Rumor: DinoLand, USA to become Indiana Jones Land?

I feel like all those words are begging for some kind of Indy, Crystal Skull reference, but none of us want a land based on that Indy movie.
I don't see how an Indy Land based on Crystal Skull would be much different than Beastly Kingdom. One has imaginary animals, and the other is based on a movie that we all know never really existed nor happened.
 
I always feel that Dinosaur's poor lighting, jerky ride, blaring soundtrack/voiceover, and disorienting strobe effects are purposefully designed to overwhelm and distract you from realizing it's really not such a great ride. I've thought that they could do a better job of bringing you back down after that assault on the senses - maybe some Pink Floyd during the laser light show at the end.

For those playing at home, here's what we've learned from this thread so far: First, DinoLand is what happens when Disney doesn't make good on the Beastly Kingdom at the start and allows those raiders over to Universal to steal ideas for their ark of IP. Second, Disney should not treat its parks like sacred temples (which is a recipe for doom) and make changes that improve the experience (rather than ripping out the hearts of its guests who want change). Third, the last thing Disney should do is give up looking for the holy grail here in lieu of a crusade to save a part of AK that does not fit - if so, they will have chosen...poorly. Fourth, for all those suits over at the Kingdom, the need to improve AK should be crystal clear - but it doesn't seem to have sunk into their skulls yet.

My husband threw his back out on that ride. We never went on it again!
 
I don't see how an Indy Land based on Crystal Skull would be much different than Beastly Kingdom. One has imaginary animals, and the other is based on a movie that we all know never really existed nor happened.

If we extrapolate that a bit further, they could wipe the whole thing, plant some trees and call it Beastly Kingdom and just suggest that it's populated by imaginary creatures. WDW could just say it was an "experience" and you'd be out of luck if you couldn't see the fairies. Maybe the one eatery could sell absinthe.
 


For those playing at home, here's what we've learned from this thread so far: First, DinoLand is what happens when Disney doesn't make good on the Beastly Kingdom at the start and allows those raiders over to Universal to steal ideas for their ark of IP.

Just to clarify, Avatar is what happens when Disney doesn't make good on Beastly Kingdom for park opening and allows Universal to steal their ideas.

Dinoland was always planned to be part of the park and has been there since day 1.

The Chester and Hester's Crap-tacular Dino-rama section of Dinoland is what happens when you open a park with 4 rides and most of your guests complain, so you buy minimally themed off-the-shelf carnival rides and put them in an area with a cheap "we meant this to look crappy" theme so you can open them quickly. And that "4 rides" is very generously counting the train to Conservation Station as a ride. And that also includes the horrendous Discovery River Boats... the "ride to nowhere seeing nothing in particular" with boats the cast members couldn't drive well which caused 90 minute lines for possibly the worst ride experience in modern Disney history.
 
If we extrapolate that a bit further, they could wipe the whole thing, plant some trees and call it Beastly Kingdom and just suggest that it's populated by imaginary creatures. WDW could just say it was an "experience" and you'd be out of luck if you couldn't see the fairies. Maybe the one eatery could sell absinthe.
I'm on board as long as they call the eatery the "Green Fairy's Ballroom". And while I like your idea of an attraction that requires guests to use their imagination to dream up a much better ride than what the park actually provides, Disney already has one of these. Stitch's Great Escape, however, has not exactly been a runaway hit.
 
I'm on board as long as they call the eatery the "Green Fairy's Ballroom". And while I like your idea of an attraction that requires guests to use their imagination to dream up a much better ride than what the park actually provides, Disney already has one of these. Stitch's Great Escape, however, has not exactly been a runaway hit.

Is it an actual ballroom with dancing? If so, ok; you can have your way.
 


And that also includes the horrendous Discovery River Boats... the "ride to nowhere seeing nothing in particular" with boats the cast members couldn't drive well which caused 90 minute lines for possibly the worst ride experience in modern Disney history.
Part of me wishes they'd gone all in on this and embraced it as a different kind of Disney adventure along the lines of Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now. I do understand, however, that marketing wouldn't have wanted to pitch existential dread at the happiest place on earth (and the animatronic Jean-Paul Sartre at the end would've really creeped out even the most determined guests. The horror, the horror....).
 
