Avatar land is making progress

[Dan Murphy]

Am I the only one who sees the irony of the land-leveling for the pro-conservation Avatar Land?

Remember, all those trees and vegetation, there and throughout Animal Kingdom, we're planted by Disney. None of it was there when they started, basically fields of corn there. And Disney most likely saved much of the vegetation, bringing it to their extensive nursery systems for use elsewhere.

 

[Happy2BGoofy]

According to an story on the DIS http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/Theme_P...ible_name_for_Disney_s_Avatar-themed_land.htm James Cameron shared the possible name for the Avatar-themed land to be "Pandora: The Land of Avatar"

 

[grimley1968]

Looks like a circular building was demolished between the April and May photos. Was that the old Lion King theater?

 

[Jennasis]

Remember, all those trees and vegetation, there and throughout Animal Kingdom, we're planted by Disney. None of it was there when they started, basically fields of corn there. And Disney most likely saved much of the vegetation, bringing it to their extensive nursery systems for use elsewhere.

wasn't it a cow pasture?

 

[mesaboy2]

Looks like a circular building was demolished between the April and May photos. Was that the old Lion King theater?

Yes--though if you look closely, it's an octagon.

 

[grimley1968]

Yes--though if you look closely, it's an octagon.

Thanks. That helps me mentally place where it will be. For whatever reason, I find AK more confusing to navigate than the other 3 parks.

 

[chartle]

Am I the only one who sees the irony of the land-leveling for the pro-conservation Avatar Land?

Its Florida isn't the land kind of already level.

 

[BrianL]

Thanks. That helps me mentally place where it will be. For whatever reason, I find AK more confusing to navigate than the other 3 parks.

Me too! It might just be because I have been there the fewest number of times, but I have no innate comprehension of where anything is in AK. When I look at a map, it's never how I picture it at all. Iam getting there since my last trip, since I now actually feel like everest in on the east side and not in the middle!

It's funny too because DHS is actually the park that is laid out the weirdest. AK is still a hub and spoke system. Maybe it's all the trees that block the view so you cant get your bearings?

 

[FLchick415]

Me too! It might just be because I have been there the fewest number of times, but I have no innate comprehension of where anything is in AK. When I look at a map, it's never how I picture it at all. Iam getting there since my last trip, since I now actually feel like everest in on the east side and not in the middle!

It's funny too because DHS is actually the park that is laid out the weirdest. AK is still a hub and spoke system. Maybe it's all the trees that block the view so you cant get your bearings?

YES. lol Like you, I've been to AK the least amount of times, but I'm usually pretty good with this kind of stuff....directions and finding my way and all that. AK still confuses me.

 

[RalphinSC]

Looks like a circular building was demolished between the April and May photos. Was that the old Lion King theater?

Sure is. I was speculating with another poster on this a few days ago and they were indeed correct. The old theater is completely gone.

 

[grimley1968]

Me too! It might just be because I have been there the fewest number of times, but I have no innate comprehension of where anything is in AK. When I look at a map, it's never how I picture it at all. Iam getting there since my last trip, since I now actually feel like everest in on the east side and not in the middle!

It's funny too because DHS is actually the park that is laid out the weirdest. AK is still a hub and spoke system. Maybe it's all the trees that block the view so you cant get your bearings?

Thinking about it more, I think all the vegetation hinders navigation a bit, though I enjoy it. I think another factor is that, at least before Everest was built, the pathway that goes by it just ended there. If you wanted to go to Dinoland from there you had to backtrack, which was confusing and tiring. Now at least those two areas are connected. But Camp Minnie Mickey was never fully integrated into that loop. You had to walk in to get to the Lion King show, and then it dead ended, like the Everest area used to, and you had to backtrack to get back to the rest of the park. I'm used to being able to complete loops like you can in MK & EPCOT. Hopefully they'll find some way to fully integrate Avatarland into the loop in a way Camp Minnie Mickey never was. It was a very "incomplete" looking area of the park compared to the rest of it.

 

[Dan Murphy]

wasn't it a cow pasture?

