Avatar Progress [Archive] - INTERCOT Boards

DizneyFreak2002

04-30-2013, 04:31 PM

I was trying to find our Avatar thread, but, for some reason, I couldn't...

However, I feel maybe we could have one thread talking about the progress being made on Avatar, instead of burying the information in a muck of Avatar hate/Avatar defense... The real information gets lost in the back and forth... So, here is a list of the goings on, and we can update as information comes in...

1. We now know FotLK is relocating to Africa (though not officially announced by Disney)... Walls are up preparing the land in Africa for the new theater...

2. Beastly Bazaar is opening as an indoor meet and greet area... The current CMM characters will be moving to Beastly Bazaar (or whatever the new name is)...

3. Costuming has begun designing and assembling the new costumes for CMs working the Avatar area...

4. Internal teams have done studies to determine how much CM parking needs to be expanded for the new Avatar area...

5. Working title of the attraction: Flight of Passage...

***Please let's not turn this into the typical bickering over Avatar in DAK... Some people really are interested in this project and may want to find out about the progress without reading post after post of back and forth arguing... Please, let's keep this civil, and only about the progress of Avatar...

Scar

04-30-2013, 05:31 PM

3. Costuming has begun designing and assembling the new costumes for CMs working the Avatar area...Anyone else find it odd that (other than moving an attraction that belongs in Africa anyway,) costuming is the first physical work supposedly being done? :confused:

DizneyFreak2002

04-30-2013, 06:34 PM

Anyone else find it odd that (other than moving an attraction that belongs in Africa anyway,) costuming is the first physical work supposedly being done? :confused:

You know what this says to me? Avatar is further along than we know, than people think, or that Disney is letting on... And information coming from "insiders" that this is dead, or hanging on for dear life, are being used by people inside the company looking to get this shelved... In other words, these people are being used for internal Disney politics...

As far as the costumes, I am left wondering what kind of costumes the CMs would be wearing... I doubt they will be military... I'm thinking science lab coats, or whatever the scientists/lab technicians wore in the movie...

Nini

05-01-2013, 05:27 AM

Do you know if there is just going to be the one attraction or if it will be a whole "land"?

Denise

mcjaco

05-01-2013, 12:27 PM

Saw a snippet on another website that went to the Monstrous Media Day, that the Avatar area was not touched upon, except forone comment that it was still happening.

waymickey

05-01-2013, 12:42 PM

I saw on another site it will take over Rafikis planet watch. Is this true? I thought it would take over camp minnie mickey?

Roger's #1 Fan

05-01-2013, 03:55 PM

5. Working title of the attraction: Flight of Passage...

Are we back to a single attraction? I thought at one time there was a next gen Soarin attraction (which sounds like this attraction) and a boat/water ride concept.

I saw on another site it will take over Rafikis planet watch. Is this true? I thought it would take over camp minnie mickey?

No. this land will occupy the current Camp Minnie Mickey area.

DizneyFreak2002

05-01-2013, 04:49 PM

Do you know if there is just going to be the one attraction or if it will be a whole "land"?

Denise

A land... But no one knows if the land will include one, two, or three attractions... Some say 1, plans leaked a few months back show two with a walk through...

I saw on another site it will take over Rafikis planet watch. Is this true? I thought it would take over camp minnie mickey?

Taking over Camp Minnie-Mickey

Are we back to a single attraction? I thought at one time there was a next gen Soarin attraction (which sounds like this attraction) and a boat/water ride concept.

Ya know what Rog, I'm just going to sit back and wait to see what Disney builds... Some reliable people say only one attraction, restaurant, and gift shop... Of course, these same reliable people said Transformers was NOT coming to USO, nothing would be happening at MK for 5-10 more years, yada yada yada... These people have been used to give false information (usually bad information to drum up support for their buddies' projects instead of what is announced)... I lost faith in the so-called "insiders"... if you saw the leaked plans, the boat ride with as next generation Soarin style ride were included... "Insiders" are used all the time... Their track record lately has been shoddy... :)

Nini

05-02-2013, 09:22 PM

A land... But no one knows if the land will include one, two, or three attractions... Some say 1, plans leaked a few months back show two with a walk through...