Part of me wishes they'd gone all in on this and embraced it as a different kind of Disney adventure along the lines of Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now. I do understand, however, that marketing wouldn't have wanted to pitch existential dread at the happiest place on earth (and the animatronic Jean-Paul Sartre at the end would've really creeped out even the most determined guests. The horror, the horror....).

IASW could be seen as starting out all Heart of Darkness with all the countries of the world being separated, but coming together in the spirit of Voltaire's Candide and "that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds." If they went there for IASW why not other attractions?
 
For those playing at home, here's what we've learned from this thread so far: First, DinoLand is what happens when Disney doesn't make good on the Beastly Kingdom at the start and allows those raiders over to Universal to steal ideas for their ark of IP. Second, Disney should not treat its parks like sacred temples (which is a recipe for doom) and make changes that improve the experience (rather than ripping out the hearts of its guests who want change). Third, the last thing Disney should do is give up looking for the holy grail here in lieu of a crusade to save a part of AK that does not fit - if so, they will have chosen...poorly. Fourth, for all those suits over at the Kingdom, the need to improve AK should be crystal clear - but it doesn't seem to have sunk into their skulls yet.

All they're looking for is fortune and glory, kid....fortune and glory.
 
Why not a whole land. You retheme Dinosaur with a south American Temple theme, bring the Indy coaster from Paris, retheme the boneyard to a archeology dig theme, and bring rainforest trails with animals like in Africa and Asia. Probably need to take out the Nemo theater to do this though.

The South America land idea was exactly what I was thinking as well. You wouldn't need to retheme the entire land to Indiana Jones just the Dinosaur ride and the digging sites, then have your animal exhibits and your Brazilian restaraunt and there ya go.

Although I have my doubts that Disney will want to invest in more animals but it makes the most sense IMO.
 
Not sure why Dinoland is all of a sudden an area that needs redone? I can see maybe the Dinorama area being redone to not a carnival theme, but I don't get why the dinos would have to be kicked out. There's other land that can be used for a continent. Dinoland fits fine so I just don't get the need for change and don't see Indy fitting at all. Pandora fits to how they always wanted the mythical land aka Beastly Kingdom & Camp Minnie & Mickey was always temororary. Indy nope, keep him at Studios.

I agree with this. I see no problem with dinosaurs at AK, but they definitely could have done a much better job of it. Taken a more realistic route, instead of a local carnival feel. I think they could do a lot with Dinoland, if they would just properly theme it. They really missed the boat on the amazing fun, educational, interactive opportunities they had.

Granted, I also am with those that feel another continent would be even better, and while Pandora "fits", I would have preferred to see that be a continent as well. South America and Australia, or Arctic themed lands would have been great.
 
I can't deny that it would be cool to have additional continents represented with the wildlife that is native to it. However, I think the dino area really doesn't work, simply because it isn't practical for animal housing on the front side of the park. For that reason I think a continent would have to be represented on the back side of the park, and there appears to be space to do that.
The avatar and dino areas make the most sense for lands that are not using live animals, as they are locked into the front side of the park. I don't think you'll get much in the front half of the park aside from the small animals already in the entry area, there just isn't room to house anything big.
 
I would have preferred to see that be a continent as well. South America and Australia, or Arctic themed lands would have been great.

I would love to see an Arctic themed land, but with Seaworld apparently having done it and done it well, I doubt WDW would go that way. I'm sure as hell not going to Seaworld, so I'm out of luck I suspect, but it would be cool, as would South America and Australia - especially South America as it offers less architectural monuments and could have amazing natural ones that would be more difficult to include in WS. Also, Americans love AYCTE, and you know a Brazilian steakhouse would quickly become a top 3 reservation.
 
Just to clarify, Avatar is what happens when Disney doesn't make good on Beastly Kingdom for park opening and allows Universal to steal their ideas.

Dinoland was always planned to be part of the park and has been there since day 1.

