Avatar land coming to Animal Kingdom!!

[Jennasis]

Pooh-not Disney
Snow White-not Disney
Tom Sawyer's Island-not Disney
Anything associated with Cinderella-not Disney
Anything associated with Sleeping Beauty-not Disney
Anything associated with Beaty and the Beast-not Disney
Pinocchio-not Disney
Dumbo-not Disney
Mad Tea Party and anything associated with Alice-not Disney
Splash Mountain characters and story-not Disney
Anything associated with Alladin-not Disney

And that's just the MK. The point is, Disney is pretty good at co-opting ideas and converting them for its own entertainment value. (Notwithstanding the numerous outcries about classic stories being re-written and ruined by Disney. Not here to debate that point). Avatar is no more a Disney vehicle than Star Wars. Yet the Star Wars area in DHS is pretty cool, and the ride isn't bad either. Not my favorite ride (or movie series), but I give Disney props. I suspect that there will be a pretty cool, state of the art Avatar ride waiting for us in a few years. Spiderman appears to be a pretty big hit ride for US, and frankly, I can't stand the movies. But the box office results speak for themselves and the ride is popular.

Spiderman was around LOOOOoong before the ride and even longer before there was a movie. He's also a household name (like ANYONE from the entire Star Wars series or LOTR). Jake Sully and Neytiri are not...at least not yet.

 

[JimmyV]

Spiderman was around LOOOOoong before the ride and even longer before there was a movie. He's also a household name (like ANYONE from the entire Star Wars series or LOTR). Jake Sully and Neytiri are not...at least not yet.

But the ride at US was an attempt to capture the popularity of the recent movies. As was Hulk. The fact that the character itself has had a longer life is not really the point. And I really, really question the attempts to minimize Sully and Neytiri. I think that there are a lot of people here who live in a Disney bubble if they reeeeaaaallly don't think that the names Sully and Neytiri have any household recognition. Who did Ben Stiller dress as at the Oscars? It wasn't C3PO. It was an instantly recognizable Na'vi. There wasn't a person watching the broadcast who said "Who, or what is that?" OK. Maybe there was. But if there was, I guarantee that said person posts here on the Dis.

 

[Jennasis]

But the ride at US was an attempt to capture the popularity of the recent movies. As was Hulk. The fact that the character itself has had a longer life is not really the point. And I really, really question the attempts to minimize Sully and Neytiri. I think that there are a lot of people here who live in a Disney bubble if they reeeeaaaallly don't think that the names Sully and Neytiri have any household recognition. Who did Ben Stiller dress as at the Oscars? It wasn't C3PO. It was an instantly recognizable Na'vi. There wasn't a person watching the broadcast who said "Who, or what is that?" OK. Maybe there was. But if there was, I guarantee that said person posts here on the Dis.

NO it wasn't...

Islands of Adventure opened in 1999...the Spiderman movie did not come out until 2002. The first Hulk came out in 2003. Marvel Island and it's rides were not cashing in on movie popularity (especially on the Hulk movie...which was a critical failure). It was "cashing in" on the popularity of the comic books.

If you believe Jake Sully is a household name, then I can't argue with your opinion. It is my opinion that none of the named characters in the movie are. Avatar is certainly a household name and I would think everybody knows what that is. Around here, SULLY is a big blue Monster who works/lives in Monsteropolis.

 

[mking624]

But the ride at US was an attempt to capture the popularity of the recent movies. As was Hulk. The fact that the character itself has had a longer life is not really the point. And I really, really question the attempts to minimize Sully and Neytiri. I think that there are a lot of people here who live in a Disney bubble if they reeeeaaaallly don't think that the names Sully and Neytiri have any household recognition. Who did Ben Stiller dress as at the Oscars? It wasn't C3PO. It was an instantly recognizable Na'vi. There wasn't a person watching the broadcast who said "Who, or what is that?" OK. Maybe there was. But if there was, I guarantee that said person posts here on the Dis.

