AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[tomman710]

I agree, and found AVATAR underwhelming after seeing it.
Frankly, I was dumbfounded by the box office success.

But then again, the movie going public has never been the brightest in my mind.
'Transformers' anyone??? Talk about bad!!!!!!!
Those horrible movies make 'Avatar' look like 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
And yet they also make huge $$$.

The difference between Avatar and Transformers is Transformers relies on mindless action in a normal earth environment.
While Avatar takes place in an amazingly wondrous World which can be used by Disney Imaginears to create awesome attractions.

My beef isn't with the haters who don't like the movie.
It's with those who think this theme park idea will bomb.
In my opinion, it's almost guaranteed to be a huge success!
As others have said, this is a huge 'get' by Disney.:sohappy:

Yea, exactly. If you read my posts I think it comes across that while I hate AVATAR I realize that there is potential. I mean as long as they aren't doing a clone of the movie but an expansion on the universe I am sure the Imagineers can come up with a believable story with real characters more so than the first AVATAR movie did. Additionally, I think with Cameron involved in conjuction with the Imagineers it could be great.

I just want to ask questions based off my confusion as to why this and why now?

Ultimately, I hope they looked past the box office dollars and determined yes this would be something that would get people excited about the parks more so than an original idea from imagineering, a clone from DisneySea, a Star Wars Land, a Lord of the Rings Land, or some Marvel property, or some other in house property.

I just can't see it being more popular or driving crowds more than most of those ideas ... I just don't get it.

Doesn't mean the land won't be good, I just can't help but think the money they will invest in this could have been put into something that would have drawn more crowds ... but time will tell.

 

[The Mom]

Well you have to remember back then that going to the theaters was a big major weekend thing. Today, you have so much other things you could be doing..back then you were fairly limited to an extent.

Exactly. Three TV stations in B&W (4 if you count public TV - which carried things like French lessons) and no PCs or computer games.

I don't know if dating was more or less popular - I know I dated more in HS than my children did, but that might not mean anything. But going to the movies was the most common date destination - my first date with my husband was to see Jaws. :lol:

 

[SleepingMonk]

The blue sky plan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7oqU2w6ObM&feature=related


The TDO reality...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zaJdq0VUtk&feature=related

 

[The Mom]

people are forgetting that u dont have to like the movie to love the ride. How many people love the Spiderman ride who never picked up a comic or hate super hero movies? I would say a lot. As long as it is a great ride-I could care less that it is based on a movie I didnt love.

And I'll bet the average guest (which isn't anyone posting here) wouldn't care whether it "fit" into a park or not. Was it fun? Did I enjoy myself? Then they would be happy.

 

[WDWmazprty]

And I'll bet the average guest (which isn't anyone posting here) wouldn't care whether it "fit" into a park or not. Was it fun? Did I enjoy myself? Then they would be happy.

This is just what I said! :sohappy:

 

[PhilharMagician]

I cant explain to Mrs Sak the motivation behind my desire to see Dallas. :goodnevil

:lol:

Actually, If you check out that inflation thing I posted its #14 :

I did and it shows that HP in not even on the list

This is my point though... everyone keeps saying "not everyone thinks the way you do!" ... but not everyone thinks the way YOU do either! :animwink: you just told me you wouldnt fly to WWoHP, but we know tons of people who have! So, just cause a bunch of people on this board like the idea of the Avatar land, that doesnt mean everyone else will!

This thing goes both ways. Why cant we just all agree no one knows what the hell is going to happen until it happens!?

I am not going to beat a dead horse here. All I responded to was the broad brush opinion that you stated the knowbody would specifically go to see Avatar, because it is not as popular as HP. I disagree with that statement and you came back and made a similar point.

BTW I never said that everyone agrees with me, I was making a point that I don't agree with your opinion which was that nobody will go just to see Avatar.

I do not know, nor did I present any info to say that I know what will happen. As details unravel and the area opens then we will know what happened.

