AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[Mike S]

I agree the park could use some more C and D ticket rides. I don't know if that would really be the general consensus here though. A lot of people would say they want that but then complain when it happens. In today's theme park world it's all about e-tickets. Look at the boat ride in Pandora. People are losing their minds over the fact that it's only 4 mins long when it was always billed as a C ticket from the start. FLE gets a lot of negative reviews because it lacks an e-ticket. Toy Story Land is generally discounted by most people here because it's just a few C/D ticket rides. I agree with your point that the park has good headliners but needs a little more meat to fill it out, but in recent history people seem to be only interested in E-ticket rides or lands with an e-ticket anchor.

If a new land opens with a big budget the expectation is at least one big headliner. An E Ticket. That's where NFL disappointed. TSL is different. It's billed as a more family area in a park that lacks that and a capacity boost. It fails as both with two low capacity DinoRama type rides. A Fantasyland like collection of dark rides would've been far better received.

 

[GoofGoof]

If a new land opens with a big budget the expectation is at least one big headliner. An E Ticket. That's where NFL disappointed. TSL is different. It's billed as a more family area in a park that lacks that and a capacity boost. It fails as both with two low capacity DinoRama type rides. A Fantasyland like collection of dark rides would've been far better received.

Maybe so. I just think it's pretty common around here to poo poo anything that isn't an E...like the Pandora boat ride. It's not everyone, but a vocal group.

Out of curiosity, what is the capacity of the Toy Story rides. I can imagine the coaster won't be too high, but what about the other ride?

Edit: actually if the 2nd ride is the same size as a double version of the Mater ride at DL it should pull in about 1,200 to 1,500 per hour and the coaster may be the same if it's about the size of Mine Train.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I agree the park could use some more C and D ticket rides. I don't know if that would really be the general consensus here though. A lot of people would say they want that but then complain when it happens. In today's theme park world it's all about e-tickets. Look at the boat ride in Pandora. People are losing their minds over the fact that it's only 4 mins long when it was always billed as a C ticket from the start. FLE gets a lot of negative reviews because it lacks an e-ticket.

My complaint about FLE has never to do with it lacking an E-ticket, but what you are getting with the money spent. Look, I have party members that are limited in thrill rides due to health issues.

My issue is take a look at the Beauty and the Beast area as an example. If you compare what Tokyo Disneyland is getting for a Beauty and the Beast area and compare it to what MK got, MK got the short end of the stick.

MK to me doesn't need 2 eating places in that era aka Be Our Guest and Gaston's Tavern. Having one is good enough if you look at the fact Disney back in 2009 had eating places not used at all or use used seasonal for MK. The Beauty and Best area also having a Enchanted tales with Belle an issue. The best way to put it is people complain about MK not having the amount of rides as Disneyland has on this site and having an interactive Meet and Greet doesn't do a thing for changing that.

The little Mermaid Ride has be considered a disappointment based on if you look at the outside of the ride and compare to what it has in the inside. The ride matter of fact was closed for improvements like the DCA version was. That showed Disney did a bad job doing the ride from the beginning.

What Disney did to that old Snow White's Scary Adventures building was not a great use of that space at all from amount of rides and it has been mentioned on past posts that Meet and Greets aren't known as good capacity attractions. By the time the Snow White Scary Adventures close in May 31st, 2012, Tangled already was released in DVD's and Blu-ray back. That makes the "Tangled" Bathroom pathetic since the space in Snow White Scary Adventures could be good enough for being used as a Tangled ride.

 

[Mike S]

My complaint about FLE has never to do with it lacking an E-ticket, but what you are getting with the money spent. Look, I have party members that are limited in thrill rides due to health issues.

My issue is take a look at the Beauty and the Beast area as an example. If you compare what Tokyo Disneyland is getting for a Beauty and the Beast area and compare it to what MK got, MK got the short end of the stick.

MK to me doesn't need 2 eating places in that era aka Be Our Guest and Gaston's Tavern. Having one is good enough if you look at the fact Disney back in 2009 had eating places not used at all or use used seasonal for MK. The Beauty and Best area also having a Enchanted tales with Belle an issue. The best way to put it is people complain about MK not having the amount of rides as Disneyland has on this site and having an interactive Meet and Greet doesn't do a thing for changing that.

The little Mermaid Ride has be considered a disappointment based on if you look at the outside of the ride and compare to what it has in the inside. The ride matter of fact was closed for improvements like the DCA version was. That showed Disney did a bad job doing the ride from the beginning.

