Say.... What if Avatarland got cancelled?

[jcs4evas1298]

I love how everyone is talking about this like the project is dead - it's way too early to decide that this project isn't happening simply because we haven't heard more (or because of some unsubstantiated rumors). Think about it - the first announcement was just that they were going to work with Cameron on an Avatar based land. I can't even imagine how much planning has to be done before any more details come out. Where it's going could change based on that they come up with for ideas - and no ideas or art are going to come out until pretty much ALL of the plans are done.

Way to early to call this dead - I'd say it's far more likely to happen than not at this point.

 

[twebber55]

Well, yeah. But no one likes the all-star player who constantly bunts. The fans cheer for the scrappy underdog swinging for the fences.

oh i definitely agree with you just stating disneys philosophy right now

 

[twebber55]

I love how everyone is talking about this like the project is dead - it's way too early to decide that this project isn't happening simply because we haven't heard more. Think about it - the first announcement was just that they were going to work with Cameron on an Avatar based land. I can't even imagine how much planning has to be done before any more details come out. Where it's going could change based on that they come up with for ideas - and no ideas or art are going to come out until pretty much ALL of the plans are done.

Way to early to call this dead - I'd say it's far more likely to happen than not at this point.

i hope you re right because i think it could be amazing

 

[lebeau]

I love how everyone is talking about this like the project is dead - it's way too early to decide that this project isn't happening simply because we haven't heard more (or because of some unsubstantiated rumors). Think about it - the first announcement was just that they were going to work with Cameron on an Avatar based land. I can't even imagine how much planning has to be done before any more details come out. Where it's going could change based on that they come up with for ideas - and no ideas or art are going to come out until pretty much ALL of the plans are done.

Way to early to call this dead - I'd say it's far more likely to happen than not at this point.

No one is saying the project is dead. The rumor is that it is "on life support". And no one is saying this "simply because we haven't heard more". We're saying this because we have insiders with a proven track record telling us the project is likely to get shelved.

Believe what you will. But given the track record of our insiders and the plausibility of what they are saying, I choose to believe this story is true. Doesn't mean something won't change in the future and Avland will be built anyway. But if I were going to place a bet today, I would bet against it.

oh i definitely agree with you just stating disneys philosophy right now

I think most of us realize why Disney is playing it safe. It's still frustrating.

 

[mikeb1967]

Avatar Land fan base

Hello. Just my opinion but when AVL was announced i was surprised, not really excited and definitely not opposed but hopeful of having a new themed land. I sat and listened to pros and cons but in the end i have concluded that i can't see Avatar having the staying power and fan base to support such a land for years after it's built. As we see with Everest and the yeti debacle, it's not long after all the excitement dies down from the opening of an attraction that it can quickly lose it's support from management if more money is need to fix or update it. Just think what would happen if after AVL is built and the next two movies are not blockbusters and even worse...flops.. Disney will be stuck with a $500million+ investment that could someday end up like River Country. Too big of a gamble on so much uncertainty. Some of the posters are correct...Avatar is already largely forgotten. What really changed my mind was the two trips to Disney since the announcement...one to WDW and one to DLR/DCA. The foundation for a Star Wars/Lucasland is obvious and well established... the sure bet would have been to throw that money into an established, lasting franchise with whom they already have a long...proven relationship. I kinda wish Disney would cancel the whole idea of AVL. I hope it works out...but it is very, very risky.
MikeB

 

[lazyboy97o]

My 2 Cents, Avatar is a largely forgotten film.

Universal has Waterworld show and people go in and say what is Waterworld.
Avatar if it is built would be the same 5 years from now, what was Avatar.

Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular is typically considered one of the best examples of how an attraction can be successful despite the original property being unsuccessful. Somebody obviously understands that the show is worth while, as it has been duplicated twice at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. A third had been planned for Universal Studios Dubailand.

 

[devoy1701]

I love how everyone is talking about this like the project is dead - it's way too early to decide that this project isn't happening simply because we haven't heard more (or because of some unsubstantiated rumors). Think about it - the first announcement was just that they were going to work with Cameron on an Avatar based land. I can't even imagine how much planning has to be done before any more details come out. Where it's going could change based on that they come up with for ideas - and no ideas or art are going to come out until pretty much ALL of the plans are done.

Way to early to call this dead - I'd say it's far more likely to happen than not at this point.

It's just very VERY odd that they made this announcement with nothing to show us. That doesn't normally happen. There is usually some concept art and some blue sky renderings to show along with the annoucement to help garner up some excitement. This, along with the fact that our established insiders all agreed this was from "left field" told us that the announcement was premature and was not yet standing on it's own legs.

