News Avatar Experience coming to Disneyland Resort

[BrianLo]

I think it’ll happen but hope it’s still the rumored Shanghai POTC ride system and that they’re going all out in general.

Ditto! I'm so hungry for the second generation of that brilliant system.

 

[Disney Irish]

Pandora was also the most successful addition Disney built in one of their parks since 2013. It's still the highest rated thing for guest scores in all of WDW.

We really are not off a different timeline than the original, which also was snap announced before work began. There is clearly some minor hold ups with the Eastern Gateway being a necessary condition, but even that seems to have movement.

If construction starts prior to June 2026, it will have broken ground sooner than Animal Kingdom's did. There seems to be a lot of evidence both this and Coco will begin shortly, with Coco being an ultimately less complex project.

Basically once RunDisney finishes the end of January/beginning of February you’ll start to see movement on the EGW, and then the rest of the dominos fall for Avatar. Backlot being demo’d sometime between March-May 2026 seems about right to me.

 

[CoastalElite64]

This was a nice short summary.

 

[mickEblu]

Got my last ride on Monsters Inc yesterday. Shame they didn’t find a way to keep it. It’s grown on me and is a solid little dark ride. I might even go as far to say if you remove the nostalgia and view it objectively it’s probably up there with the best of the Fantasyland dark rides. I think in another world where Disney had any other feasible option at DCA proper for Avatar they would have built Monstropolis there and maybe even added the coaster. This tells me any development on the Simba lot is probably farther off than most people think. I know there will be a net gain of two dark rides but the park doesn’t really have any to spare.

Come 2030/2031 I think DCA will finally meet most peoples definition of a Full Day Park but it’s’ going to be rough for a while. God forbid you go on a Winter day and Grizzly is closed, Monsters is gone and any of the big rides go down you’re toast. And forget about riding RSR unless you are willing to pay to play or wait two hours +. Now would be great time to put a show in the Hyperion.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Got my last ride on Monsters Inc yesterday. Shame they didn’t find a way to keep it. It’s grown on me and is a solid little dark ride. I might even go as far to say if you remove the nostalgia and view it objectively it’s probably up there with the best of the Fantasyland dark rides. I think in another world where Disney had any other feasible option at DCA proper for Avatar they would have built Monstropolis there and maybe even added the coaster. This tells me any development on the Simba lot is probably farther off than most people think. I know there will be a net gain of two dark rides but the park doesn’t really have any to spare.

Come 2030/2031 I think DCA will finally meet most peoples definition of a Full Day Park but it’s’ going to be rough for a while. God forbid you go on a Winter day and Grizzly is closed, Monsters is gone and any of the big rides go down you’re toast. And forget about riding RSR unless you are willing to pay to play or wait two hours +. Now would be great time to put a show in the Hyperion.

It’s a shame they can’t find it a way to move it
near the pier … I’d take Monsters Inc over Goofy’s Sky School …

 

[mickEblu]

It’s a shame they can’t find it a way to move it
near the pier … I’d take Monsters Inc over Goofy’s Sky School …

And get rid of the the best drop in the entire resort!?

Plus I don’t think it would fit there would it? Nor would it be worth the time, money and resources… for Disney.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Got my last ride on Monsters Inc yesterday. Shame they didn’t find a way to keep it. It’s grown on me and is a solid little dark ride. I might even go as far to say if you remove the nostalgia and view it objectively it’s probably up there with the best of the Fantasyland dark rides. I think in another world where Disney had any other feasible option at DCA proper for Avatar they would have built Monstropolis there and maybe even added the coaster. This tells me any development on the Simba lot is probably farther off than most people think. I know there will be a net gain of two dark rides but the park doesn’t really have any to spare.

Come 2030/2031 I think DCA will finally meet most peoples definition of a Full Day Park but it’s’ going to be rough for a while. God forbid you go on a Winter day and Grizzly is closed, Monsters is gone and any of the big rides go down you’re toast. And forget about riding RSR unless you are willing to pay to play or wait two hours +. Now would be great time to put a show in the Hyperion.

I wonder if they might be reconsidering Monsters Inc's closure, or at least the need to close it immediately, given that it's clearly going to be a few years before the Eastern Gateway is ready and they can't really do meaningful Avatar construction until that's finished. I understand that they're in cost cutting mode, but it really can't be THAT expensive of an attraction to operate or maintain.

And get rid of the the best drop in the entire resort!?

Plus I don’t think it would fit there would it? Nor would it be worth the time, money and resources… for Disney.

Wild Mice coasters are beneath Disney IMO, and it's not even a particularly good wild mouse. It's just the standard Mack Wild Mouse design with a hill removed, yet it's still just as mid and mediocre as any of the others. Knott's literally has the larger extended version of this ride, as does Legoland, so it's not even unique within the greater SoCal theme park community. To me the space would be better served by being filled with a dark ride (perhaps one similar in scale or scope to Monsters?), a food court...just about anything, honestly.

 

[mickEblu]

I wonder if they might be reconsidering Monsters Inc's closure, or at least the need to close it immediately, given that it's clearly going to be a few years before the Eastern Gateway is ready and they can't really do meaningful Avatar construction until that's finished. I understand that they're in cost cutting mode, but it really can't be THAT expensive of an attraction to operate or maintain.

