AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[BrianLo]

The boat ride sounds like it'll have a similar impact to that of Maelstrom (with more advanced technology) or the more recent Mine Train (meaning an admittedly "good" but criminally short ride that leaves you unsatisfied and wanting more). Blueprints refer to it as a C ticket, while Disney has been hyping it to the media as a D. Logically a C ticket sounds about right, particularly given that Disney has been inflating their attractions at least 1-2 ranks higher on the ticket scale than they actually are. Both Mermaid and Mine Train were claimed as E's, where they are actually C's and D's respectively (and i'm sure they'll be bribing Lou Mongello to call the boat an E nearer to opening).

Disney has never used any ticketing language when referring to these attractions. If anything they've undersold this attraction as they have barely mentioned it along the entire course of the project (to the point that most people thought it was cancelled).

Again, everyone seems so offended that the second tier attraction (Na'vi River Journey) is not the main weenie. No one other than fanbois implied it was/should be the main draw, that is still the role of Flight of Passage.

The problem with NFL was opening in a staggered manner (forcing Mermaid to have to be the main headliner for a year) while the actual headliner under-delivered to the fans.

Get upset if Flights of Passage is a short, garbage attraction. Don't get upset if the supporting act ends up being a good supporting act.

 

[marni1971]

Get upset if Flights of Passage is a short, garbage attraction. Don't get upset if the supporting act ends up being a good supporting act.

God help us then if both are found to be lacking.

 

[Mike S]

Disney has never used any ticketing language when referring to these attractions. If anything they've undersold this attraction as they have barely mentioned it along the entire course of the project (to the point that most people thought it was cancelled).

Again, everyone seems so offended that the second tier attraction (Na'vi River Journey) is not the main weenie. No one other than fanbois implied it was/should be the main draw, that is still the role of Flight of Passage.

The problem with NFL was opening in a staggered manner (forcing Mermaid to have to be the main headliner for a year) while the actual headliner under-delivered to the fans.

Get upset if Flights of Passage is a short, garbage attraction. Don't get upset if the supporting act ends up being a good supporting act.

It all comes down to the infamous "screenz" debate. People wanted the more physical ride to be the big one.

 

[Clamman73]

Having been paying too close attention...Is this gonna be a boat ride where the boats are just sent out and go with the flow and then back up at the end like Splash/Pirates, or is it a set amount of boats and there are times it might stop of scene, and the actual ride time might not correlate to the amount of "track" we see on the blueprints?

 

[BrianLo]

God help us then if both are found to be lacking.

Indeed, guess we'll find out soon enough. One thing is for sure, the usual suspects will love and hate it regardless.

It all comes down to the infamous "screenz" debate. People wanted the more physical ride to be the big one.

Certainly valid - I think people will be happier with Star Wars as a result.

From a menu planning perspective though, a screen based thrill makes loads of sense for AK. What few rides it does have are fortunately still very practical. It's probably more balancing for the park offerings than a boat ride being the main headliner. Animal Kingdom is not Universal Studios or Epcot after all.

 

[Mike S]

Indeed, guess we'll find out soon enough. One thing is for sure, the usual suspects will love and hate it regardless.



Certainly valid - I think people will be happier with Star Wars as a result.

From a menu planning perspective though, a screen based thrill makes loads of sense for AK. What few rides it does have are fortunately still very practical. It's probably more balancing for the park offerings than a boat ride being the main headliner. Animal Kingdom is not Universal Studios or Epcot after all.

Plus from how @Disneyhead'71 has described it makes this sound like it will be the best screen based ride in Orlando.

 

[twebber55]

Well sure, if "packs a punch" means giving me killer headaches and causing massive nausea (in addition to being completely ineffective at actually waking me up). At least the boat ride won't yield the same physical effects as espresso...

The boat ride sounds like it'll have a similar impact to that of Maelstrom (with more advanced technology) or the more recent Mine Train (meaning an admittedly "good" but criminally short ride that leaves you unsatisfied and wanting more). Blueprints refer to it as a C ticket, while Disney has been hyping it to the media as a D. Logically a C ticket sounds about right, particularly given that Disney has been inflating their attractions at least 1-2 ranks higher on the ticket scale than they actually are. Both Mermaid and Mine Train were claimed as E's, where they are actually C's and D's respectively (and i'm sure they'll be bribing Lou Mongello to call the boat an E nearer to opening).

Its been inhanced to be a D ticket
Still think around 5 minutes

 

[Siren]

Well sure, if "packs a punch" means giving me killer headaches and causing massive nausea (in addition to being completely ineffective at actually waking me up). At least the boat ride won't yield the same physical effects as espresso...

