Avatar Land...think Disney regrets the idea?

[Foolish Mortal]

not even gonna give it a chance huh?

Doubtful I will. Never seen the movie, no desire to see it. Why waste my time with something that I'm not interested in or going to get ? I never had any desire to go into American Idol because I knew it wasn't for me and it would be a boring waste of time, but because my Mom wanted to see what it was about I did it. And you know what, I was right.

 

[twebber55]

Doubtful I will. Never seen the movie, no desire to see it. Why waste my time with something that I'm not interested in or going to get ? I never had any desire to go into American Idol because I knew it wasn't for me and it would be a boring waste of time, but because my Mom wanted to see what it was about I did it. And you know what, I was right.

still gonna go to DAK?

 

[cynic710]

Doubtful I will. Never seen the movie, no desire to see it. Why waste my time with something that I'm not interested in or going to get ? I never had any desire to go into American Idol because I knew it wasn't for me and it would be a boring waste of time, but because my Mom wanted to see what it was about I did it. And you know what, I was right.

the general consensus is that the story is pretty much Pocahontas in the future. plus, with the visuals hopefully going into the grand scheme it will be pretty hard to miss once completed. I too never even bothered entering AIE but this is much different from that example.

 

[Foolish Mortal]

still gonna go to DAK?

Absolutely. Everything thats already there I'm interested in.

the general consensus is that the story is pretty much Pocahontas in the future. plus, with the visuals hopefully going into the grand scheme it will be pretty hard to miss once completed. I too never even bothered entering AIE but this is much different from that example.

I'm not putting words in anybody's mouth, but I've read hundreds of comments on these boards over the years about "at least give it a shot". This could be the most stunning thing they ever do but the fact remains, I have no interest. If somebody tells me they have no interest in seeing something I don't question it. If somebody trashes something without ever experiencing it, then it's a different story. And by all means cynic710, this is not meant to be nasty or argumentative.

 

[danlb_2000]

Absolutely. Everything thats already there I'm interested in.



I'm not putting words in anybody's mouth, but I've read hundreds of comments on these boards over the years about "at least give it a shot". This could be the most stunning thing they ever do but the fact remains, I have no interest. If somebody tells me they have no interest in seeing something I don't question it. If somebody trashes something without ever experiencing it, then it's a different story. And by all means cynic710, this is not meant to be nasty or argumentative.

Not trying to change you mind, but how do you know it doesn't interest you if you don't know what the rides are going to be or even what the land will be like? If you are simply basing your decision on your dis-interest in the movie, then what every prompted you to ride a ride that wasn't tied to any movie (assuming you have)? You mention American Idol, but that is a totally different situation since then show pretty much defines what the attraction will be, it's not like we were going to get an American Idol dark ride.

I always like to bring up the example of Cars land. Cars is probably my least favorite Pixar movie, and I have no interest in seeing Cars 2, yet I thoroughly enjoyed Carsland.

 

[twebber55]

Not trying to change you mind, but how do you know it doesn't interest you if you don't know what the rides are going to be or even what the land will be like? If you are simply basing your decision on your dis-interest in the movie, then what every prompted you to ride a ride that wasn't tied to any movie (assuming you have)? You mention American Idol, but that is a totally different situation since then show pretty much defines what the attraction will be, it's not like we were going to get an American Idol dark ride.

I always like to bring up the example of Cars land. Cars is probably my least favorite Pixar movie, and I have no interest in seeing Cars 2, yet I thoroughly enjoyed Carsland.

Exactly
We dont know what the land will be like

 

[sfmichaelo1]

I don't see how it is a horrible idea. Avatar is the #1 movie of all time. Is it a merchandising best seller no just as Lord of the Rings is not as well but it is in the Theatre and Books. It's pretty difficult to design everyday merchandising that will tie in with the movie but there are other ways to make up for that. The new Avatar Land will bring in tons of returning tourists and new tourist that would appreciate a entire new market that has never been seen. No one has ever designed something to this caliber. Just wait and see and I'm sure its going to be a very big success. I think this is one of there best ideas ever. A Star Wars land would be nice but it is not for everyone. Time for something new. No one has really tapped into a Natural setting at least something spectacular. For all those that think Universal has such great ideas and new attractions there just no comparison. What animated figures do they have besides Minion and Simpsons, not much and besides these characters will not last a lifetime. Also they don't have the land space to continue building vs Disneyworld can fit at least 5 or more new theme parks if they really wanted to. Why is everyone in a rush to get everything built so fast. Disney is in no rush and Walt once said Disneyland and Disneyworld will never stop growing as long as there is imagination and dreams.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Disney is in no rush and Walt once said Disneyland and Disneyworld will never stop growing as long as there is imagination and dreams.

Not to be , but Walt Disney said no such thing about Disney World.

 

[spacemt354]

Not to be , but Walt Disney said no such thing about Disney World.

Actually to be honest, he kind of did.

"Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There's enough land here to hold all of the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine." -Walt Disney

 

[Californian Elitist]

Actually to be honest, he kind of did.

"Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There's enough land here to hold all of the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine." -Walt Disney

You have a point.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Actually to be honest, he kind of did.

"Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There's enough land here to hold all of the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine." -Walt Disney

We need to update this for 2014...

"Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There's enough land here for us to sell off and build all the DVC we can possibly imagine. Can you say CHA-CHING?" - Bob Iger....

 

[spacemt354]

I don't see how it is a horrible idea. Avatar is the #1 movie of all time. Is it a merchandising best seller no just as Lord of the Rings is not as well but it is in the Theatre and Books. It's pretty difficult to design everyday merchandising that will tie in with the movie but there are other ways to make up for that. The new Avatar Land will bring in tons of returning tourists and new tourist that would appreciate a entire new market that has never been seen. No one has ever designed something to this caliber. Just wait and see and I'm sure its going to be a very big success. I think this is one of there best ideas ever. A Star Wars land would be nice but it is not for everyone. Time for something new. No one has really tapped into a Natural setting at least something spectacular. For all those that think Universal has such great ideas and new attractions there just no comparison. What animated figures do they have besides Minion and Simpsons, not much and besides these characters will not last a lifetime. Also they don't have the land space to continue building vs Disneyworld can fit at least 5 or more new theme parks if they really wanted to. Why is everyone in a rush to get everything built so fast. Disney is in no rush and Walt once said Disneyland and Disneyworld will never stop growing as long as there is imagination and dreams.

First off, welcome to the forum!

Secondly, I agree. I feel confident if done right, it will be a welcome addition to a park that is in desperate need of additions (especially indoor A/C ones!)

I think a majority of the "negativity" surrounding Avatar is the subject matter, the thematic inclusion in Animal Kingdom, the time it will take to construct, and frankly, because it's not Beastly Kingdomme or Star Wars Land. A lot of the negativity is opinion that derives from skepticism of Disney to deliver, especially since the announcement was in 2011, we haven't seen any visible construction in 2014, and it's scheduled to open in 2017.

If we thought the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train took a long time to construct, Avatar is in a whole other league. But all that aside, I think regardless of the film it's based off of, if the land is built with quality (and quality attractions) then I think we are in for a great addition.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

Avatar has no CULT following that is even remotely comparable with LOTR, Harry Potter or Star Wars (or even Cars). Financial success is not everything, as Avatar shows. How many boys and girls (of all ages 5-50 or more) want or wanted to be a Jedi, a Hobbit, a Dwarf, a Sith, a wizard or witch at Hogwarts etc.? And how many want to be some extraterrestrial blue guy or gal with a tail?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I don't see how it is a horrible idea. Avatar is the #1 movie of all time. Is it a merchandising best seller no just as Lord of the Rings is not as well but it is in the Theatre and Books. It's pretty difficult to design everyday merchandising that will tie in with the movie but there are other ways to make up for that. The new Avatar Land will bring in tons of returning tourists and new tourist that would appreciate a entire new market that has never been seen. No one has ever designed something to this caliber. Just wait and see and I'm sure its going to be a very big success. I think this is one of there best ideas ever. A Star Wars land would be nice but it is not for everyone. Time for something new. No one has really tapped into a Natural setting at least something spectacular. For all those that think Universal has such great ideas and new attractions there just no comparison. What animated figures do they have besides Minion and Simpsons, not much and besides these characters will not last a lifetime. Also they don't have the land space to continue building vs Disneyworld can fit at least 5 or more new theme parks if they really wanted to. Why is everyone in a rush to get everything built so fast. Disney is in no rush and Walt once said Disneyland and Disneyworld will never stop growing as long as there is imagination and dreams.

Was Avatar a merchandising best seller? I don't see their books on display anywhere, years after Star Wars came out there were still fiction books being put out that expanded that universe, maybe Avatar will too but it has not happened yet. Halloween is a great indicator, did you see a lot of Avatar costumes going on the past few years? As for being top grossing film, well Titanic is ranked second, should we expect a themed restaurant in DHS then that sinks twice an hour(would maybe be neat actually!).
Again it seems an odd fit, and forced, with Frozen being so huge, a nordic focused land would have worked well too, could have covered from Greenland to Russia and focused on animals from those places...

 

[cynic710]

Avatar has no CULT following that is even remotely comparable with LOTR, Harry Potter or Star Wars (or even Cars). Financial success is not everything, as Avatar shows. How many boys and girls (of all ages 5-50 or more) want or wanted to be a Jedi, a Hobbit, a Dwarf, a Sith, a wizard or witch at Hogwarts etc.? And how many want to be some extraterrestrial blue guy or gal with a tail?

but to that logic how many people under 30 care about aerosmith or twilight zone? i think the debate of the matter is not if the subject matter was the correct choice, but rather some people completely writing off the idea before anything of substance even surfaces. before the announcement i wouldnt have even considered the idea but my faith in what the imagineers can do trumps my personal choice for a new land. thats really all it is.