 

[twinnstar]

Oh please. Snow White? 101 Dalmation? Star Wars? I'd hardly call them story tellling powerhouses.

With Star Wars most people fell in love with the atmosphere of Star Wars, and the whole world it presented.

Same with Pandora...

You're kidding right?

People did fall in love with the atmosphere of Star Wars - but the story was there, the characters, etc. That's why its still a classic. Other people born after the 1977 awe factor of the film, STILL enjoy it because of the story. Thats why there is a huge fan base for decades. Avatar was 8,000 hours of boringness. It's not a classic yet for crying out loud, so stop treating it like it is one! In 30 years, its effects is gonna be no big deal, most likely. Will it still be a classic then? Who the hell knows! People on this board, who LOVE the Avatar land have already said they hated the movie. So lets stop arguing if the movie is good or not. Cause it wasnt a hit across the board, for everyone.

 

[SleepingMonk]

Also another point to consider....

Yes Avatar had the highest box office gross, but it was also one of the most expensive films ever made.

Most confirmed reports say it was a $300 million price tag with rumors and insiders hinting it settled more around the $500 million mark for final costs.

So...the movie will have had a larger budget than the "land".

Thoughts?

 

[Bairstow]

The blue sky plan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7oqU2w6ObM&feature=related


The TDO reality...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zaJdq0VUtk&feature=related

And then the inevitable response from Universal Creative:
[Youtube]eQuToiab2uU[/youtube]

 

[PhilharMagician]

Couple things to keep in mind:

1.Avatar came out 12 years after Titanic.
2.Avatar came out in 3D and Imax (Titanic had neither).

If you look at the dates, there's no contest, Titanic sold MANY more tickets, as did several other films. Not trying to take anything away from Avatar. Just saying, don't be completely blinded by the numbers. As someone else pointed out, adjusted for inflation Avatar is #14 (still impressive), but again, that's with 3D and IMax.

Yeah, I agree. What is amazing with Titanic was it's power to continue record numbers in Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12. Both movies (Avatar & Titanic were not even close to record sales on opening week. There magic happened starting week 2 and continued to grow.

No, Avatar is not #14. That was in Domestic only, not World Wide gross sales.

 

[RadioHead]

Also another point to consider....

Yes Avatar had the highest box office gross, but it was also one of the most expensive films ever made.

Most confirmed reports say it was a $300 million price tag with rumors and insiders hinting it settled more around the $500 million mark for final costs.

So...the movie will have had a larger budget than the "land".

Thoughts?

Except for the fact we don't know the final budget except for it to be ranged in the 500-700 million mark.

So yeah more than likely the land will be more expenensive than the film:animwink:

 

[Map7711]

Wow

all this back and forth. Bottom line-people have been saying 4 years that AK needs more rides. Well here you go. Who cares weather u like the movie or it wont be a classic movie in time. How many people have seen Song of the South? Not too many. But they all love Splash. How many people even know that it is based on that movie? You cant even buy that movie any more. But it is one of the best rides in all of WDW.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Also another point to consider....

Yes Avatar had the highest box office gross, but it was also one of the most expensive films ever made.

Most confirmed reports say it was a $300 million price tag with rumors and insiders hinting it settled more around the $500 million mark for final costs.

So...the movie will have had a larger budget than the "land".

Thoughts?

This is what makes this project so exciting!! James Cameron has not done anything cheap just like Disney was back some years ago. I am hoping that this will be the boost to do a major project and make it a grand slam! It is not about the storyline of the movie it is about the nonexistant boundries of technology and creating an amazing world for us to visit.

After seeing what was done 14 years ago by Cameron with Titanic and the 3 years ago with Avatar I am giddy with hope that this will be the Abe Lincoln or Snow White that the WDC hasn't been able to create since Walt himself has passed.

 

[RadioHead]

You're kidding right?

People did fall in love with the atmosphere of Star Wars - but the story was there, the characters, etc. That's why its still a classic. Other people born after the 1977 awe factor of the film, STILL enjoy it because of the story. Thats why there is a huge fan base for decades. Avatar was 8,000 hours of boringness. It's not a classic yet for crying out loud, so stop treating it like it is one! In 30 years, its effects is gonna be no big deal, most likely. Will it still be a classic then? Who the hell knows! People on this board, who LOVE the Avatar land have already said they hated the movie. So lets stop arguing if the movie is good or not. Cause it wasnt a hit across the board, for everyone.

Perspective brother, perspective. I could care less about the story in Star Wars, to me it's a generic space opera. I love, and many of my friends do to because of the various lands, and the general atmosphere that Star Wars has.

Also look at some other films on that list. Indiana Jones, 101 Dalmations, Snow White. Hardly Gone With The Wind esq narrative.

 

[RadioHead]

This is what makes this project so exciting!! James Cameron has not done anything cheap just like Disney was back some years ago. I am hoping that this will be the boost to do a major project and make it a grand slam! It is not about the storyline of the movie it is about the nonexistant boundries of technology and creating an amazing world for us to visit.

After seeing what was done 14 years ago by Cameron with Titanic and the 3 years ago with Avatar I am giddy with hope that this will be the Abe Lincoln or Snow White that the WDC hasn't been able to create since Walt himself has passed.

Also the fact that the Imagineers create a concept video to Mr. Cameron and pitched the idea, and he was apparently absolutely floored.

 

[Prototype82]

sensors...under concrete...that activate fiber optics...this must happen.

 

[twinnstar]

Perspective brother, perspective. I could care less about the story in Star Wars, to me it's a generic space opera. I love, and many of my friends do to because of the various lands, and the general atmosphere that Star Wars has.

Also look at some other films on that list. Indiana Jones, 101 Dalmations, Snow White. Hardly Gone With The Wind esq narrative.

Listen, lets just agree to disagree, cause this is clearly going nowhere. :lookaroun

 

[WDWmazprty]

sensors...under concrete...that activate fiber optics...this must happen.

Or even the same technology thats used towards the entrance in Epcot, which may be the same thing.

 

[WhyteAL]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I did not have time to scroll thru 100 pages of posts.

I think this is a good thing. It will give DAK the all day experience we've all wanted and quite possibly a night experience exclusive to the park without Disney having to light up the night sky with explosions. (think a whole bioluminescent area that comes alive at night with a parade of the inhabitants courtesy of Siemens) LED, laser, glow-in-the dark, fiber-optic, blacklight effects...could be pretty cool.

I'm just scarred they might overlap a current land (i.e. dinosaur USA), that might disappoint me. Only two theme parks left to add some major over lands (EPCOT and DHS).


Also, if it is a new land and not an overlay then it will most likely be on the Camp Minnie/Mickey side. That will allow DAK employees to funnel all guest in that direction towards the end of the day in order to clear out the areas that have animals.

 

[worldfanatic]

You're kidding right?

People did fall in love with the atmosphere of Star Wars - but the story was there, the characters, etc. That's why its still a classic. Other people born after the 1977 awe factor of the film, STILL enjoy it because of the story.

I'm a Star Wars Fanatic.
Saw it 11 times in the theatre in 1977.
And hundreds of times since.

But it all honesty, it's a pretty simple story.
In fact, the basic storyline was one of its criticisms back in the day, and a major reason Oscar voters gave Woody Allen's 'Annie Hall' the Best Picture Oscar over 'Star Wars' that year.
I'm not saying it was justified, obviously it wasn't.
But 'A New Hope' was hardly powerful storytelling.

Lucas got much deeper with the story in 'Empire Strikes Back'.(which surpisingly I only saw 6 times in theatre)
I'm hoping the 'Avatar' sequel follows this path.
Cameron showed with 'Titanic' that he knows how to weave a story.

My point is, it was the "World" created in Star Wars that made it so popular.
Just like Avatar.