Zootopia Land: Skyline Construction, Animatronics & Everything We Know
Disney’s first Zootopia themed-land is currently under construction in Fantasyland behind Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and will feature a major new ride. Here’s everything we know about the blockbuster addition to Shanghai Disneyland, its E-Ticket attraction featuring Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, plus progress, a look at Savanna Central’s skyline, and the likelihood this expansion will come to Walt Disney World. (Updated July 25, 2022.)
The Zootopia land will also offer entertainment, shopping, and dining options as guests fully immerse themselves in the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia “where anyone can be anything.” When it opens, the Zootopia-themed area will become the eighth themed land at the world’s newest Disney park, and the first-ever Zootopia-themed land at any Disney park worldwide.
Per Bob Chapek, “the rapid rate of expansion at Shanghai Disney Resort demonstrates our confidence and commitment to the company’s future development in China.” As the first-ever themed land of its kind, Zootopia will be unique to Shanghai Disneyland and will feature a new major attraction that seamlessly blends Disney’s storytelling and state-of-the-art technologies in order to bring this fan favorite movie and its characters to life.
The new themed land will also invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia, “where anyone can be anything,” and come along on an adventure with Judy and Nick, the lead characters from the hit animated movie. With a brand-new attraction, entertainment, merchandise, and food and beverage offerings, the new land will provide guests with even more to experience and enjoy at Shanghai Disneyland.
Originally, the Zootopia land modeled after Savanna Central was intended to open by the end of last year. Unsurprisingly, it’s been significantly delayed due to China’s strict zero-COVID “strategy,” which has also caused Shanghai Disneyland to close and reopen multiple times in the last two-plus years.
At this point, an opening date for the Zootopia land is unknown, but our expectation is that it’ll debut sometime in 2023 judging by the construction progress and pace of work since last year. Late 2022 remains a possibility, and having it ready for the popular Chinese New Year travel time in early 2023 would likely be ideal.
In any case, here’s a look at the Zootopia land construction progress that Shanghai Disneyland has shared…
Let’s start with a now very outdated look at the Zootopia land site from late 2020. Shortly after this, the site topped out and the show building was fully enclosed. Significant progress has been made on the interior of the attraction since then, too.
This is simply to give you a frame of reference as to where the Zootopia land is being built in Shanghai Disneyland. It’s right behind Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which is essentially the outer boundary of Fantasyland. Also visible above is Enchanted Storybook Castle and TRON Lightcycle Power Run on the other side of the park.
Following that, Shanghai Disneyland shared photos of Imagineers working on a large sculpture of Kevin the mafioso polar bear looking at his phone from behind a podium.
In the film, you might recall that Kevin abducts Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde after the latter two sneak into a limousine owned by Mr. Big.
This is notable because the construction walls reference Tundratown Limo-service and feature Kevin the polar bear. Perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves, but it wouldn’t be surprising if a wild limo ride while guests are searching for info on a case is the premise of the attraction (and ride vehicles).
Zootopia’s favorite fashionista, Fru Fru, is another character to feature on the construction wall. Shanghai Disney Resort previously announced a partnership with Skechers to bring the brand to the Zootopia land, so perhaps that’ll be part of the fashion shop…or its own standalone store?
More recently during Destination D23, Disney shared a look at one of the animatronics under development for Zootopia Land at Shanghai Disneyland.
The Audio-Animatronics figure is of Yax, a yak who owns the naturalist Mystic Spring Oasis club in Zootopia and helps Judy Hopps by providing information while she’s on a case.
Now, here are photos of the Savanna Central skyline being craned in and attached to the top of the show building for the Zootopia E-Ticket…
These were shared by Shanghai Disney Resort on social media.
Former Imagineer Morgan Lee Richardson re-shared the photos and added: “We spent so much time going over 3D and physical models of different scales to get these site lines perfect. The staging is great and I promise the view will be stunning!”
