Beastly Kingdom Never Made It Off the Drawing Boards

The best laid plans of mice and men get put aside by budget restraints, an uncertain economy, and just plain old fear or greed. Such is the case with Beastly Kingdom, the once planned land for Disney's Animal Kingdom. When budgets had to be slashed due to cost overruns and the higher than expected money it took to take care of live animals, Michael Eisner decided to choose between building DinoLand U.S.A. or Beastly Kingdom. The dinosaurs won, and visitors had a chance to go back in time for a Countdown to Extinction. Multiple attractions were designed for Beastly Kingdom, but they fell by the wayside.

Disney's Animal Kingdom has a fascinating history! My multi-part series is among the most beloved articles on the Insights and Sounds blog. Take a look at Part One here. (And eight more parts afterwards. Part Nine is on the way!) It's full of concept art, photographs, and it's a combination trip report\/history of the park that you won't want to miss.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Best Journey into Imagination Video I've Ever Seen

That most beloved attraction of all time at Epcot: The Original and Greatest Journey into Imagination. Imagineer Tony Baxter created the charming Figment and his pal Dreamfinder as guides for the most fantastic, magical attraction since the park's opening. Have you ever seen a video as great as the one below?

The first five minutes of the ride video are muted due to copyright issues, but after that, you get the full attraction experience. And it's just wonderful! If the above ever disappears, go here.

Thanks to Disney Dave for taking this way back when. Enjoy!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

No Laughing Matter: Introducing Disney’s California Adventure!

Do you remember this television ad? "Come to California Adventure! We have a Ferris wheel, lots of flat rides and spinners, and an entry area that brings you back to the malls from the 1970s and 1980s. Ignore that old school park across the way- Disneyland is outdated while we are hip and edgy with B List celebrities and Beach Boys music. So, come to Disney’s California Adventure where you can have the best of what Knott's Berry Farm has to offer- All at Disney's inflated prices." No, I don't remember it either, but it could have happened.  

Disney California Adventure has quite the history. It was the laughing stock of the theme park industry when it opened in 2001, especially compared to the jaw dropping beauty of Tokyo Disneysea which opened a few months later. Yet, Anaheim's second park looked like an absolute Imagineering masterpiece when placed up against the Walt Disney Studios Paris park. 

I was there opening year, and the park was an unmitigated disaster. It was so bad and so against everything Walt Disney stood for, that I walked out just a couple of hours later and asked for a refund. Instead, I took the offer to get into Disneyland for the rest of the day. I was not alone. Word of mouth spread quickly. The park built on the cheap by then CEO Michael Eisner was a disaster. The press had a field day.

The very ugly concept art for a very ugly park.

The quickly announced budget version of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror open in 2004, but it wasn't enough to bring in the crowds or give it an authentic Disney park feel. 

On October 17, 2007 new CEO Robert Iger announced a total redesign of the park and to thunderous response. It was a "brand withdrawal" in his words- not up to par with what a Disney park should be. 

The project took many years. It brought the amazing Cars Land and Radiator Springs Racers, the brand new entry Buena Vista Street, an evening show on the lagoon World of Color, and a new dark ride based on The Little Mermaid. When the last stage opened in 2012, the crowds responded favorably and attendance went way, way up.

To be honest, I've had zero desire to visit California Adventure since I've seen Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.  Nothing they have added/subtracted at the park has been a draw. And frankly, more Marvel won't do it for me.

There's been many changes and additions since, some good, some bad, and some very bad.  A Bug's Land gave way to Avengers Campus, while Paradise Pier became Pixar Pier. the rustic and attraction free Pacific Wharf (bakery tour and sourdough bread exhibit aside) became Big Hero 6's San Fransokyo. You judge for yourself whether these were great moves or not.

The little park that was the step child in Anaheim has a fascinating story to tell- and when you look through the concept art, you can see it was all Bargain Basement Imagineering at its finest. (Worst?) 

Follow the full story by reading at the series below. Look at the tons of concept art and evaluate it all. You'll be shocked at the park's awful  design and beginning compared to what it is now. Will the D23 in August help the park go forward or backward? We shall see.

