Credit: WDW MagicDisney has a lot in store for Guests this year, both in and out of the Parks. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World are undergoing massive changes to make room for bigger and better additions to the most magical places on earth. However, one Animal Kingdom project is not being met with glorious applause.
Walt Disney World is undergoing many alterations, especially in places like EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom. However, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is making room for a massive new addition with some fans clutching their pearls. While some fans are happy to see DinoLand USA sink into the tar pits, others are dreading the rise of Zootopia.
What’s Going On at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
every day the pain grows stronger pic.twitter.com/viXz1NYlHY
— Phil • The Horizoneer (@TheHorizoneer) March 14, 2023
The tweet above from @TheHorizoneer shows a bird’s eye view of the DINOSAUR attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom positioned next to a mockup of Shanghai Disney’s City of Zootopia. Both Zootopia and Moana are slated to have their own new additions to Walt Disney World opening in the near future, but some fans find themselves unhappy with the upcoming projects.
Related: Something’s Missing From Disney’s Animal Kingdom
DinoLand has its fanbase, but Disney’s dinosaur-themed addition to Animal Kingdom has something of a checkered past. While the DINOSAUR dark ride is easily one of the most intense and popular experiences at the Park, the rest of the area’s attractions are lukewarm at best and barely Disney-worthy at worst.
What Are We Losing?
DinoLand USA was essentially a dino-filled fun fair with rides and attractions fans can find at their local community carnival. With the exception of the previously mentioned DINOSAUR attraction, there really isn’t that much to write home about apart from the Ducktales Meet and Greet. Yet fans on twitter are absolutely torn to pieces over it
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The comments on the tweet above range from acceptingly welcome to sad and outright miserable, with some users begging Disney not to go through with it.
Users like @klf3681 welcome the proposed addition by writing,
“Can’t wait for Zootopia to come to AK. Dinoland was always the worst area in Disney World.”
Then there are those not quite as enthusiastic, like @baileyfrombatuu who writes,
“Every trip I take it in more and more, just knowing we won’t have Dinoland in 10 years hurts. Dinosaur is my favorite WDW ride & idc what people say, I love Dinoland too that’s my comfort spot. Y’all can go have fun in Pandora, I’ll be in Dinoland.”
What Could We Gain?
Since Moana is already set to make her grand debut in EPCOT, it makes all the more sense that a Zootopia-themed land would be perfectly at home in a Disney Park dedicated to the studio’s best animal characters. It’s only a matter of time before Nick and Judy are hanging out with Nala and Simba.
The Shanghai equivalent is already slated to get an impressive dark ride with amazing animatronics, so what’s to stop Disney from giving Animal Kingdom the exact same thing? As harsh as it is to admit, the time of Disney’s dinosaurs is over. It’s kind of hard to keep a fanbase with arguably only one memorable ride.
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Keep in mind, this is all pure speculation. No official statement has been made aside from a few D23 drops. This might be the next project on the list, but it also might be something in the far off future. Hopefully, a “Wilde” time will be in store for whatever replaces DinoLand USA.
Are you for or against Zootopia coming to Animal Kingdom? Tell us at Inside the Magic in the comments below!