Now, some commentary about how this addition fits at Shanghai Disneyland, and whether we’ll see it down the road at Walt Disney World or Disneyland…
Our Commentary
When this was first announced over three years ago, I said that “with all of the recent strife with China, I’m not getting myself too excited for this. Who knows where things will stand ~3 years down the road when this opens.”
My expectation in 2019 was that the relationship between the United States and China would deteriorate further given the trajectory at the time. Of course, I could not foresee what 2020 would bring. Suffice to say, even if we wanted to return to Shanghai Disneyland (we do not), who knows when that’ll even be possible. (My guess is sometime after the 20th Congress of the CCP in November 2022, assuming there’s an exit strategy after that.)
I don’t think it’s even remotely controversial to say that China is not a destination that many Americans will be able to visit anytime soon–or should visit once able. As such, previewing the park’s Zootopia land might seem pointless from a practical perspective. However, Disney has already cloned one blockbuster attraction from Shanghai Disneyland, and it’s not outside the realm of possibilities for the same to happen with Zootopia land.
Before turning to the Walt Disney World angle, let’s start with a brief discussion of why Zootopia land makes sense as an addition to Shanghai’s castle park…
Building Savanna Central in Shanghai Disneyland makes perfect sense. Zootopia is the #1 animated film of all-time at China’s box office, so this addition to Shanghai Disneyland is logical from a guest demand perspective. Other IP choices for the park have connected to what has performed well financially, and this follows suit.
As for the land fitting thematically, Shanghai Disneyland plays by a different set of rules than the other castle parks. If this were coming to Magic Kingdom, we’d be skeptical about it fitting alongside the more open-ended concepts. However, Shanghai Disneyland eschews much of the normal castle park playbook. The park has always been franchise-driven, almost as if it’s a hybrid castle park and studio park.
We take no issue with that approach in Shanghai, as the park was built around that line of thinking (rather than bending the conceptual framework ex post facto). Beyond that, it’s almost impossible to critique the announcement beyond that because there’s no substance to it. The verbiage “new major attraction” and “state-of-the-art technology” is nice to see, as that suggests we’ll see a flashy new E-Ticket.
After the quick addition of Toy Story Land to provide much needed attraction capacity and round out the ride lineup, we’re optimistic that Shanghai Disneyland will go for something more envelope-pushing with the attraction in Zootopia land. Who knows, though. The static polar bear statue plus the limo ride concept gives us serious Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue vibes. (Or maybe even a modern-day Superstar Limo!)
Shanghai Shendi Group, Disney’s Chinese joint venture partner for Shanghai Disney Resort, is very proud of the park’s success. They’re also undoubtedly very familiar with the recent expansion plans for Tokyo and Hong Kong. Shanghai Shendi Group’s desire to “keep up” with those parks with their own splashy new attractions would not be unsurprising.
This might seem a bit outlandish. While there is some overlap in the guest pool for the three properties, they’re hardly direct competitors. Here, it’s a matter of pride rather than any kind of necessity. Shanghai Shendi Group wants its park to be the crown jewel of Asia, with the biggest castle, most square footage, fastest growth, and so on. This group is state-owned, and that is borne out in how it presents the park publicly as another Chinese success story.
As for the future of a Zootopia-themed land in the United States, we haven’t heard anything. It seems incredibly unlikely in the two existing gates at Disneyland, as space is very limited and what land is going to be developed in the near to medium term is already earmarked for specific Marvel and Mickey projects.
Walt Disney World has, of course, the blessing of size, so that’s no issue there. The bigger issues are where and when. Since Zootopia was released and highly successful, there have been “rumors” of a Zootopia land in Animal Kingdom. To the best of our knowledge, these rumors are a mix of “it makes sense!” wishful thinking by fans and the kind of blue sky pitches that are done for literally every film.