Bargain Basement Imagineering - 1.0

Bargain Basement Imagineering  - 1.5

Bargain Basement Imagineering (or Back to the Drawing Boards)

Imagineering A New Dream- DCA  2.0 - The 2017 Announcement & Reimagining

Various other articles on the park:

California Adventure's Cool Retro Attraction Posters

Our First Visit to California Adventure in 2001

20 Years of DCA: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Disney's Real California Adventure: The Challenge and the Reputation at Stake

Ten Years of Disney California Adventure

A California Adventure Christmas- and More Dirty Secrets of Disneyland 

Steps in Time: California Adventure's Grand Opening

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Figment Asks "Can They Imagine, too?"

Now that Imagineer Zach Riddley's EPCOT seems almost complete, like many fans of Figment, I'd make a hard to disprove case that the original EPCOT Center attraction Journey into Imagination is the most beloved Disney attraction created since Pirates of the Caribbean. Before that, I say the most beloved attraction title was given to Disneyland's opening day classic Peter Pan's Flight. I'll be very, very curious to see how the revisions to the second park at Walt Disney World bring in the crowds, ie. increased attendance or flattened. Are Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, The Journey of Water inspired by Moana and the new night time show Luminous enough?  Will all the changes enhance Epcot's reputation among guests too young to remember when it was great? If it doesn't succeed, the Imagineers can always come back to Figment as they always do when they need a boost in revue and fan excitement. Fans of the purple dragon and his friend Dreamfinder will lap it all up. This one included.  

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Walt Disney on the It's A Small World Construction Site

Walt Disney was certainly a visionary, but he was also very hands-on! When it came to building the Disneyland version of It's a Small World,  he relied on two of his most distinctive Imagineers to bring it all together: Mary Blair and Rolly Crump. Mary was chiefly responsible for the style and color palette of the interior, while Rolly contributed to the attractions iconic exterior. 

Walt directed the ship- and the park was better for it- but he also knew what it took to "sell" his projects. Not only did he get Pepsi to invest in the attractions creation when it came to the New York World's Fair, he got the rights to bring it home to Anaheim's Fantasyland, and his team brought in yet another sponsor there. Smart guy! In the photo above, he's shown with sponsor Bank of America's head honcho as the attraction's exterior was being completed. 

Walt was savvy! He wanted to best for his guests, and he creatively found ways to enhance the park. The focus on excellence resulted in happy investors in the company. It's certainly a strategy that paid off. Something that future CEO's did at times understand and sometimes not at all. Where would you rank the three most recent: Michael Eisner, Robert Iger, and Bob Chapek? I'd say it was most definitely a mixed bag. Truth is, there is still no one like Walt!

Imagineering Theme Park Wars: Michael Eisner vs. Robert Iger vs. Bob Chapek

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may not be the biggest smash Disney and Lucas hoped for, but the company that Walt Disney loved just released a great looking new video of the classic Indiana Jones Adventure. If you're an Imagineering fan or a fan of Tony Baxter specifically, you know that this single attraction is one of the finest created under the incredible first-half leadership of Michael Eisner. 

When it comes to Imagineering success and the U.S. parks, Eisner was king for his first season. Robert Iger left them mostly to rot as he was busy buying up other intellectual properties like Pixar and Marvel. Chapek barely made a dent- thankfully.

The real Imagineering wars are taking place right now between Universal Creative and the Walt Disney Company. The upcoming Epic Universe will has the potential to take one more day from tourists visiting Disney with its stellar lineup of Super Mario Brothers land, How to Train Your Dragon, Classic Monsters, and of course, the next installment of the king of them all- Harry Potter and his incredible adventures.

 

Back to the last three Disney leaders-Aside from the groundbreaking Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, I'd put up any E Ticket attraction built under Michael Eisner's first half next to anything for the U.S. parks created under the Robert Iger or Bob Chapek regimes. Splash Mountain alone beats out much of the newer rides. So does Expedition: Everest or Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. 

What would you say?

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I have SO many posts on this blog regarding the excellent Indiana Jones Adventure- and I was there at Disneyland on opening weekend! You can find rare concept art and more. Happy exploring!

The Late Great Walt Disney Company 1923 - 2023

Greed, power plays, and a loss of great original content have killed The Walt Disney Company. But what a company it once was! From the creation of Mickey Mouse to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to modern classics like Tangled and Frozen, movie goers could count on consistently excellent films. The exceptions were few and far between, and even those such as Alice in Wonderland gained respect in the years following its initial release. 

