AVATAR land - the specifics

[Disneyfanatic!!]

Screamscape posted this.

A couple of interesting things were reported from Animal Kingdom early on Thursday. According to a Screamscape source, CM’s arriving early at Animal Kingdom that morning could see height test balloons being flown over the park, reaching an estimated 200 feet in height. (That’s about the same height of Tower of Terror for comparison’s sake…) The location in the park hasn’t been confirmed, but is thought to be in the Camp Minnie / Mickey area.
On a related note, apparently Joe Rohde sent out word to his staff that today was also the first day of on-site construction work for “Pandora – The World of Avatar”. So get ready for Avatar mania to begin…

 

[Patricia Melton]

Screamscape posted this.

I actually like the name "Pandora - the World of Avatar". It feels at home with Africa, Asia, and DinoLand USA because those all have place names like "Pandora". If they had called it "Avatarland", that would have been dumb.

Wonder what they are planning that would be up to 200 feet high. Surely they will not built a "Home Tree" when they have the Tree of Life already there. My thought was that the Tree of Life would be seen from Pandora somehow as the 'Home Tree' and everything would be built some way that would make the Tree of Life look like it's in the distance as the Home Tree in the film.

 

[Donald96]

There are some really paranoid people out there who think that everyone has an agenda. It's comical.

I believe you saw sight-line balloons if you say you did. Clearly they are in the very, very early stages of planning the DAK expansion.

You see the balloons up today jives with what a few others reported on in the last few weeks in terms of DCA's Imagineers moving on to a Florida project now that Carsland and BVS are finished and up and running. It would make sense that if in the last month those Imagineers are moving on to a Florida project that the site tests for DAK would be starting.

I would love to know if you saw the balloons in Camp Mickey Minnie's area. That is where I think Pandora will be built, and that also jives with Lion King being moved to Africa. I bet in the next few months, after FLE opens probably, we will start to hear about a final date for Camp Mickey Minnie to be open. By the end of 2013, I think that area will be walled off and we'll begin to hear about Pandora coming around 2016 or so.

Thank you! You're right now that I'm reading back up (I was away last week) on some old posts this does make sense.

I have faith in the Imagineers and I'm sure that they can make this new land an experience for all to enjoy, whether or not a fan of the movie. And yes these four balloons were all in the CMM area. Also, that Asia water play area is still under wraps which would have been helpful to those kids as it was HOT today! As we left Animal Kingdom at three cause my Mom was tired (yes I'm 16), which in my opinion is too early but of course I'm lucky to go in the first place, but I was really hope this area will make it possible to keep Animal Kingdom open in the later hours, so it's not so hot during all operating hours and we could stay later! After all AK is one of my favorite parks. And it is curious what they're building 200 feet high...

 

[Patricia Melton]

Thank you! You're right now that I'm reading back up (I was away last week) on some old posts this does make sense.

I have faith in the Imagineers and I'm sure that they can make this new land an experience for all to enjoy, whether or not a fan of the movie. And yes these four balloons were all in the CMM area. Also, that Asia water play area is still under wraps which would have been helpful to those kids as it was HOT today! As we left Animal Kingdom at three cause my Mom was tired (yes I'm 16), which in my opinion is too early but of course I'm lucky to go in the first place. However, I really hope this area will make it possible to keep Animal Kingdom open in the later hours, so it's not so hot during all operating hours.

I have a theory about Pandora and why it's going in the CMM area...it will keep DAK open long after dark because it will be built with lots of "bioluminescent lights" like in the movie. Watching Avatar today, I marveled at all the beautiful lights in the flowers, the vines and the trees. The whole place glowed. No doubt DAK will make use of this to full extent.

The pad for CMM is so far away from the live animals of Africa and Asia that the rest of the park could be closed at night and Pandora could stay open as long as TDO wants without bothering the animals with noise. they can just close down Africa and Asia like they close Toontown at DLR at 8pm or whenever.

I really wonder if they will try to build the "floating mountains" somehow and if that is why there is the 200 foot high ballon site test. That might be part of a ride that would be an e-ticket and go up really high...maybe based on riding those flying dragon things in the movie and zooming around.

 

[TalkingHead]

Since when did Disney start caring about sight lines again?

