AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Do they even sell Pandora toys?? I have never seen a kid walking around with an Avatar shirt on or carrying a Navi toy. Carsland makes complete sense since it is Disney AND sells tons of merchandise!

And I have to disagree with you, but Beastly Kingdom with an Avatar section, JTTCotE and Unicorns sounds frickin' awesome!

Carsland is Disney, but it's based on a pretty awful franchise. Disney could've chosen that route for the merchandise appeal, but for once they chose the option that will provide a better thematic experience. That's a step forward, not backward.

 

[erinshaneb]

Why wouldn't they do it at Hollywood Studios? When we were there we talked to a cast member who asked us to rate the parks in order from favorite to least...HS is always last she says and they are trying to figure out how to change it...to me this would seem an obvious choice:shrug:

 

[pax_65]

Why wouldn't they do it at Hollywood Studios? When we were there we talked to a cast member who asked us to rate the parks in order from favorite to least...HS is always last she says and they are trying to figure out how to change it...to me this would seem an obvious choice:shrug:

I think it could fit in HS, since it comes from a movie, but I'll bet it will work well in AK as well. AK currently is devoted to real animals, but animals can be mixed with imagination to produce new creations. This is already done in many Disney movies - real lions don't talk, but they do in The Lion King.

AK and HS have similar attendance, both around 9.6 million visitors in 2010 (compared with 17 million for Magic Kingdom, see link below). I wonder, though, how many hours people stay in the park - the perception is AK is a 1/2-day park, and that's how I usually handle it. It could be an all-day affair if you really want to take your time and look at animals, but that's not really my thing. :shrug:

http://www.coastergrotto.com/theme-park-attendance.jsp

 

[RSoxNo1]

Why wouldn't they do it at Hollywood Studios? When we were there we talked to a cast member who asked us to rate the parks in order from favorite to least...HS is always last she says and they are trying to figure out how to change it...to me this would seem an obvious choice:shrug:

I think it could fit in HS, since it comes from a movie, but I'll bet it will work well in AK as well. AK currently is devoted to real animals, but animals can be mixed with imagination to produce new creations. This is already done in many Disney movies - real lions don't talk, but they do in The Lion King.

AK and HS have similar attendance, both around 9.6 million visitors in 2010 (compared with 17 million for Magic Kingdom, see link below). I wonder, though, how many hours people stay in the park - the perception is AK is a 1/2-day park, and that's how I usually handle it. It could be an all-day affair if you really want to take your time and look at animals, but that's not really my thing. :shrug:

http://www.coastergrotto.com/theme-park-attendance.jsp

My belief is that there are much better options for DHS than Avatar (Carsland or Lucasland). Not every movie franchise is logical for Hollywood Studios. I think Pandora is a far more logical fit in the Animal Kingdom than DHS.

 

[AEfx]

My belief is that there are much better options for DHS than Avatar (Carsland or Lucasland). Not every movie franchise is logical for Hollywood Studios. I think Pandora is a far more logical fit in the Animal Kingdom than DHS.

I still can't see it, though. While I too think the "it's a media franchise it belongs in MGM" is a bit overhanded (especially with Pixar), I just don't see how Avatar really fits in AK. The "well it has a conservation message" could just as soon apply to just about anything. They could just get the rights to Captain Planet, which would actually make sense since he was a blue-skinned guy who far pre-dates Avatar.

My guess is, it was, "OK, we want Avatar to keep it out of the hands of competitors, where can we put it?" and it was decided that AK needed it most and they can stretch the theme. While conservation to help animal life is a small part of AK - and really, besides the "give a $1 donation buttons", and the fact you can't get a straw to drink with because idiots can't find a trash can, it's superficial at best as currently implemented. It's still ANIMAL Kingdom, not "Disney's Animal Kingdom and Conservation Park".

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

My guess is, it was, "OK, we want Avatar to keep it out of the hands of competitors, where can we put it?" and it was decided that AK needed it most and they can stretch the theme. While conservation to help animal life is a small part of AK - and really, besides the "give a $1 donation buttons", and the fact you can't get a straw to drink with because idiots can't find a trash can, it's superficial at best as currently implemented. It's still ANIMAL Kingdom, not "Disney's Animal Kingdom and Conservation Park".

Plenty of the park has a message of conservation. There's a whole land (Rafiki's Planet Watch) devoted to animal care. Kilimanjaro Safaris had an animal rescue aspect in the story (although I think it might have been removed). The theme of Kali River Rapids is to stop logging and the destruction of the natural environment, evident in both the pre-show and the big logging scene. Everest also has a theme of not messing with nature. Avatar fits that general message of the park very well. And besides, it's not like the content of Avatar itself is completely inappropriate for AK. Pandora is a lush, natural environment with abundant biodiversity and exciting (but fictional) plant and animal species. The goal of the AK land will be to transport you to Pandora, so basically it's about the appreciation of a natural environment that's foreign to our own planet.

As long as it's not slapped between Africa and Asia on that plot north of Asia, I think the land will work fine (since the CMM location allows it to be isolated from the real animal settings).

 

[cookiee_munster]

im steadily warming to this idea. its taken a while because i guess its just been so out of the blue (no pun intended)

when i look back at the film, there are things that feature prominently in it that id love to see created in the park, like the bio-luminescence in the evening, someone a few posts back said how they'd love the idea of the tree of souls being a main element, and for people to be able to upload data and download it with a conservation message etc. love that idea

i just hope that it doesn't have a huge tree as its centre piece. what im hoping for is something like a research centre type place, where you then go into a contained environment (like an indoor area where you get to see the bio-luminescence properly)

 

[Disaddict]

It wouldn't matter what they do, people would still gripe and complain. If they put in Beastly Kingdom like they originally planned then people would say "Well why don't they fix (Insert attraction here) first?! That's stupid!". If they started working on EPCOT then people would say "Well why don't they fix (Insert attraction here) first?! That's stupid!". If they added to DHS then people would say "Well why don't they fix (Insert attraction here) first?! That's stupid!".

They can't win. There is always going to be people that gripe and complain about anything they do. Yet these same people still go to the parks once, twice, or three times a year. LOL I have a novel approach here.... Go to the parks, enjoy yourself, and trust that Disney knows what they doing far better than the doctor's, lawyers, construction workers, etc... out here do. They've been doing just fine so far but no amount of "armchair engineering" or "fanboy chanting" is going to make them sit up in a board room and say... "You know what? I think disneyboi3781 is right! We need to fix......." :ROFLOL:

 

[RSoxNo1]

I had a ride system that could work for a family friendly (albeit low capacity ride) for the land. I'm not going to pretend I have any artistic abilities - I'll just try and describe it as best I can.

• Overhead track system on two rails, presumably for weight and speed issues (Think Pteranadon Flyers or an amped up Peter Pan's Flight)
• Vehicles themed to the Dragon type creatures with wings.
• The vehicles can change their height relative to the track to simulate a flap of the wings - these can be activated by the riders

 

[Tinkwings]

Dang....Not thrilled at this announcement....Avatar does nothing Disney-ish for me....then after reading some of the many postings I have to agree that my wanting the Beastly Kingdom isn't any more Disney-ish to me in particular. Sure I would like something else to DO there....more rides etc....a fun huge hedge maze....but with Mickey somehow involved....AND YES I so wish there was more internal imagination left at imagineering to create than to bring in an outside franchise...

Interested in the fact they are doing something big....but still have no love for little blue stuffed gift items running amok....like Stich and Smurfs....imho it just doesn't belong there period....not sure opening Pandora's "box" will be a good thing for AK....:lookaroun

Guess I will hang onto my anticipation of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride...which I find a perfect fit for the MK....:king::sohappy:

 

[jt04]

I had a ride system that could work for a family friendly (albeit low capacity ride) for the land. I'm not going to pretend I have any artistic abilities - I'll just try and describe it as best I can.

• Overhead track system on two rails, presumably for weight and speed issues (Think Pteranadon Flyers or an amped up Peter Pan's Flight)
• Vehicles themed to the Dragon type creatures with wings.
• The vehicles can change their height relative to the track to simulate a flap of the wings - these can be activated by the riders

Yes, I suggested this exact possibility a few days ago. Capacity would be an issue but could be increased using the MK Space Mountain solution.

What is compelling to me about this possibility is that the supports are perfectly vertical and could easily be themed as trees. I WANT THIS RIDE! :lol:

 

[RSoxNo1]

I still can't see it, though. While I too think the "it's a media franchise it belongs in MGM" is a bit overhanded (especially with Pixar), I just don't see how Avatar really fits in AK. The "well it has a conservation message" could just as soon apply to just about anything. They could just get the rights to Captain Planet, which would actually make sense since he was a blue-skinned guy who far pre-dates Avatar.

My guess is, it was, "OK, we want Avatar to keep it out of the hands of competitors, where can we put it?" and it was decided that AK needed it most and they can stretch the theme. While conservation to help animal life is a small part of AK - and really, besides the "give a $1 donation buttons", and the fact you can't get a straw to drink with because idiots can't find a trash can, it's superficial at best as currently implemented. It's still ANIMAL Kingdom, not "Disney's Animal Kingdom and Conservation Park".

I don't doubt for a second that there was at least an element of, "we don't want this franchise going to a competitor". But I do buy into Pandora in this park - I think it fits as well as Kali River Rapids fits into the park's message.

Either way though, history has shown us that if the attractions and the land are well done, those people that see a disconnect between the theme of the land and the overarching theme of the park will likely be more forgiving. Soarin' is a perfect example of this.

Another problem is that so many people have already established their opinions on this land, and Disney's recent approach of giving guests a taste has resulted in a negative first response. We (as fan boys) had the same split attitude towards The Magic, The Memories and You. The situation is eerily similar where we had very basic information, and it wasn't until the show was revealed that people truly understood it. Thankfully with that, the show turned out to be very well done, and those that critiqued the concept (myself included) changed their opinions and wishes for a wider use of the technology.

