Avatar land coming to Animal Kingdom!!

[wolf29]

Don't get how it will tie in to DAK, but will wait and trust. I know my kids were hoping that Disney's tie-in with the Percy Jackson books/movie would lead to something.

 

[nytimez]

But most people in here have not been jumped on for being too positive have they? Have they been told to wait and see, cause it might suck? Maybe by one or two people, nothing compared to the opposite.

Your post kind of proved my point. It isn't okay to say "I don't like Avatar so I won't like this" but it is okay to say "I love Avatar so I will like this"? Same thing.

No -- I didn't say that at all. It's true that if you like Avatar then right off the bad you're probably predisposed to liking the concept.

But if you're predisposed to liking Disney and what they've done, then I think the fair response is to at least wait and see what the plans are before insisting that you won't like it.

I'm not missing the point - I'm not assuming they always screw up. But on the flip side of the coin to assume that they never have any bad ideas - well its just not fact as they have "screwed" up in the past.

I love Disneyworld/Disneyland so much so I even invested in DVC. But just because I love DW/SL doesn't mean I am blinded by the almight Disney "dieties" and think that every single idea Disney has come out with has been a great idea.

Yup... that breeze you felt was my point going right over your head. Where did I say they've never had bad ideas? Where did I say they never screwed up? Where did I say that every single idea Disney has come out with has been a great idea?

 

[morethananyonex]

No -- I didn't say that at all. It's true that if you like Avatar then right off the bad you're probably predisposed to liking the concept.

But if you're predisposed to liking Disney and what they've done, then I think the fair response is to at least wait and see what the plans are before insisting that you won't like it.

I don't mean to pick apart your post, but what else would this mean?

But to simply say, "I don't like/haven't seen/am not interested in Avatar, therefore it's going to stink" sorta puts a dagger into the heart of the relationship we all presumably have with Walt Disney World.

And for the record, I've said over and over that I don't like that they're going in this direction, but in the end the attraction(s) will probably be enjoyable.

 

[psac]

Very ironic since Avatar's plot was a complete rip off of Disney's Pocahontas (foreign visitor ends up fighting against his people, falls in love with chief's daughter who is previously set to marry people's top warrier, chief's daughter speaks with magic tree, etc.). So effectively you could think of this as Pocahontas land, perfect for Animal Kingdom!

Unoriginality aside, Avatar was an amazing sensory experience. If you combine that with Disney Imagineering, I think what they end up with will be quite impressive.

 

[Anjelica]

Yup... that breeze you felt was my point going right over your head. Where did I say they've never had bad ideas? Where did I say they never screwed up? Where did I say that every single idea Disney has come out with has been a great idea?

And I ask where did I state that YOU personally stated those things? And thanks for the insult - BTW. I've never used the ignore feature before but there's always a first.....

You stated "Just because they HAVE screwed up doesn't mean it's fair to assume they will ALWAYS screw up" - Not once in my posts did I state they have ALWAYS screwed up.

 

[RedSox68]

Another article (sorry if previously posted):

http://www.ifc.com/news/2011/09/avatar-disney-world.php


I just cannot figure out where they are going put this! Well, better hurry there in the next couple of years before they trash it as that is my very favorite park. Don't get me wrong, we liked the movie, but really Disney -- this is just a sell out to compete with Harry Potter land! As the above article states, what can they possibly put there to make a whole park but lots of foliage But then again, I hated the idea of the Everest ride being put in and that seems to work

 

[kaligal]

Remember when Star Wars came out...and it was a huge cultural event? People flocked to theaters, drive ins, etc to see it?

And then remember when Empire Strikes Back came out and it started all over, and only grew larger?

I can totally see that happening with Avatar.

Or maybe not.

But that's the point...you can't draw direct parallels to the Matrix, and ignore the ones to Star Wars. Both are a possibility. Neither is a certainty.

I will say this: I have more faith in Cameron than I did in the W. Bros. I'd seen both Assassins and Bound LONG before the Matrix, and was non-plussed by both. The Matrix was great, but as soon as the sequels were greenlit....you had to worry more than a bit.

