This text is an adaptation of an authentic Jim Hill Media Three Half Collection “Is DAK’s Beastly Kingdom DOA? (December 2000).
You’ll be able to park your automobile within the “Unicorn” car parking zone.
You should buy your admission ticket at a ticket sales space with an enormous dragon’s head on it.
And — for some time there — you might even catch a glimpse of a fire-breathing monster as you took a cruise alongside Discovery River.
So how how come it’s extra probably that we’ll see actual unicorns or dragons earlier than the we ever see a “Beastly Kingdom”?
What occurred? Why did Walt Disney World resolve to wash its years-in-the-making plans for enlargement of its animal theme park? Why desk what would appear to be a sure-fire addition to Disney’s Florida resort?
The Value Tag on Constructing a New Land
Those that have been following the Walt Disney Firm’s over time won’t be be stunned to be taught that the projected excessive price ticket for constructing “Beastly Kingdom” factored closely in higher administration’s latest determination to postpone indefinitely any main enlargement of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In any case, if instances are so robust for the Mouse that they’ve to put off the Magic Kingdom’s marching band in addition to Epcot’s fife-and-drum corp, what are the possibilities the corporate can be prepared to spend $200 to $300 million so as to add a brand new land to DAK? Slim to none.
Thoughts you, Mickey was completely prepared to pony up the $100 million crucial to construct the Animal Kingdom Lodge . However that’s completely different. That’s a resort. That 1307 room resort begins being profitable for the Walt Disney Firm the second it opens.
However “Beastly Kingdom?” Exit surveys steered that — even when Disney went ahead with the development of Beastly Kingdom, Walt Disney World wouldn’t see a big sufficient improve in attendance at WDW’s fourth theme park to justify the price of truly constructing “Beastly Kingdom.”
Friends Wished to See Unicorns and Dragons at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The true irony right here is that one of many solely causes Disney’s Animal Kingdom ever received constructed was that approach again in 1993, visitors who have been surveyed about concepts for a fourth WDW theme park responded strongly to the notion of getting a spot in Florida the place they might see unicorns and dragons.
Wish to hear what of us have been instructed about “Beastly Kingdom” again then? What follows is an excerpt from an actual transcript of an early advertising presentation on Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It describes in nice element the enjoyable that will have been had on this a part of the proposed park:
Beastly Kingdom Advertising and marketing Presentation (1993)
Beastly Kingdom is the realm of make consider animals, animals that don’t actually exist, out of legends, out of fairy tales, out of storybooks. Like our legends and honest tales about imaginary animals, this land is split into realms of excellent and realms of evil.
The evil facet is dominated by DRAGON’S TOWER, a burned, wrecked citadel inhabited by a grasping, hearth respiratory dragon. He hordes a superb treasure in his tower chamber. The citadel can be inhabited by bats who communicate to us from their the other way up perches. The bats have a plan. They enlist our assist making an attempt to rob the dragon and fly us off on a wild chase. Eventually, we meet the fire-breathing dragon himself and barely escape un-barbecued.
The great facet of this land is dominated by QUEST OF THE UNICORN. An journey which sends us via a maze of medieval mythological creatures to hunt the hidden grotto the place the unicorn lives. There may be additionally FANTASIA GARDENS. A mild musical boat experience via the animals from Disney’s animated basic, “Fantasia.” Each the crocodiles and hippos from ” Dance of the Hours” and the Pegasus, fauns and centaurs from Beethoven’s “Pastoral” are discovered right here.
Sounds fairly spectacular, sure? These WDW visitors surveyed again in 1993 thought so. They recognized “Beastly Kingdom” — with its mixture of curler coasters and imaginary animals — because the primary cause that they’d need to go to this proposed fourth theme park.
Opening Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Actual Animals
So why wasn’t “Beastly Kingdom” a part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom when the park opened on April 22, 1998?
Once more, price performed an enormous half in delaying development of this extremely anticipated land.
However DAK’s future planning needed to be factored in too.
In any case, it took the Walt Disney Firm three years and $800 million simply to get “Part One” of DAK open. And — for the reason that park’s title truly had the phrase “animal” in it — the Imagineers felt that opening day visitors would need to see some precise stay animals. So the vast majority of DAK’s capitalization was poured into constructing the Africa and Asian safari areas.
After that … nicely, somebody needed to decide. Disney’s Animal Kingdom was purported to have a good time all animals: the stay ones, the extinct ones, in addition to the imaginary. The African and Asian enclosures would maintain the stay animals.
However — in doing that — Disney blew via most of DAK’s preliminary funds. There was solely sufficient cash left to construct another land.
Which ought to the Mouse go for? Dragons or dinosaurs?
“Dinosaur”, Pissed off Imagineers, and Curler Coasters
In the long run, the deciding issue right here was the cash the Disney Firm had already blown on the soon-to-be-released pc animated movie, “Dinosaur.” Even again in 1995, the Mouse had already invested upwards of $30 million into manufacturing of this film. (Present estimates counsel that Disney might have spent as a lot as $150 million to complete this movie, making “Dinosaur” much more costly than James Cameron’s infamously over-budget 1997 epic, “Titanic.” ) Eisner wished to guarantee that Disney’s “Dinosaur” film made a return on that funding, so he insisted that DAK function an attraction that closely hyped the forthcoming movie.
That call angered Joe Rohde and the opposite Imagineers on the Disney’s Animal Kingdom venture. In any case, one of many actual causes that DAK was being constructed was to maintain WDW visitors from leaving property to go go to Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay.
And what was Anheuser Busch’s Florida theme park finest identified for? Its animal shows and its killer curler coasters. With African and Asia, Disney had all of the animals it wanted. However the place have been the coasters?
