Pandora vs. Harry Potter

[POLY LOVER]

Let's use this to maybe tell how disneys new projects will compete with universals. Harry came first, Disney felt the pressure and produced Pandora. Did Disney outdo universal?

At the time did universal out tech universal?
Is Harry more immersive than Pandora?
Did universal at the time Produce something more unique?

 

[jaygatsby]

Harry Potter was definitely unique for theme parks at the time and it still is IMO. Not sure about the technology aspect, but Harry Potter seems like a larger franchise that reaches a wider audience. I mean, I didn't even realize that there was going to be a sequel to Avatar. I personally think Harry Potter is more immersive, but I'm a huge HP fan so I might be biased.

 

[POLY LOVER]

You can't even really compare the rides because Avatar came much later so has the advantage of being able to one up the Harry Potter ride. It should be better just from the fact that it came 5 years later.

But in terms of pandora vs hogsmeade or Diagonal Alley, Harry Potter wins hands down. you really feel like you are in the town.

With Pandora I just feel like I am in Spash Mountain land minus the furry characters.

I think a big hurdle with Pandora is you have no blue alien characters walking around Pandora or aliens as servers or line cast members like you do with Harry Potter.

So if pandora had the advantage and still didn't top HP then we have to be a bit concerned with disneys new areas. I really hope they are home runs! I'm expecting some real Disney magic.

 

[Princess B]

Not even a competition in my opinion... HP completely immerses you, and I think that the feeling is magnified because they are directly copying a world we've seen in the movies as well as in Rowling's books The only thing I knew about Pandora was... floating rocks and blue people... and they don't even have blue people. Diagon Alley has an actual dragon that breathes fire for Pete's sake! In the HP lands, I can get a wand, set of robes, an "owl" or whatever plush character I think would've been my Hogwarts pet. In Pandora, I can get a plastic banshee that sits on my shoulders, completely different from the massive creatures they're actually supposed to be.

 

[sonoma15]

HP

 

[bclane]

I love them both. I do feel more immersed in the Potterverse but I honestly enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Pandora so much that I prefer it. Plus FoP makes me really happy every time I ride it.

 

[worldfanatic]

Both Forbidden Journey & Flight of Passage are amazing rides. I'd give a slight edge to FOP because it is so realistic & simply jaw-dropping.
I also really enjoy Na'vi River Journey & like the exotic feel of Pandora a bit more than Wizarding World.
I'm certainly a bigger fan of the HP movies, but in my opinion, Pandora is the superior themed land.
Especially at night.

 

[Edward M]

In my opinion, Pandora takes this easily. Diagon Alley is actually one of the best themed lands in the world, but even it can't compare to the level of quality Disney produced with Pandora.

 

[Mickey5150]

Forget Pandora vs Potter, Africa is more immersive than either of those. You can pretend to use magic or fly on a banshee, I prefer going on a real African safari.

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

In my opinion, Pandora takes this easily. Diagon Alley is actually one of the best themed lands in the world, but even it can't compare to the level of quality Disney produced with Pandora.

Have to disagree. With Pandora Disney have produced 1 outstanding and 1 good ride with a so-so land.
With just Diagon alley Uni has made 1outstanding and 1great ride with an incredible land. Then you add Hogsmeade. Clearly a win for the Northen parks.

 

[celluloid]

Have to disagree. With Pandora Disney have produced 1 outstanding and 1 good ride with a so-so land.
With just Diagon alley Uni has made 1outstanding and 1great ride with an incredible land. Then you add Hogsmeade. Clearly a win for the Northen parks.

And then you can also add in the extra fun factor of the themed transportation of the Hogwarts Express as a bonus family friendly attraction.
Also, the shops in the Wizarding World have a lot of entertainment value to explore. Knockturn Alley harkens back to the old Disney way of having something to explore.
I like how someone in this thread pointed out how Diagon feels like a real town. After working in the wizarding world, like others mentioned here, a huge part of that are the Team Members you see and the design of such as well as the live actors in both wand shops and small scale shows. It makes it feel like a living breathing culture. Right down to the faux ads, radio type networks, pet stores public transit and competitors.(other wand shops etc..)

