DAK AVATAR land construction progress

[DisneyJayL]

Eh.... Waterpark versus a new land? Cmon now.

 

[Musicman20]

WOAH! Thanks.

 

[Mawg]

Eh.... Waterpark versus a new land? Cmon now.

Apples vs Oranges

 

[RSoxNo1]

Eh.... Waterpark versus a new land? Cmon now.

More people will experience the new land than the Waterpark...

 

[twebber55]

More people will experience the new land than the Waterpark...

IDK
and im a staunch defender of this land
WNW gets about 1.3 million people a year you have to think VB will get more maybe near 2 million
2 million more people in DAK will give it a near 20% jump in attendance
that would be outstanding

 

[matt9112]

More people will experience the new land than the Waterpark...

Only in raw attendance but I bet volcano bay hits the bottom line better. IE growth attendance. Volcano bay really puts universal on a smaller but similar parity to WDW. WNW was not only further away (slightly) and out of the bubble but normal tourists would have never drawn the connection. Now you have on site "universal" water park that has a fresh new spin vs the old tired disney water parks. Aquatica is deff competition but the angle here is that your going to get alot of your guests who may want a water park experience to get it inside your own bubble not somebody elses.

 

[twebber55]

Only in raw attendance but I bet volcano bay hits the bottom line better. IE growth attendance. Volcano bay really puts universal on a smaller but similar parity to WDW. WNW was not only further away (slightly) and out of the bubble but normal tourists would have never drawn the connection. Now you have on site "universal" water park that has a fresh new spin vs the old tired disney water parks. Aquatica is deff competition but the angle here is that your going to get alot of your guests who may want a water park experience to get it inside your own bubble not somebody elses.

agree

 

[wdwgreek]

Which thread is talking about these ride vehicles? It looks like a mix of mission space and soarin! I can't find the thread where people are discussing this... sooo I'm dropping it here!

 

[Casper Gutman]

So, to no one's surprise, Cameron announced Avatar 2 will not be coming out in 2018. He isn't giving a new date.

Bits of this new land are pretty and the river ride promises to be gorgeous, if short - but I think some folks around here are going to be surprised by the level of interest from the general public.

 

[flyerjab]

Their timing on the hype is based on the fact that the the land will be open in a matter of weeks. This is the best time to build hype as guests can now book vacations to experience the new land.

This isn't Disney being desperate. This is them doing what they have always done. Remember Everest opening, or Mission Space, or animal Kingdom. They just haven't done it in a while.

Agreed.

How is advertising or hyping a new land that cost not quite 1 billion dollars desperate? Also, it officially opens in a little over two months. I don't understand that argument in the slightest.

Disney is a marketing juggernaut when they want to be. And also, keep in mind that Cameron is involved in this project. There had to be some sort of upfront agreements in this partnership whereby Disney would help market it so that Cameron, John Landau and Lightstorm Entertainment would all receive attention since Avatar is their baby. Additionally, this also creates awareness for the 4 sequels that are going to be set upon us.

They are being smart about it. They are using their ABC network to advertise this land on GMA - a show that covers numerous demographics, The View - a show that at least one can say caters more so to the female demographic, and The Chew as well as Nightline to cover even more people and interests.

And without a doubt, UNI has stepped it up in recent years. We even bought UNI APs last year because of the Potter additions and this new waterpark that really does look excellent. Oh, and Volcano Bay also happens to be debuting at the same time that Pandora is debuting in DAK. I expect the marketing from both parties to increase over the next few months.

I can also add that I enjoy the narrative that is being crafted by the Imagineers for why and how this addition meshes with DAK as well as it does. People on these boards always reflect upon the glory of old Epcot. It was a park with complex themes about science, imagination and cultural diversity. I have enjoyed watching old TV specials on YouTube when that park was first being showcased by the company. The same lengths were taken explaining the different pavilions and areas of FW, and I love when they do that. There are many aspects today of DAK that remind me of the diligence and care that was crafted for the original Epcot. There is a thematic message linked back to our relationship with the natural world. It showcases how we can both positively and negatively impact the world around us. Pandora is going to only build on that. Joe Rohde spoke to a water reclamation project underway on Pandora. Now for what reason would something like that even be necessary? They have the world class rides, dining and merchandise all here. Things like that are what make this project so special to me as a fan of Disney and the Avatar movie. There is depth to this addition, and it is displayed through this fantasy/sci-fi world from the mind of Cameron. This land will show how after the destructive force of mankind has been extinguished, that the land and nature is slowly reclaiming its dominance. This to me is how this land fits in so well with DAK, and I have no issues with Imagineering going to great length to explain it.

 

[twebber55]

So, to no one's surprise, Cameron announced Avatar 2 will not be coming out in 2018. He isn't giving a new date.

Bits of this new land are pretty and the river ride promises to be gorgeous, if short - but I think some folks around here are going to be surprised by the level of interest from the general public.

not me
i think it will be huge
very bullish on this land

 

[Goofyque']

So, to no one's surprise, Cameron announced Avatar 2 will not be coming out in 2018. He isn't giving a new date.

Bits of this new land are pretty and the river ride promises to be gorgeous, if short - but I think some folks around here are going to be surprised by the level of interest from the general public.