Yes, cow pasture, my mistake.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thinking about it more, I think all the vegetation hinders navigation a bit, though I enjoy it. I think another factor is that, at least before Everest was built, the pathway that goes by it just ended there. If you wanted to go to Dinoland from there you had to backtrack, which was confusing and tiring. Now at least those two areas are connected. But Camp Minnie Mickey was never fully integrated into that loop. You had to walk in to get to the Lion King show, and then it dead ended, like the Everest area used to, and you had to backtrack to get back to the rest of the park. I'm used to being able to complete loops like you can in MK & EPCOT. Hopefully they'll find some way to fully integrate Avatarland into the loop in a way Camp Minnie Mickey never was. It was a very "incomplete" looking area of the park compared to the rest of it.

A good reference map, John.

http://binged.it/1m8uEis

Zoom in/out, rotate, very helpful.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Can't wait for the movies! I saw the first one 3D at least 4 times. Can't wait for the park too. This is great, we are going to try to hit DLR in 2015 and we will hang out and wait until after Avatar opens in 2017 to go back to WDW.

I liked that link PP, it made me wonder if I actually DID see WDW from the airplane, I was trying SOOOO hard to see it, but it's not all that remarkable from the air (like castles etc.) Has anyone noticed it when flying out of MCO? We had a connection in Miami so we were headed southbound.

 

[MattRyan]

Thinking about it more, I think all the vegetation hinders navigation a bit, though I enjoy it. I think another factor is that, at least before Everest was built, the pathway that goes by it just ended there. If you wanted to go to Dinoland from there you had to backtrack, which was confusing and tiring. Now at least those two areas are connected. But Camp Minnie Mickey was never fully integrated into that loop. You had to walk in to get to the Lion King show, and then it dead ended, like the Everest area used to, and you had to backtrack to get back to the rest of the park. I'm used to being able to complete loops like you can in MK & EPCOT. Hopefully they'll find some way to fully integrate Avatarland into the loop in a way Camp Minnie Mickey never was. It was a very "incomplete" looking area of the park compared to the rest of it.

I believe it was "incomplete." I could be wrong, but I think the original plan for Animal Kingdom had an area dedicated to mythical creatures, like dragons, but it never came to be and we got Camp Minnie Mickey instead.

 

[BrianL]

Can't wait for the movies! I saw the first one 3D at least 4 times. Can't wait for the park too. This is great, we are going to try to hit DLR in 2015 and we will hang out and wait until after Avatar opens in 2017 to go back to WDW.

Nice to meet an actual fan of the film! I am constantly told how awful it is by everybody, but I just don't see it. When I walked out of the theater the first time I remember thinking that I had just seen a quite special movie, one of the few actually worth seeing (and paying that 3D upcharge!). I can't for the life of me figure out where all the hate comes from and how James Cameron has suddenly become regarded as a hack.

I am looking forward to the Avatarland as well and think it will be really great, even for the haters.

 

[disneymac000]

Nice to meet an actual fan of the film! I am constantly told how awful it is by everybody, but I just don't see it. When I walked out of the theater the first time I remember thinking that I had just seen a quite special movie, one of the few actually worth seeing (and paying that 3D upcharge!). I can't for the life of me figure out where all the hate comes from and how James Cameron has suddenly become regarded as a hack.

I am looking forward to the Avatarland as well and think it will be really great, even for the haters.

Because it got over hyped after the movie was over for a story that is very much not original (Dances with Wolves, Fern Gully, Pochantas). Visually stunning yes but the story wasn't even that good so for them to base the land on a not strong unique good story is what I'm upset about because if the rides are based off the story then I won't like the rides.

 

[agavegirl1]

I think the rides will be based on "life on Pandora"...not the story line of the first movie. The concept art indicates wreckage of the battle the sky people waged against the native inhabitants.

 

[BrianL]

Because it got over hyped after the movie was over for a story that is very much not original (Dances with Wolves, Fern Gully, Pochantas). Visually stunning yes but the story wasn't even that good so for them to base the land on a not strong unique good story is what I'm upset about because if the rides are based off the story then I won't like the rides.

Everyone says the same thing, cites those three movies, and while there are similarities, they are really not that much alike. If we're going to start dragging down movies for having similarities to others, then there would be nothing left to watch. It's all in the execution, which for Avatar I feel was top notch, and I don't just mean visual effects.

 

[MattRyan]

How many Disney movies have a strong good unique story?