News Avatar Experience coming to Disneyland Resort

[GravityFalls]

Some very very rough and quick math.

This part of the Cadillac Range rock work in Cars Land was built to block the hotels.

Pixar Pier Hotel is about 168 feet in height
Distance between the hotel and Cars Land is 1680ft
Cars Land Rockwork is 120 feet at its peak, so I'm guessing this part of the range is 80ft (2/3rds the height of the peak)

So to block something you need an object that's half the height at ten times the distance.

We think of the parking lot as this big space, but it would still be challenging to manage the sight lines with those hotels.

 

[mickEblu]

Disney's contract with Cameron's team predates the acquisition (the original AK contract that is either a template for future lands or mentions future projects), so we are probably looking at a scenario where the contract states "near zero visual intrusion from the outside world" and the Imagineers have looked at several spots available and what it would take to meet those requirements. Not so much a formal veto, but more of a design brief that they think would be difficult to meet at the Simba parking lot location.

Sounds plausible. Regardless I’d imagine they would have presented the option if they felt it was the better of the two and had the green light for Simba from Disney. I get the sense that Avatar going in Simba has more to do with it being more feasible at this time and not because of Cameron but both are things can be true.

 

[TheDisneyParksfanC8]

In my opinion I think with Disney's acknowledgment that Avatar is still happening and that any delay to the closure of Monster is no actual delay in Avatar opening means whatever plan they had previously as far as location is still intact and hasn't changed. Which means in my opinion it puts it at less than 1% chance of Avatar not going into the Backlot. As any other location is still a ways out in time frame.

And so really the only question is scale, has it changed? If anything I can see them wanting to go bigger rather than cut back. So on that front I think we might see more updated concept art coming out with more details at D23.

And the final telling thing, if we still see movement over the next 6-12 months (if we haven't heard anything by D23) of demo happening in the rest of Backlot, well that is the telltale sign that everything with Avatar is a go, because anything else would have Disney announcing it.

I'm hoping they'll give avatar a second D ticket attraction in the Philiarmagic spot. I'm hard pressed Disney would want to cap the land at 1 attraction.

 

[Disney Irish]

Sounds plausible. Regardless I’d imagine they would have presented the option if they felt it was the better of the two and had the green light for Simba from Disney. I get the sense that Avatar going in Simba has more to do with it being more feasible at this time and not because of Cameron but both are things can be true.

That assumes that Simba was even a viable option at the time. Remember when this was first rumored and then finally announced DLForward hadn't even been approved yet, that approval wouldn't come until over a year later. So that plot of land wasn't even known if it was going to be available any time soon if ever.

So the only options were within the existing footprints of DL and DCA. Meaning that unless they wanted to wait for potentially a decade or more it was either the Backlot, TL, or some other plot within the existing footprint. The Backlot is the only viable area for today. They want to wait and delay this then maybe Simba is available, but again I get the sense this is a strike while the iron is still hot type of situation.

 

[mickEblu]

That assumes that Simba was even a viable option at the time. Remember when this was first rumored and then finally announced DLForward hadn't even been approved yet, that approval wouldn't come until over a year later. So that plot of land wasn't even known if it was going to be available any time soon if ever.

So the only options were within the existing footprints of DL and DCA. Meaning that unless they wanted to wait for potentially a decade or more it was either the Backlot, TL, or some other plot within the existing footprint. The Backlot is the only viable area for today. They want to wait and delay this then maybe Simba is available, but again I get the sense this is a strike while the iron is still hot type of situation.

Yeah I don’t think they ever really seriously considered Simba. Buttt maybe just maybe they’ve shifted their attention there recently.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yeah I don’t think they ever really seriously considered Simba. Buttt maybe just maybe they’ve shifted their attention there recently.

Possible, but as I've mentioned in other posts I still think we're looking at mid-2030s before anything opening up there. And I just don't see them waiting until 2035 and beyond to open Avatar. I still think they want this to open while the movies are still coming out in theaters, and unless something is changed we're still getting Avatar 4 in 2029 and Avatar 5 in 2031.

 

[coffeefan]

Yeah I don’t think they ever really seriously considered Simba. Buttt maybe just maybe they’ve shifted their attention there recently.

If the reason for moving Avatar is because it's "not as popular," then moving it the furthest possible, across the street doesn't seem like a good idea.

Possible, but as I've mentioned in other posts I still think we're looking at mid-2030s before anything opening up there. And I just don't see them waiting until 2035 and beyond to open Avatar. I still think they want this to open while the movies are still coming out in theaters, and unless something is changed we're still getting Avatar 4 in 2029 and Avatar 5 in 2031.

I don't even think Simba is an option until after the hotels there expand first.

 

[mickEblu]

Possible, but as I've mentioned in other posts I still think we're looking at mid-2030s before anything opening up there. And I just don't see them waiting until 2035 and beyond to open Avatar. I still think they want this to open while the movies are still coming out in theaters, and unless something is changed we're still getting Avatar 4 in 2029 and Avatar 5 in 2031.

Good points. Do we think 2031 would be absolutely impossible for the Simba lot? Anyway i still believe that at this moment the below is the order of what is most likely to happen based on everything we’ve heard.

1. Avatar opens at Hollywood backlot
2. Avatar is cancelled
3. Avatar opens on Simba lot

 

[mickEblu]

If the reason for moving Avatar is because it's "not as popular," then moving it the furthest possible, across the street doesn't seem like a good idea.



I don't even think Simba is an option until after the hotels there expand first.

Agreed that’s why I have it as the third likely thing that would happen.

 

[Disney Irish]

I don't even think Simba is an option until after the hotels there expand first.

Other than maybe another DVC tower what hotel expansions are even rumored for the west side of the Resort?

