AVATAR progress

AEfx

AEfx

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
Just to recap, from announcement to theoretical completion of Avatar, Universal will have built:

Despicable Me
Universal Cinematic Spectacular
Transformers
Springfield
TWWOHP 2.0
a multi attraction Jurassic Park
expansion
a Lorax dark Ride
Kong
IOA Lagoon Show
KidZone redo
Fear Factor Live replacement
total Toon Lagoon replacement.
Click to expand...

But those aren't quality attractions like Disney builds...

Disney isn't in any competition with Universal!

I'd rather have Disney's important theming of trash cans and benches over new attractions any day!


(Oh gosh, I think my sarcasm meter just broke, I can't go on...LOL.)

It's incredible to look at that list. Incredible. Heart-breaking, but incredible.

All while the most exciting thing we have to sit and talk about are little gimmicky bracelets that let you pay for your snacks without taking out your pesky wallet, which are only going to ever be available to a subset of guests, and who's only intention is to make people who already repeatedly and excessively plan their vacations to do it more voraciously, in the vain hope that letting them schedule their Splash Mountain visit six months ahead of time is going to rock their socks so much they spend a few percent more.

I actually like Iger (I think he's kind of cute in that stuffy way, love to see a pic of the guy on the beach haha), and he's done incredible things for the future of the company (securing Marvel and Star Wars is going to save this company some day, if they weren't there the stink of Carter and Lone Ranger would be a lot harder to wash off), and I completely agree with New Fantasyland - that area of the park was embarrassing, and the worst FL on the planet. But Avatar was a folly - and although I am sure the roots of MM+ were already forming in the post-AK years, I do wish he had taken the tide in a different direction with the parks.

Let's make no mistake, this MM+ has been in the works practically since AK opened - the company line (and ones many fans used for quite some time, until Harry Potter came and proved everyone wrong) was that the audience for theme parks in Orlando was saturated. No one else in the world who wanted to come wasn't already coming, and that AK just redistributed who was already coming "proved" that, when all it proved was that the park had severe identity issues, and no "wow sock'em!" attraction to promote or distinguish until EE.

The truth is - Americans (and everyone else) love theme parks. They come to see once-in-a-lifetime style things, attractions that they couldn't dream to experience anywhere else, giving them things based on properties they loved. And Disney stopped making those some time ago. Looking at Disco Yeti, the constant reduction of value, and the "Disney Difference" which has essentially disappeared, we can't even rest on that laurel anymore.

Iger just isn't a theme park guy, and he relies on the idiots at the top of the parks chain who don't know what the heck they are doing and are simply trying to stimulate any immediate bump in numbers to call "growth" and have no idea that the very basis of Disney theme parks - giving people magical, unforgettable, and spectacular experiences you cannot get anywhere else - are what make them popular. I remember when I was a kid/teenager and the Splash Mountain opening television special was on. And the MGM opening special. They were so magical, everything was so awesome - I couldn't wait to come. The last time Disney tried that - with EE - they failed miserably (the several specials all feature the Yeti, one heavily in particular, which has not worked since almost the beginning). And all people needed to see was a 30-second TV spot of Potter to start booking trips.

I honestly don't think Iger is the problem - it's who he listens to regarding the parks. The guy is very smart, and I do think he gets the "quality" issue - look how he has dealt with the Marvel films, and supposedly is continuing with Star Wars - letting the creative people do what they need to do. I just wish that extended to the parks...
 
John

John

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
So, they are on schedule for the quoted 2017 opening that is still 4 years away?
Click to expand...

I wish I could tell you. I wasn't given a time table. Just.....a few years was the exact quote. I hope to speak with the engineer again sometime in the near future. I will try to get some more answers.

The way this all went down......I was at a party.....sitting next to a guy I didn't know....I start chatting with him. He is divorced....Says he has a new girlfriend in Florida.....I say....I have family in Florida....My mother works for Disney....He says ....so does my GF. I say oh yea.....where? She is an engineer doing a project in AK. I say.....Avatar? He says ...yea.....how did you know? I start popping off questions and he says ....Lets call her. SO while he is on the phone he is giving her my questions. She says yes she is working on Avatar.....I ask her when it was going to be opened?.... a few years. I said construction hasn't started....Lion King hasn't moved yet.....she says ....it will happen soon. I asked her if Star Wars is green light....she says I cant tell you. She then realizes that I am not just a regular fan and clams up a bit and starts to give me general answers. The boy friend says she will be in town soon and will introduce me. I will then hit her up with more questions.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Arewethereyet! said:
I wish I could tell you. I wasn't given a time table. Just.....a few years was the exact quote. I hope to speak with the engineer again sometime in the near future. I will try to get some more answers.

