Avatar Land...think Disney regrets the idea?

[s8film40]

"it didn't need to be 'Avatar'" you're acting like if its a burden that they had to license avatar, almost as if its painful lmao. They won't regret licensing Avatar if they keep bringing in record numbers. More guest satisfaction in terms of attractions and things to do won't hurt also. I could care less what property its based on, I just want a immersive land that brings me memories for years to come. Hopefully a lot of guests have that state mind too.

It is a burden to license Avatar, a financial burden. I agree they won't regret it if it generates record attendance increases, I doubt that will happen though. I do think it will help spread the existing attendance out better, however as you said "I could care less what property its based on" I think most guests will feel this way also. So then the answer to the question does Disney regret licensing Avatar would be yes as they could have accomplished the same goal and spent less money.

 

[PorterRedkey]

No, I don't think Disney regrets this idea. Isn't that what we are talking about?

 

[Marlins1]

I'm sure they have regrets about cost overruns - not just on Avatar but MM+, FLE, Shanghai etc. That is why imagineering has been restructured. I don't think they are sitting around wishing that Pandora was not being built. I'm sure they are looking forward to the opening which appears to be happening right on schedule (yes a very long schedule!).

 

[GoofGoof]

No, I don't think Disney regrets this idea. Isn't that what we are talking about?

Apparently not

 

[No Name]

Last I checked I thought we were having a discussion not an argument, but it is getting kinda old so I'll try one last time to explain this then I'm done.

Title of thread: Avatar Land...think Disney regrets the idea?
The original post you made that I responded to:

The question is does Disney regret Avatarland. You answered yes and it's hardly debatable. That's what I originally responded to. Now you are saying that the question has no factual answer since we don't know what is going on in Iger's head so you are giving your opinion as to why they should regret the idea. At last we finally agree on something in this thread. Of course the bold and underlined section above completely contradicts your original post that the answer is definitely yes. I'm not sure why you can't see the difference between whether they have actual regret or whether you think they should.

The only fact we have to go on is that the project did not get cancelled and the budget wasn't cut and they had plenty of time to do both between when the deal was signed and 2014 when ground was broken. Everything else is just speculation or opinions.

You keep asking me the same bolded questions and I keep not answering them. It's not because I don't have a good answer it's just that my opinion is irrelevant when discussing whether Bob Iger regrets anything. You place far to much value on my opinions

I was asking for your opinion on whether Disney regrets it. If you believe your opinion on that is irrelevant, then this discussion cannot happen and no post on this thread can be relevant.

Also, I really, truly believe it is hardly debatable that he regrets it. How much he regrets it, I don't know, but I did not seriously expect someone to attempt to argue that he does not regret it at all. Well, the word attempt is even a stretch.

So it seems like we are ending it here? If we are that is fine. It's too unfortunate that we could not actually have a meaningful discussion, and I hope that when we disagree in other places, this same thing does not happen.

 

[GoofGoof]

I was asking for your opinion on whether Disney regrets it. If you believe your opinion on that is irrelevant, then this discussion cannot happen and no post on this thread can be relevant.

Also, I really, truly believe it is hardly debatable that he regrets it. How much he regrets it, I don't know, but I did not seriously expect someone to attempt to argue that he does not regret it at all. Well, the word attempt is even a stretch.

So it seems like we are ending it here? If we are that is fine. It's too unfortunate that we could not actually have a meaningful discussion, and I hope that when we disagree in other places, this same thing does not happen.

I gave you my opinion multiple times on whether I think Disney and/or Bob Iger regrets the decision. I don't believe they do. There is no evidence at all that suggests they do. Just because you think they should regret the decision and you have a whole list of reasons why doesn't mean that they actually regret it.

What I still believe you are asking is whether I think they should regret it. That's a totally different question. Iger did a lot of things that I didn't agree with especially in the last decade at WDW but I don't think that he regrets doing most of them. The main thing that Bob Iger truly cares about is the stock price so unless you can point to some evidence that Wall Street or analysts are against Avatar Land or view it negatively in any way I don't think he's up at night worrying about his decision.

 

[twebber55]

I gave you my opinion multiple times on whether I think Disney and/or Bob Iger regrets the decision. I don't believe they do. There is no evidence at all that suggests they do. Just because you think they should regret the decision and you have a whole list of reasons why doesn't mean that they actually regret it.

What I still believe you are asking is whether I think they should regret it. That's a totally different question. Iger did a lot of things that I didn't agree with especially in the last decade at WDW but I don't think that he regrets doing most of them. The main thing that Bob Iger truly cares about is the stock price so unless you can point to some evidence that Wall Street or analysts are against Avatar Land or view it negatively in any way I don't think he's up at night worrying about his decision.

you would think that the stock price would be drastically affected by this project and its alleged overruns and lack of popularity yet it doesnt seem to affect it, interesting

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

To answer the question posed in the OP....Uh...No.

I met Jon Landau (Producer of Avatar..and Titanic for that matter) in Palm Springs last year...he is part of some of the videos they are producing to introduce the rides. There are three sequels...first scheduled for 2017. The Disney marketing machine will be in full effect. There are no regrets.

 

[s8film40]

I'm not sure why everyone feels a need to definitively answer this question. Even if it were possible to answer it, it's not a simple yes or no. The question is intended to be a starting point for discussion, this is a discussion forum.