However, there also weren’t credible rumors about a Zootopia-themed area for Shanghai Disneyland before it was announced, so the lack of buzz for Walt Disney World isn’t dispositive. It’s entirely possible that this is being co-developed for multiple gates worldwide, which would explain the emphasis on world’s first, which appears 4 times in the press release when describing the Zootopia land at Shanghai Disneyland.
In the past, when Walt Disney Imagineering has developed concepts for the international parks that are either co-owned (Hong Kong and Shanghai) or entirely owned by a third party (Tokyo), there have been periods of exclusivity for new attractions and lands. The best recent example of this is the new Soarin, which was totally finished and ready to open months earlier in Disney California Adventure and Epcot, but contractually had to open first in Shanghai. And it did–by one day.
Other situations have required lengthier periods of territorial exclusivity, which has usually meant a window of years at the Asia parks. Since it appears highly unlikely that either Hong Kong Disneyland or Tokyo Disney Resort will be interested or able to develop this land in the near future given the ongoing projects at those parks, that really just leaves the U.S. parks and Paris.
If such a land were to come to Walt Disney World, the big question is where would it go. Fans seem to think and hope for Animal Kingdom. I’m not so keen on that idea. While the park does celebrate fictional animals, the premise around which everything has been built until this point has been at the intersection of human culture and wildlife. How we impact animals, and vice-a-versa. Even Pandora highlights the discord between human civilization and the natural world.
I don’t think Zootopia could do this, because this is an anthropomorphic world where traditional concepts of civilization and wildlife are one in the same. For me, the best fit is at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which has become the catch-all park for IP and franchises. That park is so far removed from its original mission statement that it doesn’t really matter, whereas Animal Kingdom is the closest we have to a thematically ‘pure’ park at Walt Disney World.
Ultimately, if Walt Disney World does build a Zootopia-themed land, it’s likely going to come down to where an addition is needed, not where it fits best. Given the current slate of projects in development for Florida between now and 2023, that actually is most likely Animal Kingdom. That park’s last addition was Pandora, and it’s once again having problems keeping guests for an entire day.
Personally, I do not think this Zootopia land will be cloned at Walt Disney World. At Animal Kingdom, a thrilling replacement for Primeval Whirl seems much more likely to be the next announcement. In that scenario, Zootopia at DHS is a possibility, but we doubt the space exists–or the desire for another big budget family attraction. (That park needs smaller scale stuff to round out the ride roster.) Maybe we’re wrong and Zootopia land will happen, but it seems like one of the less likely additions unless Disney goes big with future expansion plans.
Even if it is announced, don’t get your hopes up that Zootopia land will open at Walt Disney World anytime soon. The last attraction that the company cloned from Shanghai Disneyland is still under construction 5 years later, and it’s essentially just a roller coaster in a dark and empty warehouse. This Zootopia attraction sounds a lot more complex than that. Given that Walt Disney World builds at the pace of Flash Slothmore, you can expect any major addition not to open until 2025 or later at this point. Here’s hoping we find out one way or another whether Zootopia is coming to WDW at the 2022 D23 Expo in September!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the newly-announced Zootopia land? Do you hope it comes to Walt Disney World or Disneyland? Any questions? We love hearing from readers, so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!
“The Zootopia land will also offer entertainment, shopping, and dining options”. That is where the money is made.
If Zootopia is going to be exclusive to Shanghai for the same period of time that TRON would have been, the earliest it could come to Florida would be 2028. If so…I could see it being a replacement for Dinoland. I’d take it.
Why do all the new things go overseas not in the original Walt Disney world ? Frozen land, zootopia , plenty others . It sucks
Hey Tom, do you really have no desire to go to China anymore, even for Shanghai Disneyland? I want to visit all of the Disney parks and SDL looks incredible with Zootopia and pirates, but if even you’re not going maybe it’s not the best place to go these days
Part of my calculus comes down to not wanting to actively promote or tacitly endorse the policies of the majority owners of Shanghai Disney Resort, which would be the byproduct of us visiting China via blog posts about it. I never had a strong desire to return to China in the first place, so that certainly also plays a role.
