News Avatar Experience coming to Disneyland Resort

[Distorian]

Rise Preshow 1: Rey appears on a screen as does Po.
Rise Preshow 2: Ren and Hux on a screen.
Rise 3rd Scene: Stormtroopers on screen shooting at us blocking us from turbolifts
Rise 4th Scene: All enemies are represented by Stormtroopers on screens
Rise Transition from 5th to Elevator: Screen-based Kylo walking towards us
Rise 7th Scene: Multiple giant screens depicting space battle
Rise 8th Scene B-Mode: Screen
Rise Escape Pod: Screen-based motion simulator

I'd say that Rise is pretty screen heavy. What I'd give to have a few less static physical stormtroopers in the queue and more physical animatronics of Stormtroopers in the actual ride rather than all being on screens.

Outside of the preshow interrogation and the stormtroopers, surprisingly none of these bother me. I assume it’s because they’re mostly seen through a window so the lack of depth is far less troublesome. In Zootopia, when there are screens the screens are mostly the scenes themselves.

 

[DL-fan]

Hey better there than Disneyland.

The only IP I could see going into Disneyland within the next 10 years is Frozen.

 

[DL-fan]

Outside of the preshow interrogation and the stormtroopers, surprisingly none of these bother me. I assume it’s because they’re mostly seen through a window so the lack of depth is far less troublesome. In Zootopia, when there are screens the screens are mostly the scenes themselves.

The POV of the ride says it all, scenes that 100% rely on screens is just lazy. At this point, full screen scenes in indoor rides should be over with. Universal overdid it, Disney had their fun with it for a while. All fads end.

 

[TheRealSkull]

The only IP I could see going into Disneyland within the next 10 years is Frozen.

Same. Probably the main reason they haven't done it yet is so they could experiment with the lands internationally, see what works best, then bring the best possible version to Disneyland. Which is smart. Disneyland desperately needs it to succeed, because likely it is going in prime real estate that has historical significance. Because once it's gone, it really is gone. There is so much historical significance at stake. I only say this because it makes the most sense to put it in the Motorboat Cruise area.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I really wonder if they'll just scrap Avatar entirely. Fire and Ash just didn't do as well as its predecessors. I really don't want them to fall into the same trap as Galaxy's Edge and Marvel. In the late 2010s, Marvel and Star Wars were all the internet could talk about, Marvel especially was the biggest thing in pop culture. Now the hype is killed entirely. They are building the Avengers E Ticket 8 years too late. Yeah, they're trying with Doomsday and other Star Wars spinoff movies but I really don't think it will amount to much.

At least they were smart building Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT the way they did. One day when Chris Pratt doesn't begins to look 30 years older than when he recorded for the ride, it really is an easy swap for another IP.

Anyways, Avatar can't really compare because it is strictly a movie that relies on so much CGI to mask what the actors look like. But as far as I'm concerned, the Avatar hype died a while ago. WDI is just developing these concepts too late.

Absolutely not. Fire and Ash was far from a disaster like some folks are trying to play it as, and the other Avatar land is still a massive crowd pleaser (and huge LL seller). It’s still gonna happen, no doubt about it. Avatar is too popular, makes too much money, and actually has across the last two films has developed an actual fandom. It’s gonna be built.

 

[TheRealSkull]

Absolutely not. Fire and Ash was far from a disaster like some folks are trying to play it as, and the other Avatar land is still a massive crowd pleaser (and huge LL seller). It’s still gonna happen, no doubt about it. Avatar is too popular, makes too much money, and actually has across the last two films has developed an actual fandom. It’s gonna be built.

Fair enough. Just hope they don't build it too late is all.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Fair enough. Just hope they don't build it too late is all.

I think if it is being moved they’ll time it with the release of either the 4th or 5th film.

The reason Fire and Ash “only” made $1.5 billion is because Avatar is one of those franchises that needs to be missed. Way of Water’s hook was not just an appealing new environment and technological evolution, it was a mystique. The series had been away long enough to let the desire increase.

Fire and Ash was never gonna be able to use that as a hook, not least of all because it started it’s life as the second half of Way of Water. For all intents and purposes, these two films started as one film but in the creative process were split into two, hence them coming out so close together.

The gap between 3 and 4 is gonna be much bigger than that of 2 and 3, though not as big as 1 and 2. We also know per James Cameron that F&A was the conclusion of the story arc begun in WoW, and that 4 and 5 are intended to be the end of the saga set several years after the events of F&A.

I could see a world where Disney times their theme park development of Avatar to that of the films and have a new Avatar land ready to to when the final two films are ready to go. I suspect 4 and especially 5 will make more than 3 given the longer wait, the ability to grow mystique again, the new tech involved, and it being a finale.

 

[DL-fan]

Same. Probably the main reason they haven't done it yet is so they could experiment with the lands internationally, see what works best, then bring the best possible version to Disneyland. Which is smart. Disneyland desperately needs it to succeed, because likely it is going in prime real estate that has historical significance. Because once it's gone, it really is gone. There is so much historical significance at stake. I only say this because it makes the most sense to put it in the Motorboat Cruise area.

If they don’t want Autopia to go, it could be shortened to half the size it currently is to make way for a small Arandelle along the Small World esplanade. The Monorail and PeopleMover tracks are really limiting Disneyland from new projects

 

[TheRealSkull]

If they don’t want Autopia to go, it could be shortened to half the size it currently is to make way for a small Arandelle along the Small World esplanade.

I really don't think they are gonna go small with Frozen, though.

 

[mickEblu]

I really don't think they are gonna go small with Frozen, though.

I’m sure it would be popular but something about DLR getting the 5th iteration of this attraction and third iteration of the land just doesn’t sit right with me. Doesn’t feel like a good use of space. As the official DLR master planner I say it should either go in DL/ Fantasyland as a single attraction (with mandatory shop/ restaurant) or into the third gate/ West Coast World Showcase Norway Pavillion of course. Or a third option - our own version of Fantasy Springs in the DL Forward plot (DL side) with two other IP’s.

 

[DL-fan]

I really don't think they are gonna go small with Frozen, though.

Well if they’re gonna do Frozen, I say create the Fantasy Springs version, the ride could fit without touching the submarines, you can shorten the Autopia track to only go up the far right side of the park and you would relocate the monorail track, its work but it’s doable. You can use the motor boat lagoon as the moat to the entrance of Arandelle and just use that as the facade to the ride.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I

Fire & Ash had no merch vs all of the Zootopia 2 merch flying off shelves. They learned their lesson when Way of Water had merch that didn’t move on the westcoast. Zootopia just sells itself as a theme park land from every metric. Even though Avatar is more ambitious.

I get it from a business perspective, but I also like my theme park additions to not even consider the merchandise potential...

Avatar would be a far more exciting and ambitious theme park expansion over Zootopia. Far more room to feel like an original vs IP ride.

 

[britain]

The ONLY reason they might cancel Avatar for DCA is if they wanted to save Avatar for a third theme park. (Or go back to Subs/Autopia again - not likely.) I don’t think the IP is dying, but I don’t think it’s gonna suddenly get more popular as time marches on. So if a switch is the plan, it could mean that the third park is 7-10 years away instead of 20.

Likelihood it stays where it’s being planned for DCA: 80%

Likelihood it is heading to a fast tracked third park: 20%

 

[mickEblu]

I get it from a business perspective, but I also like my theme park additions to not even consider the merchandise potential...

Avatar would be a far more exciting and ambitious theme park expansion over Zootopia. Far more room to feel like an original vs IP ride.

For sure but if it still gets built in the Simba lot that’s an all around Win. Of course this conflicts with part of the reason I think it might get replaced with Zootopia in the backlot so who knows.

 

[coffeefan]

Whole land is ~171,000 Sqft or just under 4 acers
View attachment 912709
In theory... DCA could probably give ~142,000sqft or 3.25 acers without touching the transportation hub
View attachment 912711

Or what if Zootopia replaced Paradise Gardens Park? That land is about 3.2 - 3.7 acres (not including TLM ride).

 

[BrianLo]

Likelihood it stays where it’s being planned for DCA: 80%

Likelihood it is heading to a fast tracked third park: 20%

Credit for optimism, that would be bold CEO move. But I think you’ve merely overlooked the Downtown Disneyland Parking lot. That was always what I felt like was a leading contender before DCA was committed to. Particularly in this horse race that DCA is getting 3 other major rides, they’d look back to Disneyland.

 

[TheDisneyParksfanC8]

To me these notions of Avatar being canned or moved around is cope. People are simply having a hard time coming to terms with Avatar going into the backlot. DLR knows how to maximize space available, and they will do it again for Avatar.

 

[coffeefan]

It would have to be modified, but here's Zoo DCA. A Zootopia dark ride would be an upgrade over Goofy's and the swings could be rethemed.

 

[BrianLo]

It would have to be modified, but here's Zoo DCA. A Zootopia dark ride would be an upgrade over Goofy's and the swings could be rethemed.

View attachment 912756

I think the dining facilities are too crucial and would be more so with both this and Coco.

 

[eddie104]

But it wouldn't be a 3D show since those run their course fast at DLR.

I wonder why that is?

WDW kept their shows going for decades like Muppetvision without people loosing much interest versus the California version closing way back in 2014.

It reminds me of the Country Bears situation.

To me these notions of Avatar being canned or moved around is cope. People are simply having a hard time coming to terms with Avatar going into the backlot. DLR knows how to maximize space available, and they will do it again for Avatar.

Even some “insiders” are hinting at a possible change of plans. I don’t Avatar is that far along in the development as people think.

They always being in the absolute very early stages. On the other hand Villains seems to be much further along in the process.