At the 2023 D23 Fan Expo, it was announced that not only would a new show based on Zootopia be replacing It’s Tough To Be A Bug in the Tree of Life theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but that the top idea being discussed for a redesign of the Dinoland USA area of the park has been narrowed down to the “tropical Americas.”
Chief Creative Officer of Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn, stated that the plans still have a long way to go, but that the Imagineering team is up to the challenge of creating this beautiful land. It was also announced that there is IP (Intellectual Property) that they are considering adding to this land. This includes Encanto and Indiana Jones.
A Step In The Right Direction
These new plans and ideas are miles above the “Blue Sky” concepts that were announced last year and included Zootopia and Moana as the main focuses of the new land. This would have been a total misstep on Disney’s part, and we addressed that in Where Dinoland Fails and What Should ACTUALLY Replace It.
We noted that Moana is already going to have an attraction featured at EPCOT (which is opening October 16th!) and Zootopia isn’t a good fit for a land in Animal Kingdom. When it comes to Zootopia, Joe Rohde, one of the leading Imagineers who brought Animal Kingdom to life, explained that the animals in Zootopia are just human proxies dealing with human issues rather than animals facing animal-related issues. Just because the IP features animals doesn’t mean that it fits into Animal Kingdom and its overarching goal of promoting conservation and celebrating the natural world.
Of course, it was announced that Zootopia is coming to Animal Kingdom. However, not as its own land; which is good. If Zootopia can fit in anywhere it would be as a new 4D show within the theater in the Tree of Life. Talking animals are not much more unrealistic than talking bugs. Not to mention, the Zootopia show which is set to focus on different biomes is much less likely to make small children cry during each showing.
Additionally, there are not a lot of attractions at Animal Kingdom for small children, so adding in a new, non-scary, recognizable IP for children will be extremely beneficial for families. We can just hope that the show is well-written and follows along with Animal Kingdom’s overarching ideals.
In the previous article, we also went over a couple of ideas for what would be a better replacement for Dinoland USA than Zootopia or Moana. One of those ideas was South America. The Africa and Asia areas of the park are beautiful and immersive and make guests feel as if they have been transported to that part of the world…
Even Pandora-The World of Avatar, while based on a fictional land, is astonishingly immersive and at its core keeps the focus on conservation. A new land that focuses on a real area of our planet rather than a fictional animated world will fit in perfectly within the park.
One of the things that makes Animal Kingdom unique is its ability to celebrate the beauty and wildlife of different areas of our planet. The area of Northern South America and Central America is one of the more biodiverse parts of the planet, leaving imagineers with plenty of inspiration. Not to mention, it allows the park to add new species of animals not yet seen at Animal Kingdom.
A Land That Incorporates IP Rather Than Focuses On IP
Theming the new land around the “tropical Americas” is the perfect way for Animal Kingdom to celebrate this part of the world. It also offers an opportunity for Imagineers to incorporate IP that will fit in with that overall theme and aesthetic, rather than the IP being the whole theme.
Indiana Jones will make an excellent retheme to Dinosaur. Some may not know, but Dinosaur utilizes the same ride technology as Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. This would also give Imagineers the ability to work in culturally significant lore from that part of the world or even pay homage to the extinct animals of the past which were the inspiration for including Dinoland USA in Animal Kingdom. We would definitely be hoping for some fun Dinosaur Easter eggs to be included in the new attraction.
Going with a Central and South America theme would also be an incredible way to bring an extremely popular IP to the parks in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Encanto takes place in Colombia which is located in this part of the world. Imagineers can build the land around the natural beauty of that part of the world and include IP that fits into it. It would be like how the Festival of the Lion King brings the Lion King IP to the Africa part of the park in a way that feels natural. Casita, the iconic home in Encanto, could fit in with the architectural style and ambiance of the land, and not make the land feel as if it is being drowned in IP.
If the land can incorporate an IP like Encanto, it would be a bonus for families with younger kids as Animal Kingdom doesn’t have as many attractions that appeal to younger children. Especially considering the closure of Dinoland USA would mean the removal of the only “kid ride” at the park, TriceraTop Spin.
We have discussed several times how Casita would make an excellent interactive walk-through attraction that could appeal to guests of all ages. Not to mention, this would also be an opportunity to bring more character meet and greets to Animal Kingdom. It would be great if Mirabel and the rest of the Madrigal family could have a place to meet with guests.
It was stressful waiting to hear Disney’s plans for what’s to come for Dinoland USA after the ideas that were discussed last year. However, as a Dinoland USA advocate, I can say that the plans for the “tropical Americas’ will add beauty, immersion, and culture to an area of the park that many believe to be lacking. Disney is taking steps in the right direction, and we hope that Animal Kingdom will get its well-deserved attention from Imagineers sooner rather than later.
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