RUMOR : WDW 5th Theme Park - "Disney's Night Kingdom"

[Luv4Disney]

I don't know...I don't really buy it....

 

[sassyat30]

"Mind you, Disney's Night Kingdom will have no traditional theme park rides per se. But you'll still be able to get your fill of excitement & adventure as you strap on a pair of night vision goggles and then wander out into a pitch-black African savanna. Where you'll then be able to observe up-close lions & hyenas as they go through their nocturnal hunting routines."

Um...thanks, but I have no interest to wander a pitch black savanna with lions and hyenas

Yeah, exactly what I thought.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

I'm still waiting for the Haunted Mansion Holiday to appear at WDW, which Jim Hill predicted for several years.

 

[boomhauer]

"Mind you, Disney's Night Kingdom will have no traditional theme park rides per se. But you'll still be able to get your fill of excitement & adventure as you strap on a pair of night vision goggles and then wander out into a pitch-black African savanna. Where you'll then be able to observe up-close lions & hyenas as they go through their nocturnal hunting routines."

Um...thanks, but I have no interest to wander a pitch black savanna with lions and hyenas

Exactly. That's why if this is true, it must be leaving lots out. Discovery Cove, sure - I can see that. Swimming with dolphins. That's cool. Watching hyenas eating habits and mating rituals - I'll pass.

 

[RussellDisney]

Um...thanks, but I have no interest to wander a pitch black savanna with lions and hyenas

Yeah, you can do that at the SF Zoo!

(Oh come on!! You were thinking it, I'm just the one who typed it.)

 

[themilesfamily]

If this rumor turns out to be true, I'm withholding my opinion until I see the full list of activities. Some of what was mentioned in the article sounds really spectacular. Some activities might be a little bit more than I can pull off as a middle-aged woman with a bum knee. (For example, I'm not sure I would go spelunking -- but you never know!) I CAN see the appeal of providing guests with a more involved, hands-on experience and I'm sure there's a market for it.

It smacks of those corporate retreats where everyone from the office has to fall backwards into each others arms, slide down a zip-rope, let out a primal scream and then sing Cumbya. Its just not my thing.

Robo, as always, I adore your posts. I'll have you know I blew coffee out my nose when I read this! lol Who DID come up with those corporate-bonding-type activities? They are so obnoxious.

 

[Eeyore2142]

Yeah, you can do that at the SF Zoo!

(Oh come on!! You were thinking it, I'm just the one who typed it.)

I wasn't thinking it, but you caused me to spit on my computer screen.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Sounds like an offspring of the AK. The cost of the park isn't enough to really show a "new park" construciton, but maybe a sub-park to AK....possibly replacing Conservation Station. Would definitely make sense not to re-create AK just for night time....not to mention AK already closes relatively early, so it would merely pick up where AK leaves off. I am sure people would gladly pay, there are already so many people doing the sunrise/sunset safaris for a pretty penny, just for a couple of hours.

That is exactly what I was thinking when I read the article. It sounds like most of the things mentioned could very well be put in various places in AK, why make a whole new park for things you could do in AK. However, the rock climbing and zip lines could be something that they could put in say FW, maybe where River Country was?

 

[mainstreetmickey]

I personally think the premise is fascinating, but the details offered are somewhat lame.

IF Disney does this I would be willing to bet that it will be very well done and that the experiences will be far more exciting than feeding Hippos and walking savannas. The part that got my attention was that it would be like the Adventurers Club... but it would extend throughout the park. Like I said before, the possibilities are fascinating.

Keep in mind that when Disney announced AK there was a great segment of the population that said things like, "A zoo at Disney World? I have a zoo here at home, why would I go to a zoo there? It'll never work..." Well, it wasn't a zoo. I think this will be the same thing, there are those who will draw quick conclusions but IF it happens it will be much more than is being speculated.

 

[JacknSally]

i'm not too excited.... i'm already not a big fan of AK..... this just seems like the after hours version of the zoo-park with a few sporadic rides sprinkled about. i think they should focus on adding a bunch of stuff the DHS and redoing some things at EPCOT instead... especially with $520 million

 

[ChrisFL]

drinks and food

Our family could easily spend $200 bucks on a dinner at Disney

that still isn't near the $1,250 price tag for our family to go to the park
I mean we can only drink so much soday in 1 night

I am not very budget minded when it comes to our trips. We do stay deluxe and we do like spending extra for a special time but SERIOUSLY....

Many families for to Disney and their entire trip cost what 1 night of night kingdom would cost my family

Even the hard ticket events aren't even close to that amount ($250 per person) and with those you get parades, fireworks ... the whole bang up job.

Then I'm guessing you're not the target market...

I think it's funny how many people here (and elsewhere) can't see how this is going to work, yet Sea World has no problems getting people to go to Discovery Cove all the time for nearly the same price

 

[Smile4Me]

I'm going to have to agree with most ...I hope I never see this happen. I wouldn't spend the money on it, no matter how much I do love hippos. I would also much rather see expansion/improvement at DHS and AK. The Disney company is already pumping a ton of money into California Adventure and Hong Kong Disney to get them up and going. Why not add something people have been asking for at WDW like new thrill rides at AK or DHS??!!

 

[Mickey28]

It looks like that money would be better spent at AK putting in the Beastly Kingdom section that was originally talked about during the conception of AK.

Beastly Kingdom

Animal Kingdom's original logo which includes a dragon at the center.Beastly Kingdom is a land of the Animal Kingdom which was proposed to be built. Beastly Kingdom (supposedly spelled in Old English as "Beastly Kingdomme") was to have featured mythical animals such as unicorns, dragons, and sea monsters. The land would feature realms of both good and evil creatures. The evil side would be dominated by Dragon Tower, a ruined castle home to a greedy fire-breathing dragon who hordes a fabulous treasure in the tower chamber. The castle is also inhabited by bats who plan to rob the dragon of his riches. They enlist the guests' help in their scheme, and whisk them off on a thrilling roller coaster ride through the castle ruins. The climax of the ride is an encounter with the evil dragon himself, resulting in a nearly-barbecued train of guests.

The good side of this land would be home to Quest of the Unicorn, an adventure which sends guests through a maze of medieval mythological creatures to seek the hidden grotto where the unicorn lives. Finally, the Fantasia Gardens attraction would be a musical boat ride through the animals from Disney's animated classic, Fantasia. The ride would feature both the crocodiles and hippos from " Dance of the Hours" and the Pegasus, fauns, and centaurs from Beethoven's "Pastoral."

Due to budget constraints of the Walt Disney Company, Beastly Kingdom never came to fruition and Camp Minnie-Mickey was built as a temporary tenant of the Beastly Kingdom's land.

The change was supposedly rather sudden, as remnants of this planned area were visible when the park opened. One such remnant was a fire-breathing dragon in the Discovery River Boats attraction. Said dragon was visible from the Camp Minnie-Mickey bridge for several years, roaring loudly and spewing fire from a rocky cave. In addition, one of the McDonald's Animal Kingdom-themed Happy Meal toys was a winged purple dragon.

Legend has it that Disney laid off the Imagineers who had planned the Beastly Kingdom, and they were subsequently hired to create the Dueling Dragons and the Flying Unicorn attractions for Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park[citation needed].

Even now, hints of a mythological land still exist, including:

The "Unicorn" parking area
The original Animal Kingdom logo, which prominently features the silhouette of a dragon, and still appears throughout the park
The dragon-shaped stone fountain near Camp Minnie-Mickey
The detailed dragonhead statue which sits atop one of the ticket booths at the park's entrance.

 

[Philadisney]

The Jim Hill website will not load on my computer! Can anyone cut and paste the article? I am so curious!

 

[CarolA]

Well Jim Hill says he knows about the new Disney Park. It's going to be called Disney's Night Kingdom. Read more here:

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_h...e-the-disney-theme-park-going-experience.aspx

Looks like there will be a lot of people not going to Disney World's 5th Gate.

Well, this pretty much proves it's NOT going to happen.

Just a few of Jim's GEMS!!!!

1. Tarzan at AK was closed because Disney won't have a Theme Park show and Broadway show based on the same movie at the same time. (Shh... they apparently don't know about Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid at the parks!)

2. COP is closing. (An annual event for Jim)

3. ESPN club was closing last year. (Was open a few weeks ago)

4. For the PAST TWO Octobers Disney was going to have a "Halloween Horror Nights" at MGM Studios. (Apparently only Jim got invited)

And so on....... Yes, he occasionally gets something right, but more often he is wrong.. (Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then too!)

Don't get to worked up on any Jim Hill 'rumor' I think after Disney had him thrown out of a park his souces got more unreliable. I swear they feed him stuff to make him look foolish!

 

[Robo]

Then I'm guessing you're not the target market...

I think it's funny how many people here (and elsewhere) can't see how this is going to work, yet Sea World has no problems getting people to go to Discovery Cove all the time for nearly the same price

Its got nothing to do with "working" or not (at least in MY case.)

Its just not interesting to me.

Some folks LOVE "attention."

But I dislike the "paid-for" kind of "personal service."
Heck, I don't even like hovering waiters, much less a CM (make that TWO CMs, for cryin' out loud ) telling me what I need to see next.

How many of us like having a salesperson tagging after us in a shop, heaping false praise over "how good this would look on you," and then running to find us "matching socks?"

I can find my own socks in the store.

I can find my own fun at Disney.

Leave me, the heck, ALONE!

 

[CanadianGuy]

I swear they feed him stuff to make him look foolish!

My theory too ~!

Knox

 

[ntsammy5]

(Apparently only Jim got invited)

He's a legend in his own mind

 

[boomhauer]

Then I'm guessing you're not the target market...

I think it's funny how many people here (and elsewhere) can't see how this is going to work, yet Sea World has no problems getting people to go to Discovery Cove all the time for nearly the same price

I think the idea of swimming with dolphins would appeal to many people. I don't think feeding a hippo would. Some, sure. Not nearly as many. Plus, Discovery Cove is a daytime event. Many of the people you see at the theme parks at nights are families pushing a stroller with a sleeping child in it. $300 is a lot of money to pay for that.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

My question is...why would they need to build another park for this? Couldn't they do this "Night Park" as a special event at AK, like MNSSHP or MVMCP?

They might build a new exhibit or two, which could also be viewed during the day on a regular ticket. The bat cave or hippo aquarium could be added, or replace Rafiki's area.

Exploring AK at night was thing my family always talked about. (they must have stolen our idea, lol). A low amount of tickets, with a dinner included.

The only thing they would have to do is give everyone night googles.

Wow, I just saved Disney about 500 million dollars.