I’d still visit Hong Kong at this point, although I even feel a bit conflicted about that.
To each their own, though. I’m not about to dictate to anyone else what they should or should not do, and I also think the decision differs for normal tourists.
Hey Tom, would you please state somewhere in the email intro which park new stuff is for? Got my hopes up that it was going to be at WDW, but instead it’s Shanghai 🙁 thx
Great info Tom! Thanks for all the awesome pics and news.
I surely hope that given the size of the show building, and the time that it has taken to complete the E-Ticket (even with the COVID delays) that this is more than just a static Monsters Inc. DLR dark ride. I had heard rumors from a credible source that this would be trackless, and almost feel like it’s going to be Shanghai’s “version” of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, utilizing similar technology with screen-based scenes intermixed with some animatronics.
Personally, I was hoping for a rollercoaster/bullet train concept when Judy arrives in the city, but I will take a trackless as well.
I also hope this isn’t the next big addition to Animal Kingdom, even if it turns out amazing… I really hope they dust off the Excavator coaster concept in Dino-Land and build an incredible wood coaster with either a Dino or Indiana Jones theme.
Hello there the only thing I want to know and one thing only is when are we gonna have Zootopia land open in Disney World Shanghai
Well deserved! Out of all the films that have been released this last decade Zootopia I’d definitely among the top of deserving something special! I have no doubt that the the small handful of idiots who keep on complaining about the idea of this film being a land state side will either shut up or be rendered mute by the amount of people who will demand this and will furthermore love it! No one cares if you don’t like it or not! Not me and definitely not Disney!
The competition among the Asian Disney parks is greater than one might expect, especially from the perspective of Oriental Land Company’s (owner of the Tokyo Disney Resort).
With Japan’s shrinking population, OLC has adopted the strategy of making up for it by aggressively drawing guests from China. (It’s a strategy I strongly believe is misguided, but that’s another story.) The large-scale expansions we’re seeing at the TDR right now are a direct response to both the growing popularity of Universal Studios Japan and the opening of Shanghai Disneyland. The scale and seeming quality of this expansion in Shanghai is not good news to OLC (which goes to the heart of why I believe OLC’s strategy is misguided).
That’s interesting. I saw the massive increase in ‘overseas visitors’ in a recent OLC press release, but perhaps wrongly assumed it was simply in lockstep with Japan’s overarching tourism trends, which show a similar growth explosion in the last ~5 years.
I guess it should be unsurprising given OLC’s shift away from targeting the aging segment of the population.
Yes, the “overseas” there is nearly entirely China and it’s all the more evident as the parks’ announcements and recorded spiels, previously in Japanese and English, are increasingly also in Mandarin. Additionally, many of the English announcements have been considerably slowed down for the many Chinese guests who speak it as a second language.
Unfortunately, due to its timid leadership, OLC has not only shifted away from targeting Japan’s older demographic, but moved from even attempting in any real way to attract domestic visitors from outside the resorts mainstay of girls and young women.
DisneySea was created to do just that (expand Maihama’s appeal to boys, young men, and older couples). A concerted, years-long, marketing effort was needed to overcome the common perception in Japan that Disney parks are a “girl thing,” but, with the passing of Masatomo Takahashi and his replacement by accountants too unimaginative and frightened of displeasing OLC’s institutional investors, that marketing effort was halfhearted at best and then virtually abandoned.
Though they’re Japan’s most desirable consumer demographic, by focusing exclusively on girls/young women, OLC is writing off the rest of the country. So, instead of expanding the resort’s appeal domestically, they’re banking on attracting guests from China. But there’s a glaring problem with that strategy: Beyond a Shanghai Disneyland that’s not playing patty-cake, the leisure industry in China is exploding at a rate that’s more than commensurate with the explosion of its leisure class. Every day, potential TDR guests in China have less and less reason to travel outside of their own country.
