Beastly Kingdom Rumors re-emerging?

[AmyBeth68]

Has anyone else read that Disney is taking a look at Beastly Kingdom plans again? I've just heard mumblings that they are very pleased with the new energy at the park with EE that they might be looking at BK again. Possibly a new coaster...maybe some other smaller rides?

I'm not sure if there is any bite to this rumor...wondering what others thought?

I LOVE AK so I'm all for expanding it!

[jnrrt]

I haven't heard anything about that, but that would be really cool. I loved some of the ideas I read about BK.

[ghost1000]

I heard a mumble not too long ago about Beastly Kingdom. Most people don't consider DAK a full day park. In fact, when we went in January for the EE sneak preview, we were waiting for our FP time to come around, and my husband was amazed at all the things guests can do there. Even he never thought of it as a full day park.

[KNWVIKING]

Couple things to remember:

1) CM's lurk the boards.

2) CM's start rumors.

3) CM's enjoy reading threads about Beastly Kingdom.

4) CM's are laughing right now.

5) I wish I were a CM.

[AmyBeth68]

Couple things to remember:

1) CM's lurk the boards.

2) CM's start rumors.

3) CM's enjoy reading threads about Beastly Kingdom.

4) CM's are laughing right now.

5) I wish I were a CM.

:hahahaha: ITA....but I didn't actually read this "new" rumor on a forum. But then again I didn't actually read it from a reliable source either ;). So that is why I was curious if anyone else heard similar rumblings. I honestly don't believe it for a minute....I'm more inclined to believe that they will try to create some type of evening entertainment at AK to keep guests there longer than 3pm. And apparently the new restaurant coming to AK is a reality...which is VERY cool. However....it's almost as much fun as talking about the next DVC resort. Almost....:slyasafox

Besides...I figure my goal in life is to entertain the CMs with my posts. :woohoodan

[tjkraz]

Couple things to remember:

1) CM's lurk the boards.

2) CM's start rumors.

3) CM's enjoy reading threads about Beastly Kingdom.

4) CM's are laughing right now.

5) I wish I were a CM.

Ditto! :)

About I year ago, I sent in a "rumor" to a website that deals in that sort of stuff. It wasn't really based upon anything that I had heard from inside sources, rather it was just the result of some deductive reasoning on my part. My hope was that the owner of the site would apply my logic to any other rumblings that he had heard and perhaps just view it as corroborating evidence.

Instead my comments were used pretty much as the sole basis for a posting in his rumor mill. Not really what I had intended. :headbange

There are at least a half-dozen Disney sites that I follow and I have my own little internal rankings as to how creditable the information might be. The two I find to be the most reliable are MousePlanet.com and WDWMagic.com. They tend to deal more in "news" that can be checked and verified rather than wild speculation.

Other sites are much more entertaining to read, but you have to take everything posted with a grain of salt. They might provide a glimpse of the future 10% of the time. In truth that really isn't so bad given the hundreds of concepts that make the rounds at Imagineering and never see the light of day. But I've learned not to post things like "hey, did you hear they're breaking ground on the 5th theme park next month" unless it comes from a creditable source. ;)

[carolina_yankee]

Has Beastly Kingdom even been confirmed to exist in some officially planned way?

I've heard 3 variations:

1) BK is planned as an official land in AK
2) BK was never meant to be its own land, but elements of existing lands
3) BK exists only in the minds of Disney fans and the CMs who spur them on!

Any voices here can give credence to one of the above?

Dirk

[carolina_yankee]

:hahahaha: However....it's almost as much fun as talking about the next DVC resort. Almost....:slyasafox

Besides...I figure my goal in life is to entertain the CMs with my posts. :woohoodan

You forgot the entertainment value of monorail expansion, as well! Our bus drive from PO-R in January was talking up EE but went out of his way to debunk any rumors regarding monorail expansion. And the DVC guide and quality checker also reiterated that there were no plans for monorail expansion although SSR has a monorail right of way.

It made me think the powers that be handed down orders to every CM to say , "No new monorail" after every 3rd sentence. :hahahaha:

Dirk

[chimera]

Has Beastly Kingdom even been confirmed to exist in some officially planned way?

I've heard 3 variations:

1) BK is planned as an official land in AK
2) BK was never meant to be its own land, but elements of existing lands
3) BK exists only in the minds of Disney fans and the CMs who spur them on!

Any voices here can give credence to one of the above?

