Nat Geo Show Could Be A New Disney World Theme Park Ride: 'Conversations Happening Right Now'
Tom McDonald has reportedly suggested the idea of a National Geographic series becoming a theme park ride at Disney World.
Deadline reported that the executive vice president of National Geographic's Global Factual & Unscripted talked about the concept of a Nat Geo series becoming an amusement attraction during a keynote session at the Realscreen Summit event in New Orleans on Monday.
"I know this sounds outlandish, but when I started, and I half meant it as a joke, one of the things I said was, 'Wouldn't it be great if one of our shows became a theme park ride at Disney World?'" McDonald said.
He continued, "There are some really interesting conversations happening right now within the system, with parks and beyond, about how we might bring some of our shows to life in the physical world, interesting types of experiences."
Netizens immediately commented on Deadline's report and shared some Nat Geo shows they think would deliver great Disney World experiences.
One netizen suggested "Animal Kingdom" and "Deadliest Catch."
Another wrote, "While I'm not sure I'd base an attraction around a reality docuseries (it would get dated pretty quickly especially if the show is canceled), they have lots of shows exploring things like pyramids, mummies, the Arctic and maybe even some indigenous communities."
Nat Geo unscripted EVP Tom McDonald to keynote at the 2024 Realscreen Summit.https://t.co/PANmm76aMx pic.twitter.com/fceFKqQ6pd
— Realscreen (@realscreen) December 19, 2023
McDonald, who joined the company in March 2022, wants to bring Nat Geo's shows "to life in a bigger and broader way."
"I think that's one of the things unique about us, compared to Netflix, Apple, or some other cable channels," he said.
"I do think it is being part of the wider National Geographic and the wider Disney ecosystem, and that feels like it's not wholly tapped into yet," he continued.
Somewhere in his keynote speech, McDonald shared his optimism despite having less funds to spend on shows.
"...I still feel like we've got plenty of room to experiment, to take risks. It does mean we've had to work really hard on our overall slate," he noted.
Disney World already offers several rides based on movies, such as Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Festival of the Lion King, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!, Rise of Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and Avatar Flight of Passage.
In September 2023, the company announced the addition of new movie-themed rides and attractions: Zootopia Show, Journey of Water (Inspired by Moana) and Indiana Jones & Encanto Experiences.
