Zootopia expansion coming to Shanghai

[DanBoris]

Whether we think it fits or not is a purely academic discussion, what is import is if Disney thinks it fits and personally I don't think they would hesitate to drop Zootopia into AK.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm not sure how Zootopia fits any worse than It's Tough to Be a Bug if we're using anthropomorphism as a stumbling block.

Both are pretty highly anthropomorphized. Both still do something to inform viewers on how those creatures live. Zootopia (the city) is made up of different biomes. They do a reasonable job of keeping the scale of different animals.

Heck, every Disney animal IP is anthropomorphized, unless you guys have seen lions living with boars or clown fish migrating on turtles with tangs. As long as it's used as a bridge to learning, I could see it working.

I'm not saying Zootopia would be my first choice, but they could do a lot worse. *cough* Indiana Jones *cough*

Personally I am on the side of saying it doesn't fit AK ... but that said, Disney could easily spin it in a way that would make it fit - certainly wouldn't be a bigger stretch than saying Guardians of the Galaxy fits EPCOT by making up a story about Peter Quill visiting EPCOT as a kid

 

[rteetz]

Whether we think it fits or not is a purely academic discussion, what is import is if Disney thinks it fits and personally I don't think they would hesitate to drop Zootopia into AK.

I don't disagree but from the sounds of it, its not a priority to get this IP into the parks in the US.

 

[jbehr12]

If you change the toys to cars or pets, the film would not work. You’d have to restructure scenes, dynamics, dialogue, and rework characters significantly. It would be a different film. Sid couldn’t be torturing dogs in a children’s movie, Pizza Planet wouldn’t make sense, the birthday party wouldn’t work, Andy and his Mom would be out looking for a dog, Buzz’s identity crisis doesn’t work, etc. You could keep the old toy being jealous of the new one. There would still be a movie, but not the same. Secret Life of Pets is essentially Toy Story but with pets, and you can see how different the films had to be executed. If Judy was a girl from Iowa in NYC, the film could remain almost entirely unchanged apart from some size differential jokes. Cars is actually a good example here, the cars aren’t totally relevant either in the first one, it’s a remake of Doc Hollywood, but with cars instead of people. Zootopia is the same, they took a film and made the human characters appear like animals, that doesn’t make it a film about animals. Lion King went a similar route but made the animals more important to the central focus of Hamlet.

And if a sequel addresses conservation and nature, you’d still have the issue of it visually not fitting and also since the characters don’t act like animals, it would be the only place in the park where they couldn’t really exhibit animals at all. Placing it in a different park makes more sense.

And I don’t think we’re going to agree here and it might be best if we stop getting off topic. And arguing semantics isn’t always all that fun, especially for something that isn’t even rumored yet. If Zootopia comes, I just want it done correctly.

You’re cherry picking elements to fit your argument. If the movie were about robots, Sid could still be any neighbor who collects and disassembles robots. Or a neighbor who keeps animals in kennels. It just so happens they went with torturing toys and it works with the story, but the point is the same story themes could work even if the movie were about something else, in the case of this discussion animals.

Anyway, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting anywhere so I’m just gonna leave the discussion at this because we each have our own opinions and that’s no big deal!

 

[tlmadden73]

I like Animal Kingdom being having two "real" lands in Africa and Asia and two "fantasy" lands in DinoLand, USA and Pandora.
I think Bug's Life fits in the park -- I think the Lion King fits in the park. I like how the UP characters are prominent. The only thing I question is Finding Nemo -- the park is more about land animals. There are plenty of IPs that could fit into AK if needed.

I think Zootopia would fit fine in Animal Kingdom (better than Guardian of the Galaxy fits in Epcot) -- especially if they can make it "immersive". I get it .. it's mainly set in a city.

But I think AK would be better off with a "world" expansion (Australia, south america) or a replacement to Dinoland, USA. (But we know how the CEO feels about "some nondescript coaster somewhere, that maybe is [themed like] India or whatever.”)

The main question would be where. Some speculated that is why PlanetWatch was "shut down" -- to look into putting a Zootopia land there and some have speculated Dinoland USA could just go away due to its poor theming and underwhelming rides.


But let's be honest, the only reason Disney would build a new Zootopia land is if they feel they needed the space (to divert crowds) or a draw to a certain park. We want it because we like the IP. But I don't see Disney feeling they need to thrust a new land in anywhere soon since there is still a lot of work to be announced/done at Epcot.

 

[sachilles]

I don't think it was your intention to be the main point.....but the NEMO thing in AK is a very good point. I enjoy the show, however, thematically, it's location doesn't make a ton of sense to me. I'd sooner have them move the show to epcot to be near the Nemo ride and the living seas. Epcot could use the show.
Then repurposed the theater for a new show, or use the land for a new attraction.

 

[Mr. Mickey]

‘Zootopia’-Themed Expansion Coming to Shanghai Disneyland

Today, Shanghai Disney Resort announced that a “Zootopia”-themed land is coming to Shanghai Disneyland, marking the second major expansion since the resort opened in 2016. Based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hit animated movie, this exciting development will be the park’s eighth themed land and the first-ever “Zootopia”-themed land at any Disney park.

Guests will be invited to experience the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia “where anyone can be anything,” with a new major attraction that will seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life – including Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Entertainment, merchandise, and food and beverage offerings will invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the Academy-Award-winning animated movie.

The development of the world’s first “Zootopia”-themed land follows the huge success of the “Zootopia” animated movie globally, particularly in China where it broke box office records to become the country’s No. 1 animated feature film in history.

Construction is targeted to begin later this year! As always, keep your eyes on the Disney Parks Blog for more exciting updates all the way from Shanghai Disney Resort.

