News Avatar Experience coming to Disneyland Resort

[TheDisneyParksfanC8]

I think an avatar land taking over Hollywood land would be the best bet. But also what if avatar was part of the dlforward proposal and got built on that lot around Pixar hotel. Prob not though, but I really hope they wouldn't redo the GRR and soaring for it.

Addressing HL makes first makes sense before they touch the Simba lot. I am more curious as to the order they will break ground on Avatar since it needs the transportation hub behind HL.

Obviously the new parking deck itself would have to be completed before you start the process of leveling HL. But do you add the bridge from the new transportation before you demo HL or do you do it while you are building the land?

It was also implied that the Hyperion is going to be another causality to make way for this new land. Where could Disney adds another venue like it elsewhere at DLR if they want to have a high capacity performance space?

 

[BrianLo]

Ride system, queue, mechanics, ride layout, giftshop, tech, sequence, structure of show scenes. As I said, it would be like calling HMH a new ride. It has new theming, but the rooms and scenes are the same and the progression hasn't changed.

So… what is Phantom Manor then?

 

[BrianLo]

I have a small tidbit! Hyperion seems to be surviving. Though your guess is as good as mine if it sways Avatar or Avengers. It will change.

I don’t know why this project is so leaky all of a sudden, but that seems like a good thing that people are talking.

Consider a fifth independent claiming it’s for Hollywood. It seems Eastern Gateway is a mandatory lock as part of it. I mean they’ve been barely holding themselves back on trying to pretend they aren’t dying to build out the Eastern Gateway at this point. That really seems like a project leadership was not happy met opposition.

 

[mickEblu]

I have a small tidbit! Hyperion seems to be surviving. Though your guess is as good as mine if it sways Avatar or Avengers. It will change.

I don’t know why this project is so leaky all of a sudden, but that seems like a good thing that people are talking.

Consider a fifth independent claiming it’s for Hollywood. It seems Eastern Gateway is a mandatory lock as part of it. I mean they’ve been barely holding themselves back on trying to pretend they aren’t dying to build out the Eastern Gateway at this point. That really seems like a project leadership was not happy met opposition.

Man, does everyone here have a source except me!? Haha. I’d be happy if the Hyperion survived. One - because it would seem to ensure the survival of the red car trolley and Hollywood Blvd (the street/path- not necessarily the name of the land) that stems from the BVS hub which I think just looks right at DCA. Two- because it adds nice variety to the experiences offered at the resort.

If the Hyperion stays then it would seem we will only be getting one ride with this land especially if it’s really a huge E ticket boat ride. The last thing DCA needs is another spinner/ flat ride.

 

[BrianLo]

Man, does everyone here have a source except me!? Haha. I’d be happy if the Hyperion survived. One - because it would seem to ensure the survival of the red car trolley and Hollywood Blvd (the street/path- not necessarily the name of the land) that stems from the BVS hub which I think just looks right at DCA. Two- because it adds nice variety to the experiences offered at the resort.

If the Hyperion stays then it would seem we will only be getting one ride with this land especially if it’s really a huge E ticket boat ride. The last thing DCA needs is another spinner/ flat ride.

I have absolutely no idea on the fate of the trolley. This does seem like a substantial amount of Hollywood land will go though, even if Hyperion as a theatre is repurposed.

I’d hope the trolley would stay.

I’m increasingly wondering if this is a Cosmic Rewind situation. I.e. Pandora itself is contained to the attractions and we otherwise remain in DCA outside of the show buildings. They built this elaborate travel company backstory for the original land.

 

[mickEblu]

I have absolutely no idea on the fate of the trolley. This does seem like a substantial amount of Hollywood land will go though, even if Hyperion as a theatre is repurposed.

I’d hope the trolley would stay.

I’m increasingly wondering if this is a Cosmic Rewind situation. I.e. Pandora itself is contained to the attractions and we otherwise remain in DCA outside of the show buildings. They built this elaborate travel company backstory for the original land.

Yeah if/ when the backlot (and maybe the Hyperion go) then I’d like to see Hollywood Blvd get reassigned to BVS. That way you keep the trolley, animation building and the building facades going down from the BVS hub.

