News Avatar Experience coming to Disneyland

CaptinEO

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
celluloid said:
In reference to the bunny figure: At the end of the day the tech is great, but the impact is what matters. That tech could be the start of something really cool for a free roaming character. Honestly, I think it has more potential to have a scene area in a ride where it safely but amazingly freely roams and has fluid motion with no anchoring. Then a charging base it hits at night.

I don't want to be a cynic, but I know the impact matters. Besides a well done sound trigger system and a well built puppet frame, the Raptor Encounter at Universal is not high tech, it is very well done, and pleases people with minimal tech downtime as it takes the theme park daily abuse that I am curious of the free roaming AA would have.


Does anyone else remember the theme park travel channel special(and perhaps Modern Marvels showed it at onepoint too) that ended with what Imaigneering was working on for the future and it showed a group in a room stairing at the front as if watching a screen or theater and a wall came down to the side where a robotic four legged creature started walking in.

I always wondered what that was a mock up for.
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This is all indicative of Disney as a company now. They care more about technology than their guest experience.

They are happy to throw millions into these walk around robotic characters that only appear for maybe a week.

Just off the top of my head I can recall:
Wall-E
PUSH
Talking Mickey
Lucky The Dinousaur

I get there is always R&D expenses. But imagine if they used their money to improve the guest experience in their parks instead of wasting it on these concepts that are incredibly short term and disposable.

Like you said the Raptor Encounter is low tech and gets the job done. Pandora has people in the cool mech suits as well.

I think people would rather have reliable entertainment than these tech showcases that last a couple of days and disappear forever. The Tommorowland night band playing classic rock would make more people happy.

It seems WDI just wastes money on something that is destined for one of their books, D23, or TV specials instead of being something for the park guest.
 
C

celluloid

Well-Known Member
CaptinEO said:
This is all indicative of Disney as a company now. They care more about technology than their guest experience.

They are happy to throw millions into these walk around robotic characters that only appear for maybe a week.

Just off the top of my head I can recall:
Wall-E
PUSH
Talking Mickey
Lucky The Dinousaur

I get there is always R&D expenses. But imagine if they used their money to improve the guest experience in their parks instead of wasting it on these concepts that are incredibly short term and disposable.

Like you said the Raptor Encounter is low tech and gets the job done. Pandora has people in the cool mech suits as well.

I think people would rather have reliable entertainment than these tech showcases that last a couple of days and disappear forever. The Tommorowland night band playing classic rock would make more people happy.
Click to expand...

Very well said and my sentiments for sure. We have a multi billion dollar digital infastructure, and so much of it is to self serve the business and rarely the guest for what it cost.

3 billion could build more attractions and venues and get a ROI.
 
Suspirian

Suspirian

Well-Known Member
CaptinEO said:
This is all indicative of Disney as a company now. They care more about technology than their guest experience.

They are happy to throw millions into these walk around robotic characters that only appear for maybe a week.

Just off the top of my head I can recall:
Wall-E
PUSH
Talking Mickey
Lucky The Dinousaur

I get there is always R&D expenses. But imagine if they used their money to improve the guest experience in their parks instead of wasting it on these concepts that are incredibly short term and disposable.

Like you said the Raptor Encounter is low tech and gets the job done. Pandora has people in the cool mech suits as well.

I think people would rather have reliable entertainment than these tech showcases that last a couple of days and disappear forever. The Tommorowland night band playing classic rock would make more people happy.

It seems WDI just wastes money on something that is destined for one of their books, D23, or TV specials instead of being something for the park guest.
Click to expand...
Yea this is one of my biggest complaints with the current state if Imagineering and even factors into many of the more recent attractions. It seems like the incentive for a lot of rides is the tech that comes with it but ultimately leads to an experience that gets mixed reviews. Na’vi River Journey comes to mind.
 
PiratesMansion

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
CaptinEO said:
This is all indicative of Disney as a company now. They care more about technology than their guest experience.

They are happy to throw millions into these walk around robotic characters that only appear for maybe a week.

Just off the top of my head I can recall:
Wall-E
PUSH
Talking Mickey
Lucky The Dinousaur
Click to expand...
PUSH really shouldn't be included with the rest, as PUSH was around for almost two decades and people loved it. I also remember reading that it wasn't actually something Disney itself operated-I want to say PUSH stopped appearing because Disney opted not to renew the contract.

Talking Mickey is such a 'duh' move that I'm really bummed WDW removed it and that it never rolled out to the other parks.
 
MarvelCharacterNerd

MarvelCharacterNerd

Well-Known Member
Phroobar said:
Except they don't. Look at the Muppet Mobile Lab, R2-D2 and Lucky. They appeared and toured and then disappeared. If you were lucky, you saw them but most everyday guests never did. In the old days, it was easier to randomly catch Push roaming around Tomorrowland.

Besides, what is so amazing about a guy on stilts holding out stick arms?
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What's so amazing about a guy telling bad jokes on a boat on a track?

What's so amazing about going up and down really fast in an elevator?

What's so amazing about a fake castle?

IYKYK #differentstrokes #hulkwasincredible :) He was a huge crowd-pleaser.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
MarvelCharacterNerd said:
What's so amazing about a guy telling bad jokes on a boat on a track?

What's so amazing about going up and down really fast in an elevator?

What's so amazing about a fake castle?

IYKYK #differentstrokes #hulkwasincredible :) He was a huge crowd-pleaser.
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One is a cheap Halloween gimmick that any cosplayer has been doing for decades while the others are themed environments.

To me, this is far more impressive.
iu
 
MarvelCharacterNerd

MarvelCharacterNerd

Well-Known Member
Phroobar said:
One is a cheap Halloween gimmick that any cosplayer has been doing for decades while the others are themed environments.

To me, this is far more impressive.
iu
Click to expand...
🤷‍♂️ That's nice.

As someone who spent a lot of time visiting Hulk over the two months he was out, he was a tremendously popular addition to Campus and I can't wait for him to return. :) I don't think I even heard all of his dialogue because they kept adding more every time I saw him. Probably the most fun was him talking with Iron Man. The best moments on Campus are the characters interacting with each other. They're awesome. :D
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
So Micechat says "During February’s earnings call, Disney CEO Big Iger announced an Avatar-inspired experience would also be coming to the Disneyland Resort. While Iger gave no details about what guests can expect at Disneyland, the resort currently offers nothing Avatar-related, so the announcement alone was big news – and immediately fueled speculation about how (and where) Pandora would materialize in Anaheim."

I'm not sure who Big Iger is. Are we just getting a concept art installation like the Lighthouse Artspace in LA?
Avatar-The-Way-of-Water-Immersive-Experience-8.jpg
 
chadwpalm

chadwpalm

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
SSG said:
A building permit just dropped:

Dca - Sf Workplace/Embarcadero - Install (2) Illuminated Hanging Signs To Read "Pandora".

IDK, maybe the jewelry store is going to DCA?
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https://www.laughingplace.com/w/new...lt-disney-world-resort-and-disneyland-resort/

"The fairy tale begins May 5 at Uptown Jewelers and May 6 at Legends of Hollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, as well as at La Mascarade d’Orleans on May 5 and Embarcadero Gifts on May 6 at Disneyland."

It looks like Embarcadero Gifts (across from Little Mermaid) is becoming a Pandora store similar to how Mascarade d’Orleans in NOS is one. That will make 3 Pandora stores on the property. Whether this stays permanent is another story, but they are permitting 2 illuminated signs, so sounds like it will be there for a while.

Disneyland:
1683848805278.png


Downtown Disney:
1683848857593.png


And soon to be DCA:
1683848934795.png


This is not related to Avatar.
 
E

Elijah Abrams

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
chadwpalm said:
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/new...lt-disney-world-resort-and-disneyland-resort/

"The fairy tale begins May 5 at Uptown Jewelers and May 6 at Legends of Hollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, as well as at La Mascarade d’Orleans on May 5 and Embarcadero Gifts on May 6 at Disneyland."

It looks like Embarcadero Gifts (across from Little Mermaid) is becoming a Pandora store similar to how Mascarade d’Orleans in NOS is one. That will make 3 Pandora stores on the property. Whether this stays permanent is another story, but they are permitting 2 illuminated signs, so sounds like it will be there for a while.

Disneyland:
View attachment 715755

Downtown Disney:
View attachment 715756

And soon to be DCA:
View attachment 715758

This is not related to Avatar.
Click to expand...
It feels like the time McDonald's came to the Disney parks, and I remember that. Yet, same thing happened with Starbucks.
 
C

choco choco

Well-Known Member
chadwpalm said:
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/new...lt-disney-world-resort-and-disneyland-resort/

"The fairy tale begins May 5 at Uptown Jewelers and May 6 at Legends of Hollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, as well as at La Mascarade d’Orleans on May 5 and Embarcadero Gifts on May 6 at Disneyland."

It looks like Embarcadero Gifts (across from Little Mermaid) is becoming a Pandora store similar to how Mascarade d’Orleans in NOS is one. That will make 3 Pandora stores on the property. Whether this stays permanent is another story, but they are permitting 2 illuminated signs, so sounds like it will be there for a while.

Disneyland:
View attachment 715755

Downtown Disney:
View attachment 715756

And soon to be DCA:
View attachment 715758

This is not related to Avatar.
Click to expand...

Who buys mall jewelry at a theme park? Are these the same people who buy suits at the airport?
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
Original Poster
In a new article at the Orange County Register, there are comments from Ken Potrock this week on the Avatar experience coming to the Disneyland resort.

"Walt Disney Imagineering is teaming up with boundary-pushing filmmaker James Cameron on a “bold” new Avatar experience for the Disneyland resort that came as a surprise to fans and the top brass at the Anaheim theme park when it was first revealed by Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Disneyland resort president Ken Potrock shared his “surprise” at Iger’s unexpected announcement during the OC Forum event held on Wednesday, May 18 at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.

“And lastly, a project that was announced by Bob Iger,” Potrock told the OC Forum audience. “By the way, a surprise to me. Not kidding. It’s great when you hear from your boss what you’re doing.”

Potrock’s comments on the upcoming Avatar experience came at the end of a rundown of $2 billion in projects currently underway across the Disneyland resort.

Iger’s seemingly off-the-cuff announcement in February set off a firestorm of speculation by Mouse Watchers all wondering the same thing: Where is this new “experience” going to be built at the Anaheim theme park resort?

Three months later, Disneyland planners are still waiting to find out “what the heck we’re going to do” and how the Avatar experience will fit into the 500-acre theme park resort.

“Our Imagineers are working with Jim Cameron and his team,” Potrock said. “We’re going to share lots more details as they become available. By the way, as I become aware of what the heck we’re going to do. But stay tuned, it’s going to be really exciting. We’re thinking bold.”

Potrock’s joking and jesting comments drew laughter from the hundreds of business and city leaders in the audience at the OC Forum."

Full article below.

www.ocregister.com

Disneyland and Imagineering working with James Cameron on ‘bold’ Avatar experience

Disneyland fans are still waiting to see how the Avatar experience will fit into the 500-acre theme park resort.
www.ocregister.com www.ocregister.com
 

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