Is pandora opening in may? (did disney slip up today?)

[skier_pete]

Heck we went in October to be sure we would see Rivers of Light - that didn't go so well.

Basically, I would never book a trip based on something that is opening....only based on something that is already open.

 

[Accident]

I would move mine but this is a hard call. I would also want to see the other lands and avatar isn't huge in my family except for my father. I probably wouldn't be coming down until the 50th and exploring the other disney parks in between.

This is purely speculation so it doesn't get interpreted as fact. Ignoring the ROL debacle, I've never seen disney give a season and not opened at the end of it. I've also never seen disney open something like avatar that isn't their IP and has a huge following that aren't disney fans. I think disney might have said summer so people who don't know disney well would book for summer to come and see it. I got a txt from a friend that has been dying to be able to walk around pandora and he booked for june because, in his words "they said it would be opened this summer". I wonder if this new situation requires a different way to announce when it opens. Something that needs to carefully be worded so someone that doens't know disney doesn't book it too early. Or they really screwed up and there is going to be a lot of people coming in summer that are about to be very pissed off at disney.

 

[Accident]

After seeing tonights special. may 19th opening is my prediction. that was a come this summer for avatar ad.

 

[rteetz]

After seeing tonights special. may 19th opening is my prediction. that was a come this summer for avatar ad.

How did you get that out of the ad?

 

[Accident]

How did you get that out of the ad?

how did you not?

In my mind, this is not normal disney we are dealing with right now. While many of us on this forum know that when disney gives a season they mean the end of it, I don't think this is the case for the lands that are going to be opening. They just aren't the normal disney type of expansion, and avatar isn't their IP. Stepping back from what I know about disney announcements. Looking at the pandora, summer 2017 portion of the show. If I was an avatar fan, rarely head to disney or never been to disney before I saw this summer I can see pandora.

So then what date would I opened it if I got to pick. I would have it opened for memorial day weekend and I would want to do my ceremony and first day on a weekday. so the friday that makes sense to me is may 19th, let the locals get their crowd the place the first week out of the way and then memorial day weekend start off the summer with it opened....

Now if it's not opened by june, I think this is going to be a whirlwind of negativity towards disney like they have never seen before so hopefully this is new disney and not "summer means the end of summer" disney.

 

[rteetz]

how did you not?

In my mind, this is not normal disney we are dealing with right now. While many of us on this forum know that when disney gives a season they mean the end of it, I don't think this is the case for the lands that are going to be opening. They just aren't the normal disney type of expansion, and avatar isn't their IP. Stepping back from what I know about disney announcements. Looking at the pandora, summer 2017 portion of the show. If I was an avatar fan, rarely head to disney or never been to disney before I saw this summer I can see pandora.

So then what date would I opened it if I got to pick. I would have it opened for memorial day weekend and I would want to do my ceremony and first day on a weekday. so the friday that makes sense to me is may 19th, let the locals get their crowd the place the first week out of the way and then memorial day weekend start off the summer with it opened....

Now if it's not opened by june, I think this is going to be a whirlwind of negativity towards disney like they have never seen before so hopefully this is new disney and not "summer means the end of summer" disney.

Nothing in the snipet told me May 19th.

I've been saying June since before we knew summer 2017 and I'm going to stick with that.

 

[Accident]

Nothing in the snipet told me May 19th.

That's why I said that *I* predict may 19th. nowhere did I imply that was said in the ad.

 

[sndral]

Interesting to read through the thread - we visit once a year in Dec., flying in from the west coast, staying on property 10-12 days, doing the dinning plan, plus a couple of high ticket add ons, etc. & we are skipping this year because we were tired of the never ending construction - Disney Springs, the hub/new fantasyland at MK & the redo over by adventure land, AK's never ending redo, DHS walls, the DVC builds at GF, Poly, & WL, Maelstrom & Soarin being redone @ Epcot, etc.. I wanted a vacation without construction walls for a change, so my Disney money this year went to a cruise in Europe & a stay in Venice. I do 2 big vacations a year, one WDW, the other elsewhere, and this year did both elsewhere. We'll be back Dec. 2017, knowing DHS will be a mess, but hoping elsewhere is less so & that Pandora will finally be open.
I don't know about anyone else, but I voted with my pocket book this year & spent my money elsewhere specifically because I was tired of all the walls.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's the September part I'm more concerned about. I'm likely going in the early half of September (but after Labor Day) rather than the mid-to late half like I was last time. It's more because I'm trying to avoid Food and Wine Festival and HHN and originally it was also for MNSSHP but Disney ended up starting them at the beginning of September this year so I'm guessing they'll do the same for next year (basically I was going for the fall/halloween decor without the heavier crowds since I know it's more crowded than in 2011;we can handle wait times it's the whole feeling like you can't move around freely that we're trying to avoid).

Two concerns for me is if it opens up too close to my expected travel dates well..that could lead to more crowds right around the opening as opposed to having it open for a month or two...and that I would miss it by just a few weeks.

So here's hoping it's more like June/July/August

To the bolded..looks like that isn't going to work out since the F&W dates start August 31st next year...*sigh* here's hoping the crowds aren't too bad with them adding 2 more weeks at the beginning to F&W (expanded thoughts are saved for a dedicated thread on next year's F&W).

