Not sure if I missed it but will they make a whole new land or will they replace a current land with this Avatar land?
Printable View
Not sure if I missed it but will they make a whole new land or will they replace a current land with this Avatar land?
EXACTLY what I was going to say, but you beat me to it haha. I don't see it so much as Disney being out of ideas, but Avatar was pretty much Disney property story-wise from the get-go. Group comes to strange land in search of precious something or other from the land. There is a huge conflict between the incoming people and the natives who know how to live side-by-side with the land until one incoming man and native woman fall in love and the newcomers are shown the errors of their way. Legit the same storyline. I'm intrigued to see what they end up doing with this.
In Avatars favor, absolutely STUNNING visuals. If you are going to see a movie for eye candy only, then you are fine.
Thats it. Nothing else. Very old and tired story line where the soldier goes "native" and renounces his former heritage. Dances with wolves was much better of a story. Pocohontas in Space just isnt very original.
Anyways, I too am stuggling to see a connection between Disney and Avatar. Im coming up with nothing. Its a bit violent for Disney I would think.
I do think that one "lesson" from the movie does mesh well with AK. Dont abuse the planet just for its natural resourses. But come on Disney, there have to be better examples out there. Or if not then make one.
This decision brings to the old southern 'preacherism' which says "when a good thing replaces the best thing, the good thing becomes a bad thing."
On the plus side an Avatar attraction/area will certainly give some new life to the Animal Kingdom and might even transform it into a full day park once again for many of us.
However, I do wonder at what cost. What "more truly Disney" ideas and attractions were pushed to the side or were "circularly filed" to jump on the stylistically appealing Avatar bandwagon? I sincerely hope the good thing isn't a bad thing...thou I do initially have my doubts :twocents:
I do not like this at all....I have never seen Avatar but regardless, I think it will only appeal to a certain amount of people. Also, can you imagine.....Africa, Asia, Discovery Island, and Avatarland.......ugh! I was really hoping they would add a South America section in AK. I think the Amazon would be an amazing and appropriate land to add to AK. I am really hoping this ends up on the chopping block further out. This makes me :mad:
Wooooowwww.....lots of negativity here....Do you ride Star Tours,or see the Indiana Jones stunt show?
Somehow, don't think this will be cheap...
An awful lot of people complain (wrongly) about Disney using all their movies for rides...Quote:
Man, you'd think Disney had NO movies that made use of the theme of nature/animals/conservation. :rolleyes:
Avatar drew a lot of people to the theaters, why wouldn't they come to WDW?
Evironmental agenda? In the Animal Kingdom?!
I will reserve my opinion until I see what it will look like. A lot of folks here scream for an AK expansion. Well......here it comes....
:sulley:
Truely a disappointing day for Disney fans. While I thought Avatar was a good film, it really, in my opinion, was not very family friendly. It has some adult content and intense scenes which I don’t think fit the Disney model. While I think visually Pandora was amazing, I just don’t get how you can justify that fitting into Animal Kingdom. Because its about the environment? I’d would have rather have seen Disney build Endor at Hollywood Studios then this. Tap into your portfolio Imagineers, look at your rich heritage. There are so many stories you could draw from or better yet, do what you’ve done before and make something out of nothing. Look at Expedition Everest and Soarin’. No movie or tv show back them up, yet they are some of the most popular attractions at Disney World. It just seems to help justify to me that Disney is looking at the bottom line and not what is right for the parks. Yes Avatar will bring in tons of guests, and they’ll sell millions in merchandise, but is it Disney?? I think not. FAIL
I think this is cool. It's been a long time but when AK opened were there any attractions other than Bug's Life that were really "Disney"? The place is about conservation & responsibility to our planet. While Avatar was a bit preachy and tired on the story line it was visually stunning, and very imaginative.
Not sure, but that seems very "Disney" to me!
I think it would be cool to soar on one of those winged things through floating mountains!
Call me nuts, ok MickeyNuts!
My goodness. Almost not a single positive post in this entire thread so far?
These criticisms are completely absurd. Yes, Disney is using another company's property. And? I assume you also never set foot near the Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Muppet-Vision or Disneyland's brilliant Indiana Jones Adventure. All of those attractions -- all of which have been considered among Disney's best -- are based on other properties. So is "Avatar." Big deal. ("Harry Potter," the golden goose of the theme-park industry, the property Disney decided to pass on, is owned by another company as well.) Also, all I have been reading in the Disney fan community lately is that Disney has been too dependent on its own films for inspiration. That all Disney cares about is synergy.
This is going to be a massive hit for Disney if the project is done correctly. The people who flocked to Universal -- rightly so -- for Forbidden Journey will come back to Disney for this. Disney needed its "Potter Swatter." Here it is.
Let me be clear that I enjoyed the first "Avatar" film for what it was, but by no means do I consider myself a fan of the franchise. Actually, I care about "Avatar" as much as I care about "Harry Potter," which is another way of saying I couldn't care less. I imagine 99% of you have never seen the film "Song of the South," yet still think Splash Mountain is a world-class attraction. This will (hopefully) be a powerfully immersive theme-park attraction. Why does it matter if it's "Avatar," "Pocahontas," "Cars" or something new altogether?