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I feel Pandora has the better theming and immersion but Potter has the better scope. There are multiple shops and nooks and crannies to explore whereas in Pandora there is one shop. However I could spend a ton of time just wandering around in Pandora

 

[Cameron1529]

I think it is extremely hard to compare two very different experiences. I don't thing Disney necessarily reacted to Universals Harry Potter worlds either, Avatar land would have been in the making for many years before Universal finished Harry Potter world.

 

[Cameron1529]

Avatarland was directly reactionary. It was first conceived in 2011.

Harry Potter World opened in 2010.

2011 was when Disney first approached James Cameron, which means that Disney would have conceived the idea a significant period prior to that. They would have had deliberate and appropriate deliberation and planning before approaching Avatar, whether they intended the land to be Avatar Land or not. They would have had a plan and blueprint in relation to the creation of land or themed area.. However I do agree in some respects that the announcement of Harry Potter World by Universal would have definitely led to Disney, significantly intensifying their plans, plans in which were already in the making.

 

[Cameron1529]

There really is no evidence that Disney was working on an Avatarland before Harry Potter.

They may have been working on a Soarin on Steroids type ride for a while but in terms of the IP and branding for that ride that probably just happened when they approached Cameron.

In all likelyhood they were R&D in ha Soarin on Steroids ride and that was about it.

Once they saw Harry Pooter land they realized they dropped the ball and added the Avatar IP and decided to make a whole world/area rather than putting the Soarin on Steroids ride randomly in one of their parks.

Understandably I am not going off any such evidence, purely just how I viewed the situation. I understand where you are coming from. I just think it was an extremely quick plan and blueprint to pull of considering they only 'approached' Cameron in early 2011. Yet they started releasing ride announcements and various other designs a few months later.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

Pandora is a start, but SWL will be the all immersive comparable and over take of HPL.

 

[Cameron1529]

Pandora is a start, but SWL will be the all immersive comparable and over take of HPL.

100% agree with that. SWL will be significantly better and more immersive

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

100% agree with that. SWL will be significantly better and more immersive

Hopefully.

 

[Cameron1529]

The designs for the land are easy to make.

The ride R&D is what would take time and years.

The only real add on immersive land they've made is Carsland (toon town is really .5 of a land) and they already owned that IP before deciding to design it.

It would seem backward and risky to spend years developing and creating an Avatar land without securing the IP first. So that would Disney started to plan and develop Avatarland after they had met with Cameron and secured the Avatar IP

I don't necessarily think designs on lands are 'easy' to make, I am not an expert and am not going to pretend to be one. The level of consideration that goes into designing would be incredible like positioning, drainage, placement and that is without an overarching theme. However a $500 million dollar land design is not easily thought out and created and thus doesn't happen overnight. They may not have necessarily been developing the design for Avatar Land but they would have had to been planning and drafting documents, permits, proposals for their intended themed land or area and then later on for Cameron as well. You cannot approach one of the most successful films in recent times without a drafted plans, R&D (which takes significant amounts of time) and some direction. I agree with you in respect to Disney was reactionary in terms of the increasing and changing of the scope of the land, following Harry Potter World. However I still believe that a major land and attraction was already in planning before Harry Potter World came to light and thus Avatar suited the design and needs of Disney through ongoing and careful planning.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

By 2020 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be a significantly larger experience than Pandora. Right now they are adding the 3rd state of the art E Ticket with the Forbidden Forest Coaster. And I believe the 4th E Ticket (The Ministry of Magic) will start construction in Jan. The MoM may have a D Ticket also. So the WWoHP will be 4 E Tickets, 1-2 D Tickets, 1 C Tickets, 4 shows, 2 restaurants, 2 interactive experiences, 1 candy shop, 1 ice cream shop and 9 themed merchandise shops.