Animal Kingdom Archive

12

I Want New Monkeys! A Walt Disney World Refurb Wishlist

By
Wendy Neeld
– September 18, 2012Posted in: Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Magical Blogorail

SOrgBanner I Want New Monkeys! A Walt Disney World Refurb Wishlist

Welcome to those of you joining me from A Glass Slipper Vacation and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail

waltMonkeys 300x111 I Want New Monkeys! A Walt Disney World Refurb WishlistWalt Disney was never content with the status quo. Discussing the Jungle Cruise an interview, only 1 year after its debut, Walt declared that the ride needed upgrading, telling his interviewer “My monkeys have gone to pot.  I need new monkeys.”  Any account of Walt’s involvement with the design of a new ride or attraction is usually filled with imagineer frustration because Walt was always looking forward for ways to improve and upgrade attractions.  And, for Walt, there was no end to the process.  He was, on occasion, known to toss a nearly completed attraction back to the drawing board because new technology had become available to make it better.  Much as we treasure “Walt Disney World Classic Attractions,” I can never quite shake the feeling that if Walt were around, those attractions might not have much resemblance to their original design…

…So when it comes to refurbishing, or even re-imagining rides at Walt Disney World, there’s no shame.  Walt would’ve probably done it, and those upgrades can be an important part of keeping the magic alive. Or, as in the case of my top choice for refurbishment, restoring it.

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Red Light Avatar

By
Andrew Bernstein
– September 5, 2012Posted in: Animal Kingdom, News, Walt Disney World

IGN recently reported that James Cameron stated that he will not be doing a fourth Avatar movie, but that was not all IGN had to say on the matter.  The news outlet also reported that  Cameron and Disney were having creative differences working on the new Avatar land in Animal Kingdom: Pandora.  At the moment Disney seems to have put a red light on the Avatar project, and it possibly could be dead.   Theme Park Insider quoted from IGN as reporting that

Avatar Image1 150x150 Red Light Avatar

“Supposedly Cameron is not the easiest dude to work with and that, when frustrated by Imagineering and what he considers to be their lack of progress, he simply walks away and, say, stashes himself at the bottom of the ocean. That must make for a fractured and unwieldy work process for the Imagineers on the project – a kind of stop-and-go rhythm that’s harder to wrangle than one of those flying dragons.”

If Disney does not go through with the Avatar-themed land, then what will take its place?  There is a lot of speculation that a Cars Land will replace Lights, Motors, Action:  Extreme Stunt Show and Backlot Tour.  Is it possible that Beastly Kingdom may finally come into Animal Kingdom showing how Disney imagination can lead into wild adventures?  Hopefully we’ll hear more on the Avatar-themed land soon enough.  As for me, I’m hopeful this is true, and Avatar won’t be coming into Disney any time soon.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on this?  Would you be happy with a Cars Land or Beastly Kingdom coming into one of the parks?  Would you rather Avatar comes into the parks still?

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