Then we've had months of nothing, not a peep, from Disney as the fan communities and WDW guests alike kind of ponder confused as to Why on Earth Disney would choose Avatar for WDW. You should have seen the backlash on even just the Disney and WDW Facebook pages.

And now after knowing the budget #s, we have ramblings of tension between Cameron and Disney in not agreeing with concepts and budget numbers. And given Disney's track record over the past 20 years of dealing with some of the bigger Hollywood names and how things at WDW end up being done on the up-and-cheap, this isn't a surprise.

It really does paint a telling picture. Same can be said for the Hyperion Wharf project.

 

[devoy1701]

Hello. Just my opinion but when AVL was announced i was surprised, not really excited and definitely not opposed but hopeful of having a new themed land. I sat and listened to pros and cons but in the end i have concluded that i can't see Avatar having the staying power and fan base to support such a land for years after it's built. As we see with Everest and the yeti debacle, it's not long after all the excitement dies down from the opening of an attraction that it can quickly lose it's support from management if more money is need to fix or update it. Just think what would happen if after AVL is built and the next two movies are not blockbusters and even worse...flops.. Disney will be stuck with a $500million+ investment that could someday end up like River Country. Too big of a gamble on so much uncertainty. Some of the posters are correct...Avatar is already largely forgotten. What really changed my mind was the two trips to Disney since the announcement...one to WDW and one to DLR/DCA. The foundation for a Star Wars/Lucasland is obvious and well established... the sure bet would have been to throw that money into an established, lasting franchise with whom they already have a long...proven relationship. I kinda wish Disney would cancel the whole idea of AVL. I hope it works out...but it is very, very risky.
MikeB

I don't think that the next 2 Avatar movies are going to be flops. Has Cameron made a flop? (need to look that up now) Even some modest marketing will keep the future movies from ever being flops. Maybe they won't be critically acclaimed or receive any awards, but the public will still flock to it.

However, I still questioned the choice of picking Avatar. And while I know that if they spent the money to do it right, the end result would be absolutely stunning, the track record of recent WDW history doesn't give me much hope.

I did want to home in on the part of your comment I put in bold. I do think that a Lucasland/Star Wars land would be thrilling, but I don't necessarily agree that Disney needs to go with an established franchise for their next major expansion. ( I assume that Lucas and Iger are on speaking terms since we did get a ST update recently). Disney has so many properties from their 80yrs of operation that they can pull from, I wish they would use something internally for their next major expansion. It doesn't have to be direct movie tie-ins or anything.

I for one would love for a steam-punk land somewhere.

 

[Captain Chaos]

So i take one thing out of this topic and 74's statement- Either we'll get a likely disappointing and watered down Avatar experience, or we'll get nothing at all. I hope i'm wrong on either chance. But if i'm not, it's a lose-lose scenario for everyone IMO.

I was for this project too, but if all Disney was going to do was bring us a watered down version of Avatar, then I'd rather they do nothing...

Problem with Disney today is, while Universal is taking risks, Disney is playing safe... again, Soaring 2.0 in Avatar would have been an epic fail on Disney's part...

 

[misterID]

I haven't seen the Waterworld movie or the show in Universal Hollywood, but I'm guessing that the movie did have some redeeming qualities to it or elements that made it theme park worthy. I know I'm going against the conventional wisdom in saying this, but Avatar does not have anything going for it. Fluorescent plants and glow-in-the-dark-painted animals just isn't enough.


I say, "Kill it, kill it with fire." Then I will be satisfied.

This is so beyond ridiculous that it's pretty obvious that you're not looking at this with any kind of rational thinking. At least now I know not to take you serious anymore. :dazzle:

Waterworld having more of redeeming elements for a theme park attraction?

:ROFLOL:

Just dark painted animals and fluorescent plants....

Holy cow. Hilarious.

 

[Murphketeer]

The general public doesn't want Pixar, or the Muppets, or anything like that. They want Harry Potter. They want Star Wars. They want Avatar. This is why Wizarding World was so successful, IMO.

My family doesn't like Potter at all, never have.

Star Wars +++

Muppets ++

Pixar Land ++

 

[twebber55]

My family doesn't like Potter at all, never have.

Star Wars +++

Muppets ++

Pixar Land ++

my 13 year old son has never seen the HP movies but when i took him to IOA last summer he loved it...the movies meant nothing to him but the ride(s) and immersive theming blew him (and me) away

 

[RunnerEd]

Just a thought; if they do cancel Pandora, could they use the $$$$ to restore Future World to its former awesomeness? Please?????

 

[lebeau]

I haven't seen the Waterworld movie or the show in Universal Hollywood, but I'm guessing that the movie did have some redeeming qualities to it or elements that made it theme park worthy. I know I'm going against the conventional wisdom in saying this, but Avatar does not have anything going for it. Fluorescent plants and glow-in-the-dark-painted animals just isn't enough.


