It’s been seven years since I wrote my original series of “Seven Wishes” articles on each of the four Walt Disney World parks. There have been so many changes since 2016, so I’ve decided to update these articles for today’s landscape. My focus in this post is the most recent Disney theme park in Florida.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is arguably the most beautiful Disney park, especially in the United States. The mix of incredible animal exhibits and theme park attractions is so difficult to pull off well. I love just hanging out in this stunning place, and I can’t say that for many spots at Walt Disney World.
I’m still amazed at how well Pandora: The World of Avatar fits within this park. Opening in May 2017, this ambitious expansion helped draw crowds and provide a cool nighttime experience. What’s next for Disney’s Animal Kingdom? I’m looking at both the near future and years down the road with this list. Let’s dive into my seven wishes for this remarkable park!
1. Start on the Chester and Hester’s Dinorama Replacement
Each summer, I take my daughters (14 and 10) to our home park Six Flags St. Louis. It’s a fun day, but the atmosphere isn’t that comforting. One big reason is the presence of carnival games. Six Flags isn’t known for great aesthetics, so I understand the games a little more. I don’t have the same feeling about Disney’s use of them. The Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park; this concrete area seems out of place.
I enjoy Dinosaur and the surrounding area, but I suspect we’ll see the entire DinoLand area replaced. That’s unfortunate but understandable given the space for any major expansion. At the most recent Destination D23 event, Disney announced a possible plan to replace this area with Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions. Focusing on Central America and South America sounds like a good idea.
My biggest wish is that Disney starts moving on this expansion soon. It likely will take at least three years to complete after groundbreaking, and that might be too optimistic. They’re being conservative with making any major parks investments, and I’d like to see them get moving. The Primeval Whirl area is now empty, and we could easily lose the rest of Dinorama. It’s time to start making improvements!
2. Fix the Effects on Dinosaur in the Short Term
During the pre-Everest days of the first eight years of the Animal Kingdom, the biggest thrill came from Dinosaur. I rode it during the Countdown to Extinction period during the Animal Kingdom’s first month. It was a louder and more intense experience that really packed a punch. It also employed special effects constantly to sell the premise. The current version has its moments but is less consistent. Some areas are just dark, and it’s hard to follow what we’re seeing.
I’m not hoping that Disney reverts the ride to its original version. What I’d rather see is more interactions with dinosaurs and some brighter sets. We can look at the continued success of Indiana Jones at Disneyland for a model. The formula is set for a thrilling attraction we want to ride repeatedly. Disney needs to fix the broken effects and make a few upgrades.
The likely replacement of the full Dinoland area means that any fixes probably won’t happen. Even so, I doubt that some of these changes would take much investment. In particular, the sound effects during certain portions just seemed a little off during our last visit. I wish that Dinosaur could survive in the long term, though Indiana Jones would take its place in the proposed expansion. Since it will be a while before that happens, let’s make Dinosaur a better attraction!
3. We Need a New Yeti at the Animal Kingdom!
Expedition Everest is an incredible attraction, but part of the sales pitch is “encounter the Yeti!”. I rode back when the Yeti was functioning properly, and the effect was the perfect ending for a thrill ride. It’s sad to not see any significant efforts to fix the “Disco Yeti” from Disney in many years.
I recognize that the Animal Kingdom has limited headliners and needs Everest. Still, Disney must pull of the band-aid at some point. Pandora: The World of Avatar draws crowds to the other side of the park, so the concern of not having other headliners is lessened. I doubt that Everest would go down while the Dinoland replacement happens, so updates likely need to happen before that point.
I don’t need the Yeti to exactly follow its original set-up either. The replacement should work properly, provide thrills, and have easy maintenance. Given modern technological advances, this should be possible. I know that investing to fix the Yeti probably won’t draw more guests to the Animal Kingdom, and that’s the challenge for Disney. Will they be willing to spend the time and money to fix it?
4. Update Rafiki’s Planet Watch with More Experiences
There’s a little bit missing at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, the education center accessed only by the Wildlife Express Train. Initially called Conservation Station (and still partially named that way), this location has so much promise. It gives you a chance to actually see animal care up close and is filled with learning spots. I love it but admit we don’t always make the journey there.
The first challenge with Rafiki’s Planet Watch is just getting there. The Wildlife Express Train is a cool idea but often cramped and slow to access. The next step is a long walk to the main building. I’m in decent shape and don’t mind the exercise, but we need a better way to get there.
Second, I’d love to see Disney make over the entire area with a new look. The theme should remain similar, but why not sell the latest knowledge, technology, and conservation efforts? My local zoo is remaking its exhibits in this way; Disney could do something similar at the Animal Kingdom. It wouldn’t cost heaps of money and could yield serious results.
5. Expand Pandora: The World of Avatar with a Third Attraction
Six years after it opened, I still can’t believe how well Pandora: The World of Avatar fits inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Despite this land depicting an alien planet from a blockbuster film, it still fits comfortably within this beautiful park. I’ve enjoyed both Avatar films in the theaters but haven’t felt the need to go back and watch them again even after visiting Pandora.