The boat ride sounds like it'll have a similar impact to that of Maelstrom (with more advanced technology) or the more recent Mine Train (meaning an admittedly "good" but criminally short ride that leaves you unsatisfied and wanting more). Blueprints refer to it as a C ticket, while Disney has been hyping it to the media as a D. Logically a C ticket sounds about right, particularly given that Disney has been inflating their attractions at least 1-2 ranks higher on the ticket scale than they actually are. Both Mermaid and Mine Train were claimed as E's, where they are actually C's and D's respectively (and i'm sure they'll be bribing Lou Mongello to call the boat an E nearer to opening).

The mine train is one of my favorite rides ever, it's both dark ride and coaster, the photo pass video for this is amazing -- I don't think there is any other ride that can offer that experience. It's so cute and fun -- and, the whole family can enjoy it. I really love to ride this at night. I don't recall the mermaid ride being touted as an E. Ever.

I lost a ton of hope for this project when it was discovered how short the boat ride will be...

You must have really lost hope, this is the shortest post I have ever seen from you.

You were just excited about this in another thread. Wait until the ride comes out, we all know it's not going to be Splash Mountain, but I believe this boat ride is going to be amazing.

No one knows what this ride is going to be like, so just wait and see. Remember, we've all been deceived by random Avatarland rumors before, so you of all people should know better. It is totally okay to be excited about this.

 

[Mike S]

The mine train is one of my favorite rides ever, it's both dark ride and coaster, the photo pass video for this is amazing -- I don't think there is any other ride that can offer that experience. It's so cute and fun -- and, the whole family can enjoy it. I really love to ride this at night. I don't recall the mermaid ride being touted as an E. Ever.

You must have really lost hope, this is the shortest post I have ever seen from you.

You were just excited about this in another thread. Wait until the ride comes out, we all know it's not going to be Splash Mountain, but I believe this boat ride is going to be amazing.

No one knows what this ride is going to be like, so just wait and see. Remember, we've all been deceived by random Avatarland rumors before, so you of all people should know better. It is totally okay to be excited about this.

I can't find it now but there was an article I read where Disney did just that. Maybe someone else can find it.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I was excited up until the flume layout was revealed a few weeks ago. I never expected Splash Mountain (doubt we will ever get a ride like that again), i don't even need any drops (the Land is one of my favorite rides). But i don't feel it unreasonable to wish for a nice long experience for a thrill-less boat ride. Under 5 minutes is repeating the mistakes of Maelstrom/Frozen.

Sinbad at Disneysea is another good slow yet long and impressive boat ride. And while it is older and obviously not winning amazing tech awards, even Small World is nice and long with plenty to look at.

I'm not a big fan of rides where screens dominate a huge chunk of it (Forbidden Journey is a notable exception and even it has plenty of physical scenery), particularly sims. So i have little interest in the flight ride.

I can't find it now but there was an article I read where Disney did just that. Maybe someone else can find it.

I would like to see it as well. I definitely remember hearing a lot of hype from Disney about Mermaid's quality shortly before it opened at dca.

 

[Siren]

I can't find it now but there was an article I read where Disney did just that. Maybe someone else can find it.

Wow. I hope some one can find it. It was pretty clear to me early on, that The Mermaid ride was going to be similar to Nemo. It utilized the same cars and it was going into Fantasyland, that alone should temper expectations.

Just don't give into the negativity, it really is time to be excited. We have not seen an expansion like this since Everest. This is not cutesy princesses or fairies, or kiddie pixar -- this is going to be some serious new tech and stuff. Disney is finally creating something for your demographic.

I was excited up until the flume layout was revealed a few weeks ago. I never expected Splash Mountain (doubt we will ever get a ride like that again), i don't even need any drops (the Land is one of my favorite rides). But i don't feel it unreasonable to wish for a nice long experience for a thrill-less boat ride. Under 5 minutes is repeating the mistakes of Maelstrom/Frozen.

Sinbad at Disneysea is another good slow yet long and impressive boat ride. And while it is older and obviously not winning amazing tech awards, even Small World is nice and long with plenty to look at.

I'm not a big fan of rides where screens dominate a huge chunk of it (Forbidden Journey is a notable exception and even it has plenty of physical scenery), particularly sims. So i have little interest in the flight ride.

I would like to see it as well. I definitely remember hearing a lot of hype from Disney about Mermaid's quality shortly before it opened at dca.

This is not going to be anything like frickin' Maelstrom, that ride is so ancient! And you just can't go by length, look at Kali. Speaking of Kali, we'll soon be able to ride this at night, too. Kali at night is going to be so scary!

Anyway, if the boat ride is anything like the first part of The Land -- which is cool, dark and scenic, then we already have a winner on our hands. OMG, AK is so darn hot, this boat ride is a much needed addition to this park.