Thank you :tiphat:

Denise

DizneyFreak2002

05-05-2013, 11:15 PM

MizMissy

05-06-2013, 09:53 AM

Update:

George Kalogridis told the Orlando Business Journal (http://m.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2013/05/03/disneys-kalogridis-avatar-to-open-in.html) that the new Avatar land will open by summer 2017.

2017?? They started planning this when? It is likely the 2nd phase of Harry Potter will be here by 2015 (at the latest). Why does Disney move so slowly?

DizneyFreak2002

05-06-2013, 10:09 AM

2017?? They started planning this when? It is likely the 2nd phase of Harry Potter will be here by 2015 (at the latest). Why does Disney move so slowly?

Avatar was pretty much thrown onto WDI... While they have some concepts to pitch to Cameron, there didn't really have any plans... Avatar, even though I defend the addition to DAK, was a knee jerk reaction by Iger after seeing how bad Potter was killing them...

Internal politics are also playing a role here... Lot of it ego driven...

And most importantly money... Disney spreads out construction so they are not hit with extremely large quarterly charges against the bottom line... Disney drags its feet with a kiddie (maybe slightly above kiddie, more like family) coaster over 3 years... all in the name of keeping the bottom line artificially inflated...

ChipNDale79

05-06-2013, 03:13 PM

Avatar was pretty much thrown onto WDI... While they have some concepts to pitch to Cameron, there didn't really have any plans... Avatar, even though I defend the addition to DAK, was a knee jerk reaction by Iger after seeing how bad Potter was killing them...

Internal politics are also playing a role here... Lot of it ego driven...

And most importantly money... Disney spreads out construction so they are not hit with extremely large quarterly charges against the bottom line... Disney drags its feet with a kiddie (maybe slightly above kiddie, more like family) coaster over 3 years... all in the name of keeping the bottom line artificially inflated...

I've been one of the supporters of this since day 1, I've thought it would be a great idea. But at this point, just freaking kill the thing......2017 is ridiculous.

DizneyFreak2002

05-13-2013, 09:29 PM

Avatar has legs and is standing very tall at the moment... Forward progress is slow, but at the same time, moving forward...

Scar

05-13-2013, 09:50 PM

Avatar has legs and is standing very tall at the moment... Forward progress is slow, but at the same time, moving forward...Are the costumes done yet? ;)

DizneyFreak2002

05-13-2013, 10:54 PM

Are the costumes done yet? ;)

Knowing the way this project is going, probably... And with the way TDO operates, the value engineered version of Avatar is what we would get: a kiddie coaster and meet and greets... of course, merchandise, dining, and a DVC cart...

#1donaldfan

05-14-2013, 12:34 PM

This does make me happy, that they're continuing on with this project. Last November I was standing inside the giftshop beside Gaston's Tavern (waiting on kids to browse) the CM at the door asked me "out of the blue" if I had heard about Avatar coming to Disney. I talked to him for quite some time expressing my hope and desire that Disney would do this, however had heard it was shot down. He told me, that day, no it was not and it was moving forward ..... !!!!:mickey:

Jeri Lynn

05-15-2013, 06:49 AM

TinkerbellT421

05-15-2013, 08:06 AM

I have enjoyed the idea of Avatar land sometime after the first announcement. I was a little eh at first, but now I am excited. After seeing some cool videos and reading articles of some new technologies of some possibilities that they are going to do with the place makes me look forward to it even more. I enjoy Animal Kingdom for the limited amount of time we really use to enjoy it. But other than a few hours there is not much else to do. Hopefully this adds a little more enjoyment.

And personally to say that 2017 is so far away to scrap the project all together really doesn't make much sense. So, 2017, too far away, scrap it. Then what? 2017 comes and goes with nothing happening? So what is better, having a prospect of something new to enjoy in 2017 or do nothing, and it remain stagnant in 2017 and have nothing new to enjoy or experience. Just a personal opinion.

DizneyFreak2002

05-15-2013, 10:37 PM

The rumored ride system is called Pandora's Box or some sort of variation... Pandora's Box videos are online... You all can Google (or Bing) it and see the ride system...

The Avatar ride system is rumored to be a combination of 3D video screens, actual sets, and interactivity...

PopPhan

05-16-2013, 09:58 AM

I love looking at the parks via google earth. I looked up the Animal Kingdom and found that there was a big area that was cleared. I just can't find a date on when the image was shot.

