AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[JustInTime]

Well since it was based on a movie, I'd say they could have gone with DHS:shrug:

So all movies should just be tossed into DHS because...they are movies? Riiiight. I guess Magic Kingdom should be bulldozed? Have you ever looked at Disneyland's attraction list? Star Wars? Indiana? The problem is Pandora is a planet with no buildings. Solve that theme-crashing-nightmare. You walk around the corner of streets America into a full-fledged Alien Rainforest Surrounded by exotic plant life and unpredictable and unimaginable animals. There are transition and theming nightmares that would cause more problems than it's worth. Just let the imagineers do their job. Let them produce some concept, then judge. And if you are still unhappy in 5 years, don't go. :sohappy:

 

[bferrara16]

Would you really want a futuristic Jungle plopped right in the middle of DHS? I guess you would like it under the hat? It doesn't fit. You don't see the theming nightmare there? If you see the movie, you will understand. It makes sense. And there are 2 more films in pre-production early next year.


And all these doubts (unfounded, really) people are having will go away when we get concept art. You will see. Don't worry your little head.

I'm sure we could fit it behind the giant AT-AT Walker.

I've seen questions raised about how to transition from AK Major to Pandora... 1) problem solved if framed as a movie set in DHS
2) if the theme works so well, why is there trouble with transition?

Finally, why are only doubts unfounded? Why isn't support based only on an announcement sans concept art unfounded?

(edited for clarity in point #1)

 

[Scuttle]

Iger is just a normal businessman. He does not care about the Disney Legacy or that Avatar makes no sense in Animal Kingdom all he sees is $$$$$$$$$$!

Exactly and everyone needs to accept that. I think he cares about the brand, but yes at the end of the day all he cares about is money. Disney is a BUSINESS! We all love Walt and his legacy continues, but it's a lot different today than it was in the 60's.

 

[JustInTime]

I'm sure we could fit it behind the giant AT-AT Walker.

I've seen questions raised about how to transition from AK Major to Pandora... 1) problem solved if framed as a movie set
2) if the theme works so well, why is there trouble with transition?

Finally, why are only doubts unfounded? Why isn't support based only on an announcement sans concept art unfounded?

They are unfounded because you have NOTHING to go by yet.

And why would Disney put a "movie set" theme in DHS? TDO has shown that they are moving away from that and moving more towards putting guests into the actual movie. See the Star Wars refurb and current state of the Back Lot tour for example. Sorry, it doesn't work in DHS.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Believe me, no worries here. Remember, I know nothing about the movie. Whether it's a jungle, dessert, outer-space, whatever the setting the name conjures a big nothing for me other than 'movie'. I'm being quite literal, not at all figurative. I know NOTHING about it because it has never interested me. Still doesn't. I have no inclination whatsoever to see that movie or any sequels. Not my cup of tea.

BTW, Star Tours/Star Wars isn't my thing either but is a great fit in DHS. How odd would it be to see it situated between SSE and M:S??? one could argue it's "space" setting and futuristic theming. Just sayin'...

 

[JustInTime]

Believe me, no worries here. Remember, I know nothing about the movie. Whether it's a jungle, dessert, outer-space, whatever the setting the name conjures a big nothing for me other than 'movie'. I'm being quite literal, not at all figurative. I know NOTHING about it because it has never interested me. Still doesn't. I have no inclination whatsoever to see that movie or any sequels. Not my cup of tea.

BTW, Star Tours/Star Wars isn't my thing either but is a great fit in DHS. How odd would it be to see it situated between SSE and M:S??? one could argue it's "space" setting and futuristic theming. Just sayin'...

When you view Pandora's environment, it doesn't scream TOMORROWLAND! It's typical agriculture with a twist. Same with the Animals. I think this fills the Beastly Kingdom void of having imaginary animals nicely. You really should see the movie. It's decent.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

How come anyone who isn't supportive of this announcement is immediately chastised and labeled a hater with a vendetta against the film? Not sure how there become a right and wrong response to this so quickly. 100+ pages of arguments trying to convince me that I'm wrong for not liking this announcement has only changed my opinion about some of the posters here, not the project.

I'd love it if it were in DHS or if this was an Australia announcement. I just don't like the feel of a movie-based land in AK. Someone said WE'RE not the target audience - and I think they're right, which is why I find it surprising that the "wrong" opinion here is to be opposed since this seems to be based on financials, pop name recognition and the need for a response to Potter at the expense of the overall theme.

The people who are coming just to see Avatar would come even if it was located at Blizzard Beach, so why not just put it in a spot that makes more sense? Would we have been pumped if AK opened with the Avatar land?

I couldn't agree more. I'm okay with being the black sheep in the bunch. I don't follow the flock either. Personally, I've never put much weight in the opinions of the judgmental, particularly the snarky sort who can't carry on healthy, objective conversation without being sarcastic. You & I will just sit over here and watch the rest drink the kool-aid, I guess. :lol:

 

[bferrara16]

So all movies should just be tossed into DHS because...they are movies? Riiiight. I guess Magic Kingdom should be bulldozed? Have you ever looked at Disneyland's attraction list? Star Wars? Indiana? The problem is Pandora is a planet with no buildings. Solve that theme-crashing-nightmare. You walk around the corner of streets America into a full-fledged Alien Rainforest Surrounded by exotic plant life and unpredictable and unimaginable animals. There are transition and theming nightmares that would cause more problems than it's worth. Just let the imagineers do their job. Let them produce some concept, then judge. And if you are still unhappy in 5 years, don't go. :sohappy:

Easy. Don't build an Avatar land at all.

Also I forgot that Grauman's is down the block from Endor. Let's not mess that up. The point is DHS is a Movie Studio theme. Yes - any movie can be made to fit quite easily, so if you absolutely have to have Avatar it goes there. Other movies need to be more carefully tailored to fit a theme.

And I'm not sure what MK or Disneyland have to do with this either - did I miss the blockbuster hit that was Liberty Square? What was the box office for Tomorrowland the movie? Let's spin this around - how would you feel if the lands of MK were Tommorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, Frontierland and Avatar. That's how I feel about it going to AK.

I'm sure the imagineers will do a great job with this - I just don't think they needed to be tested by the bean counters that are trying to solve two problems with one solution.

 

[JustInTime]

Also I forgot that Grauman's is down the block from Endor. Let's not mess that up. The point is DHS is a Movie Studio theme. Yes - any movie can be made to fit quite easily, so if you absolutely have to have Avatar it goes there. Other movies need to be more carefully tailored to fit a theme.

And I'm not sure what MK or Disneyland have to do with this either - did I miss the blockbuster hit that was Liberty Square? What was the box office for Tomorrowland the movie? Let's spin this around - how would you feel if the lands of MK were Tommorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, Frontierland and Avatar. That's how I feel about it going to AK.

I can see your point with this. But I still think it will be fine. Hang in there. And I hope you Don't Panic! when Magic Kingdom get's an entire Dumboland. :lookaroun

And as far as Endor goes, The entire outer Star Wars area is a joke theming wise. And it was designed when the park was going for a "working movie set" theme. Which has now been stripped from the ride and is missing in almsot every section of the park now. But at the time it made sense. Avatar won't be going to DHS. And it's a good thing.

 

[bferrara16]

I couldn't agree more. I'm okay with being the black sheep in the bunch. I don't follow the flock either. Personally, I've never put much weight in the opinions of the judgmental, particularly the snarky sort who can't carry on healthy, objective conversation without being sarcastic. You & I will just sit over here and watch the rest drink the kool-aid, I guess. :lol:

The funny thing is that I have the kool-aid mustache almost all the time. I enjoy the discussion of pros and cons but there seems to be a weird vibe that its ok to be 100% superwow this is going to be awesome right now, but we need to have concept art before we can have doubts. Truth is, concept art doesn't solve my problem with the announcement. They can draw up an absolutely spot-on recreation of Pandora and I'll still feel like its a bit out of place. I don't think I'm a hater just because I don't like the sound of this. Believe me - I want a huge new project and I'm fine that they went after Avatar. I just want it somewhere else.

 

[bferrara16]

I can see your point with this. But I still think it will be fine. Hang in there. And I hope you Don't Panic! when Magic Kingdom get's an entire Dumboland. :lookaroun

And as far as Endor goes, The entire outer Star Wars area is a joke theming wise. And it was designed when the park was going for a "working movie set" theme. Which has now been stripped from the ride and is missing in almsot every section of the park now. But at the time it made sense. Avatar won't be going to DHS. And it's a good thing.

Fair enough.

For the record I like the FLE so no panic here (because it fits - sense a theme with me? pun intended).

I'll always think of DHS as a studio theme as long as they have studios in the name, a cardboard nyc street and stuntshows. I know Avatar isn't going there, but I still think it should. The same argument you apply to DHS, I apply to AK. Agree to disagree.

 

[JustInTime]

Fair enough.

For the record I like the FLE so no panic here (because it fits - sense a theme with me? pun intended).

I'll always think of DHS as a studio theme as long as they have studios in the name, a cardboard nyc street and stuntshows. I know Avatar isn't going there, but I still think it should. The same argument you apply to DHS, I apply to AK. Agree to disagree.

Agreed.

And even with Pandora, Harry Potter will still win. I went Monday and was blown away.

 

[Magenta Panther]

You couldn't be more wrong. I've been to Universal once, Sea World twice, and Six Flags once. I have no real desire to return to any of them (except possibly Universal to see the impeccable storytelling of Harry Potter). I do appreciate the Disney legacy, I'm a fan of the parks and the studios, and I have been very critical when I thought Disney was making a negative choice.

This decision is a risk. Lots of people in this thread have pointed out that the second and third Avatar movies might not be successful, the public could lose interest by 2017, etc. The dissenters can't have it both ways - they can't complain that this might be unsuccessful, and then say Disney isn't taking enough risk. Again, I hate to say it, but Disney's core market isn't you. It isn't me either. We're hooked for life, and we'll be spending our money on Disney no matter what (whether it's at WDW, DL, etc). Disney wants more people to come. This will appeal to people currently outside of Disney's demographic. Families with teen guys, for example. Young adults. Sci-fi fans. The millions and millions of people who enjoyed this movie more than Winnie the Pooh. Even though the movie might be PG-13, I'm sure the land will be enjoyable to people of all ages (at least more enjoyable to young kids than Tower of Terror or Dinosaur). This will be an area that kids, teens, and adults can all enjoy - I'm sure of it. And that is Disney's legacy when it comes to the theme parks. Disney's not trying to build what you want. It's trying to satisfy a very general audience, so whoever happens to come to WDW can enjoy it together.

"We're" hooked for life? What's this "we" stuff? This news has me so ticked I'm considering cancelling the WDW trip I had planned for December. Of course Iger won't miss the amount of money I was going to spend, but I don't think I can really enjoy the park anymore, knowing what it's turning into - a ragtag collection of flash-in-the-pan non-Disney junk. I wonder how long it'll take until actual Disney creations are pushed into a tiny segment of the park and everywhere else is taken up with Avatar, Marvel and whatever ill-fitting entity Iger decides to snap up.

And ANY kid who can't enjoy Tower of Terror has numbed sensibilities nobody can reach.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm happy for Disney to do something for DHS or AK...I just don't buy this Avatar thing so readily. I think Disney could do better without buying into a random franchise. I'm sure the Avatar fans will be thrilled whether Disney does it or some other company puts it out there. I'm not a fan, tho. I have absolute zero interest or knowledge in that movie or it's subject matter or mythic creatures or whatever. I think Disney could do mythical creatures beautifully without buying a recent hit movie. They have the talent and resources to create rich environments with original backstories intertwined. Novel idea: create their own story/creatures for the parks, make movies, & cash in twice. It'd certainly feel less like a cheap, unimaginative cop-out to turn a buck.

 

[Captain Neo]

I've always felt that Dino-RAMA adds a bit of respectability to the park. Wouldn't you say?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

^^^
Off-the-rack rides with a creative story. Off-the-rack story for creative rides. Food for thought. I liiiiiike....
:lol:

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

"We're" hooked for life? What's this "we" stuff? This news has me so ticked I'm considering cancelling the WDW trip I had planned for December. Of course Iger won't miss the amount of money I was going to spend, but I don't think I can really enjoy the park anymore, knowing what it's turning into - a ragtag collection of flash-in-the-pan non-Disney junk. I wonder how long it'll take until actual Disney creations are pushed into a tiny segment of the park and everywhere else is taken up with Avatar, Marvel and whatever ill-fitting entity Iger decides to snap up.

And ANY kid who can't enjoy Tower of Terror has numbed sensibilities nobody can reach.

People in this thread have bragged that they stopped going to WDW...because they go to DL and Tokyo Disney instead. In my eyes, that still means they're hooked on Disney. And 99% of the hardcore complainers on any Disney fan site will continue to go to WDW and have fun. The few who cancel and never return will be negligible. Go ahead and cancel though. We changed our resort from GF to Swan due to monorail issues, and we still had fun. If WDW is so ruined for you, then you'll probably be happier at home.

And if you can't respect the fact that Tower of Terror is actually frightening and scary for a lot of kids, then shame on you. I've seen children (and some adults) in sad tears after riding it. Certainly doesn't belong in WDW if it's supposed to appeal to everyone in the family. Yet, it's cherished and considered a Disney classic. People are judging Pandora before even knowing what is being built.

 

[Magenta Panther]

People in this thread have bragged that they stopped going to WDW...because they go to DL and Tokyo Disney instead. In my eyes, that still means they're hooked on Disney. And 99% of the hardcore complainers on any Disney fan site will continue to go to WDW and have fun. The few who cancel and never return will be negligible. Go ahead and cancel though. We changed our resort from GF to Swan due to monorail issues, and we still had fun. If WDW is so ruined for you, then you'll probably be happier at home.

And if you can't respect the fact that Tower of Terror is actually frightening and scary for a lot of kids, then shame on you. I've seen children (and some adults) in sad tears after riding it. Certainly doesn't belong in WDW if it's supposed to appeal to everyone in the family. Yet, it's cherished and considered a Disney classic. People are judging Pandora before even knowing what is being built.

If it's anything like the movie, it'll be an eye-popping bore.

Oh, the Tower is scary for a lot of kids eh? Well, it does have the word "Terror" as part of its title. Let the buyer beware.

And there are scary moments in a lot of classic Disney films too. Walt didn't water down his movies to appeal to everybody. He was never interested in that, according to his employees and his biographers. By contrast, Iger's attempt to reach EVERY demographic and appeal to EVERY taste is what's killing Disney. It's becoming a meaningless generality full of hodge-podge castoffs and ill-advised off-company acquisitions. Who needs that?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

If it's anything like the movie, it'll be an eye-popping bore.

Oh, the Tower is scary for a lot of kids eh? Well, it does have the word "Terror" as part of its title. Let the buyer beware.

And there are scary moments in a lot of classic Disney films too. Walt didn't water down his movies to appeal to everybody. He was never interested in that, according to his employees and his biographers. By contrast, Iger's attempt to reach EVERY demographic and appeal to EVERY taste is what's killing Disney. It's becoming a meaningless generality full of nice safe non-offensive mediocrity. Who needs that?

I think you just covered parks merchandise in that last paragraph, too.

 

[TalkingHead]

win.

What did he win?