Was Avatarland really the best idea?

[Planogirl]

The examples you gave are Disney movies. Avatar is not and a lot of people not only don't like Avatar but actually hate it. I am included in that group. AK is off limits to me once Avatarland opens.

Full disclosure: I actually like and have seen Song of the South. One of my favorite audio books (I'm showing my age) when I was a kid was Brier Rabbit and the Tar Baby. Haunted Mansion was lame but lame becomes a good kind of cheesy on the ride for some reason.

AK is completely off limits once Avatar opens? You can easily avoid a section of the park if somehow Avatar bothers you that much. Personally I prefer to give anything Disney does a chance.

Besides the much beloved Star Wars movies that people here keep on mentioning were not Disney products either. No, they don't get to claim them retroactively. Future films will be but the old ones were created by someone else. Maybe if Disney bought Avatar it would be different?

Anyway, hate away. I can't fault Disney for deciding to build something based on the most successful movie ever made.

 

[wyurm]

AK is completely off limits once Avatar opens? You can easily avoid a section of the park if somehow Avatar bothers you that much. Personally I prefer to give anything Disney does a chance.

Besides the much beloved Star Wars movies that people here keep on mentioning were not Disney products either. No, they don't get to claim them retroactively. Future films will be but the old ones were created by someone else. Maybe if Disney bought Avatar it would be different?

Anyway, hate away. I can't fault Disney for deciding to build something based on the most successful movie ever made.

No if Disney bought Avatar I would have a negative view of Disney. I suppose each person takes away a different feeling from films they view but Avatar seems highly stigmatizing. You express surprise that I who strongly dislike Avatar would stay away from AK just because of that. I will. Avatar had a definitely political agenda and there are a great deal of people who are opposed to it. I personally don't feel politically stigmatizing agendas have any place at Disney. But hey, to each their own.

 

[waynesgirl]

Has anyone pointed out the irony of the movie being about saving a world, conservation, not disrupting a life, but everyone's excited to be at AK at night? When animals aren't used to it? It's going to be producing even more emissions and waste so people can be there at night?
I don't personally care for the movie. Fell asleep 3 times during it. I do care about the impact, however. AK is one of my favorite places to be. It's quiet and serene and I love that I can go there and walk and not ride a single thing and still love it.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Avatar has the potential to be one of the best lands disney has done in a long time. The movie doesn't have to be good to make a good theme park attraction or land.

~I could not agree more with you, too! Excellent post!

Just because it was a bad movie doesn't mean it can't be a bad land. It wasn't good but it wasn't the worst movie ever either. Song of the south wasn't the best movie and its got a ride at MK that draws in thousands. Pirates was a ride before it was a movie and the movies are highly successful.

~I totally agree with this sentiment! I am really eager to see Disney's adaptation of Avatar for AK! The artist(s) and conceptual renderings released so far are just fabulous!

Though I am a bit concerned over the clashing egos of Cameron/Iger/Rhode. There is a lot that can go wrong still.

People make too much of their love or hatred of the movie. Take a look around at a lot of the themeing and rides at WDW and see how much of it is derived from movies that we only think we remember liking. Dumbo? Please. Jungle Cruise? Based on some boring "True Life Adventures" that most of us never saw. Swiss Family Tree House? Seriously? There is little correlation between the merits of a movie and the attraction that it spawns. And besides, the original SW trilogy is ancient and the more recent trilogy was unwatchable. Say what you want to about Avatar The Movie. But it kicked the crap out of the most recent SW movies. To me, SW themeing just invites more "virtual reality" 3D stuff. Kind of hard (and cold and sterile) to build a Death Star. Now, it is possible that they cheap out and do the 3D thing for Avatar. But at least there is more hope that the beautiful, tranquil environs of Pandora will manifest in a tangible way at AK.

~Hey JimmyV! This is a fabulous post & I totally agree with you! And, I am not a fan of the Avatar film!

~I do not like Winnie the Pooh! He is so depressing to me -- even more than Eeyore! But, I just adore the Winnie The Pooh ride & I love riding in the "Hunny Pots," lol.

~I've never seen Song of the South but I love Splash Mountain. I've never seen the Twilight Zone but love ToT, etc! When I'm going down the hill on Splash Mountain or descending on ToT, I'm really not thinking about the box office take or the quality of the script, or what "cultural influence" the IP may or may not on our society.

