Avatar construction aerial updates

[kap91]

Although I don't entirely disagree with you some coasters have place. EE even without yeti is fantastic and a great addition...rock and roll Rollercoaster although showing it's age is another good one with some decent pre show elements. Across the road the hulk even wit minimal theming is fantastic and doesn't feel out of place.

A visible tracked roller coaster always feels out of place, with the exception of California screamin because they copped out with a thematic excuse. The day Disney builds a coaster like the hulk is the day I completley lose faith in them. That's not what good theme park design is about. That's about attracting thrill seekers and teenagers - which can be done without building coasters.

I also think EE is tremendously overrated even with the Yeti. The coaster itself is relatively boring and short in thrill even compared to big thunder and space. There have been light leaks inside the mountain from day one and the rest of the effects aside from the yeti are mediocre or even subpar. The only thing impressive about it is its size and queue. Why it continually gets heralded as the epitome of the eticket continues to confuse me. There are far better rides, and far better thrill rides throughout WDW and Disneyland. (See pirates, Indy, splash, tot, etc. )

 

[photoflight]

For both of you watching this thread but not the Construction Progress thread, @photoflight put a new aerial in the Construction Progress thread yesterday.

EDIT: Here's the link: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/avatar-land-construction-progress.877041/page-59#post-6562116

Oops - I meant to put it here!

Click to enlarge...

 

[flyerjab]

Oops - I meant to put it here!

Click to enlarge...

Two things I noticed in the latest overhead photo:

1. There is gravel or some other grey stone present on the ground that was not there before or I simply did not notice it. Does that indicate future walkways or paths?

2. The ground clearing for the table service restaurant in back of Pizzafari. I am wondering if there will be views of Pandora from this restaurant. I know that there is a tree line there, but maybe the structure will have 2 floors and the floating mountains or other parts of the expansion will be visible when eating there. I think that would be a nice touch and would be something unique for that dining experience.

 

[danlb_2000]

Two things I noticed in the latest overhead photo:

1. There is gravel or some other grey stone present on the ground that was not there before or I simply did not notice it. Does that indicate future walkways or paths?

2. The ground clearing for the table service restaurant in back of Pizzafari. I am wondering if there will be views of Pandora from this restaurant. I know that there is a tree line there, but maybe the structure will have 2 floors and the floating mountains or other parts of the expansion will be visible when eating there. I think that would be a nice touch and would be something unique for that dining experience.

We talked about this before, I think it's far to early for walk ways. This would be done much later in the process. I noticed they tore down the round section on the back of Pizzafarri. I also like the little bypass road they built over by Rainforest so they can divert around utility work.

 

[EdC]

1. There is gravel or some other grey stone present on the ground that was not there before or I simply did not notice it. Does that indicate future walkways or paths?

At this point, it may be temporary gravel/asphalt that was added to allow the construction crews easier access to the site. The rainy part of the year is coming in soon, so they probably don't want to worry about getting stuck in the mud and get the main work done. They can come back and remove the temporary stuff in just a day worth of work.

 

[msteel]

Looks to me like some of the backfilling has been done around the lower level of some buildings.

I think the strange wall thing will be rockwork on the north side, and I think there will be a passageway between its south side and the simulator show building, for backstage and/or emergency purposes. The thing that doesn't make sense to me about it though, is that the plans show the queue for the simulator ride beginning on the north side of the show building where the simulator section meets the boat ride section. How do people get there? There do not appear to be any openings in the wall. And that wall is 20+ foot high (from comparing it shadows to those of people).

 

[twebber55]

Looks to me like some of the backfilling has been done around the lower level of some buildings.

I think the strange wall thing will be rockwork on the north side, and I think there will be a passageway between its south side and the simulator show building, for backstage and/or emergency purposes. The thing that doesn't make sense to me about it though, is that the plans show the queue for the simulator ride beginning on the north side of the show building where the simulator section meets the boat ride section. How do people get there? There do not appear to be any openings in the wall. And that wall is 20+ foot high (from comparing it shadows to those of people).

I certainly think it has to do with the rock wall...does it look like an entrance way could be in the middle of the walls in front of E ticket?

 

[marni1971]

Also from what has been previously said, the budget for the land remains the same despite no coaster..

The budget did not remain the same.

 

[twebber55]

The budget did not remain the same.

what the budget

 

[TomHendricks]

Looks to me like some of the backfilling has been done around the lower level of some buildings.