“Dragon’s Tower” at Beastly Kingdom
In accordance with Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s authentic plans, “Dragon’s Tower” was to have been this park’s signature attraction. That’s why the dragon was featured useless middle in DAK’s emblem. After visitors visited WDW’s fourth theme park, this was going to be the experience they raved concerning the of us again house about.
What was so particular about “Dragon’s Tower?” This excessive tech thrill experience would have been the Walt Disney Firm’s first in-park use of an inverted curler coaster. This attraction would have additionally featured the most important AA determine ever constructed for a Disney theme park. The offended jewel encrusted dragon discovered within the experience’s finale — belching hearth and smoke at your automobile as you zoomed on by — would have simply dwarfed any of the dinos present in “Countdown to Extinction” (AKA the “Dinosaur” experience).
However Eisner insisted that it was extra necessary that DAK function an space that synergized with the upcoming “Dinosaur” movie.
“Beastly Kingdom” must wait ’til DAK’s “Part Two” … which, again then, was to have been accomplished no later than Spring 2003.
Part One – “Beastly Kingdom” Easter Eggs
So — with this understanding that “Beastly Kingdom” hadn’t been cancelled, however merely postponed — WDI agreed to reduce their preliminary plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. However, whilst they mapped out plans for the “Part One” model of DAK, the Imagineers intentionally put in some fairly broad hints of the enjoyable but to come back when “Beastly Kingdom” lastly opened. That’s why you possibly can park your automobile within the “Unicorn” lot in addition to purchase your tickets on the dragon headed ticket sales space.
Dragon on Discovery River
As for that fire-breathing dragon discovered within the cave down alongside Discovery River … earlier than price over-runs in different areas of DAK severely lower within the proposed funds for this a part of the park, that make-believe monster was simply one in all many fantastical present parts that will have been discovered alongside this a part of the river. That complete stretch of Discovery River was purported to be one large coming attraction for “Beastly Kingdom.”
Had the Imagineers gotten all the cash they have been initially purported to get, right here’s what you’d have skilled after your boat pulled away from the dock and commenced its cruise round Discovery River:
As you handed underneath the principle bridge main into Safari Village, you’d have seen that the water forward was suffering from the shattered lances and crumpled armor of an incredible many fallen knights. However what horrible destiny may have befallen all of those courageous adventurers? A roar from the close by cave provides a clue.
As your boat floated previous the opening of the cave, you’d have seen a replica of the dragon discovered within the cavern underneath Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant at Disneyland – Paris. Solely WDW’s model would have been much more energetic than France’s sleepy monster. This dragon would have craned his neck out of the cave, roared on the visitors after which breathed hearth their approach, earlier than as soon as once more settling again all the way down to sleep.
At this level, your boat driver would have began to get nervous. He would clarify that he was nervous that the dragon’s roaring would awaken the Kracken, a legendary Greek sea monster that was identified to lurk alongside this stretch of Discovery River. Certain sufficient, the water across the boat begins to bubble ominously.
Off to 1 facet, the large fin of the Kracken instantly cuts via the water. Because the boat begins rocking forwards and backwards, you’re sure you’re headed for a watery grave. Simply then, your captain pulls out a lyre and begins plucking an odd tune. Because the boat stops rocking and the water stops effervescent, the captain explains that music places the Kracken again to sleep. As soon as that it’s secure to maneuver on, the boat continues to go up river.
Simply as you around the bend, your captain factors off excitedly to your left. There on the shore, you catch a glimpse of a unicorn. The gorgeous white creature — shrouded in mist because it stands in a picturesque grove of bushes — paws the earth calmly with one hoof and nods its golden horn our approach. The unicorn’s solely seen for simply an prompt, nevertheless it really is a ravishing sight.
As your boat pulls as much as the dock in Harambe, you and your fellow visitors would nonetheless be buzzing concerning the wonders you’d have glimpsed on this leg of your journey of Disney’s Animal Kingdom …
However in fact … this didn’t occur. As DAK’s opening day grew nearer and it grew to become apparent that the entire venture was going over funds, nice present parts just like the Kracken and the Unicorn received lower from the “Part One” model of the park. In the long run, there was solely sufficient cash left within the funds for put one creature alongside the complete size of Discovery River.
Once more — as a result of Eisner insisted that “Dinosaur” be closely synergized at DAK — the Imagineers determined to construct a full-scale model of Aladar, the heroic iguanadon from the forthcoming movie. That’s the AA dinosaur visitors glimpsed roaring and splashing at water’s edge as their Discovery River boat floated previous Dinoland USA.
Sadly, this determination left the opposite leg of the Discovery River boat cruise a 5 minute cruise previous nothing. So Joe Rohde begged, pleaded and wheedled … and finally received Eisner to kick in one other couple of thousand {dollars}. With this tiny chunk of change, Joe was capable of get the rock dragon that spews water alongside this a part of the river constructed, in addition to a really stripped down model of the park’s hearth respiratory dragon.
However don’t go on the lookout for an Americanized model of Disneyland – Paris’s majestic AA dragon to be discovered alongside this a part of Discovery River. Rohde’s Imagineers did one of the best they might with zero money. All you’ll discover right here now’s a considerably dinky cave at water’s edge. Because the boats glided by, a ferocious roar would echo out of the cave, adopted by a burst of flaming propane. These results hinted that there was a dragon someplace deep again inside that cave … however visitors by no means actually received a glimpse of the factor.
Discovery River Disappointments
As you may think, WDW guests have been fairly unimpressed with what they noticed alongside Discovery River as soon as DAK opened. In actual fact, this was the experience that visitors singled out — proper from Opening Day — because the worst attraction in all of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After ready in line for over an hour to board the boats, they have been livid to seek out that there was nearly nothing to see alongside the water throughout their 5 minute journey to Harambe.