Wild Mice coasters are beneath Disney IMO, and it's not even a particularly good wild mouse. It's just the standard Mack Wild Mouse design with a hill removed, yet it's still just as mid and mediocre as any of the others. Knott's literally has the larger extended version of this ride, as does Legoland, so it's not even unique within the greater SoCal theme park community. To me the space would be better served by being filled with a dark ride (perhaps one similar in scale or scope to Monsters?), a food court...just about anything, honestly.

Well they were giving these out yesterday but that’s probably more to do with the 20th anniversary than it going away soon.

I doubt they re reconsidering its closure but I suppose reconsidering the timing is possible.

lol yeah I know. But I do enjoy that drop. And as the parks “starter coaster” its height requirement is way too high at 42 inches so you can’t even really take that angle. I agree they can do better with that space. I just don’t think they would find value in moving a 20 year old dark ride. If they put a dark ride there it would be something they could market as new ride.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Well they were giving these out yesterday but that’s probably more to do with the 20th anniversary than it going away soon.

View attachment 904788

I doubt they re reconsidering its closure but I suppose reconsidering the timing is possible.

Oh it's definitely closing, but the only reason to close it right now is marginal cost savings. They're still a decent spot away from a functional Eastern Gateway, so perhaps they've reconsidered and will run it until that area's ready or the Marvel stuff is open. That's what I would do if I was in their shoes. But Disney's gotta save that money, so who knows.

The pin could be confirmation that its closure is imminent or it could be a red herring, I can't tell.

lol yeah I know. But I do enjoy that drop. And as the parks “starter coaster” its height requirement is way too high at 42 inches so you can’t even really take that angle. I agree they can do better with that space. I just don’t think they would find value in moving a 20 year old dark ride. If they put a dark ride there it would be something they could market as new ride.

Not moving Monsters Inc there, but building something new of the same style. Luca and friends in the Italian seaside or Turning Red "Oops I Panda'd again" Adventure or whatever.

 

[D.Silentu]

Always thought the wild mouse ought to be enclosed and themed, perhaps with one exterior opening to provide a glimpse of the pier. It's a fun ride if the line is short, but, as pointed out, the very definition of off the shelf which is too reminiscent of day one DCA at this point.

 

[Disney Irish]

I wonder if they might be reconsidering Monsters Inc's closure, or at least the need to close it immediately, given that it's clearly going to be a few years before the Eastern Gateway is ready and they can't really do meaningful Avatar construction until that's finished. I understand that they're in cost cutting mode, but it really can't be THAT expensive of an attraction to operate or maintain.

Oh it's definitely closing, but the only reason to close it right now is marginal cost savings. They're still a decent spot away from a functional Eastern Gateway, so perhaps they've reconsidered and will run it until that area's ready or the Marvel stuff is open. That's what I would do if I was in their shoes. But Disney's gotta save that money, so who knows.

The pin could be confirmation that its closure is imminent or it could be a red herring, I can't tell.

So is your assumption they just close it and just keep it shuttered for many months while they do EGW as some cost savings measure? That seems counterproductive. My bet is they close it and demo it fairly quickly. Now whether they move onto Avatar right away or wait until EGW is completed is another matter, my better is the former more than the latter, but we'll see.

In order for the EGW to be built they have to close the Transportation Hub and fence it off, that includes the current guest foot path that goes down the middle. So the current thought is if they don't build out Avatar at the same time as the EGW they use the land where Monsters currently is to route that guest traffic flow until the EGW is finished and the new Harbor entrance hub opens.

So it still makes sense on why they would close it this early even if they aren't ready to build out Avatar just yet.

 

[DrStarlander]

Always thought the wild mouse ought to be enclosed and themed, perhaps with one exterior opening to provide a glimpse of the pier. It's a fun ride if the line is short, but, as pointed out, the very definition of off the shelf which is too reminiscent of day one DCA at this point.

I don't love the look or placement of GSS, but that no-bank tight-turn format is gold. I'd love to ride a scaled up version with four-across wing coaster type seating (like below) for even more hanging-over-the-edge thrills.

by the way, how did that guy on the right end up on that coaster barefoot?

 

[BrianLo]

I know there will be a net gain of two dark rides but the park doesn’t really have any to spare.

I think it’s a really great net in the aggregate. More than just numbers on a page, Monsters was discretely a ride you rode once on a visit, with particularly low capacity and a fairly short ride time.

Coco might be the same, a mermaid like, but even then I expect it will be longer and higher capacity. Of course Coco could also be better than that, just trying to set a low bar.

The Pandora ride and Avengers ride I suspect will both be experiences people would happily do twice in a day, if lines allow.

 

[mickEblu]

I think it’s a really great net in the aggregate. More than just numbers on a page, Monsters was discretely a ride you rode once on a visit, with particularly low capacity and a fairly short ride time.