 

[twebber55]

Was Avatar a merchandising best seller? I don't see their books on display anywhere, years after Star Wars came out there were still fiction books being put out that expanded that universe, maybe Avatar will too but it has not happened yet. Halloween is a great indicator, did you see a lot of Avatar costumes going on the past few years? As for being top grossing film, well Titanic is ranked second, should we expect a themed restaurant in DHS then that sinks twice an hour(would maybe be neat actually!).
Again it seems an odd fit, and forced, with Frozen being so huge, a nordic focused land would have worked well too, could have covered from Greenland to Russia and focused on animals from those places...

frozen is a huge hit (your words) but made roughly a third that avatar made
but none of this really matters..its all about execution...if it were about IP star tours would be the best ride at WDW but its 4th at DHS
like I ve said we ve had these debates countless times so it doesn't need to be repeated but there is plenty of actual evidence as well as anecdotal evidence this will be done well and be a big success as long as it gets properly done and who knows maybe the E ticket sucks

 

[jprieur]

As many here have already alluded to, its not about what the ride is based upon, its all about the execution of the vision and immersive environment, and how far out of reality that takes you in my opinion. Splash Mountain is based on a movie that many don't know of, fewer have seen, and I venture to say that almost no one particularly follow with 'cult like' eagerness. That aside, its frequently lauded as one of the best experience Disney has created to date. Similar for Tower of Terror, I never watched nor never cared for the twilight zone, however that ride puts me into an immersive environment that nothing in the real world can touch - and therefore I ride it again and again and love it. Furthermore, I hate hotels as I travel a good amount for work! Why are these rides great and why do they stand the test of time, because the execution and immersive environment is phenomenal.

All the Harry Potter stuff is great, because it does have a following, but what is the real environment that you are in? Quite honestly its a dream shift version of a london village where the buildings don't contain right angles, normal sight lines and architectural features. Don't get me wrong, its neat and interesting - but it doesn't take me all that far from the real world. So what if they did a star wars land, lets say the moon of Endor and Tantooine, ok great, again these are just small spins on real world places, one a dense forest and the other a desert outpost with some 'otherworldly' architecture and tech.

I saw Avatar, and I thought it was an entertaining movie, due in most part, to the CGI world that was created. Its unlike anything anyone on this board or great world has ever experienced. If Disney can translate that CGI immersion, complete with the scales, colors, textures, gravity deifying features, etc, then I would venture to say it will be a great success because anyone who walks through the gates will be transported to a place that is a COMPLETE diversion of reality and of what we know of this world.

Some of the greatest movies of all time wouldn't necessarily create great ride experiences and/or lands, otherwise Great Movie Ride in HS would require a fast pass to avoid a 120 min wait.

So lets all focus on what this land is really about, not the political message buried within this movie, or the lack cult following compared to Star Wars or HP, but the immersion and amount of reality defying detail and execution that imagineering will put into this land. I for one love Star Wars, I am 80's child and a Sci-Fi aficionado, but to be honest, Star Wars land wouldn't really do it for me - its just too aligned with the world in which we live with some additional technology; so I am glad they went with Pandora and I cannot wait to see what they come up with.

 

[Britt]

I will be 40 this year. I have a daughter who will be 6 this summer and a son who will be 4 this Christmas. I did not see Avatar in theaters, I tried to watch it after it was released on the cable movie channels. I couldn't do it. I don't think it was a particularly good movie and I have zero excitement for its own land. Given the choice I had rather wait to see Elsa and Anna with my kids that experience a whole land based on one movie that I don't care about.

agreeeeeed!

 

[Communicore]

I think no matter how impressive or extravagant this new land will be, as long as it's Avatar, it will more likely still suck. The avatars are creepy and I think, maybe slimy. Why not just build a "Wonderland" or "Fantasia" land if they want a drug-induced land in the park?

 

[Goofnut1980]

My little "chime in" is this, why are we spending so much money on an expansion when we have 4 parks that need love. And I don't mean maintaning of the buildings, I mean un-used space.

HS is filled with empty buildings that could easily house new attractions without needing a shell. There is a lot you can do with Pixar Place and Animation Courtyard. Not to mention redo 1/2 of the scenes in TGMR.

MK has many restaurants unused, create more upscale dining at MK or even a Club 71 (like club 33) with all of the DVC people they have, shoot we would eat it up!

AK is too vastly spread out with nothing filling in the little gaps. They could easily add a few attractions/rides in between all of the dead space. Create the Enchanted Forrest you have already created and have it as meet and greet. It's better than nothing, right?

Epcot could hold twice the countries with the space already allotted for. Plus not to mention all of the space in the central plaza just sitting empty.

I just think money could be allocated on the exisiting to enhance the experience of what we already have, rather than do nothing and just create a land based off one movie with no franchise historical data to back it up. I haven't been to Uni in 22 years but I am looking forward to HP-land more so than Pandora-ish.