Pandora - The World of Avatar opening day reports

[sedati]

Thank you, Disney, for going with "Pandora" and not "Avatar Land." I don't know who was in charge of DCA being called "Cars Land" instead of "Radiator Springs," but that guy should be fired.

And this is why from the very day this was announced I never understood the "wrong park" arguments. When I first heard about this I too assumed it was going into Hollywood Studios and would be a standalone action ride. Probably a good one, but my excitement was lukewarm. When they mentioned not only would it go into Animal Kingdom, but be an entire land built with the assistance of Cameron himself I got excited. If you had seen the movie, you could see the two directions a theme park could take this property- and the nature side was definitely going to be the more unique and immersive.

btw... I'm following today's posts with a bit of trepidation- I am really dreading seeing the first signs of guest related destruction to the artificial plants. My biggest concern with what I've seen from all the previews is not enough fencing.

 

[Goob]

Well, if they put up more fencing, that's gonna lead to people griping about that. Disney can't win with some (a lot of) people.

 

[sedati]

Well, if they put up more fencing, that's gonna lead to people griping about that. Disney can't win with some (a lot of) people.

I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised that by the end of the weekend everything is still in good shape. I can see how the borders are well defined along the paths, but that's not enough to keep everyone from wandering where they should not.

 

[JustinB20]

I'll be fighting the crowds tomorrow and Monday so I'm hoping it won't be as bad as today, but like someone above said, since it's a 3-day holiday weekend, it isn't likely for it to slow down much.

 

[Jabbas]

I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised that by the end of the weekend everything is still in good shape. I can see how the borders are well defined along the paths, but that's not enough to keep everyone from wandering where they should not.

A seen a video on IG of a crowd of teenagers running and jumping all over the rocks. I screamed at my phone "What are you doing?!?!?!"

 

[LAKid53]

What did I say on one of the other Pandora threads...they'd have to limit entry, just like Hogsmeade did the first months it was open.

My sympathy to all those waiting for hours, just to get in.

 

[peter11435]

I don't have numbers at the ready, but the lines just to get in the Potter area were 8 hours plus and stretched around the park, after waiting for hours in the Citywalk area trying to get in. I remember seeing the whole sidewalk in front of the Hard Rock Cafe completely full with lines, lol. I don't think we will ever see something like that again, maybe Star Wars who knows.

Oh I wasn't debating potters crowds. I was just curious if we knew what they were.

 

[EPCOTServo21]

A seen a video on IG of a crowd of teenagers running and jumping all over the rocks. I screamed at my phone "What are you doing?!?!?!"

Do you have a link for that video? I'd love to see it in IG....guests can be pretty wreckless as we know.

 

[sedati]

What did I say on one of the other Pandora threads...they'd have to limit entry, just like Hogsmeade did the first months it was open.

My sympathy to all those waiting for hours, just to get in.

They're there by choice I assume. I'm less sympathetic and more jealous- it is opening day after all. If they had to endure that on a random day, then yes, I'd be sympathetic.

 

[RustySpork]

I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised that by the end of the weekend everything is still in good shape. I can see how the borders are well defined along the paths, but that's not enough to keep everyone from wandering where they should not.

I've seen people scale all sorts of things destroying everything in their path just to get a picture.

 

[Kman101]

I like on this site that there is positive and negative viewpoints represented. Let's keep it like that, and not turn into that other site where the pixie dusters swoop in and attack if you say anything negative about Disney. (And I even suspect some of them are paid by Disney to control the narrative about complaints over there.)

There's nothing wrong with different opinions. But some posters have an agenda. There's a difference.

 

[Kman101]

...on opening day at least.

I think we know how you feel

But I agree opening day isn't an indicator of overall popularity of the land.

 

[RustySpork]

There's nothing wrong with different opinions. But some posters have an agenda. There's a difference.

Everyone has an agenda of some kind.

 

[matt9112]

really......REALLY glad i got to do previews.

 

[Kman101]

I thought they planned the opening to take away from the opening of Volcano Bay

Seriously, it's an odd choice of timing. Memorial Day weekend is not as large a crowd time as Spring Break, Christmas, Thanksgiving or July 4th week. WDW has been a 7 crowd level on average the last few years over Memorial Day weekend according to touring plans so not the most crowded time but definitely pretty busy. They definitely don't need a grand opening to bring in crowds for the weekend.

I think the timing has at least something to do with having it open in time for summer crowds. Once they knew they were going to miss Spring Break it was easy to push to Memorial Day. I doubt that it being a holiday weekend matters a whole lot for a grand opening crowd anyway. People would have gone no matter when it was. If anything they missed out on double dipping and having a typical holiday weekend crowd and then a grand opening crowd a week earlier or later. Maybe there actually is something to the conspiracy theory that it was done to snub Uni's grand opening.

Memorial Day, or around there, seems to be the new target date for openings. If anything Volcano Bay rushed their opening to try and take the thunder away from Pandora. Clearly VB wasn't completely show ready. But, and this isn't geared at you, I'm tired of the "fan war" between Universal and Disney on these boards. I'm tired of the "negative nellies" refusing to believe anything positive, I'm tired of those who are positive being name called pixie dusters ... we're all mostly grown adults and I think we're all a bit better than that. Like I said in another poster, there's a difference between a difference of opinions and posters who have an agenda (both negative and positive).

 

[Kman101]

Everyone has an agenda of some kind.

I don't. I don't think that's true at all. But OK.

 

[Kman101]

I don't have numbers at the ready, but the lines just to get in the Potter area were 8 hours plus and stretched around the park, after waiting for hours in the Citywalk area trying to get in. I remember seeing the whole sidewalk in front of the Hard Rock Cafe completely full with lines, lol. I don't think we will ever see something like that again, maybe Star Wars who knows.

I think it's possible for Star Wars. That spans a lot more decades than Potter, which was a phenomenon on it's own. Pandora was never going to have 8 hour waits to get into the land.

 

[RustySpork]

I don't. I don't think that's true at all. But OK.

Literally everyone has an agenda, you don't realize it, but you do too. That doesn't mean it's good or bad, but there are reasons for everything that you do. Just like there are reasons for everything that I do, and everything that everyone else does.

 

[RustySpork]

I thought they planned the opening to take away from the opening of Volcano Bay

Seriously, it's an odd choice of timing. Memorial Day weekend is not as large a crowd time as Spring Break, Christmas, Thanksgiving or July 4th week. WDW has been a 7 crowd level on average the last few years over Memorial Day weekend according to touring plans so not the most crowded time but definitely pretty busy. They definitely don't need a grand opening to bring in crowds for the weekend.

I think the timing has at least something to do with having it open in time for summer crowds. Once they knew they were going to miss Spring Break it was easy to push to Memorial Day. I doubt that it being a holiday weekend matters a whole lot for a grand opening crowd anyway. People would have gone no matter when it was. If anything they missed out on double dipping and having a typical holiday weekend crowd and then a grand opening crowd a week earlier or later. Maybe there actually is something to the conspiracy theory that it was done to snub Uni's grand opening.

Well if that was the intent, they failed in that regard. Volcano Bay is currently at capacity. They literally could not do better today.

 

[matt9112]

I'm sure they weren't the only guests who will do something similar on a day like today. I've seen plenty of people who abuse the system worse. They also flew all the way from LA to be here this weekend.

dont care if there from heavens gates.....as if flying in makes them special.