Oh yeah clearly the park will be better off with the new attractions. That’s not even a question. Getting rid of Monsters Inc is a necessary evil. Just not ideal IMO remove a serviceable dark ride in a park that has so few. Also feel that Monstropolis would have worked great in that location. But ideal doesn’t mean it’s realistic and I totally understand the decision to put Avatar there.

I think for me losing TOT and ITTBAB contribute to this feeling. It’s just unfortunate that it in order to grow and/ or achieve synergy, three of the best themed indoor experiences/ dark rides in the park had to go or be rethemed. TOT, ITTBAB and Monsters made up three of the four attractions in the park that felt the most “Disneyland” to me. In addition to RSR of course.

We went from a Haunted Hotel during Hollywood’s Golden Age to irreverent super hero’s. Walking down into an underground world of bugs in a beautifully themed queue and theatre to walking into a warehouse with spider bots located in a concrete wasteland. Not to mention how much better Bugs Land worked next to Cars Land or how much better TOT worked within the context of the park. The difference here is there is just no chance in hell that Avatar isn’t an objective upgrade.

Coco might be the same, a mermaid like, but even then I expect it will be longer and higher capacity. Of course Coco could also be better than that, just trying to set a low bar.

This would be so massively disappointing.

 

[BrianLo]

This would be so massively disappointing.

For context I like mermaid better than Monsters Inc. Not that you have to agree with me, but just contextually that I am saying the floor is better than Monsters Inc.

 

[mickEblu]

For context I like mermaid better than Monsters Inc. Not that you have to agree with me, but just contextually that I am saying the floor is better than Monsters Inc.

At one point I think I felt the same way. I’m sure almost entirely due to the soundtrack and Ursula’s scene and now I can’t fathom how I ever came to that conclusion. I don’t even think they re in the same league. I think my appreciation for the Monsters Inc IP has gone up through the years and the announcement of it being removed has allowed me to view it with a different set of eyes and find all the good in it as opposed to lamenting its flaws and where it falls short. Kind of like when someone dies. Lol.

But objectively I’m not sure how one can make the case that Mermaid is better than Monsters. I think the Doors scene alone is better than the entire Mermaid ride. Monsters does its source material much more justice. Mermaid feels like a sanitized, sterile cliff notes version of the movie where you passively go around every scene which just further cements that you’re watching the highlights of movie on a moving chair. Monsters set design is far superior to Mermaid with a greater variance in scope/ scale. We go from scenes that feel huge to some scenes that feels as intimate as the classic dark rides. Mermaid has some intimate scenes too but they come across as shallow and “fake” with the exception of Ursula’s scene. I also think for reusing the Superstar limo building/ ride system they did a stellar job. Mermaid had a much more of blank slate. Monsters feels longer even if it isn’t (?) probably because it feels like more of an adventure or richer experience and not Mermaid cliff notes through 5 rooms connected by repetitive rock tunnels with static fish: The Ride.

What Mermaid has going for it is the wait times are never too bad so like Pooh over at DL that can help create a positive association with the experience for guests.

 

[BrianLo]

What Mermaid has going for it is the wait times are never too bad so like Pooh over at DL that can help create positive association with the experience for guests.

Probably this. It’s not terribly sensible, but I just find it better integrated into the park and more pleasant to just jump on. Monsters also competes with a far better version in Tokyo and I don’t like the backlot that it is shoved into.

Not particularly rational, your reasons are strong. I also don’t get terribly nostalgic when things are removed, I am strangely change motivated.

 

[D.Silentu]

Monsters set design is far superior to Mermaid with a greater variance in scope/ scale. We go from scenes that feel huge to some scenes that feels as intimate as the classic dark rides. Mermaid has some intimate scenes too but they come across as shallow and “fake” with the exception of Ursula’s scene. I also think for reusing the Superstar limo building/ ride system they did a stellar job.

In Monsters they turned one dark ride into a new dark ride so the experience comes off as more natural. In Mermaid, which reclaimed theater space, you can feel the compromise. Too many corridors with vignettes in alcoves. Whoever designed Winnie The Pooh across the way ought to have been consulted, as the space there is better utilized. Mermaid still has its charms, but I think it tends to get the "it's DCA" pass that a lot of attractions there are graced with.

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

I remember going on a school trip to DCA a while back and all we did the entire day was wait in line and ride RSR. When we had to leave due to time everyone in my group was so disappointed that we couldn't ride anything else the entire day. It was probably the best memory I've had ever when my chaperone went up to the cast members and talked to them a bit before bringing our entire group to the front of the line bypassing a 40 min wait! Monsters Inc terrified me though so I had my eyes closed the entire time lol

While I am sad to see it go I would much rather see an amazing Avatar ride grace our lands.

 

[mickEblu]

In Monsters they turned one dark ride into a new dark ride so the experience comes off as more natural. In Mermaid, which reclaimed theater space, you can feel the compromise. Too many corridors with vignettes in alcoves. Whoever designed Winnie The Pooh across the way ought to have been consulted, as the space there is better utilized. Mermaid still has its charms, but I think it tends to get the "it's DCA" pass that a lot of attractions there are graced with.

That’s a great point. Although they had more of a blank slate so to speak it wasn’t the best blank slate.