Cameron, on the other hand? I look at his resume since '84 and I have a hard time picking out a single project I haven't liked. "True Lies", maybe? I guess his producer credit on "Solaris" might be a low point....but other than that, he's made movies I tend to enjoy (fiction and non), that seem to make a ton of money. That's a pretty good track record.

I like how you hedge your bets.

Star Wars was a good movie with cool special effects. Avatar was a bad movie with cool special effects. Can't really compare them.

Unless you're using "nonplussed" incorrectly (and a word to the wise - it isn't hyphenated), I don't get your other point.

 

[DisneyLaf]

I need concept art and ideas on what this is gonna look like when it's finish before I judge it

The only thing I have a problem with at the moment is why they didn't do this with George Lucas to add a SW land onto the studios

Totally 100% agree....Star Wars weekend and the Jedi academy are quite successful!

 

[sherpasmom]

I think this could be an interesting partnership, but I think the concept is much better suited for DHS. Not only could you get all the fantasic Avatar world stuff in, but imagine all the cool behind the scenes, SFX stuff that could go there as well. That is far more interesting than simply a land set in the Avatar world. Well to me anyway, but I'm total geek for that sort of stuff.


I would prefer to see an expansion at AK include animals on this planet.

Totally agree here ~ AK is actually one of my fave parks for its story and theme..... I think Avatar fits better into DHS story/theme than AK.

Oddly tho, they never consult me in these matters!

 

[KellyNY]

I just cannot figure out where they are going put this!

Hopefully in place of Dino Land Carnival.

 

[Sean O]

I think Avatar fits better into DHS story/theme than AK.

As it would be impossible for a more brain-dead idea than the one Disney is pursuing, yes it absolutely would make more sense at MGM.

 

[morethananyonex]

And I ask where did I state that YOU personally stated those things? And thanks for the insult - BTW. I've never used the ignore feature before but there's always a first.....

You stated "Just because they HAVE screwed up doesn't mean it's fair to assume they will ALWAYS screw up" - Not once in my posts did I state they have ALWAYS screwed up.

I got what you were saying.

California Adventure was one of Disney's biggest and most expensive screw ups to date, and you had the pleasure of being there . I don't blame you for being skeptical and not just jumping on the Disney=awesome no matter what bandwagon. Your opinion on that is no less valid then people who think it's going to be awesome without knowing details too.

 

[Sweettears]

I love Disneyworld and Disneyland - but after experiencing DCA its hard to give Disney "benefit of a doubt" with every new idea. They have proven in the past that not all of their ideas are great.

At least they have the sense to admit to mistakes and try to correct them as demonstrated by the redesign of DCA. If something doesn't work I t won't draw and will be addressed. This adds to my wait and see attitude towards this new project.

 

[Anjelica]

I got what you were saying.

California Adventure was one of Disney's biggest and most expensive screw ups to date, and you had the pleasure of being there . I don't blame you for being skeptical and not just jumping on the Disney=awesome no matter what bandwagon. Your opinion on that is no less valid then people who think it's going to be awesome without knowing details too.

Thanks - I am glad someone understood...

Now I am VERY excited about returning to DCA when they have Cars Land. Even before I saw the plans of that I was extremely excited (I'm sure there were some that weren't).

 

[pilferk]

I like how you hedge your bets.

No, not hedging. You're missing the point.

The point is: We don't know. And you can't just assume the Avatar trilogy will follow the path of the Matrix trilogy.

It could very well follow the path of the Star Wars trilogy.

BOTH paths are possible.

Star Wars was a good movie with cool special effects. Avatar was a bad movie with cool special effects. Can't really compare them.

IN YOUR OPINION. There are plenty who disagree. I know die hard sci fi fanatics who will tell you that New Hope is a HORRIBLE move with pretty special effects. I know people who wouldn't give sci fi a passing sniff who will tell you they LOVED Avatar (and not because of it's pretty pictures). Different strokes, and all that.

You can absolutely compare them. You might not want to..but that's your bias, not the materials. They are both Sci Fi movies (meaning SW:Ep 4/New Hope and Avatar). Both were incredibly popular at the Box office. Both were something of a phenom/event in their times.