 

[MagicGoofy]

Yeah, I'm just gonna answer short and simple to the point for me at least. I don't think they regret it.

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm not sure why everyone feels a need to definitively answer this question. Even if it were possible to answer it, it's not a simple yes or no. The question is intended to be a starting point for discussion, this is a discussion forum.

I get what you are saying about this being a discussion forum, but there is a 200+ page thread on whether Avatar is a good idea or not. There is another thread relating specifically to construction updates where there are supposed to be no debates on the merit or idea of Avatarland and another thread with mostly just overhead pictures of the progress. This particular thread asked a specific question so it's not really unusual that people would try to answer it. It did and will continue to inevitably go into tangents, but I thought the point of the thread was for people to express whether in their opinion Disney regrets the decision or not. Otherwise they should just merge it with the 200+ page one and be done.

 

[s8film40]

I get what you are saying about this being a discussion forum, but there is a 200+ page thread on whether Avatar is a good idea or not. There is another thread relating specifically to construction updates where there are supposed to be no debates on the merit or idea of Avatarland and another thread with mostly just overhead pictures of the progress. This particular thread asked a specific question so it's not really unusual that people would try to answer it. It did and will continue to inevitably go into tangents, but I thought the point of the thread was for people to express whether in their opinion Disney regrets the decision or not. Otherwise they should just merge it with the 200+ page one and be done.

Yeah I think the point is each person has an opinion the interesting part is the why behind it. Rather than hear someone say yes/no and then stating that it's the end of discussion because the question has been answered I'm more interested in the reasoning.

 

[GoofGoof]

Yeah I think the point is each person has an opinion the interesting part is the why behind it. Rather than hear someone say yes/no and then stating that it's the end of discussion because the question has been answered I'm more interested in the reasoning.

Agreed. I have no issue with people explaining the reasons why they think Disney does or doesn't regret the decision. That's what this thread is for. I'm just trying to avoid having this thread turn into another "Avatar is a bad idea because I didnt care for the film" thread. That's why I was choosing to avoid getting involved in that debate.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I'm not sure why everyone feels a need to definitively answer this question. Even if it were possible to answer it, it's not a simple yes or no. The question is intended to be a starting point for discussion, this is a discussion forum.

^^This.

 

[danlb_2000]

To answer the question posed in the OP....Uh...No.

I met Jon Landau (Producer of Avatar..and Titanic for that matter) in Palm Springs last year...he is part of some of the videos they are producing to introduce the rides. There are three sequels...first scheduled for 2017. The Disney marketing machine will be in full effect. There are no regrets.

The first sequel has already slipped from 2017 date.

 

[Marlins1]

Whether they have regrets or not AK at night is going to be awesome!

 

[Cesar R M]

I guess that's how Bruce Vaughn got to spend more time with his family. Hopefully with the change in leadership will get things under control and on budget. It's crazy to see what was done with Potter land and a 1/3 of the budget. We don't know how much influence Cameron had on the budget.

unless most of that money went to make technology that didnt actually exist.
Like those supposedly ultra advanced Na'vi animatronics?

 

[Cesar R M]

It's a pretty serious thing as any analyst looking at it will judge Disney's ability to compete and make predictions down the line based on it. Quite simply if Disney can't create an answer to what Universal did then it's just a waiting game as their business slips away.

Ironic since they still haven't done any answer yet.. even after so many years.

They are like: "so hum.. about potter.. we got a.. hu.. redo of new fantasyland.. and.. hm.. frozen in a place doesn't belong.. which in turn is a .. hu.. repurposed ride with some pixie dust and tons of PR"

At least they now putting things where they should by building complete lands for star wars.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I think they regret having finally pulled the trigger on New Fantasyland at MK when one of their biggest Fantasy properties ever would bow practically after it opened.

That I think must be one of the biggest WDW regrets ever. Barely had the first spade entered the ground for NFL, or Tangled and Frozen burst onto the scene. Meanwhile BatB and Mermaid were already served quite decently in DHS.

Not that personally I mind that much. Disney properties are timeless, it doesn't matter that they build the movies of last generation's the formative period. I'd still love for them to build a 101 Dalmatians or Steamboat Willy ride.
Also, the idea is not that the parks serve 'whatever IP is hot (Frozen) or need pushing from the marketing department (Toy Story)', but that the IP's serve the parks. There is no necessity for WDW to build anything Frozen. Only to build great theme parks.

 

[Cesar R M]

Man I couldn't disagree with you more on this point.

Agree with you, considering that Avatar will be something completely different from what was done before.. It might be an instant hit. Not because of "avatar" per se, but the differences and the theme.

Again. Cars wasn't a critically acclaimed movie and didn't make a pop culture dent but was the land successful? Yes it was... Pandora just needs to be a great land and thats it. It doesn't need the film to do its job. Like others have said, the land doesn't need to bring more people to the resort, It just needs to help spread people out. If people don't come to AK after rivers of light, nighttime safaris, nighttime events and Avatar land.. They most likely won't be coming ever quite frankly.

Cars was huge for the toys/merchandise

you would think that the stock price would be drastically affected by this project and its alleged overruns and lack of popularity yet it doesnt seem to affect it, interesting

Iger could be juggling other things to keep the value higher.

Remember its not the first time that Iger as dodged questions about Shangai and other projects overrunning their budgets.