Even the once wonderful Pixar has lost its way. What are we up to now, Toy Story 13? The acquisitions of Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel may be wise business decisions, but the original imaginative and very compelling content from these companies has been traded in for movies designed to drive streaming subscriptions and merchandise sales - to the detriment of what made these franchises so beloved in the first place. Pixar used to be the modern pinnacle of creativity. Now, it's just another animated film company. Having "Marvel Fatigue" was something I never expected.

The theme parks are as crowded as ever, and the Company is right there to fleece the guests by demanding more money in order to have a full and satisfying park experience. Lightning Lane, Genie+, and its ilk exist to create a caste system of guests. Disney corporate can talk all they want about equity, but when it comes down to it, it's all about the bucks, and they are talking out of both sides of their mouth. 

It was once leaked that Disneyland research revealed guests felt they had a full day, a worth the money experience, if they got on nine or ten attractions. All you have to do is look at the vastly underdeveloped third (Disney's Hollywood Studios) and fourth (Disney's Animal Kingdom) parks at Walt Disney World to see the suits running the show are standing still behind this calculation. 

It's a very sad day when Tokyo Disney Resort- a company run by the Japanese- maintains higher quality show and more stellar attractions than the parks in the U.S.A.  (Today May 1 is the anniversary of the 1989 grand opening of Disney-MGM Studios. The largest post ever written on this blog looks at the park's history. Read it here.) It's an even sadder day when we see the Walt Disney Company kneeling before Mother China, a country known for vast human rights abuses, just to get a piece of the money pot via Shanghai Disneyland.

Disney Imagineering is hamstrung instead of released to create. The bungled Epcot revisioning tells the story clearly. Universal Creative is turning out better attractions more quickly. The coming Epic Universe will again show they can hold their own with the house Walt built... and guests can have a great theme park vacation without all the unnecessary pre-planning and add-ons that are required when visiting Walt Disney World. I'm not even mentioning the great resort hotels of all types for more than a third less than what you'll pay on Disney property.

Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, there are no winners when it comes to Disney getting involved. Robert Iger, Bob Chapek, and others like them think Disney fandom will get stronger when their choices divide their audience?! Foolish thinking at best. In house fighting is just as bad! Quit the showboating and get back to your original business. Give me the first ten Michael Eisner years any day.

So, Rest in Peace, Walt Disney Company. The one Walt Disney built is dead even if the name remains. I'll pick and choose where my dollars go instead of purchasing animated movie tickets for opening day, park memorabilia, and other experiences like the old days. And I'm not the only one.

A Plan For Epcot Borrowed By Universal Orlando Resort

What's this? A double ringed World Showcase at Epcot? Absolutely! The Disney Imagineers initially proposed this design so there would be room for the many, many countries that they had planned on adding. Check out all the concept art for Australia, Costa Rica, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Philippines, and more. The World Showcase Lagoon would be very large with the walking path around it enabling thousands of guests to comfortably explore each nation's pavilion. Look at Imagineer Harper Goff plans and drawings for a great buildout. And even more here. Much like the current additions to France, there were incredible plans to expand the Japan showcase. Check this out. Yes, this is the EPCOT Center as originally proposed. 

Forty years later and only two new additions to World Showcase? What a travesty! Only Norway and Morocco joined the initial line-up. But they had never planned to let the international section go stagnant for decades as it has. 

Certainly, the other half of the park, then known as Future World, had its share of great attractions. As the Imagineers proved early on, technology could not only be used for educational purposes, it could be entertaining as well. 

The Disney suits once had a real in-theme vision for this park. But we can't solely blame the likes of Robert Iger and Bob Chapek or even Michael Eisner for this change in direction. We are also the reason Epcot has changed. I make a strong case for this here.

One last interesting observation- If you turn this image upside down, it looks a lot like the site plan for Epic Universe, proving once again, good ideas never really die.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Bob Out, Bob In

Well my phone lit up last night when the news of Bob Chapek being replaced by Robert Iger was announced. Beyond a temporary jump in stock price, what will this bring? From a theme park lover perspective, what we need is a man with the interests and skills and vision of a first decade Michael Eisner. The same hold true for Disney's live action film division. 

I have less hope for Disney animation as they've been churning out good but not great features for years now- both Disney branded and Pixar. Marvel's not much better and Star Wars seems to struggle as well. Creativity is what fuels the company, but that's been lost. 

Elsewhere, Imagineering needs freedom to create and a huge boost in morale. But the old second generation pros are mostly gone, leaving a team that needs much work to excel. Will Walt Disney World begin to be magical again? It better do something with Epic Universe on the way.  Disneyland remains the heart and soul of the parks. Honestly, Shanghai Disneyland was a vanity project that's now biting them where it hurts. Epcot's a mess, and California Adventure is moving backwards.