The Imagineers have been clearly embarrassed by this example. It was notably irritating to WDI as a result of they knew that they’d an answer to the Discovery River drawback, able to go. However Disney administration was too low-cost to place up the cash to make the fixes.
However that had been typical of Disney administration’s dealing with of the entire DAK venture. Given the selection between doing issues the suitable approach and the cheap approach, the Mouse at all times opted to go low-cost.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Opening Day Capability Issues – “Camp Minnie-Mickey”
Take — as an illustration — how the Mouse dealt with the park’s capability issues. When it grew to become apparent that Asia was not going to prepared in time for Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s April 1998 opening, the Imagineers started warning Disney administration that DAK wouldn’t have a full day’s value of exhibits and sights. After having paid full value for admission, visitors have been positive to complain in the event that they solely received a half day’s value of leisure.
Eisner’s answer? Slap in a brief land, much like the “Mickey’s Birthdayland” space that the corporate had created for WDW’s Magic Kingdom approach again in April 1988. From its first conceptual drawing proper via to the primary visitor strolling into Mickey’s home, “Mickey’s Birthdayland” had solely taken 90 days to put in.
Rohde and his Imagineers was appalled at Eisner’s suggestion. However — quite than inform the boss that his thought was horrible and that they wished nothing to do with it — the DAK design workforce insisted that they have been far too busy supervising development in the remainder of the park to work up any new momentary lands.
So Eisner ordered WDW’s leisure workplace to take over the venture. Utilizing “Mickey’s Birthdayland” as their template, the leisure employees got here up with the idea for “Camp Minnie-Mickey.” Since there was no cash accessible for even the most affordable of off-the-shelf rides, the WDW workforce opted to construct “Camp Minnie-Mickey” round two low funds stage exhibits and a number of other no funds character encounter areas.
How shortly and cheaply was “Camp Minnie-Mickey” thrown collectively? Do the float items the characters carry out on in “Competition of the Lion King ” look acquainted? They need to. They’re the very same parade floats that Disneyland ran up and down Major Road USA in the course of the three yr run of its “Lion King Celebration” parade.
Hope for Joe Rohde and Imagineers in Part Two
Having this quickly slapped collectively space sitting alongside lands that they’d spent years designing actually irked the Imagineers. However Rohde suggested his workforce to be affected person and maintain their tongues. In any case, as soon as Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on April 22, 1998 and proved to be an enormous success, then WDI would lastly get the time and the cash crucial to repair all of the stuff that was fallacious with the park.
Then the Imagineers may get the possibility to place again all of the stuff that was lower out of Discovery River. Then they might quietly pull the plug on that monstrosity, “Camp Minnie-Mickey.” Then WDI may lastly get round to DAK’s “Part Two” and construct Beastly Kingdom.
Effectively, April 22, 1998 arrived and Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened …
However — after that — issues didn’t fairly go in response to plan.
Eisner’s Expectations for Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Okay, children — earlier than we get again to the story of how “Beastly Kingdom” ended up on Disney Animal Kingdom’s (DAK) endangered species listing — you have to perceive what the Mouse’s authentic expectations have been for its fourth Walt Disney World (WDW) theme park.
Right here’s what Disney CEO Michael Eisner had hoped would occur when DAK opened on April 1998:
- Attendance ranges would undergo the roof on the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Disney-MGM Studios, as a document variety of guests rushed all the way down to Florida to take a look at WDW’s fourth theme park.
- Friends who had beforehand stayed on property at Walt Disney World motels for 4 days would now e-book 5 day trip packages — simply to ensure that they didn’t miss any of the brand new exhibits and sights that had just lately been added to the resort.
- All this further visitor visitors would lead to elevated revenues for WDW’s motels, outlets and eating places — which might have a right away optimistic impression on the Walt Disney Firm’s backside line.
- Eisner and his employees would bask within the glow of the unparalleled success of Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a second … then get proper again to work, brain-storming concepts for WDW’s fifth theme park.
That’s what Uncle Michael had hoped would occur, anyway.
Actuality proved to be infinitely harsher.
Walt Disney World Attendance in 1998
Regardless of the Mouse’s rosy projections, Disney’s Animal Kingdom — in its first yr of operation:
Really drove down attendance ranges on the different three WDW theme parks in 1998.
- 8% fewer visitors visited the Magic Kingdom
- 9% fewer went to the Disney-MGM Studios
- Epcot’s attendance ranges dipped a startling 11%
What occurred? In a phrase — cannibalism.
How Does Opening a New Theme Park Have an effect on the Different Theme Parks?
“Cannibalism” is the time period Disney Firm executives use to explain what occurs when a model new theme park opens and begins consuming into the attendance ranges of the older, extra established parks on the identical resort.
Epcot Opening
In 1982, when Epcot opened, that park initially lower considerably into the variety of visitors that yearly visited the Magic Kingdom. Nonetheless — over time — attendance ranges at Magic Kingdom bounced again to what they as soon as have been after the novelty of Epcot had worn off. In the meantime, Epcot Middle started drawing visitors all by itself to WDW. In the long run, all of it labored out simply nice.
Disney-MGM Studio Opening
An analogous factor occurred in Could 1989, when the Disney-MGM Studio theme park threw open its gates. For nearly a yr, attendance ranges on the Magic Kingdom and Epcot slumped whereas visitors opted to go to the brand new WDW theme park quite than visiting their previous favorites. However — as soon as once more, over time — the scenario sorted itself out. Attendance ranges on the older WDW parks slowly rose again as much as the place they as soon as have been, because the Disney-MGM Studios started luring hundreds of thousands of recent vacationers to come back see Disney’s Florida resort.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Opening
The Mouse had been anticipating that — when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened — that it too would initially bleed visitors away from the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Disney-MGM Studios. That’s why Eisner had had the Imagineers add new sights and/or full main rehabs to every of the older WDW parks within the 18 months previous to DAK’s opening.