The way this all went down......I was at a party.....sitting next to a guy I didn't know....I start chatting with him. He is divorced....Says he has a new girlfriend in Florida.....I say....I have family in Florida....My mother works for Disney....He says ....so does my GF. I say oh yea.....where? She is an engineer doing a project in AK. I say.....Avatar? He says ...yea.....how did you know? I start popping off questions and he says ....Lets call her. SO while he is on the phone he is giving her my questions. She says yes she is working on Avatar.....I ask her when it was going to be opened?.... a few years. I said construction hasn't started....Lion King hasn't moved yet.....she says ....it will happen soon. I asked her if Star Wars is green light....she says I cant tell you. She then realizes that I am not just a regular fan and clams up a bit and starts to give me general answers. The boy friend says she will be in town soon and will introduce me. I will then hit her up with more questions.
Click to expand...
Cool, I am not one of the "No Avatar" folks. But the progress on the project has had me doubting if the project will actually ever actually get built or if so, to what level of execution.
I don't think Avatar is a great fit for DAK, as I still don't believe it fits the parks original mission statement BUT I think DAK needs stuff and if executed well will be a nice addition to the park.

That said, I am not a huge fan of the IP. Saw it once in the theater and enjoyed it. But I have little interest in returning to the World of Pandora in theaters OR in a theme park setting but WDW and DAK need more E Tickets so build away.
 
D

duffthor

New Member
Maybe this whole Avatar thing is just a smokescreen....perhaps they are using it to hide preparations to build Endor at AK. The whole place overrun by little furry Ewoks.
 
flyerjab

flyerjab

Well-Known Member
One of the things that I have been wondering about for Avatarland (assuming that this is truly happening) is how the land will be worked into the rest of AK. Disney always has a story in mind so but most of the discussion in this thread dealt with how many rides, what type, E-ticket and C-ticket boat ride/walking path, hours of operation, etc. What I was more curious about is how will one enter this part of the park? Will you simply cross a bridge and you are in Pandora much like you do with Africa and Asia? At one time I had thought - and thanks to the imagineers I have had plenty of time to think about this now - that it would be presented that the imagineers 'traveled' to Pandora and brought back samples of trees, plants, animals and whatever else and have attempted to regrow them here. Of course, if memory serves, the atmosphere on Pandora is suffocating to humans so that probably shoots down my brainstorm of an idea. I don't usually read back through all the posts so I was wondering if anyone else had mentioned or had any idea as to how Pandora or Avatarland would be integrated into the structure of AK?
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
flyerjab said:
One of the things that I have been wondering about for Avatarland (assuming that this is truly happening) is how the land will be worked into the rest of AK. Disney always has a story in mind so but most of the discussion in this thread dealt with how many rides, what type, E-ticket and C-ticket boat ride/walking path, hours of operation, etc. What I was more curious about is how will one enter this part of the park? Will you simply cross a bridge and you are in Pandora much like you do with Africa and Asia? At one time I had thought - and thanks to the imagineers I have had plenty of time to think about this now - that it would be presented that the imagineers 'traveled' to Pandora and brought back samples of trees, plants, animals and whatever else and have attempted to regrow them here. Of course, if memory serves, the atmosphere on Pandora is suffocating to humans so that probably shoots down my brainstorm of an idea. I don't usually read back through all the posts so I was wondering if anyone else had mentioned or had any idea as to how Pandora or Avatarland would be integrated into the structure of AK?
Click to expand...
I think you are actually onto something... it will be a simulator attraction about the voyage to Pandora to bring back samples, then a walking area exhibit of the samples regrowing in our environment... That way they don't have to actually recreate Pandora and can do it alot cheaper and integrate that DVC kiosk
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member

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