New York Times article claims flight simulation will be part of upcoming Avatar land

[GrumpyFan]

I didn't realize that the coaster you showed was not a multi-dimensional coaster, my apologies. I want a themed X2 but that's what I'm referring to as something that would be uber intense.

No problem. I agree the X2/multi-dimensional would be uber intense, and probably too much for WDW.

 

[menamechris]

Some of my suggestions for the Animal Kingdom would be as follows:

• Keep the Chester and Hester concept but remove Primeval Whirl in favor of a dark ride that tells the same story (mocking the Dinosaur story) and could be a C-ticket on the scale of a Fantasyland dark ride, or it could be an E-ticket and use up more space and use the Pooh's Hunny Hunt technology
• Close Dinosaur for a substantial refurbishment. Add new effects, replace the storyline, add more dinosaurs. When it's reopened it could be called Countdown to Extinction
• Put another dark ride in between Dinosaur and Chester and Hester's Dinosaur treasures. I'm thinking an omnimover that takes you through other extinct animals. There's a narrow spot for an entrance but the show building can be set back
• Add an indoor Animal walk through and an attraction in the area behind Finding Nemo the Musical. Filling the lake and removing the Discovery River Boats service area will probably be necessary. This will become a small Australia land.
• Extend Kali River Rapids with a new section before the clear cutting scene. This would require a second lift hill on the attraction, and probably moving (or going over) an access road
• I hate to say it, but I think the Maharajah Jungle Trek has to close at some point. It's current real estate is too valuable and it can be moved further back into the plot North of Asia with a more favorable layout. Doing this would be a way to add Pandas to the park, they can be on the same trail as a new Tiger exhibit.
• Change the train layout, or remove it entirely. An option would be moving the train yard and having an entrance in Asia near the newly created opening (after removing Maharajah Jungle Trek) on the southwest side of the Asia plot
• Move Festival of the Lion King to the area where the Africa train station is
• Use the Beastly Kingdom plot as an area to house a collection of mythical creatures. These can be from our own mythology, James Cameron's mythology, Jules Verne's mythology or perhaps since this is all hypothetical, Stan Lee's mythology
• Have a major refurbishment to Expedition Everest that would add new effects and fix broken effects
• Replace It's Tough to be a Bug with another animal walk through that's both indoors and outdoors

This would be more than Disney has done to AK....well, ever. Ha! With that being said, many of these things should be at the top of the list if they ever decide they want AK to reach its full potential. I love AK, but it is a constant state of lacking...And many areas of it certainly have that "temporary" feel.

 

[NoChesterHester]

For the most part, the rides at the Animal Kingdom are limiting, by height, intensity, or appeal. The Avatar theme very well may be limiting as well, but what I think the park needs more than anything are some D-ticket dark rides to stretch out the day. A couple of fun house/Fantasyland style C tickets would be much better for the park than say Primeval Whirl.

A Multi Dimensional Coaster is incredibly limiting because by virtue of the ride system it would have to be the most intense attraction in a Central Florida theme park. Some of my suggestions for the Animal Kingdom would be as follows:

• Keep the Chester and Hester concept but remove Primeval Whirl in favor of a dark ride that tells the same story (mocking the Dinosaur story) and could be a C-ticket on the scale of a Fantasyland dark ride, or it could be an E-ticket and use up more space and use the Pooh's Hunny Hunt technology
• Close Dinosaur for a substantial refurbishment. Add new effects, replace the storyline, add more dinosaurs. When it's reopened it could be called Countdown to Extinction
• Put another dark ride in between Dinosaur and Chester and Hester's Dinosaur treasures. I'm thinking an omnimover that takes you through other extinct animals. There's a narrow spot for an entrance but the show building can be set back
• Add an indoor Animal walk through and an attraction in the area behind Finding Nemo the Musical. Filling the lake and removing the Discovery River Boats service area will probably be necessary. This will become a small Australia land.
• Extend Kali River Rapids with a new section before the clear cutting scene. This would require a second lift hill on the attraction, and probably moving (or going over) an access road
• I hate to say it, but I think the Maharajah Jungle Trek has to close at some point. It's current real estate is too valuable and it can be moved further back into the plot North of Asia with a more favorable layout. Doing this would be a way to add Pandas to the park, they can be on the same trail as a new Tiger exhibit.
• Change the train layout, or remove it entirely. An option would be moving the train yard and having an entrance in Asia near the newly created opening (after removing Maharajah Jungle Trek) on the southwest side of the Asia plot
• Move Festival of the Lion King to the area where the Africa train station is
• Use the Beastly Kingdom plot as an area to house a collection of mythical creatures. These can be from our own mythology, James Cameron's mythology, Jules Verne's mythology or perhaps since this is all hypothetical, Stan Lee's mythology
• Have a major refurbishment to Expedition Everest that would add new effects and fix broken effects
• Replace It's Tough to be a Bug with another animal walk through that's both indoors and outdoors

Obviously, this is all incredibly far fetched and nothing more than my own fantasies. It involves moving a lot of things around which Disney isn't normally inclined to do. What this also accomplishes is it presents an easier way to access the huge area north of Asia, perhaps for a nighttime show or another land. I can also see the possibility of additional expansion over Discovery River on the pathway from Discovery Island to Africa.