This was Uncle Michael’s good scheme. He truthfully believed that — if the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Disney-MGM Studios every had new rides and exhibits for guests to see — visitors who had come all the way down to WDW simply to see Disney’s Animal Kingdom throughout its first yr of operation would nonetheless find yourself of staying on property an additional day or so simply to take a look at all the brand new stuff on the different parks.
On paper, that basically did appear to be an excellent plan. Too unhealthy actuality received in the way in which.
Eisner’s Attendance Plan Doesn’t Go as Deliberate
What occurred to damage Eisner’s plan? For starters, Epcot’s closely hyped new thrill experience — GM Take a look at Observe — was beset with horrible technical issues and ended up opening a full 18 months delayed. In order that park actually had nothing new to supply to returning WDW visitors the yr DAK opened.
Over on the Disney-MGM Studios, a a lot anticipated addition to the park — “David Copperfield’s Magic Underground” restaurant — by no means made it off the drafting board as a result of the magician’s outdoors financing for the venture disappeared. It will now be months after DAK’s opening earlier than the studio theme park’s subsequent large attraction — an East Coast model of Disneyland’s “Fantasmic” — can be prepared to begin entertaining WDW guests.
As for the Magic Kingdom … fact be instructed, little or no thought was put into to including new exhibits and sights to WDW’s first theme park. The Magic Kingdom had at all times been the favourite with Disney World guests. Eisner and WDI felt that — what with the latest “Mickey’s Toontown Faire” redo in addition to the twenty fifth anniversary parade that was nonetheless working each day on the park — there was nonetheless loads of semi-new stuff to entice folks into making a return journey to the Magic Kingdom.
So — given all the cash the Walt Disney Firm had pumped into the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Disney-MGM Studios to counter-act the results of DAK’s opening — Eisner had anticipated that the attendance ranges at WDW’s older parks would solely dip by 5% in 1998. He was mentioned to be livid when — nearly throughout the board — attendance fell by nearly twice that quantity in any respect three of the opposite WDW theme parks.
This information instantly put WDW’s administration workforce into disaster mode. The massive boys in Burbank wished attendance ranges at every of the older WDW parks pushed again up instantly. The managers of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Disney-MGM Studios reminded Eisner and Firm that — with the intention to do this — they’d want cash quick for brand new exhibits, parades and sights. Eisner instantly agreed to unlock some funds for the Florida park.
And the place did Eisner get the cash to create these new WDW exhibits? You guessed it. He snagged the funds that had been beforehand earmarked for enlargement of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Particularly, the cash that will have been put aside for development of “Beastly Kingdom.”
“Beastly Kingdom” Defunded – Issues at Animal Kingdom
Rohde and his Imagineers started complaining concerning the short-sightedness of Disney administration’s fiscal planning. With that cash gone, it might now be 5 years or extra earlier than there’d be any cash within the funds to create any new important sights for DAK.
WDW managers admitted that this was true. However — given all the issues that Disney’s Animal Kingdom was having throughout its preliminary yr of operation — it didn’t appear too clever proper now to complain concerning the park’s future. Except these issues received resolved shortly, it didn’t appear like DAK would have a lot of a future.
What kind of issues was Disney’s Animal Kingdom having again then? You title it, the park was having issues with it.
Friends Getting Misplaced at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
As a result of twisty, turny nature of the park’s walkways in addition to all the luxurious vegetation, visitors have been continually getting misplaced as they walked via the park. Disney needed to spend 1000’s on new, greater signage for the theme park to assist visitors discover their approach across the place.
Friends Leaving Disney’s Animal Kingdom Early – Busy within the AM
Then there was all of the troubles with DAK’s outlets and eating places. Notably in the course of the first eight months Disney’s Animal Kingdom was open (when solely the African safari journey was up and working), the Mouse had an terrible time getting visitors to remain contained in the theme park previous 4 p.m.
What was the issue? As a result of horrible warmth in Florida, many of the animals alongside the African safari route would go lie down within the shade — disappearing totally from view — by about 10 a.m. every morning. As soon as DAK administration realized that its African menagerie had begun dropping from sight most days earlier than midday, it shortly put the phrase out to WDW’s motels to encourage their visitors to go to DAK as early within the day as potential.
This resulted in a totally unworkable visitors stream scenario at DAK. By 7:30 a.m. most mornings throughout that first summer season of operation, the park would already be full. By 8 a.m., there’d be a two hour lengthy line within the queue for the African safari experience in addition to visitors ready for over an hour to get in to see “It’s Powerful to Be a Bug.” Provided that so few of Disney Animal Kingdom’s eating places had been designed to serve breakfast, there have been by no means sufficient locations open at that hour to deal with all these sleepy, cranky folks on the lookout for meals. That first summer season at DAK was a whole catastrophe.
However — as unhealthy because the early morning hours at DAK have been — the late afternoon was even worse. Why for? As a result of the crowds — having blown via Disney’s Animal Kingdom minimal variety of exhibits and sights in only a few hours — had already left the park for the day. By 4 p.m. most afternoons, you might have fired a cannon down the center of the road in Safari Village and never have wounded a single soul.
Poor Merchandise and Restaurant Gross sales
Having the park nearly empty by late afternoon performed hell with DAK’s projections for meals and merchandise gross sales. All of the managers of the park’s shops and eating places have been begging WDW administration for assist in turning round their depressed gross sales. (The parents working the enormous “Rainforest Cafe” on the entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom have been notably determined. That they had paid large bucks for the suitable to construct this department of their restaurant chain proper outdoors the doorway to WDW’s latest theme park. However most evenings, barely a 3rd of the cavernous cafe had any visitors in it.)
