AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[George]

Cameron doesn't get along with almost anyone and Joe has his own vision for DAK as it was his baby ... and, rest assured, Rohde never planned for blue aliens to be part of that vision.

I wouldn't expect him to win any battle with Cameron (and there have been plenty) and he's next in the axing line at WDI ... seeing him pull out of the 15th anniversary event only drives that home.

BTW, who is 'George'? I go away for a bit and you change your name? Are you just doing that so everyone stops asking where Georgie K is? You can just say "I'm here on MAGIC!''

Just my real name. Initially, I was my kids initials slammed together. I could claim to be Georgie K, but I've already taken the mantle of Iger and an "ethereal being of pure light".

 

[luv]

I really, really hate to see Joe go. Like that guy so much! He seems like a good guy on TV, but the real way you can tell he cares and is good is to just walk slowly through the AK. Every detail is interesting or just beautiful. And it all blends. It really is the best themed park in Orlando.

I admire him...even if I feel badly for his poor little earlobe.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Cameron doesn't get along with almost anyone and Joe has his own vision for DAK as it was his baby ... and, rest assured, Rohde never planned for blue aliens to be part of that vision.

I wouldn't expect him to win any battle with Cameron (and there have been plenty) and he's next in the axing line at WDI ... seeing him pull out of the 15th anniversary event only drives that home.

So is Avatar part of the reason he's likely getting the axe or was this happening anyway as part of Disney's purge of creative talent like the one they carried out at WDAS this week? I don't want to start another Avatar debate but if Rohde does feel like that about it then it says a lot about the divide between the suits and the creative people at the company. The events of the past couple of weeks have really clouded my opinion of Iger, now I'm really looking forward to him being gone.

 

[aladdin2007]

So is Avatar part of the reason he's likely getting the axe or was this happening anyway as part of Disney's purge of creative talent like the one they carried out at WDAS this week? I don't want to start another Avatar debate but if Rohde does feel like that about it then it says a lot about the divide between the suits and the creative people at the company. The events of the past couple of weeks have really clouded my opinion of Iger, now I'm really looking forward to him being gone.

Yet they continue to hang on to money pinchers like Holmes, skewed visions like Jacobsen, screen happy Fitzgerald, while letting go of the real talent such as Rhode, Baxter, etc.
I agree I want to see Iger gone too he belongs on wall street......Though regarding Rhode he hasnt really done much over the last few years has he? I cant think of anything since Everest.

 

[Pentacat]

Cameron doesn't get along with almost anyone and Joe has his own vision for DAK as it was his baby ... and, rest assured, Rohde never planned for blue aliens to be part of that vision.

I wouldn't expect him to win any battle with Cameron (and there have been plenty) and he's next in the axing line at WDI ... seeing him pull out of the 15th anniversary event only drives that home.

BTW, who is 'George'? I go away for a bit and you change your name? Are you just doing that so everyone stops asking where Georgie K is? You can just say "I'm here on MAGIC!''

Does this mean that TWDC is siding with an outside creative force over the protests of their own WDI staff? Talk about biting the hand, It just smacks of TWDC trying to save face for announcing this "partnership" before consulting anyone at WDI.

Was Rohde already on is way out before this whole Avatar debacle? Did he get to big with the public like Baxter?

 

[Imagineer Mitch]

Wait, was Joe let go?

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Wait, was Joe let go?

Not yet, but pretty soon.

 

[Imagineer Mitch]

Not yet, but pretty soon.

why?

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

why?

Disney has been on a layoff spree lately.

 

[montyz81]

I can't see them letting him go. He has the right mindset for designing Disney rides. Detail is everything and he has a great eye for it. Maybe they will send him to Epcot so he can fix it!

 

[George]

Well, I guess we'll get to see how Cameron does at theme park attractions/lands. It sounds like Uni has so much going on that they could sign Rohde if they wanted and have lots o' things for him to do. Huge PR win in the theme park community.....At some point Disney is going to have to counter their competitor's momentum.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Does this mean that TWDC is siding with an outside creative force over the protests of their own WDI staff? Talk about biting the hand, It just smacks of TWDC trying to save face for announcing this "partnership" before consulting anyone at WDI.