The Chester and Hester's Crap-tacular Dino-rama section of Dinoland is what happens when you open a park with 4 rides and most of your guests complain, so you buy minimally themed off-the-shelf carnival rides and put them in an area with a cheap "we meant this to look crappy" theme so you can open them quickly. And that "4 rides" is very generously counting the train to Conservation Station as a ride. And that also includes the horrendous Discovery River Boats... the "ride to nowhere seeing nothing in particular" with boats the cast members couldn't drive well which caused 90 minute lines for possibly the worst ride experience in modern Disney history.
I'm confused, what did Universal steal from Animal Kingdom exactly?
 
I'm confused, what did Universal steal from Animal Kingdom exactly?

The dueling dragon roller coaster and the "Lost Continent" land at IOA were both proposed parts of Beastly Kingdom - a land that was supposed to be built at AK, but never was. The logo of AK even today references Beastly Kingdom with its large, centered dragon. Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be based on imaginary/mythical creatures.
 
I'm confused, what did Universal steal from Animal Kingdom exactly?

Beastly Kingdom was a planned expansion for the Animal Kingdom. It was supposed to be built where Avatar is now. In the mid to late 1990's, Disney layed off a bunch of Imagineers who got snapped up by Universal who were planning a major expansion to their resort. Those ex-Imagineers brought many ideas with them, some of which were incorporated into the the Lost Continent section of the new Islands of Adventure park.

The dragon coaster for Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be a hanging coaster. While the Disney plans were for more of a dark ride/coaster hybrid, Universal built a hanging coaster based on dragons. Originally called Dueling Dragons, and with a spectacular queue line that was far better than any Disney had to offer. The queue was a walkthrough attraction in itself.

Disney's other major attraction for the Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be about unicorns. What was the 2nd ride in Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure? The Flying Unicorn. While far different than the planned walkthrough unicorn attraction that Disney was planning, it was still based on the same theme.

Disney also planned a water based dark ride for Beastly Kingdom that would take you through some Greek mythology. What was the 3rd attraction in Lost Continent? Poseidon's Fury... a special effects show about, you guessed it, Greek Mythology.

Once Islands of Adventure opened with these attractions, Disney didn't want to be seen as a copycat, so Beastly Kingdom died on the vine. Ironically, both rides in the Lost Continent were annexed into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Dueling Dragons becoming the Dragon Challenge (and now set to be removed for a new attraction), and the Flying Unicorn became the Flying Hippogriff. And it was the success of Potter at IOA that finally got Disney off their duffs to replace Camp Minnie Mickey (which was always just a placeholder until Beastly Kingdom was built) with an expensive, immersive land to compete with Universal's success. It just so happens they chose to build Avatar to fill the "mythical beasts" role that Beastly Kingdom was supposed to provide in that same space.

The dueling dragon roller coaster and the "Lost Continent" land at IOA were both proposed parts of Beastly Kingdom - a land that was supposed to be built at AK, but never was. The logo of AK even today references Beastly Kingdom with its large, centered dragon. Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be based on imaginary/mythical creatures.

Yes, in addition you can see other references still like the Unicorn parking lot.
 
In the mid to late 1990's, Disney layed off a bunch of Imagineers who got snapped up by Universal who were planning a major expansion to their resort. Those ex-Imagineers brought many ideas with them, some of which were incorporated into the the Lost Continent section of the new Islands of Adventure park.

I love that. So many workers have been at both (US & WDW) parks. I pretty much consider it all (WDW and US) attractions built for all of us to enjoy so close together-and DD was our favorite-hate to see it go.

The dragon coaster for Beastly Kingdom was supposed to be a hanging coaster. While the Disney plans were for more of a dark ride/coaster hybrid, Universal built a hanging coaster based on dragons. Originally called Dueling Dragons, and with a spectacular queue line that was far better than any Disney had to offer. The queue was a walkthrough attraction in itself.

Yep, and a perfect queue to tweak to Game of Thrones-followed by a Fire and Ice Dragon Duel-how perfect it would have been.
 

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