Fixing Disney’s Animal Kingdom with Night time-Time Leisure
WDW administration tried to give you an answer to DAK’s visitors stream issues. However it shortly grew to become apparent that there’d be no fast fixes for this example. In any case, it wasn’t like Disney may do right here what they did at Epcot and the Disney-MGM Studios to maintain visitors within the park at night time. For the reason that lights within the skies and all of the noise was positive to frighten the animals, a nightly fireworks show was out of the query.
There was additionally some discuss of making a particular night-time parade to roll via the streets of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and entertain visitors after darkish. For a time, WDW administration even thought-about bringing Disneyland’s a lot maligned “Mild Magic” streetacular to Florida to supply after-hours leisure at DAK.
However Rohde and his workforce of WDI designers shortly killed any discuss night-time streetaculars at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They identified that the park’s streets and trails have been simply too tight and slim to permit even the smallest floats straightforward passage. The Imagineers reminded WDW administration how a lot hassle DAK’s small day-time parade — “The March of the Artwork-imals” — was having making its approach across the park in broad daylight. Think about how a lot hassle an identical parade would have making its approach round DAK at the hours of darkness.
Repair Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Drawback with Sights – Construct “Beastly Kingdom”
Rohde’s workforce insisted that the answer to the visitors stream issues at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was apparent: beef up the elements of the park that didn’t depend on actual animals. That meant including new exhibits to Dinoland USA in addition to lastly constructing Beastly Kingdom. By including these extra exhibits and sights, WDW administration would give visitors an actual cause to remain at DAK after darkish — quite than making an attempt to trick guests into staying with a lame after-hours parade and/or a smallish fireworks show.
Privately, officers in WDW administration agreed with the Imagineers that this was the logical, cheap option to repair Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The difficulty was that the oldsters again in Burbank weren’t performing fairly or logically proper now. Disney Firm administration had panicked once they had seen the drastic dip in attendance at WDW’s three different theme parks. Now they have been working scared.
And Eisner had already okayed WDW administration’s determination to seize the cash that had been earmarked for DAK enlargement and use it for bolstering sagging attendance on the different three WDW theme parks. That meant that Imagineering had subsequent to no cash left to repair all of the obtrusive issues at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Extra ominously, it now seemed like it might be 5 years — or extra — earlier than WDI may afford so as to add any important new sights to DAK.
It was a really miserable time for the Disney’s Animal Kingdom design workforce. However — once more — Rohde instructed his Imagineers to not lose coronary heart. He instructed them that DAK — specifically “Beastly Kingdom” — may nonetheless be saved but.
Competitors for Disney – Common Studios’ Islands of Journey
For Joe knew that Seagrams / MCA was spending two billion {dollars} to broaden its Common Studios Florida theme park complicated — which was simply down the highway from WDW. And the centerpiece to this formidable enlargement venture was a model new theme park: Common Studios’ Islands of Journey.
Rumors have been flying across the theme park group that Seagrams / MCA was spending a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} on their new Florida park as a result of they have been out to high Disney. Common wished “Islands of Journey” to have such superb state-of-the-art sights that this park would high any experience that could possibly be discovered at Walt Disney World.
Secretly, Rohde and his Imagineers have been hoping that Common Studios’ Islands of Journey can be an enormous success. Why for? As a result of the Walt Disney Firm would then be embarrassed that it didn’t have one of the best rides in Florida anymore. After which perhaps the Mouse would get nervous that they have been beginning to lose visitors to the brand new Common park.
If that occurred … nicely, then Eisner would lastly should open up his pockets then, wouldn’t he? Simply as a matter of delight, he’d should insist that WDI set up the best rides that they might give you at every of the WDW parks. For Disney’s Animal Kingdom, that would solely imply that the Imagineers would lastly get the possibility to construct “Beastly Kingdom.”
That was how Joe Rohde hoped issues would play out, anyway.
Buzz Round Islands of Journey Opening
Effectively, within the spring of 1999, Common Studios’ Islands of Journey did lastly open up. Sadly, it was not fairly the roaring success Joe had hoped for.
Worse nonetheless, a number of the sights to be discovered within the new park seemed awfully acquainted …
December 1998. Everybody at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) is abuzz with information about Common Studios enlargement plans for its Florida property.
“I’ve heard that — on opening day — they’re going to have three mega-coasters up and working.”
“Effectively, I’ve heard that their ‘Spiderman’ attraction goes to blow the doorways off ‘Star Excursions’ and ‘Physique Wars.’”
“That — plus ‘Jurassic Park – The Journey,’ that ‘Dudley Do-Proper’ flume factor in addition to the ‘Popeye’ raft experience. This new Common park sound higher than something we’ve received in Florida.”
Had been these Imagineers frightened on the considered all these nice sights being in-built a theme park simply down the road from WDW?
Hell no. The parents at WDI have been thrilled that Seagrams was spending a reported $2 billion to remake their Common Studios Florida theme park right into a Disney high quality resort. Why? As a result of that meant that the Mouse would lastly have some critical competitors in Orlando.
You see, Disney CEO Michael Eisner is a really aggressive man. He hates to lose — at something.
If attendance at WDW began to noticeably slip because of the Mouse shedding clients to Common’s new theme park, Michael would should do one thing. Eisner’s monumental ego simply wouldn’t have the ability to deal with the thought of Disney being No. 2 within the Orlando market.
So he’d flip to the Imagineers and say: “Make one of the best sights you possibly can.”
Not “Make one of the best attraction you possibly can on a restricted funds.” (i.e.: WDI’s controversial rehab of Epcot’s “Journey into Creativeness” experience. Throughout its three months of operation, the revamped model of that Future World attraction racked up extra visitor complaints than most exhibits produce in a yr.)
Not “Make one of the best attraction you possibly can with minimal modifications to the pre-existing experience constructing.” (i.e.: The Magic Kingdom’s “Buzz Lightyear’s House Ranger Spin” truly runs its experience autos alongside the exact same monitor and format the constructing’s earlier tenants — Delta’s “Dreamflight” and the unsponsored “Take Flight” — used.)