There are some really good ideas in here. I never really considered a big refurb to Dinosaur like you stated, but that would solve some issues.

Nice list.

 

[misterID]

Think King Kong has a love child with Soarin.

It would have the movements possible in Soarin', but move along a track ala King Kong.

Just like Harry Potter, there would be "real" scenes, and "movie" screens.

This could be cool. I needs to be cool. Spiderman-HD and Harry Potter are the best rides in Orlando ( besides the classics of course ). Remember the first time you went on Test Track? Tower of Tower?

Soarin', FTE, Toy Story Mania, and Everest are "cool" but not great. We need a true E-Ticket at WDW.

That is a pretty cool idea. Even if they reinvented the Soarin type simulator, where you start out in A forest and the ride vehicle elevates above the forest (think E.T. queue size) and the entire room becomes the screen (all four walls and ceiling), giving you a 360 degree panorama view of Pandora, with a motion simulator vehicle and 4D elements. Could be very cool.

Ill wait before pronouncing the ride duff. After all this is Disney it may never get built.

A Pumbas sighting!

*grabs camera*

 

[ctxak98]

You can say the same with Everest, a lot of people don't like it because 1) hate coasters, 2) get sick on thrill rides, 3) etc. etc. etc..

I know it can be made for anything. You could say A lot of people hate rides like Its a small world because they get massive headaches....I just think its a matter of opinion that disney hasnt TOPPED it based on people perspectives. thats all im saying

 

[Clever Name]

A lot of people hate rides like Its a small world because they get massive headaches.

Wow! You too? I thought I was the only one. :wave:

 

[AEfx]

Like many, I instantly thought, "Yup, they'll do Soarin 2.0". Sounds like we were right.

My guess is, it will be over the screen, not just in front of it.

And a big boring idea IMO - I am so tired of watching film/video being seen as content in theme parks. It's one thing when it's woven into a ride (like Potter), but when it's the central focus, it's really getting old.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I'm definitely against the mentality of "just build a simulator with a video screen" for every single new ride out there. I'm no fan of Toy Story Mania. If done rather sparingly it's ok, like to enhance scenes that have actual sets and real figures. But I just cannot help but see a laziness to it. There's something about tangible sets and animatronic figures that feels much more satisfying than just having a ride vehicle run past a video screen. I don't consider that much of a ride. I feel much the same as someone else said, I could just project some videos on my walls at home and ride around in an office chair and call that a real ride. Doesn't work for me.

So needless to say, if Soarin' 2.0 is what we're in for with Avatar-Land, color me unsurprised and mostly uninterested. I hope it's something far more than that. But I honestly can't say I think it will be much more. Don't get me wrong, Soarin is fun (though I don't think the lines are generally worth waiting in to ride), but it's not anywhere near what i'd expect out of a major Disney attraction. All of the classic long-gone Epcot rides from the early 80's to this day are far more impressive and worthy of the Disney name.

And speaking of Epcot, i'm also of the opinion that Animal Kingdom has way too many rides that have too many physical limitations to them. Either height requirements, or rides that can't be experienced by people with either medical conditions or an incredible fear of thrills or motion sickness. Or in Kali's case, not wanting to walk around all day dripping wet and rather miserable. I think it needs at least 2 rides that are more akin to classic Epcot style attractions with far less emphasis on thrills. I guess you could call them "safe rides". Omnimovers and POTC-type boat rides where the impressive nature of them comes from brilliant sets and animatronics instead of just a quick thrill. Rides that are very long, more laid back, and have great capacity and quick loading. Not to mention ones that can appeal to any age.

I've talked with Randy Savage about it before, but one thing i'd like to see is the gutting of the entire Dinorama carnival. Cleared out utterly to make room for something that doesn't look like trash I'd see along the road. It's absolutely ugly and IMHO has no business existing in such a gorgeous park (having it there compromises the theme). It's a blight on the place and to me really symbolizes cheapness. Randy's idea was a Splash Mountain type ride in its place with a really big drop, with a theme based on Mammoths. A great idea on its own. But if it were me, i'd expand that past just mammoths and cover extinct species in general from any age in the past, given life once again through the magic of Disney animatronics. Along with some classic style narration like old Epcot rides. Three or so small and mild drops on the scale of Pirates or Maelstrom, nothing big. Enough so that it spices things up for people but not enough to warrant any height requirement or to bother anyone with health problems or serious motion sickness. The drops would be there mostly just to descent to lower show building levels and wouldn't be anything major.

