Avatarland Project

[ChipNDale79]

Ok I see your point. I was not really thinking about the other rides that are not Disney. Probably because some of those rides were there from the start of my going to Disney. I like the idea of Beastly Kingdom and would love them to really do something immersevie.

But if rumours are a little right then a hokey fly over of Pandora in "Soaring Style" has me even more turned off.
Disney is not going to change the tide if they don't start to come up with some real imaginative ideas of their own and be willing to see it through with the $$$$$$$$.

I don't think its going to be anything like Soarin, i think you would see that in another theme park other than Disney, but I just don't see Disney doing that again. They will do this right, and I'm sure the E-ticket attraction here will blow people away.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Ok I see your point. I was not really thinking about the other rides that are not Disney. Probably because some of those rides were there from the start of my going to Disney. I like the idea of Beastly Kingdom and would love them to really do something immersevie.

But if rumours are a little right then a hokey fly over of Pandora in "Soaring Style" has me even more turned off.
Disney is not going to change the tide if they don't start to come up with some real imaginative ideas of their own and be willing to see it through with the $$$$$$$$.

I've defended Avatar in DAK tooth and nail, as you can see by my posts here... I truly felt Pandora lends itself to a great theme park land... Cameron created a stunning landscape, and wow, imagine what Imagineering could do if only the bean counters relaxed the purse strings a bit and allowed them creative control??? Wizarding World is a perfect example when you let creative minds work without the handcuffs..

But, I agree with you.. And I have said ti before.. if all they do is clone Soarin, it is an epic fail... And with what was described, Avatar will be more of a mini-land rather than a full land: 1 ride, 1 restaurant, 1 gift shop... Oh, and FotLK, which should get moved to make even more space available, WON'T BE, thus cutting into that 12 acres that they claimed Avatar would take up...

And yet, people don't want to listen when I said Disney is cutting spending at the U.S. parks... The budget for Avatar has already been slashed...

[DizneyFreak2002]

I don't think its going to be anything like Soarin, i think you would see that in another theme park other than Disney, but I just don't see Disney doing that again. They will do this right, and I'm sure the E-ticket attraction here will blow people away.

From your mouth, or fingers, to Disney's ears... but this isn't how they operate in WDW.. it is cut cut cut cut cut till you have something watered down from what it could have been... I have faith in WDI that they can create something great... I have no faith in TDO or the MBAs who actually make the creative decisions (why I have no idea all they know is numbers and nothing about being creative) to allow something great to be built...

Their attitude is: why should they??? People flock there anyway... They continue to dumb down WDW, but yet, people still go... AND WDW GETS DEFENDED!!! Which really baffles me... TDO talks down to their guests, treats them like clueless morons (sadly some guests are) and yet, people defend them as if they are God's gift to the world... But this is a topic for another thread...

Anyway, I'm not holding out hope for this land to be what I thought it could be... I hope I'm wrong (I love it when Disney proves me wrong, but they haven't in a while)... I guess we'll see...

[WDWPrincess]

I think the proof is in the pudding. All that matters is whether the new attractions will be GREAT or not. If Cameron's flying attraction knocks our socks off, then we won't care about what movie it's based upon. We'll just want to ride over and over. So that should be the focus. I'd still rather have a one GREAT ride that lasts a while instead of three or four mediocre rides designed to keep guests occupied under the umbrella of a NEW LAND. I'm talking to you E-ticket-less Fantasyland Expansion.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I think the proof is in the pudding. All that matters is whether the new attractions will be GREAT or not. If Cameron's flying attraction knocks our socks off, then we won't care about what movie it's based upon. We'll just want to ride over and over. So that should be the focus. I'd still rather have a one GREAT ride that lasts a while instead of three or four mediocre rides designed to keep guests occupied under the umbrella of a NEW LAND. I'm talking to you E-ticket-less Fantasyland Expansion.

As of now, all Avatar will be is Soar Over Pandora... Nothing great about that.. Recycling of already in use technology... Which is all WDW has been..

Remember the day when WDW used to be innoventive, cutting edge, and ahead of the competition?? Not anymore...

Now it is glorified McDonald's playgrounds and "just good enough"... Amazing how far the management team, and WDW in general, as sunk in the last 10 years...

[Mackflava99]

If Avatarland is done well and has something different than we get to experience today, I will welcome it with open arms. I enjoyed the movie and it was a Phenom for a decent amount of time. Part 2 and 3 will entrench it or ruin it, depending on how good they are.

I grew up on the Avengers and love the fact the movie has done well, but it is not going to work in the current park , especialy with the Universal complications.

That said,
You really cannot compare Avatar to Star Wars in any way or fashion. its not going to ever be 1/3 as popular.
There should be a Star Wars land , that is what puzzles me. It would BLOW AWAY Harry Potter.
Star wars has grown and still lives- Clone wars cartoons, video games and an entire new universe of novels. There are endless opportunities to create something so incredible it would probably vault that park to a status directly behind Magic Kingdom.

People always complain that DHS is not a full day park, but adding a Star Wars land would make it a 2 day park.

[gratuspater]

Remember the day when WDW used to be innoventive, cutting edge, and ahead of the competition?? Not anymore...