 

[mshanson3121]

I don't get the construction issue in any park especially Disney parks. Disney parks have construction year round. Sure there is more at times than others but there is always going to be walls. People say oh I'll wait until this year to go for less construction but how do you know there won't be more construction then? Just my thoughts I guess.

I definitely understand wanting to avoid massive construction. When we were at AK in summer 2015, it was a huge bottleneck in the construction areas. Very hard to get through, especially for families having to navigate with strollers. But at that time, AK was the only park affected. Currently you now have 2 of the 4 parks affected with major construction (not to mention all the construction getting into/out of WDW). I can definitely see people passing over this year for late next year or the year after when construction at AK is done, road construction is done, and it's down to just HS, especially if they have to travel in busier times of year, when the crowds/bottlenecks are a bigger issue.

 

[Accident]

The place is going to be packed for some time once pandora opens. I think f&w opening then might have pull some people away. I'm also hoping this isn't a sign that that we're looking at an august opening now.. I really want a week before school is out here to jump in and check it out..

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The place is going to be packed for some time once pandora opens. I think f&w opening then might have pull some people away. I'm also hoping this isn't a sign that that we're looking at an august opening now.. I really want a week before school is out here to jump in and check it out..

My hope is also that the crowds might be more dispersed with F&W at Epcot but Pandora at AK. It would be insane truly if they both were at the same park and opening/starting around the same time. I for one am really looking forward to Pandora but would like some buffer time between it's grand opening and me being there.

 

[Accident]

My hope is also that the crowds might be more dispersed with F&W at Epcot but Pandora at AK. It would be insane truly if they both were at the same park and opening/starting around the same time. I for one am really looking forward to Pandora but would like some buffer time between it's grand opening and me being there.

I'm also wondering what pandora with completely different day and night looks is going to do. do you need to see it twice? at least the rides are both dark rides so it might just be a stroll through to see it again..

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm also wondering what pandora with completely different day and night looks is going to do. do you need to see it twice? at least the rides are both dark rides so it might just be a stroll through to see it again..

I could see it being a different experience during night and then during the day. But maybe during the night you're there to see it "come alive" so to speak I'm not sure. Maybe in the coming months we'll have more description on what to expect it will look like at night...maybe there will be like a bioluminescent effect for some things like they are doing with the boat ride (at least I remember that being a thing mentioned about that ride) that would make it worth seeing again at night.

 

[mshanson3121]

The place is going to be packed for some time once pandora opens. I think f&w opening then might have pull some people away. I'm also hoping this isn't a sign that that we're looking at an august opening now.. I really want a week before school is out here to jump in and check it out..

The more I think about it, as much as I want to see Pandora, I'm actually hoping it doesn't open until after we're there (mid-June). AK is my son's favorite park, and I'm not sure I want to be there when it's cram-packed. I mean, realistically, IF it was open in mid-June, just how bad would crowd levels be? 8, 9?

 

[Accident]

The more I think about it, as much as I want to see Pandora, I'm actually hoping it doesn't open until after we're there (mid-June). AK is my son's favorite park, and I'm not sure I want to be there when it's cram-packed. I mean, realistically, IF it was open in mid-June, just how bad would crowd levels be? 8, 9?

I'm hoping for 9s and expecting 11s. i'm also hoping it doesn't ramp MK up to 11 at the same time. that park is too small and anything new elsewhere just brings more people who will go to mk at least 1 day..

 

[gmboy95]

1000% disagree with you on this.

I know you're young. I don't know if you drive on the family vacations. The roads are a complete nightmare. They are congested and the new traffic patterns for the buses are creating some confusion. Hollywood Studios is literally a circle that is only half the park. There's nowhere for crowds to disperse because they are contained in a tightly controlled area. There are walls everywhere. Animal Kingdom is not as bad because the walls are behind Tiffins, so I'll agree, I don't think that affects anyone. The sudden wall at Big Thunder Mountain railroad has created congestion near the Splash Mountain bridge making it nearly impossible to pass at times. Trying to get to I-4 out of Epcot is insanity.

Also, if you're a vet like me (Disney vet) and go often, your eyes are weary from all the construction.

It has always been my contention that all this construction and inconvenience is all planned to coincide with the 50 year celebration in 2021....i would imagine that that year would be the one true time you can go to Disney, and see it in its purest non construction form.....looking forward to it for sure!!!

 

[gmboy95]

considering i have a trip booked for June at the Boardwalk....I am rooting that this is true!!!

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm hoping for 9s and expecting 11s. i'm also hoping it doesn't ramp MK up to 11 at the same time. that park is too small and anything new elsewhere just brings more people who will go to mk at least 1 day..

Yes. Good point. Grrr. And of course being Disney they'll announce the opening day, what, 2 weeks in advance?

 

[Accident]

It has always been my contention that all this construction and inconvenience is all planned to coincide with the 50 year celebration in 2021....i would imagine that that year would be the one true time you can go to Disney, and see it in its purest non construction form.....looking forward to it for sure!!!

I think the non-construction form is what lead us to this mess, in part. too much ignored too long. whatever the reasons and I can speculate a dozen, I'm just happy there is movement to not be the ignored cousin in the corner finally. Universal is basically in a spot where they did everything people complained was a problem with disney and they are in such a nice position to take over that disney is going to need to start pumping a lot of changes and upgrades and expansions out.. I'm crossing my fingers we're about to see the original speed that things would happen again.