Next year should prove very interesting.

 

Every Day is Earth Day at Disney's Animal Kingdom: 24 Years of Incredible Adventures, Missteps, and Surprises

Almost 25 years ago today on earth Day, Walt Disney World's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom opened to the public. Long before Expedition Everest thrilled its first guests, Disney Imagineers under the leadership of Joe Rohde planned attractions to thrill, delight, amaze and scare guests- to keep them coming back year after year. Though not the colossal failure Disney would see a few years later with Disney California Adventure and the Walt Disney Studios Paris theme parks, the wild creature focused world was also not as well received as 2001's Tokyo Disneysea. 

My first visit to see Florida's fourth Disney park for myself resulted in the multi-part in-depth look at its creation and evolution. Part history, part trip report, and part image gallery, you'll find concept art, photos and more. Today, we go back to the beginning of one of my most popular blog series...

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Disney's Animal Kingdom: A True Life Adventure (Part One)

Earlier this year, Disney’s fourth and largest Florida theme park celebrated ten years of delighting, thrilling, or frustrating Walt Disney World guests. Plans for the future have yet to be made public, but let’s look back at the past, discuss the present, and speculate on the future of this wonderfully imagineered playground.

Why is there such a deep appreciation and an equal disdain for Disney’s Animal Kingdom? It stands distinctly different from the Mouse’s other playgrounds in the Sunshine State. For its fans, the combination of a brilliant and daring design, consistent theme, and faithful execution brings new and unique adventures and environments. Its detractors would counter there are too few attractions to hold their interest for an entire day. Both sides agree the park is a beauty to view. However dazzling this combination zoo, botanical garden, and theme park is to behold, there are also the intangible factors that draw us to it when we can look past the limited number of adventures: there is a deep emotional connection that comes from our love for nature and animals. It meets our desire to run away from the concrete jungles of modern day life and reality- if only for the day! The park is a unique entity among Disney’s theme park roster, one that will probably never be duplicated.

Beginning with Mickey himself, animals of all types and depictions continue to be a great and profitable fit with Disney. According to company lore, Walt’s well-known love for animals and exotic locales, evidenced by the inclusion of Adventureland at Disneyland, California, and his True-Life Adventure films formed the emotional heart of Animal Kingdom long before ground was ever broken. In reality, when discussion began about the creation of this park in 1989, it may have truly been a strictly business decision that brought it to fruition.

The Magic Kingdom was a concept unique to Disney, successfully capitalizing and expanding upon the reputation of its older sibling in California. The next park, EPCOT Center, conceptually different in Walt’s mind but with its execution clearly inspired by world’s fairs and corporate America trade shows, transformed Walt Disney World from a single day destination to one that could consume a traveler’s entire week. Disney-MGM Studios debuted and was the least original of the three parks, taking ideas from Universal Studios in California and Disneyland, including a new Main Street of a different era for its entrance plaza.

Michael Eisner, brilliant or be damned, was the driving force behind the creation of a nature focused park. Bringing a competitive, and some would say greedy, nature to the business, he guided the company into direct battle with his once friendly neighbors, desiring to capture all the time and money any visitor may have in Central Florida. Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park had just successfully launched to square off with the soon-to-come Universal Studios. Pleasure Island was Disney’s answer to Orlando’s popular Church Street Station, Typhoon Lagoon their response to Wet N Wild, and myriads of resort properties were added to the entire Disney complex to grab a large share of the hospitality industry’s bread and butter. Earlier in the decade, Epcot’s Living Seas pavilion took a swipe at Sea World, and now Disney’s Animal Kingdom was looking to take a large bite out of Busch Gardens popularity in nearby Tampa.

Continue reading Part One here.

Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven

Part Eight

Port Disney Leads to Tokyo Disneysea Success and California Adventure Failure

And you thought Avengers Campus was lacking in ambition and execution! Take a look at the piece of concept art used to sell Port Disney to the city of Long Beach. Toss in the extravagance of EPCOT Center with a nautical theme, and you get a blockbuster Disney theme park. Or so it seems...

The grand entry.

In actuality, this was a well designed ploy by Michael Eisner to get the city of Anaheim to pony up big cash for what folks thought would be WESTCOT Center. But it was a true bait and switch. 