Soarin'? It's a wonderful attraction, but it does not even bother with story -- every Disney fan's favorite buzzword.
"Avatar" fits just fine in Animal Kingdom. The park was designed with mythical animals in mind. OK, perhaps Beastly Kingdomme would be a better fit, but this doesn't sound like a bad replacement.
This entire thread just reminds us that hardcore Disney fans represent a tiny, miniscule, insignificant sector of Disney World's guests. It also shows why Disney ignores its fans with nearly every decision it makes.
Imagine if they had actually kept Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in its place. Disney fans would be happy, but it wouldn't half lines 1/3 as long as the ones that mob The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh each and every day.
Here is the official press release;
Long-term agreement will bring AVATAR themed lands to Disney parks, with the first at Walt Disney World in Orlando
BURBANK (September 20, 2011) – Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide is joining forces with visionary filmmaker James Cameron and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the world of AVATAR to life at Disney parks. Through an exclusive agreement announced today by Disney, Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox, Disney will partner with Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau to create themed lands that will give theme park guests the opportunity to explore the mysterious universe of AVATAR first hand. Disney plans to build the first AVATAR themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the AVATAR stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.
“James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible,” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”
“AVATAR created a world which audiences can discover again and again and now, through this incredible partnership with Disney, we’ll be able to bring Pandora to life like never before. With two new AVATAR films currently in development, we’ll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” said James Cameron. ”I’m chomping at the bit to start work with Disney’s legendary Imagineers to bring our AVATAR universe to life. Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of AVATAR with an unprecedented sense of reality.”
The agreement announced today gives The Walt Disney Company exclusive global theme park rights to the AVATAR franchise and provides for additional AVATAR themed lands at other Disney parks. The other locations will be determined by Disney and its international theme park partners. James Cameron, Jon Landau and their Lightstorm Entertainment group will serve as creative consultants on the projects and will partner with Walt Disney Imagineering in the design and development of the AVATAR themed lands.
“This exciting new venture combines the world of AVATAR with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron,” commented Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the AVATAR motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created.”
“AVATAR is a uniquely powerful franchise that has global appeal with audiences of all ages. Its spectacular settings, intriguing characters, imaginative creatures, and strong themes of family and loyalty make it a perfect fit for Disney,” said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We can’t wait to give our guests the ability to journey to Pandora and explore the incredible immersive world of AVATAR in person.”
In addition to setting a global box office record, AVATAR has been hailed as one of the most innovative and visually stunning movies ever produced. With its advanced motion capture and 3-D digital projection technologies developed by James Cameron and his team, moviegoers were able to connect with the world of AVATAR in new and engaging ways.
This new venture complements Walt Disney Parks & Resorts’ strategic efforts to continue to invest in its core theme park businesses around the world while simultaneously expanding into other parts of the family vacation business.
###
I was typing a reply and then I saw this from Imagineer1981:
Truely a disappointing day for Disney fans. While I thought Avatar was a good film, it really, in my opinion, was not very family friendly. It has some adult content and intense scenes which I don’t think fit the Disney model. While I think visually Pandora was amazing, I just don’t get how you can justify that fitting into Animal Kingdom. Because its about the environment? I’d would have rather have seen Disney build Endor at Hollywood Studios then this. Tap into your portfolio Imagineers, look at your rich heritage. There are so many stories you could draw from or better yet, do what you’ve done before and make something out of nothing. Look at Expedition Everest and Soarin’. No movie or tv show back them up, yet they are some of the most popular attractions at Disney World. It just seems to help justify to me that Disney is looking at the bottom line and not what is right for the parks. Yes Avatar will bring in tons of guests, and they’ll sell millions in merchandise, but is it Disney?? I think not. FAIL
That's why.
I've seen Indiana Jones twice and (the old) Star Tours three times. Both nice attractions. Considering how many days I've been in DHS that would be... hardly ever.
DHS is supposed to be based on Hollywood, AK is not.
Disney can come up with with something better... and should.
How can you endorse an expansion of Star Wars and talk about how Avatar has too much adult content in the same paragraph? They are both PG-13. Both are violent and have scantily-clad women. But, like both movies, people took away how visually stunning the movies were.
I just do not get all the negativity here. What kind of fans are we, when any decision Disney makes is doomed to fail, in our opinion? Let's have a little faith.
That's exactly what I have...very little faith. I would have more faith if it were a Disney property. That is perhaps not justified, but I would have a better feeling about it. I think a big part of my issue is that the parts of Avatar I saw, I hated. It just screamed "Beautiful visuals with no real interesting content." I am simply disappointed because they could have done so much better. I may be wrong. I hope I am. I fear I'm not.
I'm a little tired of the gotcha comparisons to Star Tours, Indiana Jones and Tower of Terror as examples of non-Disney properties in WDW. This misses the point entirely. These are attractions within Hollywood studios...not an entire LAND within a park. If Disney wants to build an Avatar attraction in DHS that's one thing...but an entire land in AK...I'll pass.