I agree, I do wish they would create more original attractions. And quite rebadging the other rides with whatever movie fits best. Some of my favorite rides are the classics, (before they were movies) POC, HM, BTM, The living seas (pre nemo). I think it is the attention to deatail, that I like the most. So even though I wasn't a huge Avatar fan, Avatarland may turn out good, if they put that level of detail into it. So I'm hopeful for Avatarland, but I would really like to see a real Disney Imagineer turn out some original ideas.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Could it be possible to get excited about Avatar again??? Latest: the attraction may actually be an E ticket which shares a ride system, not with Soarin, but with a new hybrid system... So, instead of Soarin 2.0, we may actually get something worthwhile... Ohh how I hope this is true...

[HackLaSalle]

I just want to know how they can Imagineer Luigi's Flying Tires into Avatarland. Those look like hours of fun.

[Cinderelley]

I didn't like Avatar, but I'll reserve judgement until I see it.

[MaterializedHaunt]

I did enjoy the movie and I thought it was a cool concept. But to make it into a section of AK is terrible. I think it looks very pretty but doesn't work with the concept of AK. AK is there for animals real and mythical. Mythical as in yeti's and dragons and creatures of lore. Avatar creatures were just designed up by a group of people and have no lore behind it... that I know of.

Also, and I am not sure how true this to be. But I think this is just WDWs response to Universal's Harry Potter Land. At least Harry Potter fans are around and reading books and its been around for 50years and multiple movies. This is a sad excuse to make AK larger and seem more up to date with growing times. Why not make another lore section, maybe about Loch Nes or Gnomes or something that has been around for a while. Maybe I am just being nitpicky.

Dont get me wrong I know Disney and I am faithful that this place will look amazing and the interactions in rides/characters/cast will be wonderful. I just think is irrelevant. Maybe they should have a FigmentLand! haha

[DizneyFreak2002]

How long as Harry Potter been around???? I hope 50 years was a typo..

[MaterializedHaunt]

How long as Harry Potter been around???? I hope 50 years was a typo..

Wow nope that certainly wasnt a typo. More like a brain fart I dont know why I was thinking it, but I was thinking Lord of the Rings for some crazy reason. My mind is lost, dont mind me.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Wow nope that certainly wasnt a typo. More like a brain fart I dont know why I was thinking it, but I was thinking Lord of the Rings for some crazy reason. My mind is lost, dont mind me.

Tis ok... I know what you were meant... And I don't disagree... Potter been around for a while and has a huge fan base... Avatar is a new IP that hasn't been entrenched into society yet... And we don't know if it ever will...

With that said, I really don't think the IP matters... if the ride is excellent, IP doesn't even make half the attraction... it is only a small element...

[MaterializedHaunt]

You know what would make sense. They do all the "animal kingdom" stuff. But they dont do much with underwater there. I know Nemo is there but 70% of the earth is water. They should take Nemo and move it over there and give Nemo/Mermaids and such maybe? I just feel like Avatar isnt the right fit. I hope it falls through. I think Nemo has more of a fan base then Avatar.
Although I have to say Walt Disney said "We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun - together" And I think Avatar would relate more to adults/kids then Nemo would. I think Nemo would be more kiddish but I know Disney would make it adult friendly too. I think I am boredline on this topic. Jeesh

[darthmacho]

You know what would make sense. They do all the "animal kingdom" stuff. But they dont do much with underwater there. I know Nemo is there but 70% of the earth is water. They should take Nemo and move it over there and give Nemo/Mermaids and such maybe? I just feel like Avatar isnt the right fit. I hope it falls through. I think Nemo has more of a fan base then Avatar.
Although I have to say Walt Disney said "We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun - together" And I think Avatar would relate more to adults/kids then Nemo would. I think Nemo would be more kiddish but I know Disney would make it adult friendly too. I think I am boredline on this topic. Jeesh

I think this is a great idea. They do have Living Seas and it already has a Nemo theme, but if they take some of the concepts from Tokyo's Disney Seas and apply it to a land in AK, it would be better than Avatar. Instead of the proposed "flying over Pandora on the back of some flying thing" you could "fly though the seas on the back of a ray" or something. Also, they could add Aquarium, which is a restaurant owned by the same company as Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex.

If they were to go back to the Beastly Kingdom concept, they could start by making a Dragon's Den like they have under the castle in Paris. Sure, they'd still have to build these things, but they could save time and money by rehashing things that work from their over-seas parks, which few Americans get to see anyway, so it will be new to them.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Get ready folks... Avatar is on its way... Sight line balloons were up over CMM today, with the area closed down...

[DizneyRox]

If they were to go back to the Beastly Kingdom concept, they could start by making a Dragon's Den like they have under the castle in Paris. Sure, they'd still have to build these things, but they could save time and money by rehashing things that work from their over-seas parks...

There is/was already a fire breathing dragon over at CMM. I think you can see the den (rock formation) from the bridge, and it used to be capable of breathing fire. I witnessed it on one of the Discovery River boat rides way back in the late 90's... Without a supporting land over there though, it doesn't make much sense...

[Melanie]

Sooooooooo, is the buzz I'm reading true? Avatarland delayed indefinitely because of creative differences between Cameron and WDI? Say it isn't so.

[Mfarquar]

I heard that it is not delayed because of creative differences.

I heard that it's delayed because James Cameron is delaying the start of filming for the 2nd and 3rd installments.

Obviously, all parties involved will want the Animal Kingdom attractions' opening to coincide with the release of the film.

However, with the size of this investment, Disney may not agree with the other players.

Good luck getting Cameron to back down - if another blockbuster is set to be released when Avatar is, he will surely rally to change the date. He pushed Titanic back 6 months for this reason...