Dirk


DH follows this stuff more than I do. He said BK (anyone else think Burger King with this abbreviation?) was in the original plans and press release for AK. That's why the dragon's in the logo and there's dragon and unicorn parking lots. One thing we miss is the fire-breathing dragon that you could see from the bridge to Camp M/M back when AK first opened.

We would certainly love to see BK come to fruition. DH says there's more rumors about it since Disney acquired the rights to The Last Unicorn and might remake the movie.

That's all I can do to add to the rumors ;)

[tjkraz]

I think that BK was definitely an idea that many Imagineers were championing, but it probably never got as far up the management food chain as the persistent rumors would lead us to believe.

EE hasn't even officially opened yet and they've got the Tarzan Rocks replacement show on the horizon. Granted that's just swapping-out one show for another, but the new show is still certain to be a draw--assuming that it's well-received.

DAK is also getting a new restaurant by next summer and there are rumors they are investigating some form of nighttime entertainment.

With all of that going on, I'm hard-pressed to think that Disney is seriously considering an entire new land for the park. I think it would be prudent to wait at least a year--maybe two--to really determine the impact that EE has on attendance levels. Attendance will certainly spike this year. If those levels stay up for a second year, then you can conclude that people are beginning to embrace DAK and justify additional investment. But, if they drop sharply after a year or so, it may be time to just acknowledge that DAK is what it is, and forego any substantial investment.

If EE doesn't permanently drive up attendance, I'm guessing we'll just see the park remain fairly static with new attractions and shows only occurring as old ones are removed from service. Why continue to throw new money into the park if it isn't going to generate additional revenues?

Besides, with Epcot's 25th just around the corner, I think their next big investment has to be somewhere in that park.

[AmyBeth68]

Good point about Epcot needing something new for the big celebration? Any word on bringing back a parade? I still like to fuel the rumor mill AND entertain the CMs :jumpingbe .

Hey....a new show replacing Tarzan, a new sit-down restaurant AND possibly a night-time show at AK would really be a BIG change in addition to EE.

[AFMom]

I recently ready all about the old plans for Beastly Kingdom, and that fire-breathing dragon that was still left in place for a while. I guess you could see it from the old boat ride as well. And yes - it concurred that that is why there is a dragon in the logo and in the parking lots, etc. Sounded, from the book I read, that it was still in the works - that was why the sign was never changed - they just hadn't gotten to that land yet. I would think with the Last Unicorn rights (I loved that movie and book!) they could do a lot with it. There are more than just Unicorns in it - harpies, manticores, etc. Could add a lot of Disney magic to the Nhat-a-zoo.

[tjkraz]

Well, there's something going on at The Living Seas. Disney has been surprisingly tight-lipped about that one, but the concensus is that they are turning the old sea cabs into a full-blown "dark ride." The sea cab track was fairly short, but rumor has it they are extending the track into at least one of the two pre-show theaters and may even make use of the queue area.

There has been a lot of talk that the new ride will feature some of the same holographic projection technology they are using for the subs at Disneyland to project talking Nemo characters into the tanks as cars pass.

Again, nothing firm there but I'd guess the above is about 80% accurate. Sounds like this will be open sometime between Fall '06 and Spring '07.

Beyond that, WoL is permanently closed and would be a prime spot for something new. But every once in a while rumors instead point toward Universe of Energy and even Spaceship Earth. SE does have a sponsor now (Siemens.) Shortly after Siemens signed the deal, word was that highly-placed executives took a tour and said they loved it pretty much as-is. I'm sure they'll add something to the barren lobby area if they haven't already

Far as a parade goes, one of the sites I read recently claimed Disney was investigating a a "Tapestry 3" concept that could leverage some of the older parades. Specifically noted were the large revolving drum pieces. That came from one of the less reliable sites, so I won't put much credence in it until I read it on a site that's a bit more selective about its news reports.

Long as we're talking parks, the MK has the "plussing" of PotC coming soon. They've also got The Timekeeper gone for good and waiting for something new. I've read a lot of rumors about that one. If I were a betting man, I'd guess the replacement will be something along the lines of "Turtle Talk" with a theme more appropriate for Tomorrowland. (That's completely speculative and I should NOT be considered a reliable source. ;) )

At MGM, I honestly can't think of a single project planned or underway. I'd LOVE to see Star Tours 2, but that's another one that has been on the rumor mill for years and years.

[carolina_yankee]

Well, there's something going on at The Living Seas. Disney has been surprisingly tight-lipped about that one, but the concensus is that they are turning the old sea cabs into a full-blown "dark ride." The sea cab track was fairly short, but rumor has it they are extending the track into at least one of the two pre-show theaters and may even make use of the queue area.
I've noticed Disney does this - some new attractions are trumpeted far and wide, others are barely revealed before their opening. Wasn't Pooh's Playful Spot kind of hush-hush until it became obvious what they were doing?