Oh please bring this to animal kingdom

 

[Grumpy6264]

What is going to happen is that Animal Kingdom will get it's own Starwars Land created around the Ewoks and Porgi (I think they are called). The Hollywood Studios Starwars Land will be linked to the AK Starwars Land with a Hyperloop connection.

 

[Dfan79]

I can see it going in Animal Kingdom despite tiny differences in theming. Sure it has animals in it who wear pants, but big deal. Nowadays you see pets dressed in all sorts of weird outfits. I once saw a dog dressed at Elvis Presley... and he wasn't the thin version either. He was the triple fried banana sandwich version.

 

[Dfan79]

Rteetz keeps saying it doesn't fit in Animal Kingdom, but couldn't you say that with a lot of Disney World? Camp Minnie Mickey was a land in Animal Kingdom based upon Mickey and his friends. But no one seemed to say that was a problem thematically. Even though Mickey is a human-like animal who walks and talks and usually wears shorts.

So just go with it people, it's close enough to a match for AK. It's certainly a better match than Monsters in Tomorrowland, old cars in Tomorrowland, Guardians in Futureworld, Frozen in Norway, etc, etc, etc.

 

[jknezek]

Rteetz keeps saying it doesn't fit in Animal Kingdom, but couldn't you say that with a lot of Disney World? Camp Minnie Mickey was a land in Animal Kingdom based upon Mickey and his friends. But no one seemed to say that was a problem thematically. Even though Mickey is a human-like animal who walks and talks and usually wears shorts.

So just go with it people, it's close enough to a match for AK. It's certainly a better match than Monsters in Tomorrowland, old cars in Tomorrowland, Guardians in Futureworld, Frozen in Norway, etc, etc, etc.

It doesn't fit in my opinion. That doesn't mean much to Disney these days. Many of us just wish it meant more. I completely agree that GotG coaster is in the wrong spot. The Nemo show is pretty much in the wrong spot. Camp Minnie Mickey was a fill in for a park that was sorely lacking, and it didn't fit in. Frozen Ever After really irritates me. Laugh Floor isn't in the right place. The fact that Disney has done it in the past, more and more these days, doesn't mean that some of us wish they wouldn't.

But they will do what they want. That doesn't change my opinion I still don't really want Zootopeia in Animal Kingdom and don't think it fits.

 

[rteetz]

Oh please bring this to animal kingdom

DHS would be better

 

[rteetz]

Rteetz keeps saying it doesn't fit in Animal Kingdom, but couldn't you say that with a lot of Disney World? Camp Minnie Mickey was a land in Animal Kingdom based upon Mickey and his friends. But no one seemed to say that was a problem thematically. Even though Mickey is a human-like animal who walks and talks and usually wears shorts.

So just go with it people, it's close enough to a match for AK. It's certainly a better match than Monsters in Tomorrowland, old cars in Tomorrowland, Guardians in Futureworld, Frozen in Norway, etc, etc, etc.

It was a temporary land or at least that’s what it was intended to be. It was never supposed to be a long term thing. It also wasn’t themed to Mickey Mouse. It was themed appropriately.

As a Disney fan and Animal Kingdom fan I have a right to voice my opinion about whether I think something belongs somewhere or not just like you do.

 

[Mr. Mickey]

DHS would be better

Honestly I’ll take it anywhere in WDW

 

[SaharanTea]

Personally I am on the side of saying it doesn't fit AK ... but that said, Disney could easily spin it in a way that would make it fit - certainly wouldn't be a bigger stretch than saying Guardians of the Galaxy fits EPCOT by making up a story about Peter Quill visiting EPCOT as a kid

Agreed. I can think of a lot better options that I would rather have than Zootopia, and while I understand the argument that it doesn't fit, I don't think the mental gymnastics required are any tougher than Pandora or Bug's Life.

As long as we can all agree Indiana Jones does NOT fit in AK, I think we'll be OK.

On the other hand, sign me up for Beastly Kingdom even though people say Pandora took it's spot. It can always find a new home. Just call Pandora the speculative exobiology land.

 

[Sweettears]

It was a temporary land or at least that’s what it was intended to be. It was never supposed to be a long term thing. It also wasn’t themed to Mickey Mouse. It was themed appropriately.

As a Disney fan and Animal Kingdom fan I have a right to voice my opinion about whether I think something belongs somewhere or not just like you do.

Wasn’t this created because they dropped the fantasy portion that was part of the original AK project?

 

[rteetz]

Wasn’t this created because they dropped the fantasy portion that was part of the original AK project?

Yes but the intent was something permanent would take its place after some time recouping money. Obviously it took over a decade.

 

[tlmadden73]

AK needs some sort of net-new attractions somewhere and to make that happen, I think we can stretch the theme of the park a bit. Just how DHS stretched its theme when the "making of movies" theme didn't have a lot of legs after a decade (I mean -- does rock-n-roller coaster thematically fit into a "movie" park? - Did Toy Story Midway Mania (before the existence of Toy Story Land?)

 

[rteetz]

AK needs some sort of net-new attractions somewhere and to make that happen, I think we can stretch the theme of the park a bit. Just how DHS stretched its theme when the "making of movies" theme didn't have a lot of legs after a decade (I mean -- does rock-n-roller coaster thematically fit into a "movie" park? - Did Toy Story Midway Mania (before the existence of Toy Story Land?)

Animal Kingdom has plans. Zootopia is not it.

 

[jbehr12]

Animal Kingdom has plans. Zootopia is not it.

Please don’t say that like it’s a fact... I’m sure many think it’s a real possibility.