Movies I have not seen in their entirety (or slept through while my daughter watched them):

• Pinocchio
• Ichabod and Mr. Toad
• Pocahontas
• Mulan
• Dinosaur
• Princess and the Frog
• Cars 2
• Brave
• All but the first PoTC movies
• Wreck It Ralph
• Swiss Family Robinson
• Johnny Tremaine
• The Robin Williams Flubber movie

And those are the ones off the top of my head. But this does not deter me from enjoying WDW.

~LOL. I totally agree with this. But, you really need to see Wreck It Ralph -- just for Sugar Rush and that song alone, it's too cute! I have not seen nor I will ever get to see Mr. Toad, Dinosaur, Johnny Tremain, Flubber or most of the PoTC movies -- I don't think I've ever watched one entirely!

~I have never experienced AK at night but I cannot wait. This is something I have always dreamed of - AK is my second favorite park but it is HOT! I would love to see this fabulous view at night, ride EE, and enjoy AK on a hot summer night!

~This fabulous pic was posted by a Diser here! Just WOW!

~Disney Imagineers working together with James Cameron and his team makes a force to be reckoned with -- this is a creative powerhouse. I know they're going to create something fabulous!

~I found this on Screamscape for Avatarland! It's looks both amazing & terrifying!

~The World of Pandora -- plus the night time safari, the new night time show, and just being able to enjoy Animal Kingdom at night is going to be simply spectacular! I really can't wait for this, lol!!!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I have no desire to see Avatarland.

Ditto to this. AK park will continue to be the park we only need to see every other trip.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

No if Disney bought Avatar I would have a negative view of Disney. I suppose each person takes away a different feeling from films they view but Avatar seems highly stigmatizing. You express surprise that I who strongly dislike Avatar would stay away from AK just because of that. I will. Avatar had a definitely political agenda and there are a great deal of people who are opposed to it. I personally don't feel politically stigmatizing agendas have any place at Disney. But hey, to each their own.

Wow, if you *really* think Avatar had a political agenda...you should give up Disney completely. MOST Disney movies have one.

 

[Kellykins1218]

Was it the best idea? I don't know anyone who liked the movie. Even my teenagers hated it & thought it was boring. I'm going to have to go with no.

 

[disneymac000]

When was the last time Disney created an 100% original ride not based on an IP? Its been honestly quite a while. Also, another thing though Avatar was an extremely high grossing film, most people forgot that the agenda purposed in the film got backlash from pro-military, pro-business folks. Don't get me wrong, Dances with Wolves 2.0 was fantastic visually and that alone would be a sight to see but Disney is already having a harder time appeasing Christian groups and others to come to their parks by having special nights but I do think there were better options. Including with NFL, I would have made it the dark side of Disney. The interest in Maleficent and OUAT alone and if you ask a lot of teenagers and young adults a subsection Disney has trouble retaining, the villains are one of the best parts of Disney. People want to know their stories, how'd they got so dark. It wouldn't have fit into Animal Kingdom but that would have been a better place and if Animal Kingdom needed more attractions area, Disney owns the Jungle Book, The Lion King, Fox and the Hound, they could of made Princess Tiana's Bayou with flamingos, crocodiles etc. Avatar was not worth the money in my opinion, maintenance cost alone for those "floating mountains" is going to cause ticket prices to skyrocket and then give people other reasons to complain about not waiting to go to Disney.

And if they do go through with Avatarland, they can't get behind schedule. Like a poster earlier said about Universal's 10 year plan, its ambitious yet they are getting stuff done. The Seven Dwarves Mine train should have been done last week. Innovation is not just making the best product, but making a product that can be produced quickly and be applied in other aspects of life and Disney seems to have lost that "spark".

 

[parkluvr]

I think that Disney has so many gurus who have researched and evaluated this decision that the new area will be an overwhelming success. Disney generally does not do things weakly, so I am sure whatever they come up with will be amazing and boost attendance at Animal Kingdom hugely. Any decision will have supporters and detractors, so whatever is decided will always upset a certain number of people. I saw Avatar and did not think it was a really good movie, but the broad spectrum of the movie does present a lot of options.

 

[AmyB2006]

It may not be "the best" idea, but I can't wait. You can't please everybody.

 

[pad406]

It may not be "the best" idea, but I can't wait. You can't please everybody.