I think any new hotels will be going into TSL.

 

[Disney Irish]

Good points. Do we think 2031 would be absolutely impossible for the Simba lot? Anyway i still believe that at this moment the below is the order of what is most likely to happen based on everything we’ve heard.

1. Avatar opens at Hollywood backlot
2. Avatar is cancelled
3. Avatar opens on Simba lot

Less than 5 years for a brand new plot of land in Anaheim with no access to any current infrastructure, not to mention the bridge and other roadwork needed just to make it happen, plus the EGW needing to be finished first so that the parking in Simba can be moved, and no construction surveying yet even started, it seems unlikely. We'd have heard something by now. SDL took 5 years and that was with government backing and cutting red tape. This would be Disney going it alone, so no I don't see that being possible at this point.

Also again based on Disney's own words I think your second option is also almost out of the realm of possibilities at this point too, Avatar isn't being cancelled.

 

[coffeefan]

Agreed that’s why I have it as the third likely thing that would happen.

Perhaps it gets moved to another park. My guess is Shanghai or Abu Dhabi, but they wouldn't outright cancel it altogether. They have already put in years of work into it and it would be embarrassing for Cameron.

Also, even if it's "less popular," it's still one of the biggest movie franchises.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Perhaps it gets moved to another park. My guess is Shanghai or Abu Dhabi

Only if Shanghai or Abu Dhabi ask for it. Disney is a minority owner in Shanghai and doesn't own any of Abu Dhabi Disneyland.

 

[mickEblu]

Perhaps it gets moved to another park. My guess is Shanghai or Abu Dhabi, but they wouldn't outright cancel it altogether. They have already put in years of work into it and it would be embarrassing for Cameron.

Also, even if it's "less popular," it's still one of the biggest movie franchises.

again based on Disney's own words I think your second option is also almost out of the realm of possibilities at this point too, Avatar isn't being cancelled.

When I say cancel I mean at DLR.

I don’t know I mean Paris passed on it (for now at least) at Adventure World. None of the Asian parks have prioritized it. Now we have this sudden delay on Monsters Inc closing while the proposed land/ attraction continues to gets tons of negative feedback. All I’m saying is I wouldn’t be surprised

 

[Disney Irish]

When I say cancel I mean at DLR.

I don’t know I mean Paris passed on it (for now at least) at Adventure World. None of the Asian parks have prioritized it. Now we have this sudden delay on Monsters Inc closing while the proposed land/ attraction continues to gets tons of negative feedback. All I’m saying is I wouldn’t be surprised

They have over $6B reasons (and more upcoming) not to cancel. So yeah I'd honestly be very surprised if it was cancelled.

 

[Gusey]

When I say cancel I mean at DLR.

I don’t know I mean Paris passed on it (for now at least) at Adventure World. None of the Asian parks have prioritized it. Now we have this sudden delay on Monsters Inc closing while the proposed land/ attraction continues to gets tons of negative feedback. All I’m saying is I wouldn’t be surprised

I really don't think its getting cancelled. I don't think the negative feedback is as much as it might look (I personally haven't seen much) and the positive reaction to the concept art when both pieces were revealed in 2024 was much larger than the persistant negatives (and most of the negativity I've seen has been aimed at the Avatar films taking a long time to film to have "cultural impact" rather than Avatar coming to DCA).
I think the delay to the closure of Monsters Inc has more to do with the recent sudden changes to the ART buses that came out of nowhere, which has likely impacted timelines for the new parking structure and the current bus loop. With Avatar replacing the backlot and the bus loop, the ART bus removal may have had a larger impact on the timelines than it might seem

 

[coffeefan]

Only if Shanghai or Abu Dhabi ask for it. Disney is a minority owner in Shanghai and doesn't own any of Abu Dhabi Disneyland.

It's a very popular franchise in those regions, so it's possible.

 

[mickEblu]

They have over $6B reasons (and more upcoming) not to cancel. So yeah I'd honestly be very surprised if it was cancelled.

You know as well as I do that Avatar has not really penetrated the cultural zeitgeist. As a visual spectacle it does gangbusters in theatres and then people forget about it until the next movie. The 6 billion is irrelevant if people aren’t clamoring for its theme park presence. McDonald's can sell a billion Big Macs but it doesn’t mean someone wants one at their Thanksgiving table. Which really speaks volumes as the settings from the movie are excellent source material for theme park lands and attractions.

Not to mention it doesn’t sell merch, will cost roughly a billion dollars and the last movie did not do as well as they expected. Yeah, I wouldn’t be shocked.

 

[mickEblu]

I really don't think its getting cancelled. I don't think the negative feedback is as much as it might look (I personally haven't seen much) and the positive reaction to the concept art when both pieces were revealed in 2024 was much larger than the persistant negatives (and most of the negativity I've seen has been aimed at the Avatar films taking a long time to film to have "cultural impact" rather than Avatar coming to DCA).
I think the delay to the closure of Monsters Inc has more to do with the recent sudden changes to the ART buses that came out of nowhere, which has likely impacted timelines for the new parking structure and the current bus loop. With Avatar replacing the backlot and the bus loop, the ART bus removal may have had a larger impact on the timelines than it might seem

As a gambling man I’d say you are probably right. As I keep saying there is enough there for me to question if it might be cancelled. Actually scratch that. As a gambling man, I wouldn’t touch this “game.”

 

[mickEblu]

I’m pretty in tune with the fandom. I get the sense that the large majority are ok with Avatar being this really beautiful, unique, one-off thing at Animal Kingdom. Of course I will also fully acknowledge that the majority of those people would eat their words if Disney delivers a beautiful mini land and Shanghai POTC version of Avatar.