AVATAR land construction progress

[doctornick]

how does than look not real?

Yeah, I've never quite gotten the complaints about the backside of Everest. It looks like they did a pretty decent job dressing it up as a sort of "fortress" in the mountain. It would have been beyond silly to actually put up a ton of expensive rockwork on that side for a view one only sees from a few public places (and not inside the park).

 

[No Name]

Wow that's what you call excessively over critical. Seeing that doesn't ruin it for 90 % of people and most people don't even see that. I am certainly glad they spent the money on other things than making the few people that wound up upset over that view of Everest. Really wow!

Speak for yourself. I've seen that view, but it's never affected how I look at Everest when in the park. I've seen all the aerial views of all the parks where you can see all the show buildings. Doesn't change how everything looks and feels when I'm in the parks. Sounds more like a personal problem - it shouldn't be that hard to let it go.

I'm not trying to be a jerk here (although probably succeeding more than I mean to) but how does being able to see the show building from Blizzard Beach ruin Everest? Have you seen the back side of Carsland? I have and it was obviously a screen covering metal and concrete. However, I didn't care once I was actually inside and riding RSR. You're not in the park and the immersiveness doesn't or shouldn't matter at that point. Does anyone over the age of 13 years old actually think that there aren't show buildings involved? I guess that I'm just not following how seeing the building from outside of the park ruins the magic? I would most certainly hope that they put emphasis on the beauty of the park as seen from those inside the park. Maybe I missed your point.

Wow, gee, I did not see all of these replies coming. These opinions baffle me. But I shall try to explain.

Most adults aren't consciously thinking about show buildings. I'd bet that, for something like Everest, 90% of guests who haven't seen this view believe that the mountain is a mountain the full way around. Same thing for the Epcot pavillions, most people don't realize the design comes to a complete halt once the building is out of view. We are very different than average guests because while everyone might know that there are show buildings, most do not consciously think about that type of stuff or realize how much of what they're seeing is such a facade.

It's greatly important to be able to imagine what you can't see. For example, the back of Main Street buildings are out of view, so people don't have that image in their heads. They can see Main Street the way it's supposed to be seen. If someone does see the backs of the buildings, next time they enter Main Street, it won't envoke that same feeling. Next time someone enters Animal Kingdom, they won't look at the mountain the same way. It really tarnishes the experience for every average guest, I have absolutely no doubt of that. It doesn't at all matter whether you're in the park or not. People's memories don't just suddenly vanish once they enter through the gates. Uugh, that bothers me. Everyone jumps all over minor breaks in theming inside of the park, but if you can see something from another park, it suddenly doesn't matter?

Cars Land isn't totally ideal, but there wasn't as much they could've done there. However, this should be avoided whenever possible. It's not a personal problem, I have seen the backs (online or in real life) of many buildings just like you guys have. It's a problem for the million or more people who see this each year. If 10% of guests see this, that's 10% too many.

I don't think you're missing my point, you just do not agree. Or do not see how it is a problem for most guests.

how does than look not real?

Lol. Maybe because the mountain-looking part just randomly and abruptly cuts off in mutliple places. And then a range of giant, oversized buildings spans across the entire back. Buildings that look oddly two dimensional. Oh, and there're some metal bars and box-like things above it all too.

I can understand some not thinking it's a big problem, but I don't see how you can seriously say looks real.

 

[Cesar R M]

how does than look not real?

You can see some metal frames of the snowy side and I dont think these kind of buildings have snow on top

 

[Cesar R M]

I'm not trying to be a jerk here (although probably succeeding more than I mean to) but how does being able to see the show building from Blizzard Beach ruin Everest? Have you seen the back side of Carsland? I have and it was obviously a screen covering metal and concrete. However, I didn't care once I was actually inside and riding RSR. You're not in the park and the immersiveness doesn't or shouldn't matter at that point. Does anyone over the age of 13 years old actually think that there aren't show buildings involved? I guess that I'm just not following how seeing the building from outside of the park ruins the magic? I would most certainly hope that they put emphasis on the beauty of the park as seen from those inside the park. Maybe I missed your point.

In some cases it can ruin the magic BIG TIME.
I mean, look at the UNI visible buildings.
Coming from the Jurassic Park side to Hogsmeade broke the magic big time.
In these cases you can see the buildings FROM INSIDE the park.. and very easily.

 

[KingOfEpicocity]

Wow, gee, I did not see all of these replies coming. These opinions baffle me. But I shall try to explain.

