4. Disney offers a compromise

Thanks largely to the theme park enthusiasts who wouldn’t let them forget it, The Walt Disney Company remembered its promise of imagined animals and they fulfilled that promise, sort of.

Almost eight years after the Animal Kingdom opened, the Asia attraction Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain debuted. The coaster ride with a fearsome Yeti marked a long-awaited appearance of a mythical animal in the Animal Kingdom. It wasn’t quite as grandiose in scale as what Disney teased with the Beastly Kingdom, but it was a start in the right direction. Expedition Everest was a huge success, and helped Disney recognize the desire for more attractions featuring legendary creatures.

5. The arrival of Avatar

Image: Disney 

Five years after the debut of Expedition Everest The Walt Disney Company took serious action to bring a mythical land to life, but the majority of theme park fans don't seem pleased by the action it took.

In Spring 2011 Bob Iger met with James Cameron to discuss bringing the world of Pandora from his film series Avatar to the Animal Kingdom, and in September a deal was officially struck.

This development doesn’t make sense to a lot of folks for a number of reasons. For one, Avatar hasn’t proved itself as an enduring franchise. The first movie was only released in 2008 and the sequels are still years away. For all we know audiences will have lost interest in the property by the time they’re released.

Secondly, a whole land dedicated to just Avatar gives an unprecedented presence to a single franchise, and the franchise isn’t even a Disney property! Perhaps most significant, though, is the fact that fans still yearn for a place like the Beastly Kingdom that is made up of the kinds of legendary creatures who aren’t simply currently favorites but based on myths that have proven their staying power.

Pandora might not be the ideal solution, but it’s good that Walt Disney World is finally delivering on what it promised when the Animal Kingdom opened over 16 years ago. The park is close to finally being the thing it said it was on Day 1. That’s something to celebrate, I think.

Are you still hoping the Beastly Kingdom materializes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.