They recognized the look. They didn't associate Ben Stiller's costume with a specific character name. They may have said "oh that's Avatar" which is different than saying "oh that's C3PO" which is a specific character in the series. Also, with Disney fans, the name Sully IS recognized...as a character from Monsters Inc. (though it does have an "e" in the name). But I think anyone who believes the names Sully and Neytiri have become household names are living in an Avatar bubble. Go up to a random stranger and ask if they know who Jake Sully is. Now go ahead and do the same with characters like Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and so on. Is the MOVIE memorable? Yes. That's different than saying the names are.

Just because something is popular doesn't mean certain aspects are memorable. To the hardcore fans and defenders, yes. But we've already seen people here indicating that they just weren't memorable enough to remember. And being on the Dis has nothing to do with it. We're not living in some Disney bubble just because we don't find it memorable, or dare I say forgettable. It means the movie didn't leave THAT much of an impression on some of the people who just happen to post on this forum. And I know plenty of people who aren't fans of Disney who feel the same way.

I AM interested in seeing how this land turns out. Just finding some faulty arguments in defense of Avatar in specific.

ETA: the only reason why I knew Sully's first name is from looking it up on imdb.com...because I certainly hadn't remembered it before. Guess it's my Disney bubble.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Pooh-not Disney
Snow White-not Disney
Tom Sawyer's Island-not Disney
Anything associated with Cinderella-not Disney
Anything associated with Sleeping Beauty-not Disney
Anything associated with Beaty and the Beast-not Disney
Pinocchio-not Disney
Dumbo-not Disney
Mad Tea Party and anything associated with Alice-not Disney
Splash Mountain characters and story-not Disney
Anything associated with Alladin-not Disney

And that's just the MK. The point is, Disney is pretty good at co-opting ideas and converting them for its own entertainment value. (Notwithstanding the numerous outcries about classic stories being re-written and ruined by Disney. Not here to debate that point). Avatar is no more a Disney vehicle than Star Wars. Yet the Star Wars area in DHS is pretty cool, and the ride isn't bad either. Not my favorite ride (or movie series), but I give Disney props. I suspect that there will be a pretty cool, state of the art Avatar ride waiting for us in a few years. Spiderman appears to be a pretty big hit ride for US, and frankly, I can't stand the movies. But the box office results speak for themselves and the ride is popular.

Just to add a few more to the list/anything associated with (just to add onto the point that Disney is pretty good at borrowing ideas and using them for its own entertainment value):
Rapunzel/Tangled - not Disney
Bambi - not Disney (based loosely off a book)
Fox and the Hound - not Disney (based loosely off a book)
The Little Mermaid - not Disney
Pocahontas - not Disney
Tarzan - not Disney
The two Chronicles of Narnia films, attractions etc - not Disney
The Princess and the Frog - not Disney

 

[nytimez]

NO it wasn't...

Islands of Adventure opened in 1999...the Spiderman movie did not come out until 2002. The first Hulk came out in 2003. Marvel Island and it's rides were not cashing in on movie popularity (especially on the Hulk movie...which was a critical failure). It was "cashing in" on the popularity of the comic books.

Universal was planning a "Hulk" film throughout the entire 1990s decade, greenlighting more than one along the way only to see delays, cancellations, etc. The coaster was made at least in part because they believed there would be a film franchise to help support it... one they were banking would be successful... not because they were cashing in on the comics, which were actually a mess in that decade.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I like the idea myself. More attractions and a new land are usually good things. Generally, when Disney commits the funds, things turn out pretty good to great. When they don't, they turn out like the Narnia attractions. We'll see what comes out of this.

 

[Jennasis]

Universal was planning a "Hulk" film throughout the entire 1990s decade, greenlighting more than one along the way only to see delays, cancellations, etc. The coaster was made at least in part because they believed there would be a film franchise to help support it... one they were banking would be successful... not because they were cashing in on the comics, which were actually a mess in that decade.

And Spiderman (which is the crux of what we were discussing)? Produced by Columbia pictures. Arguably the gate-buster attraction when the park opened and the biggie right up to the opening of WWOHP. How does that figure in?

I will continue to argue (and I'm sure you will too, against my opinion) that the Marvel Island part of the park was not built because they anticipated a movie being made. Doctor Doom's Fear-fall another example of that (the Fantastic Four movie made by 20th Century Fox in 2005)...