I think the strange wall thing will be rockwork on the north side, and I think there will be a passageway between its south side and the simulator show building, for backstage and/or emergency purposes. The thing that doesn't make sense to me about it though, is that the plans show the queue for the simulator ride beginning on the north side of the show building where the simulator section meets the boat ride section. How do people get there? There do not appear to be any openings in the wall. And that wall is 20+ foot high (from comparing it shadows to those of people).

They have to run around the building, keep running all the way around until they are all in.

 

[EdC]

They have to run around the building, keep running all the way around until they are all in.

Yeah, it'll be like in 'The Sims' where you are walled in to a 1x1 grid and left to fend for yourself.

That's the Avatar way. It allows them to really "pack the crowds in" to this amazing new attraction.

 

[Fsunolekrw]

The budget did not remain the same.

So Marni, if the budget is not the same do you know what it was originally and what it is now? Just curious.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

So Marni, if the budget is not the same do you know what it was originally and what it is now? Just curious.

Rumor has it that after the Disney executives visited the new Harry Potter land, they asked for more budget for Avatar and Star Wars land - just a rumor on Screamscape.

 

[marni1971]

So Marni, if the budget is not the same do you know what it was originally and what it is now? Just curious.

All I know is it slipped downwards in the region of 2-300 m.

 

[Bolt]

Rumor has it that after the Disney executives visited the new Harry Potter land, they asked for more budget for Avatar and Star Wars land - just a rumor on Screamscape.

If you're going to do a joke, you typically just quote Screamscape, not make up new ones.

 

[flyerjab]

Rumor has it that after the Disney executives visited the new Harry Potter land, they asked for more budget for Avatar and Star Wars land - just a rumor on Screamscape.

My understanding from everything on here in the past was that Pandora was targeted to have 3 rides instead of 2 and that the land would have been larger and had an additional E-Ticket thrill coaster. This third attraction did not make the cut. That might account for the budget cut you are referring to.

However, not long after, Disney announced the purchase of LucasFilms and all of its operating companies, including ILM and Skywalker Sound, for 4.05 billion dollars. Maybe they weren't worried about Pandora as much knowing that this acquisition was in the works. I also heard the story about how some imagineers saw the extent of the theming that went into the Diagon Alley expansion and had requested more money. Whether that is true or not who really knows.

 

[twebber55]

All I know is it slipped downwards in the region of 2-300 m.

really, so now its 200-300 million?

 

[stretchsje]

All I know is it slipped downwards in the region of 2-300 m.

Wow, so cut roughly in half from the original $500 million budget.

That's a heck of a cut. I'm just speculating here, but that sounds like more than an E-ticket unless it was to be on par with Radiator Springs Racers ($200+ million). To date, the most expensive roller coaster in the world is EE at only $100 million. So effectively two EE-size rides worth of funding were cut, at minimum! That doesn't sound right, which has me wondering what else was originally planned.

Perhaps the entire land was once to be "bio-luminescent" as in the movie, and thus interactive, but now it's not, or some other very architecturally-difficult land items (floating mountains) were cut too? I was once imagining this entire land to be indoors with a simulated sky to pull of the floating mountain effects and the bio-luminescent life even during the Florida sunlight, but I could imagine this being ridiculously expensive.

 

[marni1971]

Wow, so cut roughly in half from the original $500 million budget.

That's a heck of a cut. I'm just speculating here, but that sounds like more than an E-ticket unless it was to be on par with Radiator Springs Racers ($200+ million). Perhaps the entire land was once to be "bio-luminescent" as in the movie, and thus interactive, but now it's not, or some other very architecturally-difficult land items (floating mountains) were cut too?

I was told it originally stood around the 700m mark.

 

[kap91]

Wow, so cut roughly in half from the original $500 million budget.

That's a heck of a cut. I'm just speculating here, but that sounds like more than an E-ticket unless it was to be on par with Radiator Springs Racers ($200+ million). To date, the most expensive roller coaster in the world is EE at only $100 million. So effectively two EE-size rides worth of funding were cut, at minimum! That doesn't sound right, which has me wondering what else was originally planned.

Perhaps the entire land was once to be "bio-luminescent" as in the movie, and thus interactive, but now it's not, or some other very architecturally-difficult land items (floating mountains) were cut too? I was once imagining this entire land to be indoors with a simulated sky to pull of the floating mountain effects and the bio-luminescent life even during the Florida sunlight, but I could imagine this being ridiculously expensive.

I quoted the $100 million figure not too long ago and was told it was closer to $200 million

I was told it originally stood around the 700m mark.

Almost positive in one of the original announcements it was quoted as $500 million. But of course I won't be able to find it.