WDW TV programs

[Jobasha3000]

There are a bunch of TV programs on Comcast On Demand about Disney World right now, a couple of which left me with questions. One question is did the ban on utilidor pictures get lifted? One of the videos is a high definition tour of the utilidors and I could have sworn that cameras in general weren't allowed in there. Also, one of the videos about the Animal Kingdom has a video of going through a roller coaster which looks just like Expedition Everest, except for a part which features Asian style dragons, all while the narrator is talking about "new features." I should probably take a screencap of the latter and post it here.

[Red Randal]

I totally forgot about the Disney World on Demand stuff they announced awhile back!

Anyway, on the utilidors: I don't think cameras are banned as long as they are Disney-sanctioned for stuff like that. They certainly are not allowed on the Keys to the Kingdom or other backstage tours and I'm sure cast members aren't allowed to be snapping pictures down there either. Disney has allowed the Travel Channel and History Channel to shoot some stuff down there though as long as it doesn't ruin too much of the "magic" and I'd imagine the Comcast show was no different.

As to the dragon roller coaster, I'm guessing it has something to do with the long rumored Beastly Kingdom "land" that was never built in Animal Kingdom. It's headline attraction was to be an Everest-style coaster involving dragons. I wouldn't take its mention in this show to mean that it's going to be built any time soon...but it's nice to know that Disney hasn't forgotten about it either.

[Imagineer1981]

In regards to the dragons, we were originally going to have a dragon rollercoaster, and from what I understand from inside sources and what I heard while working there is Disney sold the idea to Universal, hence Dueling Dragons at IoA

[Red Randal]

In regards to the dragons, we were originally going to have a dragon rollercoaster, and from what I understand from inside sources and what I heard while working there is Disney sold the idea to Universal, hence Dueling Dragons at IoA

That sounds like something of an urban legend.

True, Dueling Dragons opened with Islands of Adventure in May 1999. But numerous reports from the imagineers (and early concept art) indicate that a dragon themed roller coaster was set to open up in the Beastly Kingdom at Animal Kingdom some time after the April 1998 opening. In fact, you can still see an area designed as a dragon lair by the bridge to Camp Minnie Mickey (where BK was to be located.)

While Disney may no longer plan on opening Beastly Kingdom or any type of "dragon coaster" with it, the idea was still in the works at least at the time of Dueling Dragon's concept phase. There's no way Disney "sold" them any type of idea.