Not “Make one of the best attraction that displays the sponsor’s agenda” (i.e.: Any exhibit you’ll discover inside both model of “Innoventions.”)
Simply “Make one of the best sights you possibly can.” Interval.
And WDI would completely love to listen to Michael Eisner say this.
The Imagineers Lastly In a position to Construct Sights
For years now, the Disney Imagineers been growing concepts for completely killer theme park sights, solely to be instructed by Disney Firm senior administration that ” Gee, we’d like to construct that … nevertheless it’d be too costly” or “Nobody else within the trade is doing that” or — worst of all — “We don’t should strive that arduous.”
So now — for the primary time ever — it appeared that Walt Disney World was going to have some actual competitors in Florida. And the highest guys on the Mouse Works should have been taking Common’s Islands of Journey severely, for — in January 1999 — they ordered WDI to work up a WDW contingency plan.
The aim of the plan was this: Ought to Common’s Islands of Journey truly start to significantly nibble away at Disney World attendance ranges in 1999, the Mouse wished a option to shortly recapture these wandering guests. WDI felt that the best option to get of us enthusiastic about going again to WDW once more was so as to add an enormous new E ticket attraction for every of the 4 Florida parks. Extra importantly, they wished to have every of those rides up and working in time for the kick-off of Walt Disney World’s thirtieth anniversary celebration in October 2001.
“Hearth Mountain” at Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom was to have gotten “Hearth Mountain,” a state-of-the-art curler coaster themed round story parts from Walt Disney Photos’ Summer season 2001 animated launch, “Atlantis.” What would have really been intriguing about “Hearth Mountain” is that it was to have been the world’s first morphing coaster. Guests would begin their experience seated securely of their experience automobile. On the halfway level within the attraction — as “Hearth Mountain” erupted — the underside would have dropped away from their experience automobile, leaving the riders dangling from above as they zoomed via the remainder of the experience.
“Villain Journey” at Disney-MGM Studios
Over on the Disney-MGM Studios, that park’s signature attraction — “The Nice Film Journey” — would have gotten an enormous makeover. As a substitute, guests would have been requested to placed on 3D glasses earlier than taking a visit via the Chinese language Theater’s “Villain Journey.” Right here, WDW guests would have been menaced by three dimensional recreations of Disney’s most well-known fiends earlier than the forces of excellent lastly got here to their rescue.
“Mission: House” at Epcot
Epcot would have had its dated Future World “Horizons” pavilion pulled all the way down to make approach for the brand new “Mission: House” attraction. This cutting-edge experience would use centrifugal power to offer guests the feeling of being blasted out into house. They’d additionally really feel large G-forces urgent them down into their seats in addition to a quick second of weightlessness earlier than their experience automobile made re-entry.
“Beastly Kingdom” at DAK
As for Disney’s Animal Kingdom … nicely, because it was the least developed of all 4 of the WDW theme parks, including only one new attraction wouldn’t have given guests sufficient incentive to return to DAK. So the Imagineers opted to go for broke right here. They steered including an entire new land to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Which land? You guessed it, children. “Beastly Kingdom.”
Disney’s Plan to Counter-Act Common’s Island of Journey
Disney Administration reviewed WDI’s plan in March of 1999 and agreed to place it into motion if … and it is a actually large “if” right here, of us … it could possibly be confirmed that Common Studios’ Islands of Journey was having a major detrimental impact of WDW’s attendance ranges.
So — for the primary time within the historical past of the Walt Disney Firm — the Imagineers truly hoped and prayed for a competitor’s theme park to succeed. For — if Islands of Journey actually had an impression on WDW’s attendance — all of their nice new proposed sights would truly make it off the drafting board.
After two months of sentimental openings, Common lastly did formally open Islands of Journey (IOA) on Could 28, 1999. Simply because the Imagineers had hoped, IOA had all of it. Three big curler coasters. Their state-of-the-art “Spiderman” attraction. Three water-based rides (“Jurassic Park – The Journey,” “Dudley Do-Proper’s Ripsaw Falls,” and “Popeye’s Bilge Rat Barges”). Every little thing a contemporary theme park must succeed.
Effectively … nearly every part.
What was lacking?
Crowds.
Was Common Studios’ Islands of Journey a Flop?
To today, nobody is aware of fairly what went fallacious with the launch of Common Studios’ Islands of Journey. Some blame the advertising of the brand new park and resort, which someway lead the general public to consider that IOA wasn’t an entire new theme park, however quite only a new land that had been added to Common Studios Florida (USF). (This definitely was a well-liked rationalization inside the boardroom at Seagrams. They requested for — and obtained — the resignations of most of USF’s advertising employees.)
Regardless of the cause, the crowds simply didn’t come out for IOA throughout its first yr of operation. Common’s new theme park under-performed in a spectacular method, drawing lower than half the projected variety of our bodies Seagrams had mentioned would go to its revamped resort in 1999. Worse nonetheless, the restricted variety of guests IOA received appears to have all been our bodies that the brand new park lured away from its older Florida theme park. Unconfirmed experiences counsel that attendance at Common Studios Florida might have fallen off by as a lot as 30% throughout IOA’s first few months of operation.
However worst of all — a minimum of from the Imagineers’ viewpoint — is that IOA was having nearly no impression on WDW’s theme parks. Because the months glided by, it grew to become apparent that — despite the $2 billion Seagrams had spent — their revamped resort was having little or no impact on Disney World attendance ranges.
With out proof that IOA was impacting WDW’s attendance ranges, WDI’s formidable plans for including a model new E-Ticket attraction to every of the Disney Firm’s Florida theme parks by October 2001 appeared doomed to failure. Certain sufficient, Walt Disney Imagineering president Paul Pressler known as a gathering at WDW’s WDI headquarters earlier this yr to announce a radical rethink of the Florida property’s enlargement plans.