No to Zootopia Land in WDW or DL. I am not crazy about the realistic urban theme of the movie inside a theme park especially Animal Kingdom which is so wonderfully themed. If they desperately want it in an US theme park, then shoehorn it somewhere into DHS. I wish Disney would come up with original themed rides or lands again rather than using IPs.
Well then don’t go! Many of us had to deal with Avatar so I guess you’ll just have to deal with Zootopia! Likewise when this is built you can almost bet everything you own that everyone will be having a fit for it to come to the USA and your little tantrum will be mute!
It’s probably a good time to remember that while there are a lot of “cute” elements to Zootopia, behind its colorful facade and often-silly humor it’s really a dark and mature movie thematically. Sure, every Disney movie has strong elements of sorrow, darkness, and evil, but Zootopia really “goes there” when it comes to drugs, murder, corruption, racism, the basest instincts of human/animal nature, etc. The messages and symbolism are hardly subtle.
I think juxtaposition of those lighter and darker aspects makes Zootopia an interesting film, but limits its appeal to younger children and their parents (Our kids loved Zootopia but they don’t have the same attachment to Zootopia as other recent Disney films, and they rarely ask to re-watch it — it’s just too intense). Generally speaking might prove to a challenge for park visitors who recognize that the land of Zootopia portrayed in the film is far from a utopia (which is the whole point of the movie).
This is an interesting take: https://www.theroot.com/zootopia-yes-disney-made-a-movie-about-white-supremac-1790854559
Zootopia rhymes with Utopia. What better utopia than Epcot? What better use of space than Comunicore/Innoventions? What more appropriate blending of talking animals that act and live like humans than Zootopia? What park has missed it’s mark with families with kids? Boring Epcot.
I love epcot!! It is made to be a different kind of park. I would be afraid that it would end up confused like HS of it goes down this road. However, I do know you are not alone in your sentiments. I respect that. For me this would be sad.
What A BUMMER!!!! Everything seems to be going into Tokyo and Shanghai and Hong Kong and WDW is getting left over and regurgitated nonsense.
We have lost much of our interest in WDW, sad to say, but it has gotten “OLD”
Didn’t WDW just recently but up like 2000 acres? Maybe it could be a completely new park? If it were to go into AK, I vote for it to go where Dinosaur land is, lol!
Bummer! I was so excited and then you said it would be in Shanghai 🙁 While I would love to travel to the international locations, that is too expensive for us. Zootopia could be a lot of fun and Hollywood Studios would make sense, Animal Kingdom not so much. Tho it is a about everyone getting along and different people working together for the good of everyone, it had nothing to do with animal conservation.
I would like to see a fun land come in with rides that are a bit more tame. I’m both excited and hesitant about Star wars Land; I have feeling it will have a lot of simulated rides. DisneyWorld is for all ages. I’d like to see roller-coasters and good old-fashioned rides with great scenery, songs, and some fun twists. Zootopia seems like a great opportunity for that. (Btw, if you have any inside connections, It’s a Small World is in major need of refurbishment.)
Animal Kingdom makes the most sense, either add another land in or expand/remove Rafaki’s Planet Watch area, that made the most sense. I am very disappointed all the really good stuff keeps going into the 3 Asian parks!
Can you explain how Animal Kingdom makes the most sense?
“Welcome to a kingdom of animals… real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.”
Great idea!
I personally think we will actually see it happen but not any time soon. I think it will come in a decade or two from now when the trilogy by Director Rian Johnson and Film Saga by Showrunners David Benioff and B.D. Weiss where even more world-building exercise will be done. Star Wars also need to reach an even wider audience with even greater interest from the younger generations across the world. It’s a challenge they need to overcome.
