4. The land that Disney lost

Ever wonder why Disney’s Animal Kingdom includes a dragon on its sign? There’s actually a reason for this, and it involves the story of one of the greatest Disney lands that never was.

We covered this tale in depth in our Possibilityland series, but Beastly Kingdom was meant to fulfill a missing element within Disney’s Animal Kingdom: the overlap between mythology and nature. Like Galaxy’s Edge and Pandora to come years later, the land’s layout defied traditional structure by giving guests a choice to explore a realm of good or evil. The “light” side would house a charming dark ride based on Fantasia, as well as a cutting-edge walkthrough labyrinth where guests would set out on an interactive quest to seek a lost unicorn. This journey would lead guests through a wonderland of mythological creatures and illusory experiences, ending with a penultimate encounter with the unicorn.

The dark side was where things got really interesting. Guests who dared would tread through a brooding forest and derelict town, long burnt and desolated by a terrible dragon. The half-land’s sole attraction would draw guests to a tall tower, atop which loomed a fierce fire breathing dragon hidden in cavernous shadows. Inside the castle, guests would be lured on a quest to try to oust the dragon—accomplished via an indoor roller coaster through the castle halls all while being pursued by the deadly beast. It was a mind-blowing concept that could have been Disney’s best ride ever for that era.

Unfortunately, it never got off the ground.

According to Imagineer, Joe Rodhe, Beastly Kingdom was cancelled well before it was a real project and capital authorization was complete. However, clearly it a was seriously considered idea to some degree since the dragon ended up on the park’s sign and a steaming vent into the dragon’s lair end up on the Discovery River boats. Ultimately, ongoing budgetary constraints forced Eisner to choose which elements of Disney’s Animal Kingdom to open in the park’s phase one. Dinoland USA made the cut while Beastly Kingdom was shelved for a later time. Perhaps he fell into the trap once again of trying to outdo Universal, but it seems fair to say this gamble didn’t play out. Disney’s Dinosaur didn’t take off the way the company had expected, and Dinoland USA to this day feel’s like one of the resort’s weakest lands. Even the gripping Countdown to Extinction attraction lost its teeth in favor of trying to appeal to younger visitors.

The Beastly Kingdom concept was sidelined for good… That is, until Universal Studios figured out how to make it a reality in Universal’s Islands of Adventure by recruiting some of the talent behind the project. If some of the elements within the Dragon’s Tower sound familiar, it’s because you may have seen them before. The concepts for Beastly Kingdom ultimately became the inspiration for The Lost Continent—particularly the Dueling Dragons coaster—as well as its successor, a certain wizardly land…

5. The one that got away

Beastly Kingdom wouldn’t be the last time Disney lost a major idea to their prime competitor. Indeed, most guests may not realize they lost one of the biggest properties in the storytelling world to Universal as well.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter almost became part of Magic Kingdom.

Disney originally was in talks to gain the rights to Harry Potter, which they intended to use for an expansion to Fantasyland with two small attractions—a Buzz Lightyear-like dark ride and a magical creatures petting zoo. J.K. Rowling was extremely specific about what she wanted for Harry Potter land—an immersive experience where guests wouldn’t just wander through a museum of props and warehouses paying tribute to Hogwarts, but where they could actually dive into that world and experience it. The level of creative control she required was above what Disney was looking for, as was the immense financial commitment.

As with The Lost Continent before it, Universal jumped on the chance, and unlike Disney, they agreed to give Rowling a land unlike guests had ever seen before.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter became a skyrocket draw for Universal, eventually ballooning to a three land monster. It was a land with immersion on a level that left Disney looking placid in comparison. In trying to be over-frugal and demand too much creative control, Disney lost out on one of the biggest theme park properties in history.

Fortunately, this disaster worked out famously for Disney fans in the end.

Disney wasn’t about to let another mega-property get away. They purchased Marvel Comics in 2009 (stunting Universal’s future development with Marvel properties in Orlando) then jumped on the rights to James Cameron’s Avatar  in 2012. This may have seemed an odd choice, but Imagineers seized the opportunity to make another go at the lost fantastical side of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and came up with the World of Pandora, one of Disney’s most celebrated lands to date. Even more significant, a year later, Disney purchased Star Wars, eventually leading to the building of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge— a land that may have gotten off to a rocky start with the media, but is now drawing record crowds with what’s being hailed as Disney’s best ride to date, Rise of the Resistance.

Disney may have faced a few disasters along their journey, but ultimately, the future looks like one of happily ever afters for the House of Mouse. Though these tales didn’t make the cut, we were ultimately thrilled with The Imagineering Story and can’t wait to see what Iwerks & Co. comes up with next!