Flight of Passage is a jaw-dropping headliner that goes well beyond just being a more intense version of Soarin’. I don’t feel like Na’vi River Journey gets the credit it deserves either. Both are excellent attractions, and I also enjoy just walking around the land. Given their popularity, there’s definitely room for a third attraction. Disney has announced some type of Pandora experience in California, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also focus on this park.
This new attraction does not have to be a thrill ride and could even be a live show if it’s an original idea. I’d love to see another dark ride or possibly a transportation attraction that journeys through the land. The Animal Kingdom needs more ride capacity, and Disney can build from its strength and bring even more attention to this awesome expansion.
6. Bring Back Vibrant Nightlife to the Animal Kingdom
I was thrilled to see Disney’s efforts to expand the day at the Animal Kingdom when Rivers of Light arrived. They also opened a great new bar and restaurant and created the Tree of Life Awakenings (which drew raves). There was so much potential, but Rivers of Light didn’t connect with audiences. I loved the nighttime show, especially when it had live actors. I know that many didn’t share that opinion, however.
I’d love to see Disney focus once again on making the Animal Kingdom a cool night spot. Pandora: The World of Avatar looks incredible in the dark and feels like a completely different land. The entire park just feels different in the evening as crowds disperse, and Everest is a great night ride.
This park needs to be a fun spot that attracts locals with entertainment, special events (no upcharge), and enticing food and drinks. The atmosphere is there if Disney commits to making the nighttime click. This point leads well into my final wish.
7. Add a Series of Popular Annual Special Events
Like I mentioned above, the Animal Kingdom is perfect for special events. Similar to EPCOT, this park works because of its warm atmosphere. The rides complement the overall feel of strolling through the attractive walkways. It’s a perfect place to set up special events to draw locals and frequent guests. My local zoo and botanical garden do such a great job at incorporating food, drinks, and live music into their space at night. There’s an easy model for Disney to follow, and I don’t mean After Hours events.
I’m not asking Disney to stop building attractions. However, I know there are limits to budgets given the other major expansions. I’d love to see Disney set up new educational and entertainment events in 2024. They can theme by specific areas and liven up the nights with the extra focus.
Visitors long for this type of enhanced offering. The key is not charging more for admission and following the EPCOT festival model. Disney can make loads of money on high-priced food and drinks. People should feel like they’re getting more value from their ticket price. An excellent way to provide that value is by adding cool seasonal events that grab their interest. Why not work with micro-breweries for a special craft beer event? I guarantee that at least this writer would find a way to visit during that event.
Dan, you choose such interesting topics to write about. I don’t always comment, but I do always read and am always intrigued and challenged by what you have to say.
To your fine list, I would add putting a few surprises into the Kali River ride. You go through a gorgeous queue, so rich with detail and beauty, only to ride through… trees, bushes, and more trees. I wish there were some more ruins, sculptures, audio-animatronic animals, unique water effects, ANYTHING other than a depressing illegal logging operation (which might have better been worked into the safari, which already has a “beware of abusing nature” theme).
Have you heard the latest gossip that in one of the Avatar rides, you may actually ride on the back of an audio-animatronic dragon type beast? I get a little giddy thinking about that one!
Hi Melanie. Thanks so much for the comment! Sorry for the delay in responding. I agree about Kali River Rapids. We’ve usually visited Disney World in January (that changes now that our kids are older), so I haven’t ridden it much due to the cold. It definitely feels like a missed opportunity. I hadn’t heard that rumor about Pandora. That’s really interesting. I know that the two attractions are a Soarin’-like flight simulator and a slow-moving boat ride. I’m curious to learn more, but I’ve been holding off on too many specifics about the rides. I still have high hopes for the land; Disney needs to do something amazing.
We also always visit between November and January. My husband (with his fancy camera) doesn’t like to go on any water rides that could potentially soak you, so I end up taking our daughter on such rides. One December she wanted to go on Kali so we put on our ponchos and went for a go. Amazingly, we did not get that wet, and she asked to go again. I told her okay, but that I was going to put the hood of my poncho up for the second go-around. I pulled up the hood, not knowing that a big splash had partially filled it with water. Icy water flowed down my spine and directly into my butt crack and I let out a scream that they probably heard in Dino-rama. My family found this hilarious of course, and I got to be cold and squishy for the rest of the day. But that wasn’t Disney’s fault!
Here’s the link to the article I read– I don’t know how trustworthy this source is, but I like to hope! https://pjmedia.com/parenting/2016/10/21/3-top-secret-projects-disney-is-developing-that-will-change-theme-parks-forever/
Interesting article! I’m still a little skeptical given how budgets go (the coolest things often get cut), but I’m curious to see how close we get. The Stormtrooper Escape attraction sounds amazing; the logistics of getting in and out of a vehicle seem tough, but I love the idea.