5. Gravity Falls

Image: Disney

If you haven't seen Gravity Falls on the Disney Channel, then hopefully you've at least heard about it – probably from friends who beg you to give it a try. The 2012 animated show is critically acclaimed and seemingly loved by all. It follows twin brother-and-sister duo Dipper and Mabel Pines who travel to the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon to live with their Grunkle (that's great uncle) Stan, who runs a tourist trap "museum" called the Mystery Shack.

Dipper and Mabel find themselves inexplicably drawn into one of Gravity Falls' urban legends or creature stories in each episode. Somewhat like Cartoon Network's Courage the Cowardly Dog, every half-hour installment sees the two face off against a new mysterious creature like the Loch-Ness-style Gobblewonker that lives in the local lake, "Manotaurs" who hide in the "Man Cave" outside of town, and even living gnomes.

Image: Disney

While it's obviously impractical to base an entire themed land around a Disney Channel cartoon series, it's fun to dream of the possibilities that could arise if Gravity Falls were given its own area (and to be fair, it would read easily as an "original story" for folks who don't know the series it would be based on). Imagine a short trail through the Redwood forests of "Oregon" leading to the Mystery Shack, which, at least, could be a walkthrough or a restaurant. At best, the Mystery Shack could have a Mystic Manor style ride through the pages of the creature journal from the show. 

Of course, a diverging path into the forest might lead to Lake Gravity Falls, where a boat ride based on the Mystery of the Gobblewonker would be a must. We don't often recommend "interactive" dark rides, but if done in a Men In Black: Alien Attack style of realism and humor, a zapping ride through Gravity Falls mysteries (including lots of gnomes) might be a great thing, and a perfect ride for Animal Kingdom. If the Flight of Passage were to be kept from the Pandora plans, Gravity Falls' Giant Vampire Bats would serve as a perfect vehicle.

6. Mysterious Island

Image: Disney

It’s unlikely that Mysterious Island would ever come to Orlando (or any Disney resort) in as grand a form as its present in Tokyo DisneySea. The land is actually contained within the collapsed caldera of the 189-foot tall Mount Prometheus, an “active” volcano that serves as the park’s icon.

Mysterious Island in Tokyo is home to two attractions, each based on novels by Jules Verne and – by extension – his Captain Nemo antihero. What’s ironic is that both are focused on animals. In particular, they feature mythical or fantastic animals that would meet and exceed Animal Kingdom’s commitment to showcasing such creatures.

© Disney

The first attraction, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is a spectacular suspended family dark ride through the ocean’s depths, where riders in 6-person "subs" encounter fish, dolphins, sharks, and an angry giant squid before discovering an otherworldly alien species deep beneath the waves – it’s a sort of “sea life” shout-out that goes beyond what The Seas at Epcot can provide by giving guests their own “submarines” rather than viewing fish through a glass window. What's more, bringing the ride to life in a Mysterious Island at Animal Kingdom would be a unique way to memorialize the really-underwater, submarine-based Lost Legend: 20,000 Leagues – Submarine Voyage that graced Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland for two decades. 

The second attraction – which would no doubt become one of Walt Disney World’s defining E-tickets – is itself a Modern Marvel: Journey to the Center of the Earth. Using Test Track style technology, this ride sends riders through a convoluted dark ride course to the planet’s core, passing underground oceans and subterranean, bioluminescent forests teeming with alien life. The finale is an encounter with the massive Lava Monster – easily one of the most advanced animatronic creatures in the world – as it protects its slimy egg-sacks.

Mysterious Island, surprisingly, fits Animal Kingdom really, really well. It’s a highly detailed environment based on the literary works of Jules Verne, and while its focus is adventure and exploration, it’s truly about encountering unknown creatures in fantastic settings – a totally perfect fit for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

7. Beastly Kingdom

Image: Disney

The most obvious choice for the land currently being formed into Pandora – The World of Avatar might just be Beastly Kingdom. Obvious because Beastly Kingdom was specially designed for that exact space. Disney Imagineers famously released concept art from this never-built land, announcing it as Phase II of Animal Kingdom’s opening. It’s not uncommon for modern parks to be built in “phases” with a few years separating massive investments. Animal Kingdom’s price tag was in the billions as it is, so holding off and recouping some before “finishing” the park was a grand idea. Problem is, it never happened.

Image: Disney

We dove deep into the land that should've been and how some of its core concepts came to life just a few miles up the road in its own feature, Possibilityland: Beastly Kingdom – just for Imagineerings fans... But in short, guests entering this mythical land would’ve faced a fork in the road: to the left, dark lantern-lit woods would lead to a cold Medieval village where a dragon (and his associated E-ticket dark ride / roller coaster combo) would create a dark and sinister story.

Image: Disney

Meanwhile, the right fork would’ve led to fanciful and bright Grecian gardens with a family boat ride based on Fantasia and an interactive Quest for the Unicorn maze experience where guests would've had to awaken bronze statues to unlock a secret grotto.

Dragons, unicorns, sea serpents... Great, simple, classic creatures of myth and legend that were designed to fit perfectly into Animal Kingdom's stories and settings. Obviously Beastly Kingdom never came to be, and at this point, it won’t.

Pandora – For Better or Worse

Despite years of carrying pitchforks and signs, ultimately Disney fans (us included) should've known that Imagineers would take the idea of Avatar and create a spectacular, compelling, and timeless world even out of source material that's... well... less than desirable.

Ultimately, Pandora shines. It's brilliant not only for its quantifiable components – its mountains, its rides, its food, its ambition, its scale – but for its smarts. Somehow, Disney transformed a forgettable film (that, even insiders would admit, they probably regretted jumping on in the wake of the Wizarding World) into a gorgeous realm that exceeds most any project at Walt Disney World since the opening of Animal Kingdom itself, and until Galaxy's Edge debuts. 

Image: Disney / Lightstorm

That doesn't mean that fans can't have a little fun imagining what could've been... Even separate from the fire and fury that consumed armchair Imagineers back in 2011, it stands the reason that there probably were better ways to use the old Camp Minnie-Mickey parcel than as Pandora. But even still, it's hard to imagine a more spectacular final product inhabiting that space.

Now we have to know your thoughts... let us know what you think of our seven Blue Sky replacements for the World of Avatar. Which – if any – would you like to see? Or is the final Avatar product the best of the bunch?