I had a ride system that could work for a family friendly (albeit low capacity ride) for the land. I'm not going to pretend I have any artistic abilities - I'll just try and describe it as best I can.

• Overhead track system on two rails, presumably for weight and speed issues (Think Pteranadon Flyers or an amped up Peter Pan's Flight)
• Vehicles themed to the Dragon type creatures with wings.
• The vehicles can change their height relative to the track to simulate a flap of the wings - these can be activated by the riders

Yes, I suggested this exact possibility a few days ago. Capacity would be an issue but could be increased using the MK Space Mountain solution.

What is compelling to me about this possibility is that the supports are perfectly vertical and could easily be themed as trees. I WANT THIS RIDE! :lol:

If you think capacity will be an issue, you can address that problem early on. Take an attraction like Peter Pan's Flight. In Disneyland this is not a continuous loader and has capacity issues. The made the boats a little larger to help with this. In Florida, the address that issue and make it a continuous loader and it still has capacity issues. Now, if it were to be rebuilt from scratch in Florida I would expect the boats to be larger and for it to be a continuous loader.

 

[Scuttle]

I had a ride system that could work for a family friendly (albeit low capacity ride) for the land. I'm not going to pretend I have any artistic abilities - I'll just try and describe it as best I can.

• Overhead track system on two rails, presumably for weight and speed issues (Think Pteranadon Flyers or an amped up Peter Pan's Flight)
• Vehicles themed to the Dragon type creatures with wings.
• The vehicles can change their height relative to the track to simulate a flap of the wings - these can be activated by the riders

What if they put the KUKA arm upside down on a suspended coaster that goes through show scenes? This way you could simulate every movement of flying up, down, slight turn to left, slight to the right, basically every movement possible. I know about the rights issues, but this would be totally different. I know it's a stretch and who knows if it's possible, but this could be the amazing ride ever created. I mean it probably wouldn't be as big as forbidden journey, but they could make if smaller which in turn makes it weigh less and I think the weight issue would be a huge problem in this idea. I'm just dreaming here so don't flame me, but honestly if there is any project ever created by WDI that would be totally groundbreaking it's this.

 

[GLaDOS]

What if they put the KUKA arm upside down on a suspended coaster that goes through show scenes? This way you could simulate every movement of flying up, down, slight turn to left, slight to the right, basically every movement possible. I know about the rights issues, but this would be totally different. I know it's a stretch and who knows if it's possible, but this could be the amazing ride ever created. I mean it probably wouldn't be as big as forbidden journey, but they could make if smaller which in turn makes it weigh less and I think the weight issue would be a huge problem in this idea. I'm just dreaming here so don't flame me, but honestly if there is any project ever created by WDI that would be totally groundbreaking it's this.

It really isn't necessary to invert the KUKA arms. They can already simulate all the movements of flying.

 

[Scuttle]

It really isn't necessary to invert the KUKA arms. They can already simulate all the movements of flying.

I disagree. I think the KUKA hasn't scratched the surface of what can be done with it. Maybe it doesn't have to be suspended, but to have it on a track with banked turns and drops would be incredible.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I won't pretend to be an engineer, but I would guess that technology isn't there yet to put the Kuka arm on an inverted track - that sounds like a hell of a lot of stress on the track.

 

[GLaDOS]

I won't pretend to be an engineer, but I would guess that technology isn't there yet to put the Kuka arm on an inverted track - that sounds like a hell of a lot of stress on the track.

Yea. if you've ever seen the things in person (especially the Potter ones) they're massive. There's no way that thing is going on an inverted coaster track.

 

[Scuttle]

Yea. if you've ever seen the things in person (especially the Potter ones) they're massive. There's no way that thing is going on an inverted coaster track.

I think it's possible. Obviously I wasn't talking about a coaster that goes 50+ mph or anything too crazy. Im just saying something to add the actual element of flying instead of looking at a simulator screen. Can you imagine actually dropping down but having the KUKA moving left and right as you dodge banshees? I think it's possible to put it on a coaster track with drops and turns. Inverted would be without a doubt an engineering marvel.

 

[Bairstow]

Yea. if you've ever seen the things in person (especially the Potter ones) they're massive. There's no way that thing is going on an inverted coaster track.

They already have inverted Kuka arms for industrial applications, so I don't think it would be impossible to engineer a track strong enough to support them.

The real question would be whether it is necessary. It might be possible to get the same effective range of motion by have the arms' base be on an inside track and having the arms overhang into the visible area of the attraction, like on Potter. What makes this trickier is that assuming the rider will not be constantly facing the outside of the track, hiding the arms will require that the enter the ride space at a near-vertical angle.
This would necessitate a much larger interior building, so either approach probably has advantages.

 

[GLaDOS]

They already have inverted Kuka arms for industrial applications, so I don't think it would be impossible to engineer a track strong enough to support them.

Price becomes an issue here, though.

Also industrial arms don't have to be moving at a high speed along a track while also carrying people safetly.

Not saying it isn't possible. Anything is possible. But price restrictions and time constraints mean this probably won't happen. And it definitely won't happen with current coaster tracks.