Avatar Land...think Disney regrets the idea?

[danlb_2000]

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.

This is sort of what they are doing. Lion King moved into an unused corner of Africa thus filling out that area, and Avatar is being built in the CMM area which was pretty thin on attractions beyond Lion King. It it also likely to be replacing the Pocahontas theater which has sat unused for almost seven years.

 

[sublimesting]

This is sort of what they are doing. Lion King moved into an unused corner of Africa thus filling out that area, and Avatar is being built in the CMM area which was pretty thin on attractions beyond Lion King. It it also likely to be replacing the Pocahontas theater which has sat unused for almost seven years.

I use it to park our stroller every year.

 

[sublimesting]

The thing with Avatar is it was beautiful in 3D in the theater. As a movie with likeable characters, plot etc. it's actually rather forgettable. I don't think it will stand up well in the test of time and be looked back on as a 3D gimmick. Honestly, the fact that they are building a whole land, to me, is rather cringe-worthy. Its especially a sad waste of resources considering they now own Star Wars and Indiana Jones and, not to beat a dead horse...... Beastly Kingdom was a better idea.

 

[Fox&Hound]

If the rides are done right and the land is truly immersive I could give a rats a$$ how popular Avatar the movie is. I could care less if they even make a sequel. How popular is Song of the South right now? Does that mean Splash Mountain is a disappointing ride? Do you have no interest in riding Splash Mountain since the movie it is based on didn't stand the test of time? For some reason (I think maybe after Harry Potter Land opened) people decided that they only liked theme park rides if they were based off of movies they also liked. It makes no sense to me.

I know it's hard to wait and Disney certainly drags this stuff out, but 10 years from now when both AvatarLand and StarWarsLand exist simultaneously it will be better than just having StarWarsLand 5 years sooner and AK still being a half day park. It's a short term sacrifice for a long term benefit. This is my long winded way of saying yes, I still think its a good idea. If for no other reason then it's getting us a night safari and nighttime entertainment at AK and additional rides which the park desperately needs.

Well said! I completely agree. People keep thinking that Avatar is a missed opportunity and that they'd rather have _________ instead. Well, what if we get Avatar and Star Wars and one day something tied in to Frozen. Then, Avatar and the night experiences will be viewed more favorably.

Besides, riding on a banshee/dragon through the air with James Cameron-inspired technology- yes, please!!!!! Who cares what movie it is based off of???

 

[twebber55]

The thing with Avatar is it was beautiful in 3D in the theater. As a movie with likeable characters, plot etc. it's actually rather forgettable. I don't think it will stand up well in the test of time and be looked back on as a 3D gimmick. Honestly, the fact that they are building a whole land, to me, is rather cringe-worthy. Its especially a sad waste of resources considering they now own Star Wars and Indiana Jones and, not to beat a dead horse...... Beastly Kingdom was a better idea.

question
if avatar is such a 3D gimmick why is it the number 1 selling blu ray of all time outpacing the avengers by 2 million copies sold?
I think before we judge it on its longevity we should allow the other movies to come out first

 

[WildcatDen]

At least a built land will not require all of that 3-D wizardy. I am sure the 2-d of real life will be more than adequate to captrue Pandora.

Wait just a second, could it be, the 3d aspect that made the whole of Pandora the star of the movie play rathr nicely in a new land????

 

[ZodIsGr8]

At this point anything would be a welcomed addition! I am not an Avatar fan at all, but the concepts for what they plan on putting in look amazing. Plus they are adding a night time show which will allow guests to enjoy the park at night and I can only imagine how cool this will be. It will also probably make the park a full day event instead of the half day park that it is now. I am the biggest Star Wars fan that there is so I am still hoping that they incorporate that into Hollywood Studios without removing existing attractions or scenery!!!!!!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

The whole thing about the movie was that it was a feast for the eyes. And that is what WDI is going to emphasize. I am just hoping for some sensory overload with this new land.

 

[ZodIsGr8]

The whole thing about the movie was that it was a feast for the eyes. And that is what WDI is going to emphasize. I am just hoping for some sensory overload with this new land.

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mouse Trap]

At this point anything would be a welcomed addition! I am not an Avatar fan at all, but the concepts for what they plan on putting in look amazing. Plus they are adding a night time show which will allow guests to enjoy the park at night and I can only imagine how cool this will be. It will also probably make the park a full day event instead of the half day park that it is now. I am the biggest Star Wars fan that there is so I am still hoping that they incorporate that into Hollywood Studios without removing existing attractions or scenery!!!!!!

Exactly with you. Disney is building on the beautiful world James Cameron created, not his story. If Disney bought the rights to produce 5 more Avatar films then we can get all up in arms about if we like the story or not.

Think of it this way. Say you've never heard of Avatar at all and then you saw a photo of an Animal Kingdom attraction that looked like this.... http://www.disneymovieslist.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hr_Avatar_Land_4.jpg

There's no way you could tell me you wouldn't be somewhat curious to take a trip to Animal Kingdom.

 

[FettFan]

The only good thing I can say about the blue cat turds is that hopefully Avatar opening means that they will fast track repairs to the REAL star of DAK.

Expedition Everest MUST be restored to her former glory.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

The only good thing I can say about the blue cat turds is that hopefully Avatar opening means that they will fast track repairs to the REAL star of DAK.

Expedition Everest MUST be restored to her former glory.

What do you mean? Back when the bird on a stick levitated? Or when the Bigfoot statue wasn't a statue?

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Well, they ARE working on Avatar 2 and 3 (simultaneously, even)... So there's more "meat" for the land coming.

Let's hope the new ones don't go the way The Matrix did.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Well, they ARE working on Avatar 2 and 3 (simultaneously, even)... So there's more "meat" for the land coming.