At any rate, with the Land and Living Seas redone, Imagination is crying out for some new attention. Here's hoping . . .

Beyond that, WoL is permanently closed and would be a prime spot for something new.
Has Disney admitted this? I know it's off the maps, but doesn't it threaten to re-open every now and then during peak crowds? I guess Easter week will be the test . . . I kind of regret not seeing the pavilion on my first visit in 2003.

But every once in a while rumors instead point toward Universe of Energy and even Spaceship Earth. SE does have a sponsor now (Siemens.) Shortly after Siemens signed the deal, word was that highly-placed executives took a tour and said they loved it pretty much as-is. I'm sure they'll add something to the barren lobby area if they haven't already
Some of the rumors for SSE make me shudder - it is so iconic that I hope they are very careful with any changes. It sounds like Siemens is very respectful of what Epcot is supposed to be - and good exit exhibits can keep the whole attraction fresh.

Far as a parade goes, one of the sites I read recently claimed Disney was investigating a a "Tapestry 3" concept that could leverage some of the older parades. Specifically noted were the large revolving drum pieces.
Tapestry - another parade I regret never having seen. I'm not sure I would hav elike ToD, but ToN might have been a quasi-religious experience for me!! Hmmm - Illuminations already is. Maybe if they bring Tapestry back, I can give up my day job??? LOL

Long as we're talking parks, the MK has the "plussing" of PotC coming soon. They've also got The Timekeeper gone for good and waiting for something new. I've read a lot of rumors about that one. If I were a betting man, I'd guess the replacement will be something along the lines of "Turtle Talk" with a theme more appropriate for Tomorrowland. (That's completely speculative and I should NOT be considered a reliable source. ;) )
As for speculation, one of the best visions I've heard (solely a CMs desire and not under consideration) is moving Carousel of Progress to Timekeeper (apparently there's room in the show building?) after an update. You enter from Main Street in the first scene and exit into Tomorrowland after the final scene. What a cool transition that would be, and make the attraction serve both lands!!

At MGM, I honestly can't think of a single project planned or underway. I'd LOVE to see Star Tours 2, but that's another one that has been on the rumor mill for years and years.
That's why I have a hard time with film-based attractions. Unless there's a great musical score (like Philharmagic), they just get old very fast for me. I've no desire to HISTA anymore. I like muppets, but it needs an update. Tought to be a Bug is still fresh enough for the moment (the themeing helps) and Philharmagic, Soarin' and Impressions de France all have great scores. I"m not going to see Canada or Norway again until they update. China, I'll see that one 1-2 more times, but more because of the scenery and the building.

I think a simulator ride like Star Tours could really benefit from 2-3 film options so that you get a variety of trips. I would think it's possible to have several simulator programs based on which film is shown. Sort of like Tower of Tower - "Never the same incompetent pilot twice!" :upsidedow

Dirk

[AmyBeth68]

A new Tapestry Parade would be awesome. We were in the camp that loved the original parade and ToN. It just felt right to watch it before Illuminiations. I think Epcot NEEDS a parade! JMHO!

Dirk, ITA.....they have to be very sensitive with ANY changes to SSE! I would just love to see them somehow smooth out the ride and maybe make updates to the final scenes. Otherwise...this ride has always been a family favorite. It just breaks down way too much!!

The ONE major improvement they could make at MK....which I honestly haven't heard rumors about....is to update Space Mtn like they did at DL. The ride is now truly wonderful in all aspects at DL. The experience is far far far superior to MK's version.

Thanks Tim for the scoop on Living Seas....I was really curious why the "rehab" was taking so darn long?! I sure hope you're right...that pavilion could definitely use an additional draw. Crush was a GREAT addition!

[carolina_yankee]

The ONE major improvement they could make at MK....which I honestly haven't heard rumors about....is to update Space Mtn like they did at DL. The ride is now truly wonderful in all aspects at DL. The experience is far far far superior to MK's version.

Agreed. I didn't think Space Mountain could be anywhere near as good as it is out there. It is so dark, and so smooth that I really felt like I was flying through space. I missed the chocolate chip cookie asteroids, though. . . .

We'll be out there again this July (thanks DVC!), so I'm hoping they have the new night-time sound track "Rock-it Mountain" in place that they're debuting for grad nights.

