Mouse Extra

There is a fascinating article recently at damouse.com showing photos from a test run of a new adventure game in the mold of Kim Possible and the recently announced Sorcerors of the Magic Kingdom. It takes place at the Animal Kingdom and features the characters of my favorite Pixar movie, Up.

There does not appear to be any video of the characters of the movie. I sure hope they do add Russell and Dug, but for now I do like this idea. Essentially, its a treasure hunt through the Pangani Forest Trail. I would love for them to add a walkie-talkie type gizmo where you can receive information/ideas from Dug (Squirrels!) and Russell. You earn badges as you explore the Pangani. It seems a simple yet fun idea.

My kids for instance absolutely love Kim Possible and Sorcerors of the Magic Kingdom is sure to be a hit too. I do hope they add some tech to this but even what I see here will be well recieved I think.

Now that Disney is adding a game to the Animal Kingdom, one can only imagine that the Hollywood Studios won’t be far behind. I would love to see a Phineas & Ferb interactive game there. It would be amazing thwarting the plans of Dr. Doofensmirtz and getting info from Major Monogram and even Perry.

Mere weeks after the D23 Expo, where in theory Disney makes their big announcements, they pulled a doozy on us yesterday. Disney has announced an agreement with James Cameron to bring Avatar to Disney Parks. And first up is a brand new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

I can only assume that this wasn’t announced a few short weeks ago at the expo because the deal hadn’t been finalized yet. But it is done now.

Disney has not announced anything with substance yet, other than this will not replace current attractions at DAK and construction will likely begin in 2013. They have indicated that imagineering is just starting to sink their teeth in this so nothing has been designed. We have been told to expect multiple attractions as well as shops, eateries and “other immersive elements.” That is, a Pandora land.

I, for one, am not a fan of the movie, although it was clearly an acheivement in special effects. The beauty of the film could translate well to a themed land. And imagineering will likely have a field day with the subject matter. And even though I am not a huge fan, if the attractions are great, I will be happy. Personally, I would have preferred an Australia or, better yet, a Beastlie Kingdomme.

Of course, we have said for a long time that Disney’s Animal Kingdom needed more attractions to expand its operating hours and rid itself of the stigma of being a “half day park.” And there has been talk of adding the Wonderful World of Color to Florida, perhaps at the Animal Kingdom. And we know that Pandora is awfully colorful…..

I am sure you have noticed the new trend in Disney queues. That is, the retooling of some lines to make them interactive. Disney has long saught a remedy to the long lines found at the parks especially during peak times. Fastpass was one answer to this. Now Disney is trying to be at least entertain you while you stand for an hour or more on lines.

To that end, Disney has added games to the queue at Soarin’. They have also created interactivty at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and, more recently, the Haunted Mansion. I want to create a list of what I consider the 5 best queues in WDW (not counting the most recent changes). So here they are in order;

5. Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor: Yeah, I know this is a strange one, but I have always felt this attraction was underrated. And I put this on the list because of one of the things it does and thats incorporate technology. I think this queue is the beginning of a potential wave of interactivity. Its no secret that smartphones are, at this time, probably the number one form of entertainment while waiting in line. Here, Disney has, in a rudimentary form perhaps, began the process of using that tech within the queue and the attraction by allowing people to text jokes that may be used during the comedy show.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean; This queue just reeks of immersion. You really feel like you are in a dungeon. There are a lot of fun gags here, like the skeletons playing chess. And most importantly, its very cool, a wonderful place to cool down in the florida heat. The ride is pretty nifty too.

3. The Tower of Terror: Immersion to the nth degree. Stepping into the line, you are all of a sudden in a decrepit old hotel. The theming and the story telling is impeccable. The dust looks real. The boiler room is terrific. Its all so good. Its too bad I’m a chicken.

2. Expedition: Everest; Ok, so the yeti itself is a disaster, but the queue for this ride is absolutely wonderful. The artifacts from the Himalayas are fun, especially the ones dealing with the yeti. I particularly love the riped up tent and the statue of the yeti in the courtyard. The queue is so good you want to skip fast passes just to enjoy it.

1. Muppet Vision; This is my favorite pre-show/queue in all of Disney. Its an absolute hoot. Small screens show a movie about the muppets getting ready for the big show you are about to see. Add that to a plethora of sight gags throughout the “holding area” and you have a queue that may actully be better than the main attraction.

On June 11, 2010, Disney’s California Adventure opened to the public. By June 12th, the question became where to put this in Walt Disney World. I don’t think the question has ever been if this night time event come to Florida, but when.

For those who don’t know, the Wonderful World of Color is a show consisting of over 1,200 fountains with lights, lasers, fire, fog and amazing mist projections (not unlike those at Fantasmic only better). Since it opened, the show has been handed nothing but the highest of praise.

The Wonderful World of Color

There have been all sorts of rumors as to where this show will eventually be placed in Disney World. I have heard rumors that it will eventually be placed in the lake at Downtown Disney (although in a much smaller and cheaper form) or even replace Illuminations or Fantasmic. The most logical place, however, is Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Lets be honest, Disney has been looking for a day capping event at the Animal Kingdom for awhile. The long rumored lantern light parade being the most frequently talked about to address this need. But the Wonderful World of Color just makes the most sense. There is plenty of space to build an ample lagoon with seating although you may have to keep it as far away from the Safari and jungle treks possible. You could move the Lion King to where belongs in Africa and build your ampitheatre there.

And the theme fits right in. Whats more colorful than the planet Earth. The story could easily be retooled to fit that kind of theme.

And Disney’s Animal Kingdom would finally have its day capping event.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

A view of the savannah

Sunday will kick off the new tour at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Wild Africa Trek. Guests will take a walking tour of the Safari at the park, which up until now was only accessible through the attraction’s jeeps. For a sneak peak, the Disney Park Blog has released a brief video showing some of the highlights.

It appears the main attraction of the tour will bea dangerous walk across a rickety old bridge. The bridge is set high above a river full of crocodiles. From the video, you can see guests enjoying up close views of the Hippos as well as a lookout onto the savannah. It seems to me that views of those animals would be better in the mobile jeeps, but we shall see.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

Could the long awaited expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom finally become a reality?  According to John Frost of the Disney Blog, work will soon begin on the often-rumored Australia section of the park.

This week I heard a couple bits of news that has me ready to say “G’day Mate!” Yep, work on the rumored Australia section of the park has reportedly been approved. Although I have not yet seen it myself, my minions tell me that there has been some clearing work on the future site already. I also heard that approval has been given in the new budget to hire some additional resources that will be tasked to the project. Take those two facts, along with a couple other sources I spoke to, and I think we can safely say the land of Oz is coming to Orlando.

There is nothing more fun than a good rumor like this one!  And to make it more exciting, Mr. Frost should be considered by readers as one of the more credible sources in the Disney blogging community.  I don’t think he would write this unless he felt his information was solid.

So what do I think of all this?  Well, to put it honestly, it’s about darn time!  Personally, I like this idea better than even the abandoned Beastly Kingdom plans.  The Asia and Africa sections of DAK are terrific and the animal displays are amazing.  Disney is going down the right path here and are opening up some serious potential for some fantastic guest experiences.

Will it be as splashy as Harry Potter?  Can it compete with the revitalized Universal Studios for marketing attention the way a Beastly Kingdom can?  Probably not, but that should not be what makes up Bob Iger’s mind.  The goal is turning DAK into a multi-day experience that is even more engrossing than it is now.  Accomplish that and the rest will fall into place.