AVATAR coming to Disney Parks

[FutureCorpsFan]

I appreciate the attempt to expand and develop AK. Avatar is as close a fit as any other, plus it's immediate and has strong synergies.

What I don't think I could handle is a re-themeing of the "Tree of Life" with glowing Eywa vines...

[mdricks]

Anyone who believes AK is a complete park with the ability to stand on its own is likely in the minority. I don’t think there is anyone involved in this discussion that is taking the position that AK is done, leave it alone. To brand dissenters in this way is unfair and is, frankly, hide the ball to avoid taking the direct criticism to task; Avatar doesn’t have the chops.

Look at it like this. You are 15 going on 16. Your dad Walt owns the local Ferrari dealership and bought all three of your big brothers Ferraris for their 16th birthdays. Dad comes to you and says, “Son, I’m getting you a Yugo!”

Now this particular Yugo will be turned over to the amg skunkworks and tricked out with a v-12 twin turbo. Those guys at AMG are geniuses. Heck it might even do 0-60 in under 3sec and beat your brothers off the line. You might even love driving the darn thing.

Do you want a car? Heck yes.
Do you need a car? Heck yes.
Will you drive whatever you are given? Yep.

It’s still a Yugo.

If anybody can make chicken salad outta chicken poop its Disney. That’s a given. It still doesn’t answer the question “Why try?”

The idea that rides and immersive experience are all it takes begs the question, why pay for any tie in at all? If Disney thought it could achieve its goals of creating turnstile at AK without a parasitic effect on the other three gates, absent the hassles of licensing Avatar, they would do it in a heartbeat.

All of us on this board are Walt’s sons. The diehard are going to drive whatever car we are given (within limits). The question is, will the rest of the population get in the car with us?

Will Avatar bring those people to the gate?

[Patricia]

PirateLover and BrerGnat are correct. Actually, I am usually in the "Blindly Defending" catagory. I am also a sci-fi nut. However, I tend to have pretty good instincts and this move seems to have "really bad idea" written all over it.

Still, I could be wrong. I hope I am.

I am not, however, "filled with hate" as a poster has suggested. I do nave a right to be "concerned" despite what another poster suggested, and if I feel in my heart that Disney is trying to spin something negative into a positive, I have the right to say so without being attacked and ridiculed.

I have been on this board for over five years, but I almost dumped it yesterday over the tone of responses I got for simply wanting to discuss the events in an adult manner. I may not have 18,000 entries, but I will not be shouted down. Or, maybe I will be. Maybe it's not really worth it anymore... Let the "fanboys" have it...

Agreed, we should all be able to voice our opinions. Everyone needs to stop the personal attacks.

Play nice!

[Stu29573]

Agreed, we should all be able to voice our opinions. Everyone needs to stop the personal attacks.

Play nice!

Thanks, Patricia, I really appreciate it.

[Stu29573]

Anyone who believes AK is a complete park with the ability to stand on its own is likely in the minority. I don’t think there is anyone involved in this discussion that is taking the position that AK is done, leave it alone. To brand dissenters in this way is unfair and is, frankly, hide the ball to avoid taking the direct criticism to task; Avatar doesn’t have the chops.

Look at it like this. You are 15 going on 16. Your dad Walt owns the local Ferrari dealership and bought all three of your big brothers Ferraris for their 16th birthdays. Dad comes to you and says, “Son, I’m getting you a Yugo!”

Now this particular Yugo will be turned over to the amg skunkworks and tricked out with a v-12 twin turbo. Those guys at AMG are geniuses. Heck it might even do 0-60 in under 3sec and beat your brothers off the line. You might even love driving the darn thing.

Do you want a car? Heck yes.
Do you need a car? Heck yes.
Will you drive whatever you are given? Yep.

It’s still a Yugo.

If anybody can make chicken salad outta chicken poop its Disney. That’s a given. It still doesn’t answer the question “Why try?”

The idea that rides and immersive experience are all it takes begs the question, why pay for any tie in at all? If Disney thought it could achieve its goals of creating turnstile at AK without a parasitic effect on the other three gates, absent the hassles of licensing Avatar, they would do it in a heartbeat.