Most adults aren't consciously thinking about show buildings. I'd bet that, for something like Everest, 90% of guests who haven't seen this view believe that the mountain is a mountain the full way around. Same thing for the Epcot pavillions, most people don't realize the design comes to a complete halt once the building is out of view. We are very different than average guests because while everyone might know that there are show buildings, most do not consciously think about that type of stuff or realize how much of what they're seeing is such a facade.

It's greatly important to be able to imagine what you can't see. For example, the back of Main Street buildings are out of view, so people don't have that image in their heads. They can see Main Street the way it's supposed to be seen. If someone does see the backs of the buildings, next time they enter Main Street, it won't envoke that same feeling. Next time someone enters Animal Kingdom, they won't look at the mountain the same way. It really tarnishes the experience for every average guest, I have absolutely no doubt of that. It doesn't at all matter whether you're in the park or not. People's memories don't just suddenly vanish once they enter through the gates. Uugh, that bothers me. Everyone jumps all over minor breaks in theming inside of the park, but if you can see something from another park, it suddenly doesn't matter?

Cars Land isn't totally ideal, but there wasn't as much they could've done there. However, this should be avoided whenever possible. It's not a personal problem, I have seen the backs (online or in real life) of many buildings just like you guys have. It's a problem for the million or more people who see this each year. If 10% of guests see this, that's 10% too many.

I don't think you're missing my point, you just do not agree. Or do not see how it is a problem for most guests.


Lol. Maybe because the mountain-looking part just randomly and abruptly cuts off in mutliple places. And then a range of giant, oversized buildings spans across the entire back. Buildings that look oddly two dimensional. Oh, and there're some metal bars and box-like things above it all too.

I can understand some not thinking it's a big problem, but I don't see how you can seriously say looks real.

Honestly after seeing the backside of everest a million times, i never do stop to think about what i cant see. it always seems real and complete to me. its not like Uni were show buildings are visible from inside the park

 

[Next Big Thing]

Yeah, I'm very concerned about that too. If you could only see the back of the show building, it wouldn't be terrible because most people wouldn't really know what they were looking at. But if you're able see the mountains behind the building, it'll ruin the illusion. I don't care that you are outside of the park. It will tarnish the illusion and the way you see the land once you're inside of the park.

But I have no confidence anything will be done about it. Look at Everest. It looks great. Very realistic and well themed for a theme park area. But then look at it from the top of the Blizzard Beach mountain. You get to see "the backside of Everest" and, well, it is something that should not be seen. Again, I don't care that you are outside of AK, because you'll never look at it the same once you're inside of the park.

View attachment 135235
This is, in my opinion, the worst view at WDW. You don't have to make much of an effort to see it either. I've seen this from two different spots, but I forget where the second one was.

I get that every ride has a budget. But Joe Rohde and the imagineering team chose to use that budget on the actual ride rather than disguising the back of the mountain. Well it looks like they did try to cheaply disguise it as buildings or something like that? It looks horrendous and totally fake though.

Joe Rohde is a great imagineer, but this shows the order of importance he places things in. He chose in-park quality over out-of-park view. So unless his thinking has changed, what is there to make me believe that Avatar Land, headed by the same guy, will be different?

I'll take in-park quality vs. out of park quality any day of the week.

 

[Skibum1970]

In some cases it can ruin the magic BIG TIME.
I mean, look at the UNI visible buildings.
Coming from the Jurassic Park side to Hogsmeade broke the magic big time.
In these cases you can see the buildings FROM INSIDE the park.. and very easily.

I can certainly understand the Hogsmeade situation bothering people more because you are inside the park. It doesn't really bother me as I just kind of look past it but I can easily understand where it would "break the spell" (if you'll pardon the pun). As another poster mentioned above, I can use Google maps and see all the show buildings but it doesn't just ruin my trip to WDW or Universal. My guess is that we'll be able to see Flight of Passage's show building on the approach roads (unless they have enough trees screening it) but won't once inside the park.

I have wondered the following: If you could choose 10 new rides (6 e-tickets and 4 c-tickets) with minimal immersive theming (think Peter Pan's Flight) for $1.5B or 3 rides (2 e-tickets and 1 c-ticket) with extensive theming again for $1.5B, which would you choose? Personally, I love the theming but could sacrifice some of that for more rides.

Ultimately, I will be interested to see how this all starts coming together as the rockwork and paths approach the finished stage. From a progress point of view, we'll probably get into that boring part where the visible construction doesn't change much (again like Carsland after the concrete work was basically finished).