Disney Theme Parks are accessible to many people as it covers many different Disney Properties but a Star Wars theme park might be a niche market and there will be risks. Maybe an easier way is by expanding Galaxy’s Edge with many different attractions which will make it a theme park in a theme park itself.
Where would the Star Wars theme park be though? 5th Gate at Walt Disney World? 3rd Gate at Disneyland?
A 3rd Disney Location in the US? It’s possible. Overseas might be very risky other than Europe but the US is way more appropriate.
Sorry! Wrong post!
I would rather see a Beauty and the Beast land added at WDW than Zootopia. I was so excited when you first discussed Beauty and the Beast then disappointed when I found it was being built in another country. Would live to see all these impressive animontronics in our US parks.
Agreed!
I do not know. It sounds like is definitely caters to the Asian market over there where the females enjoy cutesy types of things.
I would rather have seen Disney announce a complete Star Wars theme park. Galaxy’s Edge with 3 measly attractions is just not going to do it. They should have though much bigger with a 15-year Star Wars standalone park. Many lands with different experiences across the Star Wars Universe. I mean if/when Disney ever gets back the Marvel license in Florida, would they add on a measly 2-3 rides around that Universe?
We recently returned from an Xmas vacation and it was our first time seeing Pandora. Our initial impression was cool but after about 15 mins, my wife and kids turned to me and said what’s the big deal with this area.
Disney seems to be playing everything so safe while they continue to find new ways to increase their bottom line.
Mike, females? LOL. You clearly haven’t seen all the dudes carrying around Duffy bears in Tokyo Disney, wearing Duffy hats/shirts/backpacks, etc.
And they are adding a Marvel ride to Epcot based on Guardians of the Galaxy.
I knew someonewould get offended with it. I lived in Japan for 3 years and saw what I saw, which was mostly girls giggling over any cutesy item.
Guardians is a one off not a theme park.
I must ask the question to Desiree- How is there a “Marvel” ride going to operational in Epcot? What I mean is that Universal Studios seems to have the rights to all the most famous and infamous characters in the Marvel library. Did Universal throw Disney a less tasty bone?
For Mark, the Guardians aren’t considered part of the families covered in Universal – Avengers, Xmen, Fantastic Four and Spider Man. Certainly them being in Infinity Wats could make that murky, but that’s their argument.
This article has a great analysis on the topic in general.
https://www.insideuniversal.net/2016/05/darn-marvel-contract-what-rights-does-universal-and-disney-own/
So I was curious and looked into this, apparently the popularity of Star Wars is limited to the U.S, UK, Canada and Australia. It’s relatively unpopular in Asia, which is why it wouldn’t make financial sense for them to base a land on Star Wars in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robcain/2017/12/13/international-box-office-where-the-last-jedi-faces-an-uphill-battle/#1f812a1d29dc. Zootopia was a huge hit in China, on the other hand. I don’t think Disney will ever base an entire gate on a single IP, and it makes sense for them not to do so in the long term. It’s much easier to retheme a ride or an area than an entire park in the future. If they were to add Zootopia to a park in the States, Hollywood Studios would be the most natural fit visually and HS still needs kid-friendly rides despite the Toy Story addition. Oh and Mark, Psac is correct. Right now they are only doing Guardians, they rethemed the Tower of Terror hotel in Disneyland California to Guardians and they are building a new Guardians ride at Epcot. Mike, I’m genuinely sorry the ladies are ruining Disney and Star Wars for you. I’ve really enjoyed the new films and am only sad that Carrie Fisher didn’t live to be in the last film as originally intended. I plan on giggling over some Princess Leia merch as soon as new the expansion opens. And Ewoks! Ewoks are soooo cute!
I agree with you about Star Wars. I think if they were after revenue then an entire park based on this would have a major pull. Maybe they felt it was risky. But the cult following of Star Wars is pretty impressive.