This is just so beautiful. I don't see any reason for you to give up hope. Just wait & see.

And, don't discount Flight of Passage, either. Yes, we have all seen screens, but not with James Cameron's cutting edge film technology, and the theater looks very advanced!

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Kali is generally considered a poor ride (here anyways), both because of the length and the ride system itself (it also comes across as extra painful because of it replacing Tiger River).

The concept art for Navi River is lovely, but art can be and often is deceptive (the original Mine Train art showed more elaborate exterior scenery as well as a considerably longer track with more indoor scenery). There also needs to be more than just a couple of scenes. And hopefully not all of it is screen based as well (people have spotted some of those in the layout as well).

 

[Nick Wilde]

Wow. I hope some one can find it. It was pretty clear to me early on, that The Mermaid ride was going to be similar to Nemo. It utilized the same cars and it was going into Fantasyland, that alone should temper expectations.

Just don't give into the negativity, it really is time to be excited. We have not seen an expansion like this since Everest. This is not cutesy princesses or fairies, or kiddie pixar -- this is going to be some serious new tech and stuff. Disney is finally creating something for your demographic.

This is not going to be anything like frickin' Maelstrom, that ride is so ancient! And you just can't go by length, look at Kali. Speaking of Kali, we'll soon be able to ride this at night, too. Kali at night is going to be so scary!

Anyway, if the boat ride is anything like the first part of The Land -- which is cool, dark and scenic, then we already have a winner on our hands. OMG, AK is so darn hot, this boat ride is a much needed addition to this park.

This is just so beautiful. I don't see any reason for you to give up hope. Just wait & see.

And, don't discount Flight of Passage, either. Yes, we have all seen screens, but not with James Cameron's cutting edge film technology, and the theater looks very advanced!

I'm convinced you're determined to disagree with everyone no matter what.

 

[JohnWD]

I'm convinced you're determined to disagree with everyone no matter what.

I'm convinced that @Siren posts are more interesting than most others, so she should be given positive reinforcement to keep her coming back and adding life to this wasteland!

 

[Cesar R M]

I'm convinced that @Siren posts are more interesting than most others, so she should be given positive reinforcement to keep her coming back and adding life to this wasteland!

 

[No Name]

Its been inhanced to be a D ticket
Still think around 5 minutes

The ticket level is all in the opinion of the person. You may think it's a D-ticket, but I may think it's a C, and someone else may genuinely think it's an E. And that's all because different things of the ride will tug at different people's interests or enjoyment. Additionally, when I try to rate rides by letter I include the queue, but I know some people who strictly judge the time on the actual vehicle. For example, I'd say TSMM is an E-ticket, and I know I'm in the minority on this board with that opinion. On the other hand, I'd put Star Tours as only a D ticket. And there's nothing wrong with anyone's letter choices, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

As for this boat ride, I'm not worried too much about ride length. The ride could be the most amazing 5 minutes ever if it lives up to what's shown in the concept art. Something that's too short always leaves more to be desired, but if I am looking at something so unbelievably stunning for 5 minutes, well, the ride time won't matter as much.

Flight of Passage is a simulator and who knows how long it'll be. If it's too short, well then, again, that would leave much to be desired. I'm hoping for 5 minutes but people are saying 3. Whatever. I'm more concerned with quality here as well. Greater quality in a shorter amount of time is better for capacity too. And more ride time can always be added on later.

I will also add that queues are a big part of the ride experience, and we know little about those. Also, the rest of the land, if I were to give it a letter, looks to be an E without a doubt. And the hangar place looks big, hopefully the food is good and unique. So I think the rest of the land will make up for shortcomings in the rides.

Overall, I am excited purely by the fact that we don't know all of the specifics, and we can still hope for the best. Keeping my expectations pretty low but aware that the possibilities are still very high.

 

[erasure fan1]

As for this boat ride, I'm not worried too much about ride length. The ride could be the most amazing 5 minutes ever if it lives up to what's shown in the concept art. Something that's too short always leaves more to be desired, but if I am looking at something so unbelievably stunning for 5 minutes, well, the ride time won't matter as much.

Flight of Passage is a simulator and who knows how long it'll be. If it's too short, well then, again, that would leave much to be desired. I'm hoping for 5 minutes but people are saying 3. Whatever. I'm more concerned with quality here as well. Greater quality in a shorter amount of time is better for capacity too. And more ride time can always be added on later.