Let's hope the new ones don't go the way The Matrix did.

I'm thinkin' Jaws 2 and Jaws 3D.

 

[danlb_2000]

question
if avatar is such a 3D gimmick why is it the number 1 selling blu ray of all time outpacing the avengers by 2 million copies sold?
I think before we judge it on its longevity we should allow the other movies to come out first

Wait, you are saying we should wait until we have all the facts to pass judgement!? You are on the wrong message board!

 

[Club Cooloholic]

question
if avatar is such a 3D gimmick why is it the number 1 selling blu ray of all time outpacing the avengers by 2 million copies sold?
I think before we judge it on its longevity we should allow the other movies to come out first

First off, it has several years, it's not outpacing Avengers...more it got a huge head start, second it probably sold well to all the folks who bought those 3D TVs...I mean what else can they watch that and Tron Legacy right?

 

[Cesar R M]

First off, it has several years, it's not outpacing Avengers...more it got a huge head start, second it probably sold well to all the folks who bought those 3D TVs...I mean what else can they watch that and Tron Legacy right?

Agree, the biggest push for 3d tvs was Avatar.
While it was "Pocahontas in space". The scenery and tech behind it.. was amazing with huge advanced in tech to make the world believable. Also had good action and for the ladies.. (according to my mother) a "good love story".

 

[rct247]

Does Disney regret it? No. At least not yet.

Does it have potential? Yes, with some amazing, immerse environment with additional movies coming out.

Do most Americans care about Avatar today in the year 2014? No, the movie has lost a lot of steam in the same way that The Matrix trilogy has.

When most people did hype Avatar, what was it really for? The technology, the crisp graphics, beautiful imagery, and new 3D filming technique. The story was a weaker point that was often poked fun at and compared to Fern Gully & Pocahontas.

If done right, can it still be a great addition if the additional movies flop? Yes, potentially. If they don't flop, the public will eat it up during the release of the next movies giving DAK a great boost.

Was it announced at the right time? Yes and No. Yes because it gave the industry something to focus and talk about after Harry Potterland took the world by storm, but no, it was far too early. It wasn't really announced at the height of the film's popularity nor close to opening or even groundbreaking. Ever since it was announced, it is just something they can keep mentioning to keep excitement up when really even after the announcement, it has lost steam.

Is it the best long term addition with staying power for 20 years from now? It depends on the additional movies, but as of right now. No. Avatar has so far not proven to be the next Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Terminator, Matrix, Die Hard, or Indiana Jones type popular franchise. Avatar as it sits now is like Titanic. It was a huge deal when it came out. It was a good movie to watch. It is somewhat a cultural icon of the decade it was in, but it's not as big a deal.

Will Disney regreat it in the long run? No, it will bring in more guests. It will make them money. It will probably prove to be popular for the first 5 years especially with films coming out around it's opening.

Will Disney keep it as Avatarland 20 years following it's opening? No, I don't think it will. I think it will transition to become less and less Avatar and more and more general sci-fi/mythology. Just as The Seas with Nemo & Friends still has aspects of Sea Base Alpha, Avatarland will still have aspects of itself once it transitions.

 

[twebber55]

First off, it has several years, it's not outpacing Avengers...more it got a huge head start, second it probably sold well to all the folks who bought those 3D TVs...I mean what else can they watch that and Tron Legacy right?

S

First off, it has several years, it's not outpacing Avengers...more it got a huge head start, second it probably sold well to all the folks who bought those 3D TVs...I mean what else can they watch that and Tron Legacy right?

oh really! so it couldn't be because people liked it
http://www.the-numbers.com/alltime-bluray-sales-chart

also saw this article that shows you the significance of this movie
http://www.weather.com/travel/tourists-flock-chinas-avatar-national-park-photos-20130926

speaking of TRON why is Shanghai making a TRON lightcycle coaster? because its great eye candy and a really good concept for a ride, same thing with cars land..Pandora falls into this category

a little anecdotal story for you...I teach geography and every year I show my students a picture of the Huang shun mountains (mtns Cameron based on floating mountains) and ask what do these mountains remind you of and without hesitation these kids in every class say avatar

I think the one argument that's legit is merchandising but if this is the key indicator of success hello kitty land would have already been built and harry potter doesn't exactly kill it in regards to merchandising

also critically successful as well as 9 academy award nominations and 3 wins
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avatar/

so bottom line to me IP is less important than execution and WDI going all in and delivering a solid product

again I say we wait until the next movies come out and the land opens to determine how successful of a franchise it is..by the way facebook likes
Harry Potter 70,000,000
Star wars 11,000,000
LOTR 13,000,000
Avatar 51,000,000

on the Disney blog the day ground breaking happened that particular blog had 46,000likes by far more than I ve ever seen on that blog
YOU may not like it and it may not have been the greatest story ever written but clearly there is an audience for this land

im a big believer in facts and waiting to see the final product
as my man Bill O Reilly says Ill give you the last word

 

[Miss Rapunzel]

after watching avatar I was overall pleased with the movie's visual effects... Notice I said pleased.. I definitely wasn't jumping out of my seat or mind blown by the effects like I was for the movie frozen...However, I know you cant compare a movie like Avatar to the movie frozen. Anyways I did enjoy the movie but, I don't think a new land surrounding the movie is productive at all. In my opinion many Disney movies are forgotten or just underrated..I don't want that to happen to avatar but still a whole land???? I think a ride or a show like World of Color would be amazing for Avatar but the idea of having a whole land of just avatar already entices a bit of disapproval for me. so does Disney regret it?
I have no idea.
Disney always does their best to make things magical so hopefully all works out.