 

[Cesar R M]

I can certainly understand the Hogsmeade situation bothering people more because you are inside the park. It doesn't really bother me as I just kind of look past it but I can easily understand where it would "break the spell" (if you'll pardon the pun). As another poster mentioned above, I can use Google maps and see all the show buildings but it doesn't just ruin my trip to WDW or Universal. My guess is that we'll be able to see Flight of Passage's show building on the approach roads (unless they have enough trees screening it) but won't once inside the park.

I have wondered the following: If you could choose 10 new rides (6 e-tickets and 4 c-tickets) with minimal immersive theming (think Peter Pan's Flight) for $1.5B or 3 rides (2 e-tickets and 1 c-ticket) with extensive theming again for $1.5B, which would you choose? Personally, I love the theming but could sacrifice some of that for more rides.

Ultimately, I will be interested to see how this all starts coming together as the rockwork and paths approach the finished stage. From a progress point of view, we'll probably get into that boring part where the visible construction doesn't change much (again like Carsland after the concrete work was basically finished).

there is a huge difference in seeing it in "google maps" and actually seeing it as you approach the said park.
You can see the back fine from the highway towards AK.

Also. dont know you but, despite the minimalist details of Peter Pan. The execution makes it feel very good. Albeit short.

 

[s8film40]

One thing I thing might have worked well for the floating mountains would be to have a few that are made of lightweight foam, with all the necessary texturing and color etc. then have the inside filled with a large helium filled weather ballon. These could be based back stage and have a winch system that allows it to rise and fall to a preprogrammed pattern and in bad weather conditions bring it down to a docking station of some sort.

 

[A foolish mortal]

 

[A foolish mortal]

 

[Rteetz]

View attachment 135368View attachment 135369View attachment 135370View attachment 135371View attachment 135372View attachment 135373View attachment 135374View attachment 135375

Looks like another floating mountain going up on the right of the last photo.

 

[JenniferS]

Wow that's what you call excessively over critical. Seeing that doesn't ruin it for 90 % of people and most people don't even see that. I am certainly glad they spent the money on other things than making the few people that wound up upset over that view of Everest. Really wow!

I agree.
I've never seen the back of Everest, but from the pic, I think it looks just fine. Interesting even.

 

[s8film40]

I agree.
I've never seen the back of Everest, but from the pic, I think it looks just fine. Interesting even.

I actually remember seeing that when it first opened. It's very noticeable in the parking lot. When it first opened it was just a building with nothing on it. After they realized how visible it was they painted the black squares and shading on it to make it look less "ride building" like. It was a good solution but surprising they didn't account for that in the design, of course I guess they were too busy engineering a large working animatronic yeti.

Edit: This shows how it originally looked, it was very obvious in person.
http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2006/02/17/618.aspx

 

[JenniferS]

I actually remember seeing that when it first opened. It's very noticeable in the parking lot. When it first opened it was just a building with nothing on it. After they realized how visible it was they painted the black squares and shading on it to make it look less "ride building" like. It was a good solution but surprising they didn't account for that in the design, of course I guess they were too busy engineering a large working animatronic yeti.

Edit: This shows how it originally looked, it was very obvious in person.
http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2006/02/17/618.aspx

Great link, thank you.

 

[Nastory4]

I'll take in-park quality vs. out of park quality any day of the week.

Agreed

 

[Skibum1970]

there is a huge difference in seeing it in "google maps" and actually seeing it as you approach the said park.
You can see the back fine from the highway towards AK.

Also. dont know you but, despite the minimalist details of Peter Pan. The execution makes it feel very good. Albeit short.

Completely agree on Pan. That's why sometimes I wish that they would spend less on the expensive theming and more on the rides in terms of quality and quantity. Either way, I do expect this area to look awesome and I'll enjoy the rides. Not sure if I'll enjoy the lines, though, but hopefully Fastpass+ makes it all better. Couldn't even type that last line without giggling.

 

[KingOfEpicocity]

Completely agree on Pan. That's why sometimes I wish that they would spend less on the expensive theming and more on the rides in terms of quality and quantity. Either way, I do expect this area to look awesome and I'll enjoy the rides. Not sure if I'll enjoy the lines, though, but hopefully Fastpass+ makes it all better. Couldn't even type that last line without giggling.

I also agree. Which is why I love new fantasyland.

 

[KingOfEpicocity]

Someone please assure me that you won't be able to see this when their done.

 

[Rteetz]

View attachment 135413
Someone please assure me that you won't be able to see this when their done.

Well I think from that angle you will be bit when you're actually in the land you'll be surrounded and immersed by those mountains.