I feel the whole handling of Star Wars has been mishandled right from the purchase date. The movies have been all over the place as they clearly have a feminine agenda. Kathleen Kennedy, once admired, has made a complete mess. I am sure Mr. Lucas did not have this mind when he handed it over to her. The video games continually are cancelled with no clear explanation or they arrive with massive micro-transactions. And it remains to be seen if the theme park will feed the need.
They should have had at least a 10-year plan with all of this when Lucasfilm was purchase, much like they did for the Marvel Universe. Lucasfilm now is getting on like DC, all over the place. If they are not careful, they will lose the whole thing not preserve it as Lucas envisioned when he sold it to Disney.
First of all I would like to thank the writer Psac for the response to my question regarding Disney’s involvement with Marvel. The article that you provided gave instant clarity to the subject. Secondly, I can certainly understand why Disney World would be apprehensive in creating a stand alone Star Wars park on their grounds. That type of move could cripple attendance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios rather than launch this park towards the top in both short and long term popularity. Disney does not need to gamble. However, the brand that is Star Wars appeals to a substantially wide range of ages and audiences and as it successfully continues to market their brand, Disney is leaving significant streams of future revenue out there by not capitalizing on a larger gate. With that said, future expansion and relocation are all possibilities if Disney feels that the Star Wars theme can reach certain revenue projection levels. There was no pressing need at the time for their company to take such a risk when they could manage and build a successful product in relatively short order.
Great idea!
I personally think we will actually see it happen but not any time soon. I think it will come in a decade or two from now when the trilogy by Director Rian Johnson and Film Saga by Showrunners David Benioff and B.D. Weiss where even more world-building exercise will be done. Star Wars also need to reach an even wider audience with even greater interest from the younger generations across the world. It’s a challenge they need to overcome.
Disney Theme Parks are accessible to many people as it covers many different Disney Properties but a Star Wars theme park might be a niche market and there will be risks. Maybe an easier way is by expanding Galaxy’s Edge with many different attractions which will make it a theme park in a theme park itself.
Where would the Star Wars theme park be though? 5th Gate at Walt Disney World? 3rd Gate at Disneyland?
A 3rd Disney Location in the US? It’s possible. Overseas might be very risky other than Europe but the US is way more appropriate.
It would be located in Florida. It does not have to be a full blown theme park and could have reduced hours based on crowds. Don’t forget Hollywood Studios was not originally designed as the 3rd Gate per se. It was going to be a niche experience. Once Universal announced plans to land in Orlando, MIchael Esiner panicked and had Hollywood Studios built right away. Plans could not be modified to make the flow more appropriate for a full fledged theme park so they went with what they had. Only now we could argue it flows better although you go down towards Hollywood Tower and you are at a dead end.
I totally agree that it should not go in Animal Kingdom if this rumor turns into fruition. It doesn’t fit at all! I wouldn’t mind a meet and greet and/or a ride, but not sure the world lends itself to an interesting land. Cities for animals wishing different climates, meh. Just give me Beauty and the Beast ride!!
So no to Zootopia because you want a Beauty and the Beast ride? You’re laughable!
I loved the movie Zootopia, but it did not make we want to visit “Zootopia-land”.
That said, I wouldn’t mind visiting a land/ride based on the movie in DHS. But I cannot fathom the mindset of the people that would want this in Animal Kingdom. Animated, anthropomorphic characters in no way relate to the rest of the park. We might as well put in Mary Poppins land since she had a song about feeding the birds and maybe a Cinderella dark ride since her story had a lot to do with interacting with animals.
I don’t mind IP inclusion as much as much of the fan community, but I’d still rather see Australia in AK or India in the World Showcase before another IP-land.
Australia in AK would be really neat!
well said
Tough! Get over yourself!
Doesn’t it seem Disney is currently really bullish on the theme parks? Didn’t another plot of FL land just get purchased in the last week or so? These recent expansions (Hotels included) are making my non-risk taker self nervous, especially with today’s climate change/corporations monetizing discussion.