Did Walt Disney World Reply to Islands of Journey?
At this assembly, Pressler mentioned that — since IOA had clearly confirmed to be a non-threat to WDW attendance ranges — there was no cause to go ahead with the beforehand introduced aggressive constructing program. As a substitute, Paul proposed a considerably unfold out schedule as to which Florida Disney theme park received new sights and when.
Pressler believed that it was now time to prioritize. WDW attraction development cash can be allotted first to whichever Disney theme park in Florida most wanted a lift in attendance. That was clearly Epcot, which perpetually had issues drawing guests again in for return visits. That’s why the Walt Disney Firm opted to stage its 15 month-long Millennium celebration inside this Florida park.
Below the brand new schedule, the primary new WDW E-ticket can be constructed inside on Epcot. “Mission: House” would nonetheless rocket guests off into the cosmos. Solely now these guests must wait ’til 2003 earlier than they received the possibility to board Disney’s shuttle simulator.
Subsequent up can be the Disney-MGM Studios’ E-Ticket. Nonetheless, development on the “Villain Journey” wouldn’t even start ’til 2003. Pressler’s plan was to have the “Villain Journey” up and working by Could 2004 — simply in time for the studio theme park’s fifteenth anniversary celebration.
After that, “Hearth Mountain” would stand up over on the Magic Kingdom in 2006. This volcano-based Adventureland attraction would function the centerpiece of WDW’s thirty fifth anniversary celebration.
Then in 2008, Disney’s Animal Kingdom would lastly get its new E-Ticket. Simply in time for that park’s tenth anniversary, “Beastly Kingdom” would throw open its doorways. Guests would then get to pattern the thrills of “Dragon’s Tower” and wander the leafy inexperienced maze over at “Quest for the Unicorn.”
Clearly, Imagineer Joe Rohde and his DAK design workforce have been tremendously dissatisfied with this final bit of reports. However Rohde — ever the optimist — tried to emphasize the optimistic on this robust scenario. “Okay, so it’s going to open 10 years late,” Joe mentioned. “However a minimum of ‘Beastly Kingdom’ will lastly be a part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.”
At the least, that was the plan … till Eisner received round to visiting Common Studio’s Islands of Journey in January 2000.
Eisner Visits Common Studios’ Islands of Journey
Eisner and a small entourage quietly toured the park that day, using many of the main sights in addition to scoping out a number of the outlets and eating places. After Michael received again to California, he instructed the Imagineers that he thought that — whereas IOA wasn’t fairly as much as Disney normal — the place nonetheless seemed fairly good.
There was a pause. Then Michael added “However just a few of these sights seemed awfully acquainted.”
That is the place one of many scummier secrets and techniques of the theme park trade will get revealed: theme parks frequently steal attraction concepts from each other. Similar to within the pc world or the auto trade, industrial espionage is simply one of many many ways in which theme park firms like Disney, Common, Six Flags, and the Cedar Honest Company attempt to keep forward of the competitors.
In fact, Disney didn’t assist issues by shedding a whole lot of Imagineers following the disastrous opening of Euro Disney. Many of those disgruntled former Imagineers walked out the door, carrying with them the plans for the proposed sights they’d been engaged on when the Mouse allow them to go.
“Dragon’s Tower” at Islands of Journey – Disney Imagineer Layoffs Create “Misplaced Continent”
Amongst these of us have been a number of Imagineers who had been engaged on the “Dragon’s Tower” attraction for DAK’s “Beastly Kingdom.” After just a few months, these former WDI staff received employed by Common to work on their proposed second theme park for Florida. They ended up being assigned to work on that park’s “Misplaced Continent” space.
“You guys received any concepts for sights for this a part of the park?,” their Common bosses requested.
Certainly they did.
“Borrowed” Concepts for Disney Sights
Now, earlier than you get all indignant concerning the thought of Common stealing experience concepts from Disney, please take into account that the Mouse has additionally been doing it for years. For instance: how do you suppose the Skyway and Monorail ended up in Disneyland? Walt noticed related sights whereas touring amusement parks in Europe within the Fifties. He determined to “borrow” the ideas of those rides from these European venues for set up at his Anaheim park.
And — whereas Tony Baxter is universally acknowledged as a contemporary grasp of Imagineering, having give you the ideas for such basic Disney theme park sights as “Huge Thunder Mountain Railway” and “Splash Mountain” — staff of Knotts Berry Farm are all too prepared to level out the similarities between these sights and Knotts’ “Calico Mine Practice” and “Log Journey.” Provided that Baxter has admitted to spending a number of his free time again within the Nineteen Sixties when he was a Disneyland worker prowling round Knotts, is it potential that Tony may have — identical to his hero, Walt — “borrowed” the ideas for these Knotts sights to make use of as the premise for “Huge Thunder” and “Splash Mountain?”
Something’s potential, children.
“Dragon’s Tower” turns into “Dueling Dragons”
Anywho, again to Islands of Journey … is “Dueling Dragons” an apparent rip-off of “Beastly Kingdom”‘s proposed “Dragon’s Tower” experience? Maybe. However how are you going to rip off one thing that hasn’t truly been constructed but?
Some may argue that Common — being the primary theme park firm to construct a mega-coaster that featured a dragon storyline with a queue space that was themed round a decrepit citadel — should now get credit score for creating that attraction. Which implies Common successfully owns that experience thought. That will imply that — ought to Disney ever go ahead with their “Dragon’s Tower” attraction thought — the Mouse would now seem like copying experience concepts from Common, quite than the opposite approach round.