When you say “in DCA” I assume you mean the Hollywood Backlot and/ or DCA proper? I can see a situation where the land takes over most of the backlot and the show building is mostly in the current bus transpo area but I don’t think we are taking off to Pandora from (insert name of new land) like we do Star Tours in TL. It’s possible (and I suggested that a few days ago) but one of the rumors suggest they are actively working on bringing the beach locale from the Avatar sequel to DCA. Right now based off all the rumors, it sounds to me like a mini beach themed land with one large E ticket boat ride. It works in California Adventure because California has beaches. Get it?

 

[Suspirian]

I have absolutely no idea on the fate of the trolley. This does seem like a substantial amount of Hollywood land will go though, even if Hyperion as a theatre is repurposed.

I’d hope the trolley would stay.

I’m increasingly wondering if this is a Cosmic Rewind situation. I.e. Pandora itself is contained to the attractions and we otherwise remain in DCA outside of the show buildings. They built this elaborate travel company backstory for the original land.

I would like that as part of a proper Hollywoodland expansion, but i don't think Disney has the same reverence for DCAs theme that they do for Epcot (even tho the commitment to keeping Epcots theme intact is small). I definitely think out of all stateside theme parks, DCA is looked at as a literal dumping ground internally.

 

[Disney Irish]

I have a small tidbit! Hyperion seems to be surviving. Though your guess is as good as mine if it sways Avatar or Avengers. It will change.

I don’t know why this project is so leaky all of a sudden, but that seems like a good thing that people are talking.

Consider a fifth independent claiming it’s for Hollywood. It seems Eastern Gateway is a mandatory lock as part of it. I mean they’ve been barely holding themselves back on trying to pretend they aren’t dying to build out the Eastern Gateway at this point. That really seems like a project leadership was not happy met opposition.

D23 is certainly going to be interesting this year......

 

[mickEblu]

D23 is certainly going to be interesting this year......

Something’s gotta give. Avatar, TL redo, Avengers Ride, Frozen, more info on DL Forward. Take your pick.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Ride system, queue, mechanics, ride layout, giftshop, tech, sequence, structure of show scenes. As I said, it would be like calling HMH a new ride. It has new theming, but the rooms and scenes are the same and the progression hasn't changed.

If covering up a practical effect or show scene and replacing it with a projections screen makes it a whole new ride, then Mansion's new WDW finale will give us a BRAND NEW ATTRACTION. YAY. Luckily we also got that new Alice in Wonderland ride a few years back and Hyperspace Mountain magically changes to a new attraction whenever the layover occurs.

Oh my gosh, totally forgot that Indy now counts as a brand new ride thanks to them not wanting to fix the doors.

On one hand, we lost a lot of old rides. But on the plus side, I just discovered that we have so many new attractions that have been created in the past 10-15 years.

This is so silly. Words have meaning.

Mission Breakout is an Overlay - call it an Overlay. It's not a Clone.

The Haunted Mansion is The Haunted Mansion. Revising a scene or two is an update to The Haunted Mansion, not a new attraction.

Changing all the scenes in a ride, along with the exterior and the name, makes it a new ride even if it's not a new facility. Which is why calling Mission Breakout "The Tower of Terror" would not be correct anymore. What you experience now is no longer The Tower of Terror.

When a ride is built in a new location that is for all intents and purposes a copy of an existing ride, it is a Clone. TRON at Magic Kingdom is a Clone.

When a ride is built in a new location and makes significant changes from the original design but shares a name, it's a new version of that ride. The Haunted Mansion at WDW is a version of The Haunted Mansion. They share many elements, but WDW's is not a direct clone of DL's.

Phantom Manor shares many elements with The Haunted Mansion, and its design is based of the original at DL, but it features multiple new scenes, revised scenes, a new exterior, new music, a new script, and a new name. It is plainly part of The Haunted Mansion family, and Disneyland Paris' equivalent of The Haunted Mansion, but it is not actually itself The Haunted Mansion. It is Phantom Manor, which is a different, new ride.

That said, just because a Tomato is a Fruit doesn't mean it belongs in a Fruit Salad. Building Phantom Manor in a park or resort that already has its own version of The Haunted Mansion would be a bad idea.

Dinosaur! is not a clone of The Indiana Jones Adventure. It borrows elements like the ride vehicle, and shares a similar layout - it is not actually identical - and could theoretically be adapted into a version of an Indiana Jones ride (as has been officially proposed), but given the structural realities of the Dinosaur! facility it is not likely to ever be converted into an actual direct clone of Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure. Until that day comes, Dinosaur is its own, new ride. It might be strange to build Dinosaur! in a park that already featured a version of Disney's Indiana Jones ride, but that's never been a conversation anyway, so.