The problem I have with this line of thinking is this. There is no reason Disney can't do both, a longer ride and unbelievable stunning. 7DMT is a great example of why I do think length is important. You have a ride that looks fantastic, has awesome AAs, a great ride system and yet I get off the ride every time and think "that's it?" I just can't help but wonder what could have been. While I don't knock Disney for using Avatar, I will have a problem with 2 short experiences for a park that needs something more.

 

[No Name]

The problem I have with this line of thinking is this. There is no reason Disney can't do both, a longer ride and unbelievable stunning. 7DMT is a great example of why I do think length is important. You have a ride that looks fantastic, has awesome AAs, a great ride system and yet I get off the ride every time and think "that's it?" I just can't help but wonder what could have been. While I don't knock Disney for using Avatar, I will have a problem with 2 short experiences for a park that needs something more.

True, true. In fact, short but amazing rides could have a side effect, people might actually be more upset that something they were enjoying came to an end so quickly. You know, that feeling of "oh my goodness this is so great it could go on forev... wait what, we're back already?" I know that feeling because it is sort of what I felt on Mine Train. It's not a good feeling at all, but I still think mine train is a great ride, it's just painful to think about what it could've been

I do think that, at the end of the day, a great 5 minute ride leaves better memories than a mediocre 8 or 10 minute one. But I do agree, it's a wasted opportunity to have such short rides, and I did not mean to imply that short rides are a fine thing. Ideally, length and quality should be able to coexist to make a real, powerful attraction. It's just that, at this point, my biggest hope is that what there'll be in those short times top-notch and wowing.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

The ticket level is all in the opinion of the person. You may think it's a D-ticket, but I may think it's a C, and someone else may genuinely think it's an E. And that's all because different things of the ride will tug at different people's interests or enjoyment. Additionally, when I try to rate rides by letter I include the queue, but I know some people who strictly judge the time on the actual vehicle. For example, I'd say TSMM is an E-ticket, and I know I'm in the minority on this board with that opinion. On the other hand, I'd put Star Tours as only a D ticket. And there's nothing wrong with anyone's letter choices, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

As for this boat ride, I'm not worried too much about ride length. The ride could be the most amazing 5 minutes ever if it lives up to what's shown in the concept art. Something that's too short always leaves more to be desired, but if I am looking at something so unbelievably stunning for 5 minutes, well, the ride time won't matter as much.

Flight of Passage is a simulator and who knows how long it'll be. If it's too short, well then, again, that would leave much to be desired. I'm hoping for 5 minutes but people are saying 3. Whatever. I'm more concerned with quality here as well. Greater quality in a shorter amount of time is better for capacity too. And more ride time can always be added on later.

I will also add that queues are a big part of the ride experience, and we know little about those. Also, the rest of the land, if I were to give it a letter, looks to be an E without a doubt. And the hangar place looks big, hopefully the food is good and unique. So I think the rest of the land will make up for shortcomings in the rides.

Overall, I am excited purely by the fact that we don't know all of the specifics, and we can still hope for the best. Keeping my expectations pretty low but aware that the possibilities are still very high.

I have to ask, what would posses you that you would consider TSMM an E Ticket? The stunning lack of detail in the ride portion? The warehouse feel of the showbuilding? Or the cattle gate queue?

 

[No Name]

I have to ask, what would posses you that you would consider TSMM an E Ticket? The stunning lack of detail in the ride portion? The warehouse feel of the showbuilding? Or the cattle gate queue?

Well, the opposite of all three, and especially the fact that I love the competitiveness of the ride.

About the warehouse feel you claim it has... I'm different than some here. See, I didn't ride Little Mermaid in MK and think "ooh cool, this ride is pretty nice so far... now let me look at the ceiling to make sure there's no lighting stuff visible." No. I just naturally looked at the show scenes like any normal rider would, I didn't make an effort to look somewhere else. This is the same for TSMM. I don't actively look for faults in rides, and going in like a normal guest, I just enjoyed the ride and enjoyed my day. If faults are noticeable, I will see them, but nothing at all about TSMM stood out to me as having a warehouse feeling or stunning lack of detail.

Personally, I think the queue is very detailed and nice to look at. The tent part overlooking the ride is also nice. The Mr. Potato head animatronic tops it off very well. I like how the ride, or at least the queue, acts as a sequel to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, with Mr. Potato Head at the front rather than Buzz.

I never thought of it as a "Wii game on wheels," and even after hearing that, I can't see it that way. The ride is one of my favorites in WDW. I genuinely enjoy it. Everyone I've been with genuinely enjoys it and it is what we strive to do as many times as possible each trip to DHS.

That was quite off topic, but my whole point is that something you like may be something I don't get as much out of, and vice versa. For Flight of Passage, in particular, people will likely have a range of reactions and ticket-letters they would give it. And the great part is that nobody can have a wrong opinion.