This assumes that one has to be "all in" on Avataar to enjoy a land or attraction. This is simply not true. I would bet that even in the MK, there are legions of people who love many rides based on movies they have never seen, or at least aren't mega-fans of.

 

[Casper Gutman]

This assumes that one has to be "all in" on Avataar to enjoy a land or attraction. This is simply not true. I would bet that even in the MK, there are legions of people who love many rides based on movies they have never seen, or at least aren't mega-fans of.

There is truth in this, of course - but all those MK rides are "Disney"-themed rides, and even if folks haven't seen that particular movie, they have likely seen and have some affection for animated films from Disney in a similar style.

I think people underestimate how much of the general public has a negative, rather than just a disinterested, reaction to Avatar. In particular, I think many folks find the design of the Na'vi singularly unappealing.

I also have some concern with the relative lack of "built" structures within Pandora. Even in Animal Kingdom, the focus is on manmade structures rather then "untouched" landscapes. The only area of any major theme park that is as bereft of built structures as Pandora seems to be is Animal Kingdom's Oasis, and that's not an area in which folks linger (or are meant to). IOA's Jurassic Park might be close, but that's the least interesting section of either Universal park - something Universal's designers know, as they just added Kong and have long talked of adding more attractions to the area to draw guests.

I get excited by any addition to a Disney or Universal park. I just feel that, in a few months time, we may here some serious rumblings of discontent from Disney execs regarding their billion dollar investment.

 

[GoofGoof]

IDK
and im a staunch defender of this land
WNW gets about 1.3 million people a year you have to think VB will get more maybe near 2 million
2 million more people in DAK will give it a near 20% jump in attendance
that would be outstanding

If AK only gets 2M visitors this year that would be a real serious cause for concern or are you assuming the 10M people who visited AK will all skip Avatar and just visit the rest of AK?

 

[twebber55]

If AK only gets 2M visitors this year that would be a real serious cause for concern or are you assuming the 10M people who visited AK will all skip Avatar and just visit the rest of AK?

i disagree it would be bigger than cars land and on par with the first harry potter

EDIT: 2 million MORE visitors than last year LOL sorry

 

[GoofGoof]

Volcano Bay is HUGE and it's already attracted tons of attention.

And didn't Uni announced the opening date for Volcano Bay before Disney decided to announce when they'd be opening Pandora?

You have to admit all this media attention on Pandora makes Disney look a little jealous and desperate in that instance, especially with Harry Potter attracting so many potential Disney guests.

I'm not a massive Uni fan as most of their rides are virtual anymore. But it's just funny to see Disney suddenly (and desperately) trying to get attention. Maybe if they released an actual sequel to the movie at the same time of the opening it would help.

Not arguing, BTW. Their timing for the hype just seems blatantly obvious to me.

Should they have waited a few months to open the finished land so they didn't step on the toes of Universal's "3rd gate"? If they really wanted to steal Universal's thunder they would have fast tracked this thing and opened it at the same time as Harry Potter 2.0.

I don't think any of this media hype or the opening date have anything to do with Universal or VB. There would be hype no matter when it opened.

 

[twebber55]

Should they have waited a few months to open the finished land so they didn't step on the toes of Universal's "3rd gate"? If they really wanted to steal Universal's thunder they would have fast tracked this thing and opened it at the same time as Harry Potter 2.0.

I don't think any of this media hype or the opening date have anything to do with Universal or VB. There would be hype no matter when it opened.

agreed
this is business as usual
you re opening a new land you re gonna hype it

 

[raven]

Eh.... Waterpark versus a new land? Cmon now.

It's generating a huge anticipation here in Orlando. All new extremely large water park with a giant icon for its focus, many many attractions, incredible theming, 2-story cabanas, and so much more.

How is advertising or hyping a new land that cost not quite 1 billion dollars desperate? Also, it officially opens in a little over two months. I don't understand that argument in the slightest.

Because Disney suddenly put an opening date on Pandora AFTER Universal released a statement when Volcano Bay would open. And Disney planned the date to compete with their opening. That's blatantly desperate.

As for attendance goes, Universal is selling 3-park hopper tickets (much like Disney does for their water parks as well). And guests don't have to stand 20 minutes to board a crowded bus to get to their water park as well. Attendance there will be huge.

 

[GoofGoof]

i disagree it would be bigger than cars land and on par with the first harry potter

EDIT: 2 million MORE visitors than last year LOL sorry

I don't know how many additional guests Avatar will draw but the total number who visit it will far exceed VB. Not a knock against VB, but it's just a water park. VB will likely have some impact on attendance at WDW water parks and especially Aquatica. Sea World will likely feel the biggest pain as day waterpark visitors will choose the new park. VB will still be a pretty expensive option for guests who already have a multiday WDW ticket and just need to add the waterpark option to visit TL or BB.

I do believe the new slide opening at TL is a direct attempt to counter some of the waterpark losses from VB opening.

 

[raven]

Should they have waited a few months to open the finished land so they didn't step on the toes of Universal's "3rd gate"? If they really wanted to steal Universal's thunder they would have fast tracked this thing and opened it at the same time as Harry Potter 2.0.

Well, this was Disney's "solution" to HP after all. It's just too bad they always take so long. I would've loved to seen Pandora open years ago. But maybe now they can divert enough attention away from E:E to finally close it for once and fix the giant statue inside.