What Disney did to that old Snow White's Scary Adventures building was not a great use of that space at all from amount of rides and it has been mentioned on past posts that Meet and Greets aren't known as good capacity attractions. By the time the Snow White Scary Adventures close in May 31st, 2012, Tangled already was released in DVD's and Blu-ray back. That makes the "Tangled" Bathroom pathetic since the space in Snow White Scary Adventures could be good enough for being used as a Tangled ride.

E Ticket doesn't have to mean thrilling. The B&tB ride going to Tokyo looks to be a perfect example.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

TSL is generally dismissed because it's an overused theme poorly executed. Not because it's B and C rides. Imho, I wouldn't consider an unthemed bare bones kid coaster with some minor set pieces a D.

 

[Kman101]

Regardless of theme, DHS needs those types of attractions. It's also getting two E-Tickets in Star Wars Land. It still needs more but the MK is seen as a fleshed out park because it has rides like Dumbo, the Teacups, etc. DCA is seen as fleshed out and has the Bugs Land rides, Paradise Pier rides .... it's no different.

Maybe if they announced a purpose built Mickey ride (not in the GMR building) or the Monsters Inc. coaster, the flat rides would have gone over better but they're something the park lacked.

 

[flyerjab]

I agree the park could use some more C and D ticket rides. I don't know if that would really be the general consensus here though. A lot of people would say they want that but then complain when it happens. In today's theme park world it's all about e-tickets. Look at the boat ride in Pandora. People are losing their minds over the fact that it's only 4 mins long when it was always billed as a C ticket from the start. FLE gets a lot of negative reviews because it lacks an e-ticket. Toy Story Land is generally discounted by most people here because it's just a few C/D ticket rides. I agree with your point that the park has good headliners but needs a little more meat to fill it out, but in recent history people seem to be only interested in E-ticket rides or lands with an e-ticket anchor.

I agree about your E ticket statement , or how Pandora lacks a true E. A strong vocal presence on the boards always gives me the impression that a real E ticket has to be some 15 minute ride with a very technical motion system that moves 'x' riders per hour and showcases multiple moving components (Pirates or SSE). FoP is not that, but it should handle a fair number per hour. And honestly, I like that this headliner is not that. We can go on the safari or Dinosaur for more of that type of ride. I want an overly themed, highly immersive experience with this one and I feel that is what we will be getting.

And you are right when you say that people want the parks fleshed out more with C and D ticket rides. Well, here it appears we are getting one for DAK and people complain that it is too short. This looks to be like a good dark ride experience, but people will say Peter Pan in Paris is longer, or quite ride times and capacity for Sinbad in HKDL. Rides like that are headliners in their respective areas. The boat ride in Pandora maybe was never meant to be that. This is a ride on a more intimate scale, that will probably have one of the most impressive AAs you will see. I already know what the response will be - well why aren't there 10 more of them? Disney makes enough money!

After experiencing this park at night, I agree with @doctornick that it needs more because too much closes down after dark. And Pandora, as breathtaking as it may be, still won't fill the bill. During the day though, the park is excellent as is and doesn't need more rides for what the park is about. If I want rides I go to the MK. I go to the other 3 for more specific reasons. For culture or science obviously it is Epcot. For movies it is DHS (I also enjoy the vibe and beauty of Hollywood and Sunset Blvds). For exploration, pure aesthetic and learning (not so much Epcot anymore for me) it is DAK. I don't go there rides. The park is beautiful to behold from almost every angle. And to me, the animal trails and exhibits are your other B, C and D ticket attractions. Add a ride to Discovery Island, one more expansion with 2-3 rides, and then maybe the ride count will be sufficient for those that are more centered on rides.

 

[marni1971]

i disagree with people who claim avatar was only chosen for its box office although that certainly was a reason
i believe the three reasons are
1. Box office
2. Themes of movie match DAK themes
3.nighttime possibilities and the ability to keep DAK open up longer at night

but like others have said who cares at this point, im very bullish on this expansion and expect it to be very successful

4 Iger was desperate for his Potter.

 

[marni1971]

It always made me laugh when people called AK a 1/2 day park, but to each their own. The fastpass commandos just want to hit rides as fast as possible without ever stopping to enjoy the surroundings.

From the tourist friends I've spoken to it's the lack of attractions they don't like. They don't want a zoo like experience. And they don't appreciate the landscaping is not natural but architecture.