The second Disneyland Resort theme park would instead be the very underwhelming Disney California Adventure 1.0- a total flop creatively and financially. It would take another billion or so to transform it from the laughing stock of the theme park world to something vaguely resembling a Disney park- if only later to begin reverting to tacky and "hip and edgy".

In the meantime, quietly opening (at least to US Disney park fans) several months later in 2001 would be the grandest of all parks, Tokyo Disneysea in Japan. That park only gets better over time. And it is a consistent money maker from day one. 

You don't believe that California Adventure was once the bastion of what I call Bargain Basement Imagineering? Check out this look at DCA over its 20 year history and my very popular series, and view the concept art that formed the foundation of the park. It makes Spider-Man's WEB Slingers look like a masterpiece!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Welcome to WESTCOT Center!

WESTCOT Center is perhaps the greatest of the abandoned Disney theme park projects. If it sounds like Epcot, it should! Comprising two main areas, it feels like Future World and World Showcase but with a difference. Imagineering added thrill rides, new countries to explore, and new scientific based pavilions. Want a journey through the history of the world on an extended boat cruise where you can jump on and off? You got it! There's more. A lot more! Go here for a deep dive with all the details and concept art you'd ever want. Then you can "thank" Michael Eisner and team for cancelling it and replacing it with California Adventure 1.0!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Past, Present, and Future of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Part Eight

Twenty three years ago today, Disney's Animal Kingdom opened to the public. The story of its creation and evolution is a fascinating one. The decision to build it was based on two main issues. 1- The topics of "Animals" and "Disney" had always meshed well together in the eyes of the public, and 2- As with the creation of Disney-MGM Studios and Universal Studios soon to be right next door, Busch Gardens in Tampa with its similarly themed animal focused park was a formidable competitor in Disney's desire to rule Florida's entertainment kingdom.  That said, the brilliant but cutthroat CEO Michael Eisner gave his wholehearted approval to build the animal and nature inspired park on the Walt Disney World property. 

As the fourth theme park on the resort grounds, and as one in direct competition to not only Busch but all the regional zoos in the U.S.A. and beyond, there was a lot to prove. When the park debuted on Earth Day, 1998, Imagineer Joe Rohde and his team rightly celebrated their accomplishment in the face of difficulties. But that did not mean expansion wasn't already needed...

Part Nine of this series will come as the park changes, but for now, here's Part Eight of this ongoing series. This very detailed look at the creation and evolution of Disney's fourth theme park in Florida is a very fascinating history. And I'd say it is a park with an amazing future. As with all seven parts before it, Part Eight has rare concept art, photographs, and my personal trip reports.  

                     The image above is my favorite ad from 1998.  

A brief recap: Would guests find wild animals? That's a given. A proposed African Safari would be the highlight of the opening years. The park was stunning to look at but short on attractions. Countdown to Extinction used the Indiana Jones Adventure layout to take guests into the world of Audio-Animatronic dinosaurs. The beautifully elaborate Beastly Kingdom - land of mythical creatures-never materializes. Attractions planned for Asia, once set for opening day, are built much more modestly than originally planned. 

Kali River Rapids. The proposed Tiger River Run
was certainly much larger in scale and more thrilling.
See below.

The headlining attraction for Asia was to be much far larger and more elaborate. Real tigers. Real roaring rapids were the basis for an extended safari which would entail both calm and thrilling portions, all while giving guests a full view of real life Jungle Cruise type animals. (See the image at the top of the article.)

Tiger River Run- compare the two.
Composite image courtesy marni1971.

The park map opening day.

Crowds came in droves and went home shortly after lunch. The gorgeous park was a half day event at best. It would take years to get past that deserved reputation. As with every Disney project or park or film, the story of the kingdom is full of blue sky dreams, budget cuts, intrigue, competition, disillusionment, and frustration. But it also has its fare share of successes. 

    The Safari's savannah in art form.

Let's pause for a moment. Need to read the first Seven articles before continuing to this installment? Start at here at Part One of my series, The Genesis, Evolution, and Revelation of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Seven parts and counting. Each article shows rare concept art, photographs, and more. Including detailed trip reports. Return to this post for our continuing story.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven

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                                     Photo by yours truly.

When we last left off, Expedition Everest was the huge shot in the arm that the park needed. Crowds began to return and stay longer. The beautiful Rivers of Light nighttime show was uneven at best and certainly unreliable, but some guests did choose to stay later than ever. Improved attendance only highlighted an ongoing problem: A three minute thrill attraction on its own did not help fill up a day.