When I need a disney fix I look up all the parks!

You are probably looking at a very old photo -- probably when the area was cleared for Expedition Everest!!!!

Just looked up the current Google Earth photo and there is no construction going on in AK at all - not in the area where FotLK is moving, nor in the CMM area.

DizneyFreak2002

05-16-2013, 07:10 PM

There is also a boneyard over in the Asia section, I want to say by kali River Parids, which was used as a staging area when Everest was being built, and sits empty today... Oh, and is part of DAK's expansion pad... But that isn't where Avatar is going..

BTW, Mickey and Minnie have now been evicted from CMM and will be doing meet and greets where Beastly Bazaar used to be... Just one more step closer to the end of CMM...

DizneyFreak2002

06-29-2013, 10:37 AM

We haven't had an Avatar update in a while.. Maybe that is because not much is known... We joke, we kid, we laugh at this situation... But, recently, it has been stated that part of the reason things are taking long to come together is the ride system for the E-ticket planned for the land is a never before used system, very detailed, massive in scope, and needs as much research and development as humanly possible before moving forward with the plans...

No one is sure of this ride system... Things have been kept under wraps, with no leaking... So we are still in a wait and see holding pattern here...

Stu29573

06-29-2013, 04:53 PM

Wasn't Avitar some really old movie?
Just kidding. A statement about how long this is taking....

DizneyFreak2002

06-29-2013, 10:11 PM

Wasn't Avitar some really old movie?
Just kidding. A statement about how long this is taking....

Psst, the sequels were already released and no one cared... Disney just hasn't figured that out yet... :)

TinkerbellT421

06-29-2013, 10:13 PM

Psst, the sequels were already released and no one cared... Disney just hasn't figured that out yet... :)

Avatar 2 isn't being released until2015...

Stu29573

06-29-2013, 10:24 PM

I think we are being rather tounge in cheek... Or I was trying, anyway...

TinkerbellT421

06-29-2013, 10:59 PM

I think we are being rather tounge in cheek... Or I was trying, anyway...

:blush:

DizneyFreak2002

06-30-2013, 12:21 AM

Avatar 2 isn't being released until2015...

I think we are being rather tounge in cheek... Or I was trying, anyway...

Exactly what Stu said... Rather mocking the slow progress (can we call it progess?) of Avatar... By time the land opens, both sequels would have been in the theater and forgotten by the masses LOL...

CaptSmee

07-02-2013, 11:03 AM

DizneyFreak2002

07-02-2013, 03:23 PM

There hasn't been a thread because no known work has really been done at this point. Maybe they are waiting for the next movie to come out? I welcome any more additions to AK, because to me it's still not a full day park and I am a fan of James Cameron's work

More work has actually been done behind the scenes than we know... They are flushing out the ride system, which is supposed to be a first of its kind and extremely technologically advanced, part of the reason things are taking as long as they are...

Also, we need to remember, when attractions are announced, and we see concept art, that attraction or land had already been in development for a few years... The entire process can take 7 years, including construction... The announcement we received was only the business pairing, not the attraction announcement... Which is another reason it seems to be taking so long... We are used to an attraction announcement, and construction beginning quickly there after... Remember, they have started doing some work on the land already as the land where the FotLK theater will be moved to has had prep work done..

DizneyFreak2002

08-14-2013, 08:18 PM

Oh Avatar, NGE is slowly killing you...

Now, D23 was sad... Sad and pathetic, especially the Avatar presentation... Um, Imagineers took a trip to Pandora??? Really folks, THAT is the excuse you come up with?? Oy, Disney has lost its touch... And those props... Target, right down the street... Purchase some junk, call it tokens from Pandora, the fans will eat it up... This project is becoming a joke more and more...

They better move on that Discovery River show because at this rate, DAK will remain stale for the next 10-15 years...

DizneyFreak2002

11-19-2013, 04:11 PM

PROGRESS:

Balloon height test in DAK this morning... Also, Joe Rhode is on site... He supposedly had a presentation to staff today regarding Avatar... If anything trickles out, I'll post it...

As for the balloons, there were 5 of them, with a height of about 3 to 4 stories... These balloons are used to determine how sight lines will be impacted in other areas of the park...