 

[Taylor]

I have a theory about Pandora and why it's going in the CMM area...it will keep DAK open long after dark because it will be built with lots of "bioluminescent lights" like in the movie. Watching Avatar today, I marveled at all the beautiful lights in the flowers, the vines and the trees. The whole place glowed. No doubt DAK will make use of this to full extent.

The pad for CMM is so far away from the live animals of Africa and Asia that the rest of the park could be closed at night and Pandora could stay open as long as TDO wants without bothering the animals with noise. they can just close down Africa and Asia like they close Toontown at DLR at 8pm or whenever.

I really wonder if they will try to build the "floating mountains" somehow and if that is why there is the 200 foot high ballon site test. That might be part of a ride that would be an e-ticket and go up really high...maybe based on riding those flying dragon things in the movie and zooming around.

They shouldn't close down Asia at night if they extend to nighttime hours because that would mean everest wouldn't be open and all traffic would be at pandora. And I wouldn't look much into the height of those balloons they being 200 feet probably doesn't mean much

 

[Patricia Melton]

They shouldn't close down Asia at night if they extend to nighttime hours because that would mean everest wouldn't be open and all traffic would be at pandora. And I wouldn't look much into the height of those balloons they being 200 feet probably doesn't mean much

My family has never been in DAK when it's dark. We usually leave around 5pm or so on DAK days and spend the rest of the evening at the pool back at the hotel.

How late is Asia open now with Everest? I thought the reason DAK had to close early was because being open later bothered the animals.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Since when did Disney start caring about sight lines again?

I think Disney does a better job than anyone with sight lines. For those who are on this forum who like to claim that Universal is better than Disney at everything, I still can't get over how bad a job Universal did with sight lines at Islands of Adventure. As gorgeous as the Potterland is, there is not a moment where I do not feel like I am in a theme park in that place with multiple attractions from different franchises smooched together. It's especially obvious in the Jurassic Park area, where no effort at all was made to mask the Hogwarts castle.

Disney is not perfect by any means and some lands are sight lines train wrecks (Tomorrowland)...but there are large spots in Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland where I feel so enveloped in excellent theming that I can forget I am in a theme park for a moment and believe I am actually in another magical world.

I do grant that the transition areas between lands (especially between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland) need work, but I think Disney more than tries where I don't believe Universal even spends a moment thinking about how one area looks from another area of the park.

I love the butter beer and all the fun of Rowling's books coming to life at Uni, but the magic spells are broken by the fact that outside Potterland the rest of Islands looks so thrown together and junky in my opinion,

 

[Taylor]

My family has never been in DAK when it's dark. We usually leave around 5pm or so on DAK days and spend the rest of the evening at the pool back at the hotel.

How late is Asia open now with Everest? I thought the reason DAK had to close early was because being open later bothered the animals.

It closes when the park closes I think animal habitats may close earlier on some days

 

[Donald96]

I have a theory about Pandora and why it's going in the CMM area...it will keep DAK open long after dark because it will be built with lots of "bioluminescent lights" like in the movie. Watching Avatar today, I marveled at all the beautiful lights in the flowers, the vines and the trees. The whole place glowed. No doubt DAK will make use of this to full extent.

The pad for CMM is so far away from the live animals of Africa and Asia that the rest of the park could be closed at night and Pandora could stay open as long as TDO wants without bothering the animals with noise. they can just close down Africa and Asia like they close Toontown at DLR at 8pm or whenever.

I really wonder if they will try to build the "floating mountains" somehow and if that is why there is the 200 foot high ballon site test. That might be part of a ride that would be an e-ticket and go up really high...maybe based on riding those flying dragon things in the movie and zooming around.

I to sure hope Animal Kingdom could make use of some nice atmospheric night lighting such as Carsland with the Neon. Those floating mountains are a mystery though as it is a critical part in Pandora but would be extremely hard to recreate in real life, perhaps in a ride they could make look like you pass/fly by with them in the distance? Yet, I sure hope these rides have AC lines as I love the rustic theming EE's line is so much more enjoyable then KMJ and KRR due to the AC.

And perhaps they would close the village of Harambe (Wildlife Express, Safari, Pangani Trail, FotLK?) but do you think they would close Asia? Definitely the trail but EE and KRR? They might need those to help traffic flow. They probably would keep Dinoland USA open too as there are only a couple Animals there but the Croc is nocturnal and the Tortoise does it care? lol

Maybe with this new land they would feel more comfortable with closing some rides for refurbishment, as of right now closing EE or Dinosaur would make Animal Kingdom a very short day for people. Plus Dinosaur could use a bit of spit and polish as it's not in bad shape but not in its prime for sure.