All of us on this board are Walt’s sons. The diehard are going to drive whatever car we are given (within limits). The question is, will the rest of the population get in the car with us?

Will Avatar bring those people to the gate?

This is a simply fantastic analogy! Well stated!

[Ian]

MODERATOR ALERT!!!

I didn't get a chance to read through all the recent posts in this thread, so if I'm piling on I apologize but .......

This thread exploded so quickly that the moderators (most of whom were recording a podcast) didn't have a chance to keep up with it like we normally do.

It appears there have been many posts that have crossed a line we don't typically cross here at INTERCOT and that's the "getting personal" line.

Whether or not we go back and edit them remains to be seen, but in the interim I'll politely request that we knock it off with the personal stuff. Keep your comments focused on the topic not the people.

[Patricia]

Initially I was floored by this announcement but find I'm warming up to it because I have to and because some of you have made convincing arguments.

I, like some others on these boards have not seen the movie Avatar, but will try to get around to seeing it soon. Sorry Mr. Cameron.

So, today I was thinking about how this will change my average day in the AK. Right now AK is tied up with the MK as my favorite WDW park (I know, I know, how can I say that out loud?) Well now that it's out there let me say I have a hopeful 'twist' on adding Avatar to AK.

I really don't like Chester and Hester's Dinoland and avoid that area altogether so it has never really added to or taken away from my touring day. My kids may or may not have ridden Primeval Whirl. I'm not even sure. Avatar land will be the same for me, if I don't like it I won't visit it. No big deal, I still love the rest of the park and manage to stay all day roaming around being immersed in the little details.

My hope is that Avatar will (please, please, please) replace Hester and Chester. Yes, replace them! At this point anything would be a huge improvement. The fact that they are not saying Avatar will or will not replace an area leaves me to hope that it will indeed replace this horrible eyesore in what is an otherwise beautiful park.

A girl can only hope..

[Stu29573]

Initially I was floored by this announcement but find I'm warming up to it because I have to and because some of you have made convincing arguments.

I, like some others on these boards have not seen the movie Avatar, but will try to get around to seeing it soon. Sorry Mr. Cameron.

So, today I was thinking about how this will change my average day in the AK. Right now AK is tied up with the MK as my favorite WDW park (I know, I know, how can I say that out loud?) Well now that it's out there let me say I have a hopeful 'twist' on adding Avatar to AK.

I really don't like Chester and Hester's Dinoland and avoid that area altogether so it has never really added to or taken away from my touring day. My kids may or may not have ridden Primeval Whirl. I'm not even sure. Avatar land will be the same for me, if I don't like it I won't visit it. No big deal, I still love the rest of the park and manage to stay all day roaming around being immersed in the little details.

My hope is that Avatar will (please, please, please) replace Hester and Chester. Yes, replace them! At this point anything would be a huge improvement. The fact that they are not saying Avatar will or will not replace an area leaves me to hope that it will indeed replace this horrible eyesore in what is an otherwise beautiful park.

A girl can only hope..

This is kind of my position at this time, (although I have grown to tolerate Dinoland fairly well) AK is my fourth favorite park, but its my wife's favorite, so we spend a lot of time there (she likes to take her time and really look at everything) I figure if we don't like an area, we can simply not wander in that direction. I just hate to see all the effort, time and money go into somthing that could have been so much better, but in the end it probably really won't affect me much. Now, if they had stuck it in my beloved Magic Kingdom, I might have had to really scream!

[Ian]

Initially I was floored by this announcement but find I'm warming up to it because I have to and because some of you have made convincing arguments.

I, like some others on these boards have not seen the movie Avatar, but will try to get around to seeing it soon. Sorry Mr. Cameron.

So, today I was thinking about how this will change my average day in the AK. Right now AK is tied up with the MK as my favorite WDW park (I know, I know, how can I say that out loud?) Well now that it's out there let me say I have a hopeful 'twist' on adding Avatar to AK.

