AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[Master Yoda]

In spite of the flack that this movie gets the potential for an absolutely awe inspiring land and attractions is there with abundance. The story is simple and has been done before (what story hasn't?) but the visuals are simply breath taking and the theme, fits in with AK perfectly. AK has land out the wazoo in which to expand on. If this takes hold the possibilities are simply endless.

 

[Bairstow]

Best part for Disney: The entire land is filled with poisonous gas, requiring all guests who want to enter to buy or rent an expensive Disney's Animal Kingdom Avatar™ gas mask!

 

[SleepingMonk]

...You know, maybe you're onto something :lookaroun

Nah, who am I kidding? It will make a lot of money at the box office.

I'm sure it will make money but it won't do anything close to the first film.

3D in your local theatre is dead tech, and movies like Avatar that hang most of their visual appeal on that tech have already started to fall away.

http://www.slate.com/id/2303814/pagenum/all/

 

[Tim_4]

? you seem sure about that...

I know that DAK was in line for a lot of love (or dollars at least) but I don't know how much of that will be devoted to the Avatar project. My guess is that Avatar will either be bigger than people are expecting, or it won't be the only thing we get.

 

[stitchcastle]

So...you're saying...make attractions based on real myths that take place on Earth and not crazy made-up outer space myths? So they're more "believable?" :shrug:

Yes because the land based on the earth based myths have a lot of culture and history surrounding them, as opposed to this flash in the pan that became the highest grossing movie ever only because of the hype surrounding it (and beefed up 3d ticket prices) rather than being, you know, good.

I for one am deeply disappointed by this. Animal Kingdom was the most beautiful and thematically coherent of all 4 WDW parks, Avatar taking over the plot originally intended for Beastlie Kingdomme will destroy it forever in my eyes.

 

[Alektronic]

It was all over the local news last night about Speilberg’s comments about the Transformers coming to Universal Orlando. I think the timing was to counteract that with Cameron and Avatar. So the local news will be talking about Cameron, Avatar, and Disney. Good move if you ask me.

 

[kap91]

Wow this is amazing.

I was just talking with a couple friends the other day about what Disney could do to compete with potter. I had said the only property I could think of with enough of a following and a "universe" type feel would be Avatar, (although I had said they should put it in place of the backlot tour). I dismissed though and said Disney would never do it as it would be way too expensive and difficult to do.

This is freaking incredible, whether you like the movie or not the possibilities for attractions, experiences, expansion, etc. are through the roof with this and I doubt Disney would spend the money necessary to secure the theme park rights without seriously planning to capitalize on them. I think this might (as others have already stated) be the equivalent of beastly kingdom in scale and scope and surely will make Animal Kingdom a muuuuch more popular park.

 

[juniorthomas]

This is, without a doubt, the strangest news I have heard in a very long while.

Anyone else think it's weird that Disney is relegating the alien race in that film to DAK? Sure, there is nature involved, but they weren't animals, were they? (Note: I've never seen the film, but mostly because they use the typeface papyrus)

 

[Disneygal1]

So Animal Kingdom is being expanded?

 

[juniorthomas]

So they are expanding Animal Kingdom?

That's how I'm reading that. Unless they tear something down to add that in

 

[Rodneyt74]

Im not that crazy about several disney movies.. Watched them once and wouldn't watch them again but love the rides to do with them. To everyone that keeps saying I won't set foot in that land. Please don't.. That way we can wave to you from the ride when you are standing at the edge wishing you hadn't said that.. LOL

 

[TinkerBell9988]

Without being catty or bratty about it, I'd just like to chime in and say that I am not supportive of this expansion/endeavor at all. I've never seen Avatar, I will never see Avatar, and the addition of this into a Disney original theme park such as Animal Kingdom is against everything that I ever thought I believed in about Walt Disney World. To me, originality at WDI and WD Parks & Resorts is long gone.

Add me to the disgruntled group. And I AM in the target market segment for those who would "love" this new addition. Guess I am not cool enough...

Oh well, Disney. Seems like we are at an impasse yet again in my feelings towards you.

(Please don't flame me for my comment, I feel that in all the places I'd be able to post this in the Internet world, I'd feel the most comfortable doing it here.)

 

[wdwmagic]

I'm really interesting in hearing what the budget is for this. No doubt to do this properly it is going to require big money. Any guesses?

 

[Scuttle]

I wonder why they couldn't get this buttoned up in time for D23 and instead had to announce it via the blog.

Ya probably contract stuff, but man Staggs was not lying when he said there are exciting announcments for WDW to come or whatever he said.

 

[cowanfamily]

:sohappy:WOW!:sohappy:

 

[WDWGoof07]

I'm sure it will make money but it won't do anything close to the first film.

That's a reasonable prediction.

 

[DocMcHulk]

So Animal Kingdom is being expanded?

My guess is this will be built on the Beastly Kingdom / Camp Minnie Mickey pad.

 

[Scuttle]

I'm really interesting in hearing what the budget is for this. No doubt to do this properly it is going to require big money. Any guesses?

I would guess anywhere from 400 million to 800 million. I have a feeling this will be one of the rare projects that doesnt get budget cuts and that they will spend whatever it takes to do it right.

 

[Disneygal1]

That's how I'm reading that. Unless they tear something down to add that in

Interesting. I was thinking they would knock something down. I didn't even know that Disney had all of that "extra" land around Animal Kingdom.

 

[wdwmagic]

Interesting. I was thinking they would knock something down. I didn't even know that Disney had all of that "extra" land around Animal Kingdom.

They have a lot of expansion space at DAK. If they want to, they do not need to demo stuff to do this. Although camp-Minnie Mickey could be in the firing line depending where they want to go with this.