 

[Disney Irish]

Something’s gotta give. Avatar, TL redo, Avengers Ride, Frozen, more info on DL Forward. Take your pick.

I'm betting it'll be a flurry of announcements for various different projects, some even with construction start dates. As that'll be post DLForward city approval and the shareholder vote (no matter what side you sit on).

 

[DisneyAJ]

I'm betting it'll be a flurry of announcements for various different projects, some even with construction start dates. As that'll be post DLForward city approval and the shareholder vote (no matter what side you sit on).

They need to give us at least a date or two. Tired of all the coming soon bs and then single attractions taking years and still not breaking ground. With DLForward, if approved, they have no more excuses to drag their feet.

 

[Disney Irish]

They need to give us at least a date or two. Tired of all the coming soon bs and then single attractions taking years and still not breaking ground. With DLForward, if approved, they have no more excuses to drag their feet.

You would never have survived in the before times, before D23. Because that is all you got back then "coming soon" with very little detail released beyond some concept art until opening. Lol.

Anyways I honestly think D23 will have some major announcements. Only 5 months to go.

 

[MistaDee]

I understand the term just fine, both inside and outside of the theme park experience, so I don't need to reexamine anything. As I said you make whatever list you want, its all just opinions just like all of us here have. No one here is the "authority" on anything beyond that, our own opinions. So how you want to classify something is completely up to you.

But I can tell you, as someone having seen the plans for IJA in 1992 (story for another time), Dinosaur is identical with everything but the story. Its the reason why Indy replacing Dinosaur makes sense, as they can just keep the same attraction and retheme it and the area to Indy. Story and some elements will be slightly different I'm sure, but again the overall experience will be much the same as IJA.

I'm not claiming to be an authority, just someone who understands the definition of the word clone. You are objectively incorrect in this instance: it's not a matter of opinion.

Rides telling different stories are not clones, true in Shanghai's river attraction and in Dinosaur. This is the last I'll comment on the Clone Wars. Please refer future questions to Merriam-Webster.

This is so silly. Words have meaning.

Mission Breakout is an Overlay - call it an Overlay. It's not a Clone.

The Haunted Mansion is The Haunted Mansion. Revising a scene or two is an update to The Haunted Mansion, not a new attraction.

Changing all the scenes in a ride, along with the exterior and the name, makes it a new ride even if it's not a new facility. Which is why calling Mission Breakout "The Tower of Terror" would not be correct anymore. What you experience now is no longer The Tower of Terror.

When a ride is built in a new location that is for all intents and purposes a copy of an existing ride, it is a Clone. TRON at Magic Kingdom is a Clone.

When a ride is built in a new location and makes significant changes from the original design but shares a name, it's a new version of that ride. The Haunted Mansion at WDW is a version of The Haunted Mansion. They share many elements, but WDW's is not a direct clone of DL's.

Phantom Manor shares many elements with The Haunted Mansion, and its design is based of the original at DL, but it features multiple new scenes, revised scenes, a new exterior, new music, a new script, and a new name. It is plainly part of The Haunted Mansion family, and Disneyland Paris' equivalent of The Haunted Mansion, but it is not actually itself The Haunted Mansion. It is Phantom Manor, which is a different, new ride.

That said, just because a Tomato is a Fruit doesn't mean it belongs in a Fruit Salad. Building Phantom Manor in a park or resort that already has its own version of The Haunted Mansion would be a bad idea.

Dinosaur! is not a clone of The Indiana Jones Adventure. It borrows elements like the ride vehicle, and shares a similar layout - it is not actually identical - and could theoretically be adapted into a version of an Indiana Jones ride (as has been officially proposed), but given the structural realities of the Dinosaur! facility it is not likely to ever be converted into an actual direct clone of Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure. Until that day comes, Dinosaur is its own, new ride. It might be strange to build Dinosaur! in a park that already featured a version of Disney's Indiana Jones ride, but that's never been a conversation anyway, so.

Well said. As I've mentioned before, the context for this ludicrous debate was in consideration of how many unique experiences DCA currently offers - particularly with respect to the Florida parks - and if adding potential clones of Pandora and Avengers might relegate DCA to irrelevance even further for die-hard fans.