I really don't like Chester and Hester's Dinoland and avoid that area altogether so it has never really added to or taken away from my touring day. My kids may or may not have ridden Primeval Whirl. I'm not even sure. Avatar land will be the same for me, if I don't like it I won't visit it. No big deal, I still love the rest of the park and manage to stay all day roaming around being immersed in the little details.

My hope is that Avatar will (please, please, please) replace Hester and Chester. Yes, replace them! At this point anything would be a huge improvement. The fact that they are not saying Avatar will or will not replace an area leaves me to hope that it will indeed replace this horrible eyesore in what is an otherwise beautiful park.

A girl can only hope..

I could have written this post myself. Nicely said, Patricia.

In fact, when the next podcast comes out you'll find that I said a lot of this last night when we recorded.

[BrerGnat]

While I don't love Dinoland, I don't hate it enough to want it to be demolished for this new land. Dinosaurs in general are a much more universally recognizable "thing". Kids of all ages love them, and adults can appreciate the theme as well.

Plus, I don't think Dinoland is really in the best spot. It's sort of just wedged between the entrance and Asia. Not much room for a land with such an immersive theme. I think "Camp Minnie Mickey" is a better alternative. They can probably fairly easily relocate the Lion King stage show elsewhere in the park, like in Africa where it would be a better fit.

[Melanie]

I could have written this post myself.

AK is tied with MK for your favorite park??

[Melanie]

I think "Camp Minnie Mickey" is a better alternative. They can probably fairly easily relocate the Lion King stage show elsewhere in the park, like in Africa where it would be a better fit.

This is exactly what we said last night recording the podcast, although I'm not in favor of it.

I hope it's an expansion, not a replacement.

[bertasso59]

I personally didnt care much for 'Avatar' it was all visuals and effects with no more of an original story than 'Ferngully'.My biggest concern is that the area in AK that was originally meant for Mythical creatures from long ago like dragons is no going to be filled with mythical creatures of a few years ago that did big box office.
Im also sure that Avatar land will be timed with the release of the next film in the franchaise.
Ka-Ching$$$$$!

[BrerGnat]

I hope it's an expansion, not a replacement.

Me too, although they are being pretty vague about it at this point, which leads me to think it's going to be more "replacement" than "expansion." If it was slated to be an expansion, they would have probably just come out and used that term, although I guess it can be argued that the Fantasyland "Expansion" isn't really an expansion as much as a replacement. So, it's anyone's guess at this point.

[Janmac]

Didn't watch Avatar. Had to look up James Cameron movies (only liked the first Terminator).

Bottom line (regardless of location): Avatar-land could be the most visually stunning/stimulating place on earth, but unless there are some fun rides and compelling shows, the whole place flops.

(Hmm, wonder what the meet and greets are going to be like)

Jan

[Hog]

(Hmm, wonder what the meet and greets are going to be like)

I think it would be hard to make characters for meet and greets considering they have the body type of humans but at supposedly 9-10 feet tall. Would it be a person on stilts or in a costume?

[Patricia]

I think it would be hard to make characters for meet and greets considering they have the body type of humans but at supposedly 9-10 feet tall. Would it be a person on stilts or in a costume?

I doubt size matters much. Off the top of my head, Jiminy Cricket and Tinkerbell come to mind as out of proportion. Even Mickey's size is questionable.. It's just what we get used to.

[Dixie Springs]

My 2 cents: This is awful. A bad match and an embarrasing attempt to ape Universal's Harry Potter success. All the rumored possibilities for AK, and this is what they decide to fund? No ill-intention toward Intercotees that disagree, but every ill intention toward Disney from this WDW fan's perspective.

[big blue and hairy]

Purely regarding the choice of park, other that the fact that there are many environmental messages in Avatar and AK, cost probably also plays a part. First, where the heck would they put it in DHS? Secondly, what do you have lots of in AK and not that much in DHS? Trees. Making Pandora green would seem to be a lot easier in AK than DHS.

[big blue and hairy]

No ill-intention toward Intercotees that disagree, but every ill intention toward Disney from this WDW fan's perspective.

Every ill intention??! That's a lot of ill intentions....