The 2007 agreement with J.K. Rowling to bring her beloved books and movies now made Universal Orlando a force to be reckoned with. Disney's arrogant fumbling of the offer to represent Harry Potter in the theme park world left them reeling. It was time to step up their game as when the new land opened at Islands of Adventure, Universal moved from taking away several hours of a guest's trip into now occupying two days of precious vacation time- and dollars spent elsewhere than The Walt Disney World property. (As first and foremost a long time Disney park fan, thank you Harry Potter for waking up a sleeping giant!)

                                     Blue aliens to the rescue. By day...

                                     

                                  ... and by night!

The major lack of significant investment in the theme parks under the reign of Robert Iger became more apparent each year as crowds continued to leak away to the newly energized Universal Orlando. With bruised egos and an audience to capture afresh, the suits chose partnering with an interesting source of creativity, James Cameron, whose 2009 film, Avatar, was a huge success due to its breathtaking and groundbreaking imagery. 

"Does it fit the theme of the park?" This was the question on every fan's mind when the collaboration was announced- including mine. I mean, giant blue aliens coexisting with earthly animals and prehistoric beasts? And what about those floating mountains and otherworldly landscapes? If anyone could put it all together, Disney could, but they would need the best artists they had on it. The Lead Imagineer for Animal Kingdom, the passionate and quirky Joe Rohde, was assigned this very prestigious project. What a great choice he would be to steward it all. Say goodbye to Camp Minnie-Mickey!

Guests would fly on the back of a banshee.

Image from 20th Century Fox.

Instead of the three originally planned, two main attractions would greet opening day guests to Pandora: The expected Flight of Passage, where they'd soar on the back of a dragon like creature; and Na'vi River Journey, a slow moving boat ride through the gorgeous jungles of the planet. Yes, it originally was going to be more white water than the end result, but as it is it provides a taste of Pandora for the whole family and still fits the land perfectly.

The twelve acre expansion was to become the newest park's biggest investment, topping out at just over half a billion dollars. That is without the third planned attraction that was a storytelling thrill ride on land through Pandora. Half a billion for a theme park land. Let that sink in! But as I will tell you in the trip report portion of the article, you can almost see every penny spent. The end result is a land more stunning than the spectacular concept art created to promote it. 

Three pieces of concept art
for the river journey from Stephan Martiniere.

After three years of construction and a couple of delays, Pandora - The World of Avatar opened at Animal Kingdom on Memorial Day weekend in 2017. Little did I know, I would be seeing it for myself the following summer!

My first look at Pandora!

To make a very long story short, my wife and I had not been to Walt Disney World in almost a decade. Instead, we visited family, went to a variety of places in the United States, Europe and Asia, and saved our Disney park visits for Disneyland Paris and one in Walt's original kingdom. We weren't missing much as the World had clearly been focusing on resting on its laurels. All that would change when in the course of two years we would visit the World two times, once with each daughter and their families. 

 

             Trip One- Grandpa and a sweet little girl. 

First ride together in the park.

After almost a decade away, I couldn't wait to see the World and experience it as a grandpa for the first time. It's one thing to go as a young married couple or with your kids, but you see and feel the parks in a whole different way when you're older. 

During our 2018 trip, our first visit to Animal Kingdom came after breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe. We traveled via resort bus to Animal Kingdom. The crowds were as heavy as the air. Walking in, I had forgotten what a beautiful and peaceful place it was. The sense of calm passed once we traveled toward Pandora to get a ride on the Na'vi River Journey. The land is truly among the best work the current Imagineers have ever crafted. Tokyo DisneySea quality! You could just walk around for an hour admiring their work. And you might have to- the place is constantly packed with people. 

Had we not had a Fast Pass, the wait time for this little boat journey was an hour and a half. We wouldn't be able to ride Flight of Journey until a second day. There are so many reasons to hate Fast Pass, but I'll save those for another time. 

 Shaman of song. Singular.

From the mysterious caverns a la Pirates of the Caribbean to a slew of special lighting effects, the river journey is a strange mix of being lacking and being incredibly enticing. It's a short ride at just about 5 minutes. Yet, if you take it for what it is without expecting a real story, no narration, or any thrills, it is one chock full of little details that will take you several rides to see it all. 

Due to a lack of narration, it was hard to explain it all to the kids, especially when they saw creatures that looked scary. To them, the big blue people and scary looking animals were not reassuring. They asked,  'Who was the big blue guy at the beginning and the very weird giant lady at the end?" We quickly told them as we did a few times during our trip, "It's all make believe". A four and six year old can't easily understand the nuance of the storyline and its Gaia focused worldview. Even if it is a fantasy, there's no mistaking  there's a deliberate teaching aspect that is core to the mission of this park. So, when it is appropriate, we just consider it an opportunity to talk about the beginning of the world and creation according to the book of Genesis. God's love for us is so great that He gave us a beautiful world we should enjoy and care for!

Looking at Na'vi River Journey from an Imagineering standpoint, I would have appreciated even a few Audio-Animatronic animals and even a hunter or two to bring some depth to it all. The thrills aren't needed. They're inherent in an adventure world something humans do not get to see. The whole thing succeeds as a secondary attraction. It's truly a lovely experience, but you can tell where the budget was cut. Too bad as I love Disney dark rides where boats are the vehicle for the journey. 

From an attraction roster standpoint, it fills a much needed gap between a couple of spinners, shows, E Tickets, and animal trails and exhibits, something the dark rides of Disneyland fill. Besides, it's great to have a calming boat ride in the park! There's so much water in Animal Kingdom and so few ways to experience it.

Beautiful during the day but a must-see at night!

The end of the night show.

As for the rest of this first trip, we loved the new placement of the Lion King show. It is finally in the land in which it belonged from the beginning. Everest still rocks- and the nighttime Kilimanjaro Safari, unfortunately, did not. Very few animals that we did not see during our daytime trip. 

Due to some time restraints, we had to choose between Rivers of Light and seeing Pandora at night. No contest! If you think this new area is a masterpiece during the daytime, the nighttime visit will make you appreciate the art of Imagineering all over again. All I can say is, it is too bad this park doesn't stay open late regularly. Our second trip on Na'vi was just as beautiful to me as our first. We slowly walked out of the park, taking in all the sights. With the addition, I would now consider the park a 3/4 day experience, and it has nowhere to go but up. 

I just love Animal Kingdom! It's Adventureland on steroids!

The promotional hype is exceeded by what was built!

I'm going to highlight my comments about Flight of Passage with photos from our second trip, this one in 2018. These kids were slightly older than our other grandkids and had not been to Disney World before. Their perspectives were a bit different. In my mind, they rounded out my feelings for the park and all the enhancements made since our earlier visit in 2009.

With these cute little travelers, Disney's Animal Kingdom came in last place when compared to all the parks. (Almost a year later, it did move up to Number One for one grandson. Why? Expedition Everest! Like grandfather, like grandson.)  In their minds, for all its beauty and adventures, Animal Kingdom was nothing more than a fancy zoo. They wanted rides. In this area alone, the park fell short for them, and it was hard to argue otherwise. 

Kevin brings the biggest smiles of the day

to these adorable little guys.

We were staying at Pop Century, and  due to the coming Hurricane Dorian, the parks were absolutely empty. Very unexpected but a delightful find. Animal Kingdom fell on Day Two of our trip.

With a very late night and the little guys exhausted, we left them sleep in. But we missed both our 8:30am Kilimanjaro Safari and almost missed our Expedition Everest Fast Pass times. No matter. Everything was a walk on- except in Pandora. Of course.

Photopass was put to good use. Often!

My oldest daughter declared "Big Thunder on steroids" a winner. The two boys loved it in spite of it putting the fear of God into them, and once we got off, they immediately wanted to ride again. We stopped in the exit shop nearby to buy them an Everest T-shirt to commemorate them braving the mountain, just as I did last year with their cousin. Brand new designs, which was kind of fun that each group got something unique to the year of their trip. 

We made a decision to take our little granddaughter on something she was tall enough for: Kali River Rapids. Smiles all around- even after getting soaked. Or was it because of it?

Her smile says it all. She is charming!

Kali has a gorgeous queue, perhaps the prettiest in all of the park. Such a waste for a journey less than half the length of what was originally planned when it would be Tiger River Run. (Check previous installments of the series for more information.) There were no fire effects working, no logging sounds, zero. Just one big drop after a few spins, and it was over. Even our little adventurer was surprised how short it is. Kids say the darnedest things!

I'm going to quote my previous trip report because it is so telling: "The Safari was next, and the experience landed with a collective thud. I miss the opening days when drivers from the African continent were present. I miss the days I couldn't see so much chain link fence, and being we rode around noon, we missed seeing most of the animals. An antelope doesn't cut it, but at least the lion was out. Looking back through our photos, none of us had taken one single shot of anything related to the park's centerpiece attraction! Gorilla Falls did not charm the kids either. This visit - our only day in this park- was going downhill quickly. Very, very quickly."

I quickly suggested the winning Festival of the Lion King. The kids reluctantly gave it a shot. We went in, and once the giant character floats and particularly the monkey gymnasts came in, they were infinitely more interested. 

We were getting closer to our last ride time of the day, Flight of Passage. Finally. But we did have a small bit of time. We circled back to Everest for another ride. I made it to the last seat, my favorite. As we rounded the bend to Dinosaur, it was raining very hard again. I was excited to take them all on this, and we glad left our littlest traveler on the sidelines. Even the older boys were frightened by it all. The ride was another average experience. 

The Valley of Moriah???

I can't remember much anything specific about this movie.

Finally Pandora! It was a mere 15 minutes to take the boat ride. Good thing, as it was another "meh" rated experience in their minds. But I knew Flight of Passage would impress them- or so I hoped. The boys loved it. Our granddaughter was too little, so we needed to make use of the baby swap option. Some of us rode twice. This ride was just as exciting and fresh as the others before it. It's beautiful, thrilling, scenic, and repeatable. A home run! Honestly, I now have to say Flight of Passage is my new favorite ride in this park- and even in all of Walt Disney World.

So, was Pandora in theme with the rest of the park? Surprisingly, it fit in fairly well. There needs to be more animals to seal the deal. Perhaps there's expansion plans to the area to include a trail or some other ride where we can see those giant banshees in real not "reel" life. But, yes, it fits in beautifully. 

On our way to catch the bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner Boma, I asked everyone what they thought of the park. Not a flattering answer: "Pretty but really just a zoo". They were very glad it was only one day of our trip. They told me they wouldn't go back next trip unless there were many more attractions. Real rides. 

Everyone experiences the Disney theme parks in very different ways. We come with thoughts of what a Disney park should be. For me, this lush giant Adventureland is about soaking in all the details and seeing the creative work of the Imagineers. It's a nice change of pace from doing a park one ride after another.   

Safari expedition- definitely better during the day.

In a park with so few attractions and even fewer ones that everyone can ride, the next expansion of the park has to be very strategic. It has to be able to draw in the whole family and keep them there for the whole day. This means more is needed. Much more.

Let's hope the Imagineers in charge can find their way in a post-Joe Rohde world. Although the park holds four of the best "E Ticket" attractions on the Walt Disney World property- each stunningly unique compared to each other- its roster of supporting attractions is rather slim. Zoological exhibits are found among the Exploration trails, but no one is filled into thinking these set Disney apart from the local zoos. Two excellent theater shows provide a change of pace and cool air in the park, but they are no replacement for well thought out classic Disney adventures. All told, the next steps for the park should be rather telling and hopefully in theme vs. the newly imagined Epcot 2.0.

Will the suits try to squeeze in a version of Black Panther's Wakanda to get Marvel into this park? (With money, anything is possible to negotiate.) Will Shanghai Disneyland's Zootopia attractions get cloned here? (Please no.) Either of these choices will directly change the feel and flavor of the place. Indiana Jones 5 is on the way, and a mini-land based on his explorations could work only if done correctly and with respect in regards to what is already built. In this writer's opinion, Animal Kingdom does not need a cityscape of any sorts. Save it for the Studios park.

The park's popularity has increased due to the stunning work of the Imagineers with Pandora, but will it be enough when Universal opens its third park and stiff arms the competition with Nintendo World? They are upping the game once again! Now that Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has opened at the Studios and Epcot is getting a few new attractions, Animal Kingdom could take a big attendance hit in the future. Or be left behind totally once the power of the newest attractions wears off. Magic Kingdom will always be the top Florida park if for nothing but for sentimental reasons and nostalgia.

As for me, I find the creation and evolution of this park fascinating! It may be due to the fact that it's the newest on the property, but I believe Disney's Animal Kingdom has the most potential to be consistent in theme and execution- as long as Joe Rohde is around, that is.
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Thanks for reading Part Eight of the series. I'd love to get your feedback and insights on it!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft. All artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company.)