With the new insider rumors pointing to an E-ticket water ride on the Shanghai boat system, that goes a long way towards assuaging my fears about Pandora. Since Avengers would likely be cloned between Hong Kong and Paris this is also more reasonable to me since it keeps it exclusive for the US.

I have a small tidbit! Hyperion seems to be surviving. Though your guess is as good as mine if it sways Avatar or Avengers. It will change.

I don’t know why this project is so leaky all of a sudden, but that seems like a good thing that people are talking.

Consider a fifth independent claiming it’s for Hollywood. It seems Eastern Gateway is a mandatory lock as part of it. I mean they’ve been barely holding themselves back on trying to pretend they aren’t dying to build out the Eastern Gateway at this point. That really seems like a project leadership was not happy met opposition.

Keeping the Hyperion theater, maybe with a revamped exterior, to anchor a newly expanded Buena Vista Street 1920s theme would be great news. I could also see them keeping the Animation Building and updating its contents over time.

Stage shows with flexible themes, animation and street cars are a nice mix of supplementary attractions to fill out a land for the entry way.

The real question is how they manage the transition from 1920s Hollywood to some biome of Pandora, a portal like we see to Adventureland from the hub, or what is being built at Epic Universe could be a decent solution.

 

[Suspirian]

can we please move on from the clone talk

 

[Professortango1]

can we please move on from the clone talk

I second this. Or clone this.

Send in....the clones!

 

[Disney Irish]

I'm not claiming to be an authority, just someone who understands the definition of the word clone. You are objectively incorrect in this instance: it's not a matter of opinion.

Rides telling different stories are not clones, true in Shanghai's river attraction and in Dinosaur. This is the last I'll comment on the Clone Wars. Please refer future questions to Merriam-Webster.



Well said. As I've mentioned before, the context for this ludicrous debate was in consideration of how many unique experiences DCA currently offers - particularly with respect to the Florida parks - and if adding potential clones of Pandora and Avengers might relegate DCA to irrelevance even further for die-hard fans.

With the new insider rumors pointing to an E-ticket water ride on the Shanghai boat system, that goes a long way towards assuaging my fears about Pandora. Since Avengers would likely be cloned between Hong Kong and Paris this is also more reasonable to me since it keeps it exclusive for the US.

As I mentioned a page ago or so, this is all just boredom talk until there is something more substantive to talk about regarding Avatar in DCA. In reality it doesn't matter how many unique experiences or cloned experiences DL/DCA has as a majority of visitors aren't going to many other Disney Parks. So most don't really care all that much. As long as its fun that is all that really matters.

We'll see what the Avatar land brings to DCA.

 

[MistaDee]

As I mentioned a page ago or so, this is all just boredom talk until there is something more substantive to talk about regarding Avatar in DCA. In reality it doesn't matter how many unique experiences or cloned experiences DL/DCA has as a majority of visitors aren't going to many other Disney Parks. So most don't really care all that much. As long as its fun that is all that really matters.

We'll see what the Avatar land brings to DCA.

Agreed the general public won't really know the difference. But for the extremists, as I presume most of us are to be on these boards, I am rooting for Disney to keep things somewhat unique.

Definitely agree on delivering fun being the most important at the end of the day.

Also curious to see if Avengers comes first: Avatar would require the bus area to be redeveloped, but seems to be considered the hotter property by Disney. Avengers has the ground ready to go and has been officially announced, but seems to be stuck in development hell from a ride system POV and the avengers franchise seems to have cooled in popularity.

 

[Disney Irish]

Agreed the general public won't really know the difference. But for the extremists, as I presume most of us are to be on these boards, I am rooting for Disney to keep things somewhat unique.

Definitely agree on delivering fun being the most important at the end of the day.

Also curious to see if Avengers comes first: Avatar would require the bus area to be redeveloped, but seems to be considered the hotter property by Disney. Avengers has the ground ready to go and has been officially announced, but seems to be stuck in development hell from a ride system POV and the avengers franchise seems to have cooled in popularity.

Yes, as I mentioned earlier in the thread if the rumors are true of it taking over the Hub then the Eastern Gateway project would need to be completed before Avatar could even start. So yeah I could see Avengers being the next DCA project to break ground.

 

[Disney Vault]

Technically they wouldn't have to wait for the eastern gateway to be complete. They could temporarily move the bus drop-off to the old downtown Disney parking lot