They were just banking on the recognition of the household name of Spidey and Hulk and. IMO of course. YMMV (and I'm sure will)

 

[nytimez]

And Spiderman (which is the crux of what we were discussing)? Produced by Columbia pictures. Arguably the gate-buster attraction when the park opened and the biggie right up to the opening of WWOHP. How does that figure in?

I will continue to argue (and I'm sure you will too, against my opinion) that the Marvel Island part of the park was not built because they anticipated a movie being made. Doctor Doom's Fear-fall another example of that (the Fantastic Four movie made by 20th Century Fox in 2005)...

They were just banking on the recognition of the household name of Spidey and Hulk and. IMO of course. YMMV (and I'm sure will)

Throwing around random trivia and predicting people will disagree with you won't make you right. I wasn't referring to Spider-Man, Dr. Doom, Columbia Pictures, or the entirety of Marvel Island... but you can keep arguing about those things if you'd like.

Point was, and remains, that Hulk *was* in fact tied at least in part to an expected movie. You were wrong on that. As Stan Lee would say, 'nuff said.

 

[Jennasis]

Throwing around random trivia and predicting people will disagree with you won't make you right. I wasn't referring to Spider-Man, Dr. Doom, Columbia Pictures, or the entirety of Marvel Island... but you can keep arguing about those things if you'd like.

Point was, and remains, that Hulk *was* in fact tied at least in part to an expected movie. You were wrong on that. As Stan Lee would say, 'nuff said.

I disagree.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

We get it, you're a major fanboy. In 20 years most people will still think Avatar is a Japanese anime series.

I'm sorry you can't read too well.

I already said what I thought of Avatar.

 

[brerdawg]

I am sure that Disney will make the Avatar experience very entertaining. All it will take is one properly themed ride with a little gusto to convert most of the naysayers.
Bring it on!

 

[Wadecool]

We get it, you're a major fanboy. In 20 years most people will still think Avatar is a Japanese anime series.

Hopefully by "we" you mean yourself and no one else...

 

[ScoJo15]

Shame on Disney for trying to add a TON of new attractions...Cars in DL, new Fantasyland in MK, an expansion in AK that most Disney lovers said was much needed...geesh.

Deep breath everyone...at least they're doing SOMETHING!!! More major attractions/construction than I can remember....

 

[liamkelly]

Great idea, I love Avatar!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I am sure that Disney will make the Avatar experience very entertaining. All it will take is one properly themed ride with a little gusto to convert most of the naysayers.
Bring it on!

This was my thought as well. Saw Avatar. Thought it was ok. But I am excited to see what Disney will do with this. Disney is the one entity that I suspect could make Avatar cool to me.

 

[BraveCruiser]

My family and I are very excited about this! We think it's a great fit for AK and adds another reason to spend a little more time at this park! I love that the Disney experience is always changing and it keeps us coming back again and again.

 

[VIVIAN1113]

I just can't help but thinking how un-Disney this is. Really disappointing, even if the land turns out to be amazing.

Avatar is undisney like, but the star wars is?? The Star Wars ride is very successful for being undisney like. and as I read in another post, most of the movies were not originally created by disney.

I think it will be a great addition.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Actually, Jennasis is one of my favorite people here on the boards and has been here for many people over the years. We don't always agree, but I will always respect their opinion and thoughts on the matter.

That said, I think people are getting way to emotionally caught up in this. Disney is building it. You can choose to see it or not. I, however, choose to wait and see what they are going to do with it. As of this point, I don't care one way or another because I don't know what is going to happen. It's silly to get so worked up about something that you have NO details about.

Good post, I agree. I admit, I did think that they were going to put this in DHS though. But, I think that Disney will do a good job of this. FWIW, I liked Avatar ok, but did think it was overhyped a bit..

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Good post, I agree. I admit, I did think that they were going to put this in DHS though. But, I think that Disney will do a good job of this. FWIW, I liked Avatar ok, but did think it was overhyped a bit..

Yes, I agree, Avatar was over hyped. But then again, a lot of stuff is!