Dirk

[doombuggy]

Couple things to remember:

1) CM's lurk the boards.

2) CM's start rumors.

3) CM's enjoy reading threads about Beastly Kingdom.

4) CM's are laughing right now.

5) I wish I were a CM.


1) yes
2) no
3) I enjoy reading all threads
4) yes, because of #5
5) be careful what you wish for; you might not like it. :sunny:

I have heard no rumors; I am the last to hear anything, b/c I am so busy busting my hump at work, they don't even notice me. :thumbsway

I know nothing! - Schultz

[KNWVIKING]

1) yes
2) no
3) I enjoy reading all threads
4) yes, because of #5
5) be careful what you wish for; you might not like it. :sunny:

I have heard no rumors; I am the last to hear anything, b/c I am so busy busting my hump at work, they don't even notice me. :thumbsway

I know nothing! - Schultz

2) Guessing you're not a bus driver or boat captain.
5) Doubt it. However, I do understand the grass is always greener over the septic tank. But I'm willing to take the chance.

[doombuggy]

nope, not a bus driver - I would probably run over all bad drivers (and believe me, there are plenty of them around here). nope, not a boat person either - I hear that this is the hardest position to obtain on property - oops, I think I am spreading a rumor.....:hahahaha:

Think of me as your Swiss Miss. I have also been called Mrs. Claus and Tanta Kringle.

But seriously, I have loved most of the people I have worked with over the past 9 1/2 years. Sometimes, however, mgmt needs to take notice. Poor pay is not going to cut it forever. :)

[chimera]

One more thought on whether or not BK was ever truly planned...

We have a VHS copy of Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. I'll have to check the year on it, but one of the ads before the movie is a preview of AK which include dragons. I'm really hoping they'll resurrect the idea!

[TW1]

Now I get it :hammer: ...Dragons....as in mythical creatures!

I was thinking Drag-Ons, like those people that latch on to your points and invite themselves on your trips and slowly convince you you need an add-on to accomodate them.

No, we certinaly didn't need a park full of those, if though their breath is usually pretty bad.

[ghost1000]

This is just my personal opinion, but I would think that if Beastly Kingdom was put on the front burner, something would have been said at DAK today. But so far all that was announced was Finding Nemo at DAK and Epcot.

I'm all in favor of Beastly Kingdom. One of my favorite attractions at DLRP is the dragon under the castle. It would be perfect for Beastly Kingdom.

*edited to add*
If you haven't seen a picture, here's the dragon that lives beneath Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/ghost1000/DB/Dscf1837.jpg

[KNWVIKING]

Ghost,

What did they announce about DAK and Nemo ?

[tjkraz]

Ghost,

What did they announce about DAK and Nemo ?

Check this out:

http://www.allearsnet.com/news/hnews.htm#0407

[KNWVIKING]

Thanx for the link Tim.

I'm still not thrilled about LS being a Nemo pool, but I guess I should be happy the Sea Cabs are back.

[dvcconvert]

Couple things to remember:

1) CM's lurk the boards.

2) CM's start rumors.

3) CM's enjoy reading threads about Beastly Kingdom.

4) CM's are laughing right now.


Why does this all make me feel sad? :(

Are all people of "x" skin color 'bad' ???

[KNWVIKING]

Why does this all make me feel sad? :(

Are all people of "x" skin color 'bad' ???

Why would it make you feel sad ? It wasn't meant as an insult. I've talked with many CM's who have admitted to "playing along" so to speak with guests. For instance, a guest asks a CM " Hey, I read a rumor on the internet about 'X' ( a topic, not the skin ) , what can you tell me about it " and the game is on.

It's fun. No harm, no foul.

[dvcconvert]

Why would it make you feel sad ? It wasn't meant as an insult. I've talked with many CM's who have admitted to "playing along" so to speak with guests. For instance, a guest asks a CM " Hey, I read a rumor on the internet about 'X' ( a topic, not the skin ) , what can you tell me about it " and the game is on.

It's fun. No harm, no foul.


Oh I know what was meant wasn't intended to be insulting. I was more thinking of CM behavior and personal responsibility to show. It's been my experience that for some CM's that this type of behavior can be more representative of a (IMHO) poor guest management attitude than a 'fun and games' type of thing. When I've been told about "stupid guest tricks" (not my term-others) I always try to suggest that perhaps the guest simply didn't know 'x'. It just rubs me the wrong way when intentationally misleading information is given out, and cast (openingly or not) make 'fun' of the people we are being paid by and whom make the continuance of Walts' dream remain alive.