 

[GoofGoof]

My complaint about FLE has never to do with it lacking an E-ticket, but what you are getting with the money spent. Look, I have party members that are limited in thrill rides due to health issues.

My issue is take a look at the Beauty and the Beast area as an example. If you compare what Tokyo Disneyland is getting for a Beauty and the Beast area and compare it to what MK got, MK got the short end of the stick.

MK to me doesn't need 2 eating places in that era aka Be Our Guest and Gaston's Tavern. Having one is good enough if you look at the fact Disney back in 2009 had eating places not used at all or use used seasonal for MK. The Beauty and Best area also having a Enchanted tales with Belle an issue. The best way to put it is people complain about MK not having the amount of rides as Disneyland has on this site and having an interactive Meet and Greet doesn't do a thing for changing that.

The little Mermaid Ride has be considered a disappointment based on if you look at the outside of the ride and compare to what it has in the inside. The ride matter of fact was closed for improvements like the DCA version was. That showed Disney did a bad job doing the ride from the beginning.

What Disney did to that old Snow White's Scary Adventures building was not a great use of that space at all from amount of rides and it has been mentioned on past posts that Meet and Greets aren't known as good capacity attractions. By the time the Snow White Scary Adventures close in May 31st, 2012, Tangled already was released in DVD's and Blu-ray back. That makes the "Tangled" Bathroom pathetic since the space in Snow White Scary Adventures could be good enough for being used as a Tangled ride.

LM is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It's a very solid D ticket. A lot of people say they are OK with C and D tickets but then call this ride a failure and somehow because it actually has a nice queue it's a bigger failure. So if a Lion King or Jungle Book dark ride on par with LM was built in AK to add capacity I'm pretty sure we'd get the same reaction as LM and if the rides added were C ticket flat rides people would really revolt.

 

[flyerjab]

4 Iger was desperate for his Potter.

Martin, this was probably discussed somewhere before, but did Cameron ever approach UNI or UNI approach Cameron about the Avatar property?

 

[Bandini]

From the tourist friends I've spoken to it's the lack of attractions they don't like. They don't want a zoo like experience. And they don't appreciate the landscaping is not natural but architecture.

I love AK...except for the heat. That park could us a few thousand fans to keep the air moving.

 

[marni1971]

Martin, this was probably discussed somewhere before, but did Cameron ever approach UNI or UNI approach Cameron about the Avatar property?

I don't believe Uni approached him but of course I could be wrong.

 

[GoofGoof]

From the tourist friends I've spoken to it's the lack of attractions they don't like. They don't want a zoo like experience. And they don't appreciate the landscaping is not natural but architecture.

My answer to that would be stick with MK then. At some point in the past WDW had 4 unique parks with different experiences. If ride count is what matters MK is the go to park or better yet just visit DL. I hate that every park is moving towards a MK clone but I guess the public gets what it wants.

 

[JustInTime]

From the tourist friends I've spoken to it's the lack of attractions they don't like. They don't want a zoo like experience. And they don't appreciate the landscaping is not natural but architecture.

Which is their problem, imo. Animal Kingdom will be easily a full day park once avatar and ROL opens. It's not Disney's fault if people don't feel like seeing the animals and walking the trails. I actually think they could use more animal exhibits.

 

[marni1971]

Which is their problem, imo..

It's also Disneys problem if people choose not to visit or to curtail their stay. Adding another ten minutes of ride time is just the tip. I guess there needs to be enough for every type of guest. In a way like other parks. Kiddie spinners and rollercoasters to use a comparison.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

From the tourist friends I've spoken to it's the lack of attractions they don't like. They don't want a zoo like experience. And they don't appreciate the landscaping is not natural but architecture.

That's depressing. But I don't doubt it.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Martin, this was probably discussed somewhere before, but did Cameron ever approach UNI or UNI approach Cameron about the Avatar property?

I bet Iger wished Lucas would have given him a heads up that he was thinking about selling LucasFilms. There probably would never have been AvatarLand if that happened. Just a few months apart.

 

[doctornick]

I love AK...except for the heat. That park could us a few thousand fans to keep the air moving.

Which brings up another need for attractions that get you out of the sun. I mean, it's Florida, so you have to have a fair number of attractions indoors given that the weather tends to vacillate between oppressive heat and torrential rain. To its credit, Pandora will clearly help with this aspect.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I think one of the problems is a top quality zoo like The Columbus Zoo costs $20/day. If you are going to call it a theme park and Nahtazu! and then charge $100/day. People are expecting a lot more than zoo experiences.