AVATAR land - the specifics

bubbles1812

Well-Known Member
As I heard it...
1. Negotiations with Cameron (Including some VERY basic and non-specific art used in the pitch. Select few at WDI in the loop)
2. Legal/monetary issues wrangled with. (This was around when I first got wind.)
3. Announcement.
4. Attraction development gets underway.
5. Attraction development process turns out to be quite...ummm...arduous.
6. Details eventually leak out.
7. Details officially released.
8. Pandora opens 2017.

Care to elaborate a little if you can? Just curious. Also your opinion on when those details will eventually leak out timeframe wise?
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
I don't recall Universal doing this either... But I could be wrong...

I think what it boils down to is: Disney rushed the announcement of Avatar to beat the rumor mills and to prove HEY WE HAVE SOMETHING TOO... Now it is sit back and wait time...

And remember, we have gotten Disney concept art on projects that never happened... So just because we get concept art doesn't prove the project is happening either..

No, but it does help. And it is VERY unusual for Disney to make a big bold announcement and not have one rendering (no matter how abstract) to show for it. This isn't exactly building anticipation among the fan community ... just more apathy and anger. ... And, rest assured, art existed when the announcement was made and certainly exists now.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Wait a minute; have any of our insiders seen internal concept art? I remember '74 stating something about how "it looks very odd.". I could be imagining that.

Obviously nothing ready for public release but internally they definitely have something.

You didn't imagine anything and as I just posted, it is very strange.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
I think people missunderstand the timeline of Avatarland. The timeline was NOT:
1. Discussions and negotiations with James Cameron
2. Plans for Avatar Land are developed
3. Partnership with James Cameron announced
4. (Sometime in the future) Details begin to emerge.

Instead, the timeline was:
1. Discussions and negotiations with James Cameron
2. Partnership with James Cameron announced
3. Plans for Avatar Land are developed (currently underway)
4. (Sometime in the future) Details begin to emerge.

When they made the announcement, it was not "We have plans to build Avatarland." It was "we have plans to make plans to build Avatarland." They literally had NOTHING when the announcement was initially made.

That's mostly true, but not completely ... when Cameron met with the few folks at WDI who were informed of the plans they made pitches (and you can be sure artwork was involved). Cameron didn't agree based on the fact it was Disney and he thought Bob Iger was a cool dude.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
I've heard some rumors that not only were the WDI people blindsided by the announcement, Cameron is interjecting himself into the design process, much to their consternation. I would love to know whether this were true.

Most people in the company were blindsided, but there were some that certainly knew. It had been discussed at some point going back almost a year before it was decided upon.

And Cameron has absolutely been involved. That is either a good thing or a bad one depending on your PoV.
 

NoChesterHester

Well-Known Member
Most people in the company were blindsided, but there were some that certainly knew. It had been discussed at some point going back almost a year before it was decided upon.

And Cameron has absolutely been involved. That is either a good thing or a bad one depending on your PoV.

Depends on if Blue Cat People land is being designed by the team that executed Cars Land so beautifully, or the team that brought us the schizophrenic Haunted Mansion queue.
 

NoChesterHester

Well-Known Member
Neither as far as I know ...

I was really just joking. There are hits and misses in any design company. So many people touch a project that who is responsible is very fluid and difficult to dissect in hindsight.

As cantankerous as Cameron is known to be his obsessive nature has to be good for the process. He may be a pain, but he will push them.
 

twebber55

Well-Known Member
we ve heard 3 different years for completion
2015
2016
2017
almost think that 2015 means scaled back version
2017 means putting real money into it
 

IWant2GoNow

Well-Known Member
Not to derail, but I've posted a thread in the Imagineer forum about a DAK expansion I thought of that does not include Avatar.

Having said that, I'm excited for Avatar, but there are A LOT of "if"s that have to go the right way for me to say it will be a success. A few are as follows.

James Cameron is involved with EVERYTHING.
Disney doesn't go the cheap route.
Disney actually LISTENS to Cameron.
Night time luminescent plantlife.
At LEAST 2 attractions & 1 restaurant.
Night time show of some sort. (Not needed but would be nice.)

Therefore, Disney could make it great but my guess is they would NOT go all out with Pandora. So I think something more along the lines of my personal armchair imagineering idea would work better.
 

twebber55

Well-Known Member
Not to derail, but I've posted a thread in the Imagineer forum about a DAK expansion I thought of that does not include Avatar.

Having said that, I'm excited for Avatar, but there are A LOT of "if"s that have to go the right way for me to say it will be a success. A few are as follows.

James Cameron is involved with EVERYTHING.
Disney doesn't go the cheap route.
Disney actually LISTENS to Cameron.
Night time luminescent plantlife.
At LEAST 2 attractions & 1 restaurant.
Night time show of some sort. (Not needed but would be nice.)

Therefore, Disney could make it great but my guess is they would NOT go all out with Pandora. So I think something more along the lines of my personal armchair imagineering idea would work better.
like your ideas and hope disney listens
 

jaredliu

Active Member
When they made the announcement, it was not "We have plans to build Avatarland." It was "we have plans to make plans to build Avatarland." They literally had NOTHING when the announcement was initially made.
Well, if it is about "plans to make plans" for Avatarland, it would be very hard to tell when and even "if" it will be compeleted. Then how come they can throw a date of 2015? Don't you think they should keep the date until when they finalize a little bit details more?
 

djlaosc

Well-Known Member
I don't think we would have seen Potter 2.0 at all; just maybe a few small additions. Two lands in 5 years? No way...

I wonder how people would react if Disney had done what Universal currently is doing - WWOHP in Hollywood Studios, HP2.0 built in Epcot behind the UK (Millenium Village) - somehow a train between the two!
 

SleepingMonk

Well-Known Member
I wonder how people would react if Disney had done what Universal currently is doing - WWOHP in Hollywood Studios, HP2.0 built in Epcot behind the UK (Millenium Village) - somehow a train between the two!

There would only be a dragon spinner and a hippogriff spinner if WDW built it.

No need to link those with a train.
 

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