Will Avatar give AK the boost it needs?

[FettFan]

Sequels haven't been made yet. Hard to tell if it's bad or good?? Even if its not great it will still do amazing at the box office...see Star Wars Episode 1.

Bad analogy.

Star Wars ended on a high note with Return of the Jedi and was relegated to the realm of nostalgia, but had a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s by way of Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire novel series. George Lucas also tested the waters for the new movies by releasing the Special Editions in 1997.

Also, for every Phantom Menace, there are at least ten Tron Legacy's.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The Matrix sequels...

Anybody ever bother to compare total franchise revenue generated by Cars versus Avatar? Just the first Cars film generated over $1 billion in merchandise sales.

 

[Goofnut1980]

What is the big brown empty are on the north east corner of the park? its just empty and nothing is on it...

 

[erasure fan1]

I believe this all boils down to one thing, and one thing only. If the land and rides are spectacular, instant success and giant boost to numbers. A great ride will make it irrelevant what people think of the IP. If Disney does this right, I think the AK expansion could out shine the movies.

 

[FettFan]

What is the big brown empty are on the north east corner of the park? its just empty and nothing is on it...

That was originally extra area for Tiger River Rapids before funding ran dry and the project was converted to the truncated Kali River Rapids.

Originally it was going to be more like a Jungle Cruise type ride through the animal enclosures....Asia's version of Kilimanjaro safaris. The rapids part was going to be the last few minutes of it as a grand finale.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Personally, no. It might bring more people through the turnstiles but I don't believe it will have as big of an impact as Disney hope and that AK will still need more when this expansion is eventually completed.

I have no interest in it whatsoever but I hope it will be successful enough to spur Disney into addressing the other areas of the resort that are in need of attention, I think AK will still need more and Epcot and DHS are both in need of improvements/additions. If that happens then we'll all be winners, whether we love Avatar or hate it.

 

[Prince-1]

Bad analogy.

Star Wars ended on a high note with Return of the Jedi and was relegated to the realm of nostalgia, but had a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s by way of Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire novel series. George Lucas also tested the waters for the new movies by releasing the Special Editions in 1997.

Also, for every Phantom Menace, there are at least ten Tron Legacy's.

Actually it a good analogy. Phantom Menace was bad!!! I don't care about the original trilogy I was saying that a poorly made sequel can still make bucks at the box office. PM made close to $500 million. The Avatar sequels will rack up as well whether it's gold or a turd.

And I hope u aren't saying Tron Legacy was good???

 

[twebber55]

The Matrix sequels...

Anybody ever bother to compare total franchise revenue generated by Cars versus Avatar? Just the first Cars film generated over $1 billion in merchandise sales.

you can take the billion in merch. and the total gross is box office from cars 1 and 2 and you re still 1 billion short of avatar

also avatar more than tripled cars in attendance

but none of this matters to you because you don't like it..honest question will you give it a chance and go to Pandora at DAK?

 

[twebber55]

I think they should build a hello kitty land and WWE land because they kill it in merchandise sales

 

[FettFan]

Actually it a good analogy. Phantom Menace was bad!!! I don't care about the original trilogy I was saying that a poorly made sequel can still make bucks at the box office. PM made close to $500 million. The Avatar sequels will rack up as well whether it's gold or a turd.

I don't think you're quite following me here.

Why did TPM make so much bank 16 years after RotJ?
Because Star Wars didn't get put on the back burner the way Avatar has.

Here's a partial list:
1983 - Return of the Jedi
1984 - Ewoks: Caravan of Courage
1985 - Ewoks: Battle for Endor
1984-1985 - Ewoks Saturday Morning Cartoon
1985-1986 - Droids Saturday Morning Cartoon
1988 - Star Tours Disneyland
1989 - Star Tours MGM Studios
1991 - Heir to the Empire (aka the reason you hear everyone wanting JJ Abrams to make Grand Admiral Thrawn he main villain in the new movies)
1993 - Star Wars: X-Wing released for the PC
1996 - Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire multimedia event. One complete story told through the novel following the main characters, and the video game following new character Dash Rendar.
1997 - Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition
1999 - The New Jedi Order series kicks off.

