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News Avatar Experience coming to Disneyland
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
TP2000
Well-Known Member
With all due respect to someone who has 20th century working knowledge of the park like yourself whom I genuinely appreciate, none of those functions except fireworks can't be moved somewhere else
I mean, for goshsakes, to build Star Wars Land in 2015-2018 they demolished many backstage warehouses that had been there in constant use since the 1950's and 60's and rerouted the Disneyland Railroad and rerouted the entire Rivers of America and even hacked apart Tom Sawyer Island. Compared to that, repurposing these 10 acres for Pandora Land or Frozen Land or whatever it may be is much easier.
Or, wait, the fireworks launch pad can also be moved somewhere else, the roof of the TDA parking structure for example. Even though it still exists untouched in this plan in the Gold box on the right of the Google Earth images above.
Although, to be perfectly honest, I think it's fairly obvious that the days are numbered for the use of commercial fireworks in California. The state has already outlawed gas vehicles by 2035, and gas leaf blowers, and is considering outlawing gas stoves and furnaces, so the wildly decadent and polluting display of fireworks for working class theme park audiences does not have a bright future in California. I'm kind of surprised legal fireworks at Disneyland lasted this long into the 21st century, to be honest, but I imagine the Covid era sidetracked a lot of pet projects in Sacramento which will now gain steam through the 2020's.
Why do you need a 1970's style above ground parade warehouse? Why can't it be buried, or even sunken just 15 feet with a slightly elevated land or land access path built above it, with a ramp or elevator to move the floats up/down to ground level?
Why can't the parking lot tram maintenance barn be moved across Disneyland Drive to the Mickey & Friends area where.... wait for it... the trams actually operate? The primary maintenance is on the engine bays in each drive cab, with lighter maintenance on the chassis and suspension underneath the passenger cars. For the past 25 years that maintenance has taken place in a small-ish barn just east of Disneyland Drive that is basically a glorified Jiffy Lube with a sunken maintenance pit that cabs and cars can drive over. All of that maintenance can be rebuilt in a new facility just north of Mickey & Friends. It would be like moving a Jiffy Lube.
EDIT: Now that I look at the recent Google Earth maps, that old tram maintenance facility is gone already. Was it moved into the ground floor of the new Pixar Pals parking structure, I wonder? It must have been. So, problem already solved!
If there's a costume issue facility, locker room and/or green room for the live characters that appear in Star Wars Land, that facility could also be sunk underground instead of housed in cheap pre-fab buildings they built in 2018 and that were clearly visible from the extended queue of Millennium Falcon back in 2019. None of that can't be moved, or placed in a new basement level, to accomodate an access corridor to the new land expansion to the north.
I would also assume if they used the small expansion plot east of the current Imperial gift shop for a real dinner-theater show, that they could build a basement level at that time to house costuming/support facilities for the dozen or so walk-around characters in the land.
Again, I respect your time at the park and the perspective you have. I'm probably older than you, so it kind of makes me giggle to say this, but things change and you don't have to operate the park like it is still 1985! Bury the support facilities underground. Move stuff across the street if you can. Elevate walkways and access paths above new infrastructure facilities like they did at Tokyo DisneySea.
Combine ride buildings and backstage facilities into one multi-level layered structure, like they did at Tokyo DisneySea, or they did back in 1958-59 with the Tomorrowland expansion, or they did in 1965-67 with the New Orleans Square addition, or they did in 1982-83 with the New Fantasyland rebuild. As both Walt and Star Wars Land have proved to us over the decades, anything is possible at Disneyland!
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Agreed. And as I explained in that last post, the reworking and rebuilding and redesigning of these existing facilities would be less impactful and thus not quite as comparable to Galaxy's Edge or MMRR construction.
If anything, the massive rethink that Star Wars expansion caused on circa 1955-1965 rides and facilities and infrastructure freed these 21st century executives from the chains of thinking "Well, we can't go past the railroad berm! I mean, there's a break room and a float warehouse back there! And that's where the paint shop is! And the woodworking area! And the loading dock the Coca-Cola trucks use every morning! We can't move that stuff, it's been there since the 1960's! My God, can our trains even make a left hand turn???"
Not only did they expand the park past the railroad berm for Star Wars, they tore out the entire berm, rerouted the railroad and the entire Rivers of America, demolished 60 year old warehouses and sacred backstage buildings, and rebuilt it all in better condition than it had been in previously.
Hell, they even picked up and moved that old ranch house that Mr. and Mrs. Pope lived in when they cared for Walt's horses in the 1950's.
They can tear down any old cheap 1960's warehouse they want if they truly want to expand the park north to Ball Road. They own the land, and they have nearly unlimited financial resources and truly unlimited creative resources. There's nothing that could stop them now that they realize it's no longer 1985 and you can tear stuff out if you want to.
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shambolicdefending
Well-Known Member
Well, technically Anaheim still has to approve the building permits...
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
The big thing for me is definitely the fireworks. As far as we know, currently, there is no plan to get rid for them at this time.
So my question is, could a land behind SWGE remain open during? Especially a big land like Pandora with a major night element? I can’t imagine they’d build there if they had to shut it down at night.
So my question is, could a land behind SWGE remain open during? Especially a big land like Pandora with a major night element? I can’t imagine they’d build there if they had to shut it down at night.
tickets on sale March 14, event is Sep 8.
Destination D23 ticket details and presentation highlights including an appearance by Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro
Destination D23 ticket details and presentation highlights including an appearance by Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro
www.wdwmagic.com
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Another strike against Pandora being in Disneyland for me - It’s a little redundant with Adventureland being in the same park. Granted one land is themed to romanticed 1930’s -1950s views of exotic adventure on Earth and the other is an Alien planet with floating mountains etc but still think it’s a tad redundant aesthetically.
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
I think that redundant aesthetic leads to better flow. Arguably, Animal Kingdom’s entire aesthetic is redundant, but transitioning from Adventureland or Galaxy’s Edge to Pandora wouldn’t be that jarring.
But transitioning from Pixar Pier or Toontown to Pandora would be jarring. The GE transitions in California are worlds better than Florida’s because the aesthetics of neighboring lands are somewhat reflected, instead of walking into Toy Story Land.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
The transition of course could be seamless but it wouldn’t be anywhere near Adventureland.
i think the avatar aesthetic is different enough from adventureland that it would be fine.
But honestly if they are building another Avatar based land I want its own better version of Navi River Journey using shanghais PotC as the ride base. Could you imagine the immense scale and what you could do in a 12-14 minute ride through an Avatar world, it would/could be spectacular. Also, put it in Paris Studios they need a massive spectacular ride and with FoP youd have a solid 2nd land around the lake imo
But honestly if they are building another Avatar based land I want its own better version of Navi River Journey using shanghais PotC as the ride base. Could you imagine the immense scale and what you could do in a 12-14 minute ride through an Avatar world, it would/could be spectacular. Also, put it in Paris Studios they need a massive spectacular ride and with FoP youd have a solid 2nd land around the lake imo
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
I meant using the DisneylandForward plot immediately west of Adventureland/New Orleans Square/Critter Country
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I know but I’d imagine the entrance to Pandora if they used that space would be from Critter Country or perhaps NOS (hopefully not). Although we’ll see how sacred Magnolia Park still feels to me after the French Market retheme.
chadwpalm
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
If we are going to be Blue Sky'ing, I was thinking if they did use the northern plot for Avatar, you can do something like this:
Tear down the FL theater and make that the "Earth" side of a voyager to Pandora. This is the yellow area. Have a transit station and maybe a Pandora tourist shop and/or snack bar. Then you hop on a vehicle/tram "Hogwarts Express" style that transports you to Pandora with screened windows and such. You take that up to the red zone which is Pandora itself.
Harry Potter does this between parks, and Rise of the Resistance within an attraction itself, but never a themed transport system to a land (as far as I know). Would be unique. There is the existing access road there that goes under the berm and Disney would have to find a way to cope with losing that, but could be pretty cool. The tram would have to be pretty high capacity though and they could be a potential bottleneck and people might not want to wait in line to get to a land, but the land itself could be thought of as one big attraction.
Tear down the FL theater and make that the "Earth" side of a voyager to Pandora. This is the yellow area. Have a transit station and maybe a Pandora tourist shop and/or snack bar. Then you hop on a vehicle/tram "Hogwarts Express" style that transports you to Pandora with screened windows and such. You take that up to the red zone which is Pandora itself.
Harry Potter does this between parks, and Rise of the Resistance within an attraction itself, but never a themed transport system to a land (as far as I know). Would be unique. There is the existing access road there that goes under the berm and Disney would have to find a way to cope with losing that, but could be pretty cool. The tram would have to be pretty high capacity though and they could be a potential bottleneck and people might not want to wait in line to get to a land, but the land itself could be thought of as one big attraction.
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
I don't want Avatar in Disneyland at all, but assuming it has to go there I really hope it's just a ride.
With every IP specific land, Disneyland slowly loses it's identity as a unique brand that's been beloved for decades. Film is an integral part of Disneyland, and always will be- but lands inside Disneyland should not be tied to one IP.
The Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland are broad enough concepts that they can implement just about any IP they want in these. Avatar would do just fine in Tomorrowland and Adventureland.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Good point.
Is that FBI surveillance truck still parked outside Anaheim City Hall?
Has Ms. Nocella, TDA's Director of Government Affairs, been subpoenaed yet?
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I think the days of public fireworks shows, especially nightly shows not just for special holidays, are numbered in California. In 2024 it will be illegal statewide to own a gas powered leaf blower or gas powered lawn mower or gas powered snow blower (How ya doin' up there, Big Bear?), so it doesn't take much of a stretch to see nightly fireworks going away soon in California.
But, what if it was a land that was almost entirely indoors in a massive show facility?
An alien planet with bizarre flora/fauna would be better in an entirely controlled environment, rather than just being outdoors in the SoCal climate next to the freeway.
Again, we look to Tokyo DisneySea and what Imagineering did almost 25 years ago to create an entirely self-contained indoor land with muliple rides and attractions and shops and restaurants...
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mlayton144
Well-Known Member
This is quite ambitious and I love it , chances of this happening are less than zero IMO but nothing wrong with dreaming
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I agree with the sentiment but post GE I have come to the compromise that as long as it’s outside the berm a single IP land is fair game. Not because GE blew me away but because I realized that you can kind kind of pretend it’s not there and the IP is coming whether we like it or not. Inside the berm I agree and think IP should only be used on single rides in lands where they make sense.
I wouldn’t like Avatar in Adventureland. Tomorrowland would work.
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Practical Pig
Well-Known Member
I agree completely with all of this. Pandora built outside the berm is OK. Inside the berm, I would only want a ride in Tomorrowland or a film experience in the empty theater.
If that.