That was my immediate thought too. I really hope it's not the case but it wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

[luv]

Wherever Joe lands, I'll visit his park...unless it is overseas.

I'm still hoping hell stay at the AK...and bring down the nets.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Just my real name. Initially, I was my kids initials slammed together. I could claim to be Georgie K, but I've already taken the mantle of Iger and an "ethereal being of pure light".

Yes, I too have started to use my real life name on this forum. I'm really called The Empress Lilly. Legally changed my name into it. It used to be 'Moonbeam' - yes, proud child of sixties hippie parents. 'Moonbeam Dominic Anthony III'.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I can't see them letting him go. He has the right mindset for designing Disney rides. Detail is everything and he has a great eye for it. Maybe they will send him to Epcot so he can fix it!

But is he? I would say that Rodeh is a great designer (and pawn shop buyer). But not a good ride designer. Frankly, most of Rodhe's rides suck.

 

[Sped2424]

Not really. The plot is the exact same as Pocahontas. People invade foreign land for a valuable substance, guy falls in love with girl, mass genocide ensues. They even worship a willow type tree in Avatar that contains a spirit like Grandmother Willow.

Ferngully came in came out in 1992 and Pocahontas came out 1995 the plot to avatar has way more similarities than pocahontas have you seen the film? Here is a link to the plot synopsis (x). The film basically follows a human who was on a demolition crew to the rainforest (Cough cough) they are running down the trees with a tree leveler, then he gets shrunk down and becomes the size of the fairies living there but after a while he learns and appreciates their way of life and even falls in love in a weird nighttime lit scene where things glow (Cough cough). The tree leveler comes to level their sacred tree which holds all life in the forest (sacred tree ewya etc) the main female character begins to fall in love with him and her jealous counterpart (sound familiar?) Doesn't trust the human for squat eventually the tree level makes its way to the forest he comes clean to the fairies they are shocked but he claims he has changed and wants to help, they all rise up and together fight back the tree leveler and save the sacred tree, zak and crystal then realize they must part ways but he leaves with a newfound appreciation for the land.

 

[jdmdisney99]

Ferngully came in came out in 1992 and Pocahontas came out 1995 the plot to avatar has way more similarities than pocahontas have you seen the film? Here is a link to the plot synopsis (x). The film basically follows a human who was on a demolition crew to the rainforest (Cough cough) they are running down the trees with a tree leveler, then he gets shrunk down and becomes the size of the fairies living there but after a while he learns and appreciates their way of life and even falls in love in a weird nighttime lit scene where things glow (Cough cough). The tree leveler comes to level their sacred tree which holds all life in the forest (sacred tree ewya etc) the main female character begins to fall in love with him and her jealous counterpart (sound familiar?) Doesn't trust the human for squat eventually the tree level makes its way to the forest he comes clean to the fairies they are shocked but he claims he has changed and wants to help, they all rise up and together fight back the tree leveler and save the sacred tree, zak and crystal then realize they must part ways but he leaves with a newfound appreciation for the land.

When I saw Ferngully, the first thing I thought was, "It's AVATAR!"

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Since we're on the subject, I'm probably going to be painting a bullseye on my back with this post, but I really have to ask this- Am I the only person who actually really likes Ferngully? I get the complaints about the forced environmental messages, but I can't help but love the movie and it still entertains me to this day. I like the animation particularly, and Tim Curry as the villain is awesome (really cool villain song too). It has a really cool atmosphere and a lot of it feels quite magical to me. It's a movie that I get why people would complain about elements of it, but I still think it's quite a good movie overall.

I like it a LOT more than Avatar (which yes did copy a lot of elements from Ferngully and other similar films).

 

[Captain Neo]

They are probably scaling back Avatar project because the budget is being diverted to big Star Wars projects instead.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Everyone, you're forgetting the one that started it all: Dances with Wolves.