Ultimately, what I'm really trying to say here is....you're never ever going to hear Bill Murray singing the Avatar theme.


The best Avatar could manage was a bunch of rectal-cranial inverts who want to kill themselves after watching it.

 

[twebber55]

avatar is just starting...not saying its star wars just that its starting and we don't know how it will turn out

nor does it need to be star wars to be a great theme land....shouldn't star tours be the most popular/best ride in the world if ride popularity were based on IP?

 

[lazyboy97o]

you can take the billion in merch. and the total gross is box office from cars 1 and 2 and you re still 1 billion short of avatar

also avatar more than tripled cars in attendance

but none of this matters to you because you don't like it..honest question will you give it a chance and go to Pandora at DAK?

The billion in Cars merchandise was years ago and has continued. It is important because merchandise will be the key measure of success for Disney, not attendance. People visiting Pandora and just looking around can even be a negative due to operational costs.

I'm curious how you can tell me my opinion on a land for which I have not made any statements.

 

[twebber55]

The billion in Cars merchandise was years ago and has continued. It is important because merchandise will be the key measure of success for Disney, not attendance. People visiting Pandora and just looking around can even be a negative due to operational costs.

I'm curious how you can tell me my opinion on a land for which I have not made any statements.

I guess through your many negative comments about the project....not critique just an observation

as far as merchandise im sure selling goods like those goofy glow in the show hats then anything can be sold at wdw

 

[lazyboy97o]

I guess through your many negative comments about the project....not critique just an observation

as far as merchandise im sure selling goods like those goofy glow in the show hats then anything can be sold at wdw

I have made no comments regard the land itself.

Walt Disney World itself is already not selling merchandise at the levels that Disney wants. Trinkets will not suffice.

 

[twebber55]

I have made no comments regard the land itself.

Walt Disney World itself is already not selling merchandise at the levels that Disney wants. Trinkets will not suffice.

so you re excited about the project? me too

 

[lazyboy97o]

so you re excited about the project? me too

I never said that either.

 

[twebber55]

@laz

I never said that either.

so you re just negative towards all of WDW not just Pandora?

 

[lazyboy97o]

@laz

so you re just negative towards all of WDW not just Pandora?

Indifference is not negativity. I'll likely get around to seeing Pandora at some point but as of now will not go out of my way to see it. And even if I am amazed, assessment of the land or attractions as stand alone objects is independent of assessment as part of a greater whole. I enjoy both Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, but still consider them inappropriate for their respective lands.

 

[twebber55]

Indifference is not negativity. I'll likely get around to seeing Pandora at some point but as of now will not go out of my way to see it. And even if I am amazed, assessment of the land or attractions as stand alone objects is independent of assessment as part of a greater whole. I enjoy both Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, but still consider them inappropriate for their respective lands.

no disrespect when I say this but for someone who is indifferent about it you sure do seem to come to these avatar threads a lot...
again not trying to be disrespectful because to me you are one of the better/informative posters on this board

 

[lazyboy97o]

no disrespect when I say this but for someone who is indifferent about it you sure do seem to come to these avatar threads a lot...
again not trying to be disrespectful because to me you are one of the better/informative posters on this board

I'm generally curious about the goings on at Walt Disney World. For its size, Pandora is rather important for the future of the Resort and even other Resorts. How it performs will shape how Disney moves forward with other projects. If they become more obsessed with single-property lands or again become scared to go big.

There is also always the possibility that some development will alter my attitude. When the project was announced I was optimistically curious. I adore Disney's Animal Kingdom and was excited at the prospect of the park being expanded. It was not until the acquisition of Lucasfilm and people Armchair Imagineering ideas like an Ewok Village in Disney's Animal Kingdom that I had a turn. It was my jarring reaction to those ideas that had me reevaluate how imaginary creatures were supposed to and do operate in the park. That is when I came to the conclusion that any sort of wholly fictional animals are inappropriate.