Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a work in progress. The fourth-born Disney theme park in Orlando has always been considered one of the lesser experiences in the Magic Kingdom-dominated Walt Disney World property. With a vast Tropical Americas expansion finally taking over Dinoland USA, the park is about to come into its own, moving past its animal roots and into the tropical lands that some of our favorite Disney characters call home. The shift began in 2017 with the opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar, which represented the animal and human characters from the films, but with equal attention and love, it also celebrates the environment and landscape in which they live. The land brought a new dimension of atmosphere to Disney Parks, which was especially evident after dark when the bioluminescence effect came to life. While we enjoy walking the line between Disney’s animal characters and exotic environmental landscapes in which specific stories are set, the park is now diversifying into the broader sense of the natural world.
Earlier this week, we were testing your Disney expert knowledge with five little-known facts about Disneyland Park, and one of those was something that not many people know about. In the planning stages of Disneyland, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room was originally an interactive dining experience concept that later morphed into an attraction that could move more people through due to anticipated popularity. I’ve always been a lover of this show, and to picture it as a restaurant, allowing guests to sit amongst the songbirds of the attraction seemed like an unmissable experience. Then, something occurred to me: Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Amid this lengthy reconstruction of a major part of the park, I can’t help but think this concept would be the perfect addition to the renovation, seeing a Walt Disney original concept finally come to life. Walt Disney World opened well after the sad passing of the original Disney Imagineer, and integrating a piece of Disney history into the latest development from The Walt Disney Company seems like a no-brainer. The flora and fauna featured in the concept are ideally suited to the new Animal Kingdom concept, serving both animal and ecosystem boxes.
What do you think of this idea? Should this original concept, tweaked with all the magic of modern-day technology, become the next showcase dining experience in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? After a little Armchair Imagineering, we are convinced it’s worth looking into!
If you haven’t had an opportunity to see the show, watch it from the comfort of your loungeroom this weekend here:
