AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[andre85]

This current development will signal the end to that.

Here's all we know about the new land: it's based on Avatar. You're inferring a lot based on so little.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Indeed. Which is what this project could end up being, and is what Beastly Kingdomme in essence was.

Fact: regardless of love or hate for the title, this will bring in more average guests. As Potter deservingly has.

Fact: if the project is like Potter it'll probably go in Camp M&M. If it's a true epic expansion it'll be north of Asia. WDI have long wanted a way and a reason to have guests be able to walk to Conservation Station.

Fact: this project did get out over a month ago. It was dispelled as improbable.

Fact: privately TDO and even Burbank admit a) they've been doing most things in Orlando too cheaply in the past 10-12 years and b) that they would have loved to have their own Potter equivalent.

Fact: Potter phase two will be complete before this. As will the next E ride for USF.

The next 5 years are certainly going to be interesting in Orlando.

The walk to conservation Station would be insane. It is about 1 3/4 miles to walk from the entrance to CS and back. It is only about 1 1/2 miles for the Epcot entrance and a loop around WS and back to the entrance.

The size of the expansion plot there is huge, but they would have to do do something with the train (possibly remove) since I cannot imagine arriving in Pandora on the Orient Express. Then the service road to Asia cannot be removed so maybe a bridge can be built for the road?

The easy road is the CMM plot. I really hope that they do not go the easy way!

 

[marni1971]

...except you claimed the Fantasyland expansion was "the Potter swatter" as well.

All 4 Potter swatters stalled for various reasons. Poor FLE was meant to open in 11 days time not so long ago...

 

[wdwmagic]

I guess my next question is this - is there any other news baking in the oven that we don't know about?

I've been wondering about transportation. With Fantasyland expansion, Avatar land, Downtown Disney expansion, new hotels, shopping, etc. How do you move all those people from point A to Point B. I imagine if they sink 400 million in Avatar land there will probably be another entrance.

Mike

Well a boat load of new busses are being delivered to WDW right now. This seems to be the transport strategy going forward. It it going to take a lot to change that.

 

[MAF]

I highly doubt this is a franchise Joe Rhode sought after, more that he got saddled with trying to fit this into his park. Sad actually... :shrug:

 

[baymenxpac]

Avatar does have alien animals, but even then, it's a flimsy justification for this Avatar land.

isn't everything sort of a flimsy justification? even at the peak of themeing? like...maybe some people don't think cruises through the jungle are adventurous, hence a stretch for adventureland? i agree, the avatar/AK relationship is flimsier than that, but you get my point.

 

[stitchcastle]

Here's all we know about the new land: it's based on Avatar. You're inferring a lot based on so little.

that's a lot of information though, we know it's gonna be a Whole Land. and we know what kind of movie Avatar is and what it's about. I saw it twice in theaters. I know exactly how the movie is in relation to what Animal Kingdom is about.

 

[marni1971]

You say that, but Beastly Kingdom never had any fully developed block-buster attractions. Just internet hype of "coasters" and dragons. Not saying Beastly Kingdom couldn't have been good, but so little was ever officially released on the subject, it seems impossible to say it could be preferred.

Beastly... Good for it's time but not as epic or as thorough as Potterland, let alone Avland. Avland... Can I take the credit for that???

 

[artbell2]

I have a feeling this will be a 100 page thread by the end of the night! Its only 5:30 pm on the east coast and people are just now getting off work.

 

[stitch2008]

that's a lot of information though, we know it's gonna be a Whole Land. and we know what kind of movie Avatar is and what it's about. I saw it twice in theaters. I know exactly how the movie is in relation to what Animal Kingdom is about.

And you have no idea about what attractions they are going to install. No one on these boards does. How about you wait, see some concept art and learn about what really is gonna be in this land before you go proclaiming its the worst thing ever?

 

[wdwmagic]

I highly doubt this is a franchise Joe Rhode sought after, more that he got saddled with trying to fit this into his park. Sad actually... :shrug:

I would think the opposite. Looking at the environments he has to work with, and the budget and people involved, I would think this would be an amazing opportunity for him. As a creative, if this doesn't get his juices going, he's in the wrong job. I think he'll do an incredible job on this and will be fully into it as always.

 

[wdwmagic]

Beastly... Good for it's time but not as epic or as thorough as Potterland, let alone Avland. Avland... Can I take the credit for that???

You got it Martin! :wave:

 

[MKCP 1985]

all you have to do is look at the dedication of DAK:

Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.

animals, not just the umbrella term of "nature". Avatar has nothing to do with animals.

Re-read that dedication again in its entirety. What are these if not imagined animals?

What is this if not gazing at a kingdom of beauty and wonder?

you seem to have some ax to grind here.

 

[stitchcastle]

And you have no idea about what attractions they are going to install. No one on these boards does. How about you wait, see some concept art and learn about what really is gonna be in this land before you go proclaiming its the worst thing ever?

yeah but it's still going to be an entire land, what ever the attractions may be the land itself is going to be a huge part of Animal Kingdom's identity. Just imagine all of Africa being put in Disney's Hollywood Studios, or Adventureland being put in EPCOT.

 

[misterID]

Still reading through some of the thread, but I think Avatar goes perfectly with AK. It's nice to see Disney grab the opportunity to do this since missing the boat with HP... I actually think Avatar fits Disney better than HP would... And it's funny because of the Avatar to UNI rumors that were out there. Very cool. Would I like a hybrid BK and JTTCOTE? Yes. But this also has the potential for all kinds of awesomeness.

Disney almost got the Avatar film at one point... Almost...

 

[dizneeboy]

Wow, that was a long read getting through all this...

So, here is my .02: While a land based on the Avatar franchise didn't excite me generally speaking, the possibilities of what we may end up with does. The general concept is an imagineering playground and we could potentially see some amazing things come of it. I for one am already excited to see the first round of concept art when its available.

I wouldn't expect to see any high up outdoor type thrills that could ruin the illusion of being on an alien planet by opening unwanted line of sight. I just hope its not "simulatorland". The thought of a glowing/interative land at night just sounds way cool.

While I only saw the movie once, and was only blown away by the special effects, I'm going to remain optimistic that whatever we get should be a great additional to an already beautiful park.

 

[stitchcastle]

Re-read that dedication again in its entirety. What are these if not imagined animals?

What is this if not gazing at a kingdom of beauty and wonder?

you seem to have some ax to grind here.

Those imagined animals were just flashy plot devices, that wasn't the point of the movie. The point of the movie were the people and the trees. And the kingdom of beauty and wonder were referring to the ANIMALS of the Animal kingdom, not the land.

 

[TP2000]

Let's recap from the various big city newspaper articles on this;

Avatar Land Coming to DAK
Additional Avatar Lands/Attractions at other parks later, per legal agreement with James Cameron

• DAK Avatar Land Budget = $500 Million
• Scale/Scope of Project = Cars Land, 12 Acres
• Land comprised of one E Ticket, and two smaller rides, plus shops/restaurants
• Construction begins in 2013, opening in 2016 at earliest or 2017 at latest

Wow! I may have to put Avatar on my Netflix to see what this is all about; I took a pass on the movie originally as it seemed like Hollywood's typical Saturday Matinee Shlock. Interesting that they couldn't pull this announcement together four weeks ago for D23 Expo.

Where else could an Avatar Land go easily? Personal opinion here based on existing theme parks...

• Obvious land available at Shanghai Disneyland
• Big chunk of expansion land at Tokyo DisneySea beyond Port Discovery
• Walt Disney Studios park in Paris could use this expansion, desperately

Those are thre three easy ones. It gets murkier and less easy for Hong Kong and Anaheim. There's space in Hong Kong, but how does the theme fit? There's space in Anaheim, but it would go in the big expansion area between Fantasyland and Frontierland, and the theme gets weird although the trees and vegetation are already there in that area. I can't think how Avatar theme would ever work in the expansion area at DCA next to Cars Land. :veryconfu

 

[andre85]

Those imagined animals were just flashy plot devices, that wasn't the point of the movie. The point of the movie were the people and the trees. And the kingdom of beauty and wonder were referring to the ANIMALS of the Animal kingdom, not the land.

There are still two mores movies, on which the land will likely be based, of which we have no idea what themes or ideas they might explore.

 

[Figments Friend]

I would think the opposite. Looking at the environments he has to work with, and the budget and people involved, I would think this would be an amazing opportunity for him. As a creative, if this doesn't get his juices going, he's in the wrong job. I think he'll do an incredible job on this and will be fully into it as always.

I agree...he must be tinkling in his trousers right about now at the very thought of what could be done with the landscape possibilities of Pandora and ride concepts.

Someone posted a patent application image earlier in this thread of a possible ride system for flying on a Banshee. How amazing would it be to have something similar to 'Soarin' but on a single person scale...on a animated large scale Banshee figure? It would be a nightmare in logistics to figure out the Hourly Capacity and other important ride requirements, but WOW...can you just imagine something like this?

Very excited about the possibilities this project can bring to DAK.