I say, "Kill it, kill it with fire." Then I will be satisfied.

Clearly an informed opinion you have formed there...

 

[lebeau]

Can we all please agree to stop bringing up Star Wars as an alternative franchise? It never fails. No matter what franchise anyone is talking about, someone comes in and cr@ps on it because it's not Star Wars.

I would be all for a Star Wars themed area or Lucasland or whatever has been floated about. But Disney's had decades to make this happen. Clearly, there are obstacles Disney hasn't been able to overcome.

I know there's talk that Lucasland could happen someday. Disney has explored its options, etc. But given Disney's track record of not building any more Star Wars attractions in spite of the fact that have owned the rights for decades, I think it's safe to say that a Lucasland is unlikely.

There's really no point in comparing every project to a Star Wars themed land that will probably never happen. And yet we do it every single time. :brick:

 

[misterID]

Can we all please agree to stop bringing up Star Wars as an alternative franchise? It never fails. No matter what franchise anyone is talking about, someone comes in and cr@ps on it because it's not Star Wars.

I would be all for a Star Wars themed area or Lucasland or whatever has been floated about. But Disney's had decades to make this happen. Clearly, there are obstacles Disney hasn't been able to overcome.

I know there's talk that Lucasland could happen someday. Disney has explored its options, etc. But given Disney's track record of not building any more Star Wars attractions in spite of the fact that have owned the rights for decades, I think it's safe to say that a Lucasland is unlikely.

There's really no point in comparing every project to a Star Wars themed land that will probably never happen. And yet we do it every single time. :brick:

I think we should stamp this post for later use :lol:

 

[lebeau]

I think we should stamp this post for later use :lol:

No kidding.

I know I'm wasting my time. But it's getting old. Every single thread, no matter what project or attraction is being discussed, the same people come in with the oh-so-novel idea that what Disney really needs to do is build a Star Wars land. Like no one at Disney realizes they own the rights or that the films are popular.

Clearly, it hasn't happened for a reason. We may never know what that reason is. It may not even be a good reason. But something is preventing this from happening and has been for a long, long time. Don't expect that to change any time soon.

The fact that Disney went so far as to announce an Avatar land tells me just how unlikely a Star Wars land actually is!

 

[lebeau]

Well, I did see the movie. My opinion is based on my judgment of the movie and nothing else. I paid extra for an IMAX 3-D ticket, so it's not like I wanted to hate it before I saw it.

Got it. You didn't like Avatar. I'm not sure why Disney didn't call you for your opinion before approaching Cameron. Because clearly if you paid for the Imax experience and still didn't like the film, building a land based around that film in a park that desperately needs an expansion is a bad idea...

I hope the sarcasm is coming through here. But in case it's not, here's what I'm really saying. Whether or not you like Avatar is really not relevant. At all. Even if every person you have ever met thinks it is the worst movie ever made, it's really not statistically significant. So if all you have to contribute is "Avatar bad" (and hilariously "Waterworld good"), you're not bringing much to the table.

 

[GLaDOS]

Can we all please agree to stop bringing up Star Wars as an alternative franchise? It never fails. No matter what franchise anyone is talking about, someone comes in and cr@ps on it because it's not Star Wars.

I would be all for a Star Wars themed area or Lucasland or whatever has been floated about. But Disney's had decades to make this happen. Clearly, there are obstacles Disney hasn't been able to overcome.

I know there's talk that Lucasland could happen someday. Disney has explored its options, etc. But given Disney's track record of not building any more Star Wars attractions in spite of the fact that have owned the rights for decades, I think it's safe to say that a Lucasland is unlikely.

There's really no point in comparing every project to a Star Wars themed land that will probably never happen. And yet we do it every single time. :brick:

I have no inside information, but I don't know how much I buy that Disney has seriously looked into a Star Wars land.

From every report, Disney had a falling out with Lucas at some point during the Eisner regime, which is one of the reasons why it took so long to see Star Tours 2.0.

And Iger seems to be obsessed with the NEW and the NOW, which is why he went out and tried to get Avatar.

If there was ever a serious try at Star Wars land, I don't think it was recent or ever that intense.

 

[lebeau]

I have no inside information, but I don't know how much I buy that Disney has seriously looked into a Star Wars land.

From every report, Disney had a falling out with Lucas at some point during the Eisner regime, which is one of the reasons why it took so long to see Star Tours 2.0.

And Iger seems to be obsessed with the NEW and the NOW, which is why he went out and tried to get Avatar.

If there was ever a serious try at Star Wars land, I don't think it was recent or ever that intense.

That may be. If true, it makes discussions of a Star Wars land even less meaningful.