Never thoughts that Disney got here up with the unique thought for a dragon-based coaster. Never thoughts that Common might have acquired the idea for his or her dragon coaster attraction underneath considerably questionable circumstances. In the long run, all that issues is: Who constructed the experience first? Since Common was the primary to construct a dragon-based coaster, that experience idea now belongs to them.
“Beastly Kingdom” Loses Its Icon – Land Cancelled
And — since Eisner didn’t need it to seem as if Disney was stealing experience concepts from Common — he requested the Imagineers to take away the “Dragon’s Tower” experience from all future plans for “Beastly Kingdom.” However — with out the tumble-down burned-out citadel (that will have served as “Dragon’s Tower”‘s present constructing) to function the centerpiece for this proposed addition to WDW’s fourth theme park — “Beastly Kingdom” was left and not using a “weenie,” a powerful visible component that will lure folks down into this facet of the park. With out “Dragon’s Tower,” “Beastly Kingdom” now appeared sort of pointless.
Dinoland USA Enlargement
As painful because it is perhaps, Joe Rohde and his Imagineering workforce now needed to face information. “Beastly Kingdom” — as they’d initially deliberate it — was useless. WDI would now should abandon all of the witty plans they’d give you for this a part of the park and dream up some new sights for DAK’s east facet.
Thoughts you, there was no time to mourn “Beastly Kingdom”‘s demise. Rohde and his workforce have been too busy combating with Disney administration over their cut price basement enlargement plans for DAK’s Dinoland USA. Assuming that — when Disney’s “Dinosaur” film opens in theaters later this month — this facet of the park will see an enormous surge of recent visitors, Eisner ordered that a number of calmly themed off-the-shelf carnival-style rides be added to Dinoland USA to extend capability.
Rohde was mentioned to be livid when he realized of this plan, notably since WDI had already put collectively a chic enlargement plan for DAK’s dino space. He’s reportedly notably enraged that the title that his Imagineering workforce got here up with for a runaway-mine-car-through-an-abandoned-dinosaur-dig experience — the Excavator — for Dinoland USA’s “Part II” will now be used for a smallish kiddie coaster Eisner is shortly tossing into the realm.
Including to Rohde’s aggravation: DAK’s ‘momentary’ space — Camp Minnie-Mickey — was turning into all of the extra everlasting as every day glided by. Exit polls confirmed that this space’s “Competition of the Lion King” present was the preferred attraction in all of Animal Kingdom. So standard that Disney had so as to add extra seats to DAK’s “Lion King” theater to extend the present’s capability. And — with “Lion King III,” one other direct-to-video sequel to the unique 1994 movie, presently within the works — it may now be years earlier than the “Lion King” phenomenon lastly fades … leaving all of the land round that once-thought-to-be-temporary theater accessible once more for improvement.
As you possibly can see, Rohde and his Imagineers didn’t have time to moan over “Beastly Kingdom”‘s loss. They’re too busy combating with Disney Firm administration, making an attempt to maintain Eisner and Co. from ruining the park with their bone-headed cost-cutting maneuvers.
Editor’s Word: This text is an adaptation of the unique three-part collection from Jim Hill Media, “Is DAK’s Beastly Kingdom DOA?” (December 2000). Pandora – The World of Avatar formally opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Could 27, 2017, within the space initially proposed for Beastly Kingdom.
Will There Ever Be a “Beastly Kingdom” at Walt Disney World?
However is “Beastly Kingdom” actually useless? At the least for the instant future, it might appear so. Any formidable plans the Mouse might have had for enlargement of Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the moment are fully on maintain.
Why for? As a result of there’s a lot different stuff at DAK that’s presently in pressing want of restore. For instance: Conservation Station is considered a whole catastrophe. Guests repeatedly title that space as their least favourite a part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. So the Imagineers are frantically looking for methods to repair up that facility.
After which there’s Kali River Rapids. Although solely a yr previous, the centerpiece attraction for DAK’s Asia space is already falling aside. There are presently so few of that attraction’s authentic rafts in working situation that guests usually have to attend as a lot as an hour in line earlier than there’s a raft accessible for them to board.
However all these Disney unicorn and dragon lovers on the market shouldn’t fully lose coronary heart. Lengthy-time Disney theme park observers comprehend it’s clever by no means to contemplate a very nice idea for a theme park present or attraction fully useless. For the Imagineers have this terrible tendency to recycle deserted concepts.
Think about Disneyland’s lengthy proposed Discovery Bay. Although Tony Baxter hatched the idea for this Jules Verne-meets-Gold Rush-era-San-Francisco Frontierland enlargement again in 1977, it wasn’t till 1992 that parts of this proposed Disneyland addition lastly turned up in a Disney theme park. Sadly for all these US-based Discovery Bay followers, the park that received the land (DiscoveryLand, to be actual) that was impressed by Tony’s idea artwork was Disneyland – Paris. However a few of Discovery Bay did lastly make it off the drafting board.
So who is aware of? Possibly in ten years or so, some Imagineer might include a intelligent option to rework the “Dragon’s Tower” storyline. Maybe that lengthy rumored South American Disney theme park can have a Sleeping Magnificence’s citadel with a thrill experience — quite than a strolling tour — as its foremost attraction? Possibly this thrill experience will function an enormous AA model of the Maleficent dragon, snarling and respiratory hearth at riders as they whiz via the attraction’s finale? Stranger issues have occurred, children.
Right here’s hoping that — some day, in a roundabout way — dragons and unicorns flip up in a Disney theme park.
In any case, there’s at all times room for a bit extra magic within the Magic Kingdom.
Need extra behind-the-scenes Disney tales? Dive deeper into the magic with The Disney Dish podcast, the place Jim Hill and Len Testa discover Disney information and park historical past. Pay attention now at The Disney Dish on Apple Podcasts. For unique bonus episodes and much more insider content material, try Disney Unpacked on Patreon.