I think boat rides in general work well for the Animal Kingdom theme without compromising the feeling you're inside this wild animal-like world. More so than a dark ride with a track or whatever (and especially a hideous roadside carnival), it's easier to disguise the track with flowing waterways because streams just fit the natural environment so well. So several boat rides with elaborate sets and animated figures would go a long way into giving the park more appeal to more audiences besides just those who like thrills or whatnot.

 

[ctxak98]

I'm definitely against the mentality of "just build a simulator with a video screen" for every single new ride out there. I'm no fan of Toy Story Mania. If done rather sparingly it's ok, like to enhance scenes that have actual sets and real figures. But I just cannot help but see a laziness to it. There's something about tangible sets and animatronic figures that feels much more satisfying than just having a ride vehicle run past a video screen. I don't consider that much of a ride. I feel much the same as someone else said, I could just project some videos on my walls at home and ride around in an office chair and call that a real ride. Doesn't work for me.

So needless to say, if Soarin' 2.0 is what we're in for with Avatar-Land, color me unsurprised and mostly uninterested. I hope it's something far more than that. But I honestly can't say I think it will be much more. Don't get me wrong, Soarin is fun (though I don't think the lines are generally worth waiting in to ride), but it's not anywhere near what i'd expect out of a major Disney attraction. All of the classic long-gone Epcot rides from the early 80's to this day are far more impressive and worthy of the Disney name.

And speaking of Epcot, i'm also of the opinion that Animal Kingdom has way too many rides that have too many physical limitations to them. Either height requirements, or rides that can't be experienced by people with either medical conditions or an incredible fear of thrills or motion sickness. Or in Kali's case, not wanting to walk around all day dripping wet and rather miserable. I think it needs at least 2 rides that are more akin to classic Epcot style attractions with far less emphasis on thrills. I guess you could call them "safe rides". Omnimovers and POTC-type boat rides where the impressive nature of them comes from brilliant sets and animatronics instead of just a quick thrill. Rides that are very long, more laid back, and have great capacity and quick loading. Not to mention ones that can appeal to any age.

I've talked with Randy Savage about it before, but one thing i'd like to see is the gutting of the entire Dinorama carnival. Cleared out utterly to make room for something that doesn't look like trash I'd see along the road. It's absolutely ugly and IMHO has no business existing in such a gorgeous park (having it there compromises the theme). It's a blight on the place and to me really symbolizes cheapness. Randy's idea was a Splash Mountain type ride in its place with a really big drop, with a theme based on Mammoths. A great idea on its own. But if it were me, i'd expand that past just mammoths and cover extinct species in general from any age in the past, given life once again through the magic of Disney animatronics. Along with some classic style narration like old Epcot rides. Three or so small and mild drops on the scale of Pirates or Maelstrom, nothing big. Enough so that it spices things up for people but not enough to warrant any height requirement or to bother anyone with health problems or serious motion sickness. The drops would be there mostly just to descent to lower show building levels and wouldn't be anything major.

I think boat rides in general work well for the Animal Kingdom theme without compromising the feeling you're inside this wild animal-like world. More so than a dark ride with a track or whatever (and especially a hideous roadside carnival), it's easier to disguise the track with flowing waterways because streams just fit the natural environment so well. So several boat rides with elaborate sets and animated figures would go a long way into giving the park more appeal to more audiences besides just those who like thrills or whatnot.

NICE IDEA for Dinoland but being the DINOLAND freak I am lol. Heres what I would do to make it a full area thats well-themed. GET RID OF DINORAMA!....forever. and turn it into a full bone yard area and Bring back the Excavator with a different storyline. The story is that its an abondoned mine shaft for the bone-yard because the last train went missing and we are on a mission to find them. Along the way there is an earthquake and we are transported to another dimension...Like the Land of the Lost. And then in the back of the Excavator tucked away would be DINOSAUR:journey to the nesting grounds. A family dark ride taking the journey to the nesting grounds.

THEN take away the crap DINOSAUR logo on CTX and change it back to CTX, update the ride a little add a few scenes...get rid of the bad. SURPRISE US! and to finish cretacious trail will actually feature idnosaur collaborating with the show "walking with dinosaurs" and have a dinosaurs actually walking through the primeval forest and interact with guests!....haha Big dreams but I feel like this is a better option then what is there now!:wave: