime soon even when the movies are done until Tolkien's son dies and someone in the family is willing to give Disney the rights (Tolkien hated disney with a passion). I guess Avatar was their best option at the time but i just don't think it was the best option. And Disney should pray to God, Universal doesn't plan to utilize their rights to Star Trek before Star Wars land otherwise its going to be bloody.

rumors are universal is going to attach Jurassic park next. Star Wars is definitely the next focus of disney i don't see how it can't be. Everyone has their own opinion about avatar and every movie they watch. Disney chose avatar and the only thing we can so about it is go see it or do not go see it. I have not heard a single rumor about universal and Star Trek to this date so who knows when that will happen.

 

[jon18uk]

I do think they need to try harder to bring in more original ideas, this is one of the great things about the Animal Kingdom, everything (except the Lion King, Bug's Life and Nemo shows) is original, I don't think Kilamanjaro Safari featuring Simba would of worked as well. I don't think Avatar is going to be too bigger issue to the theming as it will be its own area, but I wouldn't like to see something like a Jungle Book dark ride dumped into africa. Original ideas such as Expedition Everest make the park feel much more escapist I think.

I find this a huge issue in the Magic Kingdom, upon opening largely speaking the attractions based on animated features were all in FantasyLand (as they are all based on Fantasy). Now Tommorrowland has several attractions based on animated features which don't quite fit (Stitch is the worst ruining a good (but scary adult) attraction). I also don't like attractions like the little Mermaid ride as they basically just re-tell the same story as the movie, if you are going to use characters, tell a new story such as in Monsters Inc Laugh Floor Or Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. In fact thinking about this it's a Pixar thing, most of the attractions based on Pixar films tell a new story, most attractions based on a Disney film just re-tell the film.

Please Imagineers, stop relying on films and have some original thoughts!

 

[surferdave]

A franchise based on a dystopian future where kids are pitted in a death match would be a tough sell for a Disney park no matter how big a cult following or deeper meaning it has.

 

[beer dave]

Reliving the story in person would be fun. Floating down a river and seeing Mowgli, Baloo, monkeys in the trees, Bagheera, Shere Kahn, King Louie ....
Not really different from the Little Mermaid ride or Peter Pan's Flight in MK. or the Seas with Nemo and Friend in EPCOT. If that's not your thing I get it, but my family would ride.

Yeah I could see that-- and we would ride it too. Inserting the songs would make it better also-- still not the same as a completely new world. I like being transported.

 

[beer dave]

Your probably right. I'm just nostalgically thinking of the great music and characters in Jungle book. There wouldn't necessarily be anything ground breaking. And I'm old enough to be nostalgic for Jungle Book.

I love the nostalgic stuff-- just comparing it to the avatar project. I would still like it.

 

[beer dave]

A franchise based on a dystopian future where kids are pitted in a death match would be a tough sell for a Disney park no matter how big a cult following or deeper meaning it has.

I was thinking this myself-- when they have the performance in the walkways, one lucky child will be selected to fight for his/her life. Magic.

 

[Coach81]

AK is a half day park for us currently. I am excited about Avatar Land...