And lets be clear: Star Wars:A New Hope is a homage to B-movie type serials and pulp sci-fi, with thin characters, a predictable (and time worn) plot, and poor dialogue. There are hundreds of pulp sci-fi novels/stories with similar themes and plot. Now, don't get me wrong: The original trilogy are amongst my favorite movies of all time (and Empire is #2 behind Shawshank). But lets not pretend the first movie was perfect....it's BEST feature was it's fully realized universe/world.

You can't compare the fully realized, historical FACT of the success of the SW trilogy(trilogies?) to ONE avatar movie. True. Because the book hasn't been fully written on the complete Avatar trilogy. But discounting the possibility that Avatar COULD go down the same path as SW is just as silly as discounting the possibility that it COULD go down the same path as the Matrix.

You certainly can say that there is a possibility that the Avatar trilogy COULD follow the path of the original SW trilogy. COULD.

Unless you're using "nonplussed" incorrectly (and a word to the wise - it isn't hyphenated), I don't get your other point.

1) I'm using it correctly (though in a more informal way):

(US, informal) Unfazed, unaffected, or unimpressed.

2) To be perfectly blunt: I could care less about any spelling corrections, grammar corrections, or punctuation corrections found in my INFORMAL posts on an INFORMAL message board. So, please, save them for someone else.....

The point being:

The W. brothers previous works (prior to The Matrix) were pretty unremarkable. Matrix was remarkable. Everything AFTER the original in that series, by the W. brothers, has (arguably) been as unremarkable as what came before. Only the budgets got bigger. If, at the time of The Matrix sequel announcments, you looked back at their previous material...there was reason to worry about what form those sequels would take.

Cameron's work, BEFORE Avatar has been remarkable, not only in it's quality, but also in it's ability to generate cash/ticket sales.

One track record would lead you to be MORE confident than the other.

 

[nemofans]

What if instead of being called "AvatarLand", it was called "Pandora"? Same thing in a land based off the movie license, but presented totally different.

Instead of a land based off some big blue cat people, it's a land based on a fantasy enviroment full of wonderful creatures and sights. A land with trees that glow in the dark and have virtual waves of light moving thru them.

Ground that has glowing light patterns in fun and exciting patterns (think the sidewalk behind Spaceship Earth at night).


As others have pointed out in this and other threads about this, James Cameron did so much more than create a very pretty movie, He actually ended up creating an entire world and the plants/animals/creatures that inhabit that planet. A full ecosystem complete with natives who live within that environment in harmony. Disney Imagineers have a LOT to work with within the world they just licensed and would never even need to go near the actual movie narrative.

I would be happy w/this happening, but I'm afraid Cameron will have too much say & not want it to be as general a land as that. I am not thrilled about this, as beautiful Pandora was in the movie, the story line was just another Pocahontas w/some really bad dialog. Keep the Avatar story out of it & it may turn out great.

 

[DisLee]

There are Soooo many other Disney movies that they could have gone with. I hate this avatar idea. Not the direction Disney should go, imo.

 

[ppony]

Yup... that breeze you felt was my point going right over your head.

OMG! I love you! Can I use that????

 

[Disneefun]

Disney had the chance to make the right proposal to JK Rowling. She simply preferred what Universal offered. I do wonder what Disney did offer though.

As I understand from what I read at the time, Universal offered her almost total control over the project. Disney, being control freaks, weren't willing to concede the level of control that she wanted. She was insistent that everything stay true to the books and not get cheesy or touristy and she wanted veto power if things started heading down a wrong path. She wanted input at every stage.

She did the same thing when it came to the movies and merchandising. She insisted on total control and went with the studio that gave it to her. Can't blame her, really. She once said something like she didn't want Harry Potter on stuff like underwear.

 

[nemofans]

HP will last for a LONG time. My 6 yr old just got into the books & we have been watching each movie after he finishes each book. He loves it. I told him about HP land at Universal & he is dying to go. I am still a huge Star Wars fan & he loves SW too. I do believe HP will last like SW. I also look forward to when he's old enough for LOTR. Now Avatar isn't even close to having that following that will be passed on from generation to generation.