Us too

 

[Dis703]

I was rather suprised to hear about Avatarland. I saw the movie but just wasn't that into it. Not really understanding why people love it so much.

But pps are probably right that it may draw in fans of the movie that aren't necessarily Disney fans already. That may have been the goal.

On a side note I'm very sad this means there will be no Festival of the Lion King when we are there next month. Its a favorite for us and now that my twins have seen the movie and are huge fans I was really looking forward to them seeing it.

 

[beer dave]

~The fabulous addition of Avatar in Animal Kingom is Disney's way of simply levering established paradigms against a more modernistic synergism, thus enabling a forward thinking lattice structured organization. The addition of Avatarland patterns into a more vertically integrated, organic & transparent entity, especially when embraced with fresh eyes.

What? Wait I need to get my dictionary out. And maybe take a poly sci class.

 

[beer dave]

On second thought, let's not go to Avatarland. It is a silly place.

Even though I disagree with the message, I admire the reference.

 

[csmith041177]

I enjoyed the movie, and given the number of folks who saw it I can't imagine that I am alone. I don't really understand all of the negative feedback. Even if you didn't enjoy the movie, the fact that Disney is investing time and money to dramatically expanding the offerings at AK are reason enough to be happy. The problem I think is that everyone is comparing this to the Harry Potter work at Universal. I love the WWOHP, it is one of those rare stories that created a massive following. Avatar is not on that level, but that does not mean there is no reason to be excited.

 

[JimmyV]

Wow, if you *really* think Avatar had a political agenda...you should give up Disney completely. MOST Disney movies have one.

This. And I'll take it one step further. Most (non-comedies) have an agenda or message. Screenwriters and directors don't sit around pontificating about making movies that mean nothing. The "Hangover" franchise? OK. I'll give you that there is no deep meaning there. But look at the Oscar nominated movies and you'll find many attempts at delivering a message. Not all succeed. That said, "Twelve Years A Slave" doesn't easily lend itself to a themed attraction.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I never found the "political message" of Avatar to be polarizing or terribly controversial. Conserve your environment? Don't destroy your planet (or anyone else's)? Who finds that concept repugnant? How different is that from the original "Little Red" story line of KS or the story line of Kali? If one intends to avoid Avatar rides, (or AK in its entirety), then I assume that same person avoids these attractions as well.

 

[sethschroeder]

Wow I can not believe the negativity towards avatar land. It's got a very large following among certain circles. I bet if we came on her 20 years ago people would be saying they didn't want Star Wars land.

Not sure how Avatarland doesn't fit into AK? It's all about nature, natural resources, unique wild animals, and has many different areas of the planet to allow Disney to capture moving forward.

While I understand people want Star Wars more in the parks Avatar actually will bring new people to the parks who never even thought about it. While Star Wars has become more mainstream Avatar has a very large following as well and is only going to grow with the additional movies that will come out. Disney is not looking to just capitalize on the first movie they are looking to have attractions in place or around the corner when the next movies come out.

Avatar is hopefully going to shred the movie script when making Avatarland. It could be a world that truly is like going to another planet.

This all from a passing Star Wars fan. Bring me SW land eventually as well but i know a lot of people don't get Star Wars either. Also I would highly prefer Star Wars to be in the extreme ride park (HS) so we can get some nice action rides.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I haven't seen the movie and am not at all excited for avatarland. So I recently asked my DH what he thinks. He has seen the movie and is not a Disney fan. He tags along because the rest of us love it. He said that if I saw the movie I would understand why it would make a neat theme park land. So I take that as him giving his approval. If a non-Disney fan thinks it will be neat, then I have to assume it has good potential.

 

[sethschroeder]

I saw Avatar and did not think it was a really good movie, but the broad spectrum of the movie does present a lot of options.

Exactly Disney knows fanboys/girls will love it and they also know from early concepts that these rides and experiences with move in the direction on innovation within the theme park experience which will draw in the normal person.

Instead of thinking of this as a movie area think of it as a general concept of a fantasy inspired planet you could explore.

 

[beer dave]

While I think Pandora will be great, I agree with the lot of you who would be excited about a Star Trek land or even an entire park. They could create all the different worlds and peoples... I really like the idea of creating the borg ship with a ride inside and a tour with all the borg chasing and fighting during the trip. Just think what they could do with the holideck. And klingon battle training. I wonder if we will be able to come in costumes?

Can't wait.