 

[Donald96]

They shouldn't close down Asia at night if they extend to nighttime hours because that would mean everest wouldn't be open and all traffic would be at pandora. And I wouldn't look much into the height of those balloons they being 200 feet probably doesn't mean much

I agree and I'm not sure AK could use another huge third logo (As in it really being 199.5 feet tall). A few more rides? YES. But, on ALL the new AK merchandise it has the Tree of Life and Everest. As the Tree of Life will always be the logo, the first thing that pops out from outside the park is that beautiful snow capped mountain which does give the park the feel of a “second” logo. However if we got another 199.5 footer you wouldn't hear me complain LOL the more grand "buildings" the better! I guess the only reason I would be against it would be that would give AK three things grand enough to be its logo and HS is honestly still at 0, unless MAYBE the Chinese Theater?(I uncounted TOT b/c there are more then one of them around the world none all to drastically different like the Castles) But still it's nowhere near EE or ToL in grandness.

 

[Taylor]

I agree and I'm not sure AK could use another huge third logo (As in it really being 199.5 feet tall). A few more rides? YES. But, on ALL the new AK merchandise it has the Tree of Life and Everest. As the Tree of Life will always be the logo, the first thing that pops out from outside the park is that beautiful snow capped mountain which does give the park the feel of a “second” logo. However if we got another 199.5 footer you wouldn't hear me complain LOL the more grand "buildings" the better! I guess the only reason I would be against it would be that would give AK three things grand enough to be its logo and HS is honestly still at 0, unless MAYBE the Chinese Theater? But still it's nowhere near EE or ToL in grandness.

I think pandora will need a icon but smallish and modest so it will not take away from the tree of life

 

[Donald96]

I think pandora will need a icon but smallish and modest so it will not take away from the tree of life

Especially since it would be closer than Everest.

 

[tworkman08]

CMM opens later than the rest of the park, which is why the area was roped off. Not necessarily because of the sight line balloons.

 

[ellie-badge]

I wouldn't look much into the height of those balloons they being 200 feet probably doesn't mean much

Isn't two-hundred feet the height limit of buildings in Florida before they'd require a blinking red light to be installed so they could be seen from planes traveling above? Maybe they're figuring out how high they could possibly build something without having to install said light, and make sure it could also be seen/look good from wherever they wanted it to be seen in the rest of the park.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Isn't two-hundred feet the height limit of buildings in Florida before they'd require a blinking red light to be installed so they could be seen from planes traveling above? Maybe they're figuring out how high they could possibly build something without having to install said light, and make sure it could also be seen/look good from wherever they wanted it to be seen in the rest of the park.

I think you are right Ellie. They might have been testing the maximum height possible and how something that tall would look, just to see what's up.

I think the Imagineers are in total blue sky mode right now with this...they are still thinking and drawing and dreaming and planning. I bet there are no concept sketches done yet, just every rough stuff. I think they are looking at the entirety of CMM as a giant sandbox in which Pandora - the World of Avatar will be built.

I don't really care for the movie but I am indeed excited to see what Imagineering will come up with for this.

 

[danlb_2000]

I'm still skeptical here. I'm baffled no pics were taken.

Missing pics of height balloons is not surprising. There was a thread about height balloons between TTC and Contemporary on here a few months and no one got pictures of those either.

As for the timing of the balloons they would normally be used early in the design process, but the balloons for the Sound Stage 44 project at Universal appeared only a few weeks before construction started.

 

[jt04]

Yep. That's what this place can do to you ...

Heh

 

[doctornick]

They shouldn't close down Asia at night if they extend to nighttime hours because that would mean everest wouldn't be open and all traffic would be at pandora. And I wouldn't look much into the height of those balloons they being 200 feet probably doesn't mean much

My expectation is that they would keep EE open at night, but close the rest of Asia (including KRR) as well as Rafiki and Africa for the sake of the animals and their comfort. EE is detached enough from the rest of Asia as to stay open without disturbing the animals I think. Dinoland and the Discovery Island would stay open as well in the evening.

 

[jt04]

Since when did Disney start caring about sight lines again?

Since they hired a new sheriff.

Anyone know if the balloons were visible from the entrance to the park? I am sure that is an important factor to JR.