Pandora: The World of Avatar Announcement, Construction, & Preview Discussion

[Nick]

Avatar Pop Culture Saturation Test:
Without looking it up or turning to a different page name 5 Avatar characters by name......no?........how about 3? Ask any co-workers or friends. It's almost impossible to find someone who can.

Now if I said name 5 Star Wars characters or 5 Harry Potter characters or even 5 Nintendo characters the result would be different.

Simply put, Avatar is the highest grossing movie of all time that no one remembers.

Didn't we already have a discussion about how stuff like this doesn't matter all that much in the theme park world? So what, it may not be as marketable as those. Splash Mountain pulled the content from what many consider to be an overtly racist movie in many respects. Yet it's a beloved attraction.

Avatar can do the same. As long as the scope of the land is amazing and beautiful, the rides are fun and you leave feeling immersed, then people may not care that they don't remember anyone beyond Jake Sully.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Didn't we already have a discussion about how stuff like this doesn't matter all that much in the theme park world? \

To expand on my previous post, I've been thinking that for a ride this does not matter, but for a land it's an interesting barrier not to have positive, identifiable characters you can relate to as a point of entry. It's why Cartland still works even though I do not like the Cars movies: you have Mater, McQueen, Luigi, Flo, etc.

 

[tielo]

How would walk around Navi look like?
How do they let you fly on a banchee instead of seat you in a ride vehicle and push you in front of a screen?
What in food and souvenirs are they going to offer and how would it fit with the movie(s) and message?
How are all Disney religion fanatics react on the non christian believe these navi pray to?
How will they explaine that you are on Pandora or Pandora is at AK?

If I had any faith left in Disney immagineers I would believe they would come up with wonderful solutions but I don't and I'm afraid it's going to look like this:

 

[shiekra38]

If I had any faith left in Disney immagineers I would believe they would come up with wonderful solutions but I don't and I'm afraid it's going to look like this:

Can we please have this? I will literally buy all the passes

 

[Ultranel]

So wdw magic just posted this "D-Ticket river cruise appears to be confirmed for AVATAR Land at Disney's Animal Kingdom". Didn't know it was on question after raising the budget so high.

 

[JEANYLASER]

Awesome! I can't wait! where did you find out the info!

 

[rhino4evr]

An Article just popped in the LA Times....seemed to have "new" Concept art of the Soarin ride?

Stated that this would be "much more thrilling" then Soarin.

 

[Teebin]

Not really...

What to expect from Avatar Land at Disney's Animal Kingdom - LA Times

 

[rhino4evr]

my mistake, that's the same old artwork. Article really has no "new" info. Just confirms what everyone already knew. E Ticket will be a Soarin+, Boat Ride, and Mess Hall will be the restaurant on site. I'm not sure who started the "boat ride is cancelled" rumor, but it appears that info was false.

 

[Ultranel]

Yeah that's what I heard. I guess something is better than nothing. Better ride it the 1st month before someone throws up, complains and Disney tones it down like they did with Mission Space.

 

[Ultranel]

my mistake, that's the same old artwork. Article really has no "new" info. Just confirms what everyone already knew. E Ticket will be a Soarin+, Boat Ride, and Mess Hall will be the restaurant on site. I'm not sure who started the "boat ride is cancelled" rumor, but it appears that info was false.

They actually canceled the boat ride for a while before DA opened, I just thought it was back in the plans once they doubled the budget as a response to DA opening, but I guess the ride was a gray thought all along until now. This makes me wonder... why was this budget raised for? There's no indication of an adddition to the land that would cost the same amount of money that it was proposed to built the whole original plans for Pandora: Land of Avatar (before DA).

 

[UNIrd]

Was it the Shanghai castle boat ride that was cancelled and maybe some are confusing it? Or is that still on too?

 

[Ultranel]

Was it the Shanghai castle boat ride that was cancelled and maybe some are confusing it? Or is that still on too?

That could be it, but I did hear about doing just the Soarin' ride and not the boat ride anymore. That actually happend after they close down MM Camp, but like I said, it didn't live long because a couple of months later DA opened and the super budget showed up out of the blue. So I really don't get the article, it is more like yesterday's news for us... but whatever! We are getting "It's a small Pandora, after all" woohoo?

 

[Cole]

Good news about the boat ride. Probably the thing I was most excited for about this project. Bring on the great effects!!!!

 

[Milla4Prez66]

I'm definitely more intrigued by the boat ride than Soarin' over Pandora.

 

[Tobias]

Add me to the bunch that's more intruiged about the boat ride rather then the E-Ticket, I see a lot more neat themeing possibilities with the boat ride.

While I do like Soarin', it's not the kind of attraction I would make as the headlining E-ticket for a very expensive and immersive new land. After all when you look at both Hogsmede and Diagon Alley, Universal did what they could to give a headlining E-Ticket that felt like a game changer, something new we haven't seen before. Hell, looking towards the future when it comes to Nintendo it seems like most of what's coming can't be compared to what we've seen before.

Meanwhile with Avatar, everything being said about this E-Ticket is Soarin' 2.0...something we've seen before, and that something doesn't feel like a big headliner.

 

[rhino4evr]

Avatar being a Soarin 2.0 makes just too much sense on paper. The original ride is obviously very popular, and since this attraction is based on a 3D film, some sort of motion simulator was a given. The only other way to do it justice would to make it an actual roller coaster, but even then they'd be missing the "film" aspect. The attraction basically created itself.

I'm sure there will be a few new "tricks" that will make this more exciting. Possible the seats will be able to move side to side faster. Less Hang glider, more bird like?

If Universal built an Avatar ride, what do you think they would do differently?

 

[AlexanderMBush]

If Universal built an Avatar ride, what do you think they would do differently?

I know it might of been used before but I would of thought that the Kuka arm tech in FJ would be perfect for a Avatar based attraction. It gives you more a feeling of flying than the setup with Soarin.

 

[Cole]

I think the vehicles in soarin 2.0 will be it's biggest selling point and probably the best part of the entire attraction. I think that alone will make it stand out against soarin to an insane level

 

[martymcflyy85]

I'm so thankful the boat ride is still on. Its by far the thing I'm excited about the most. Its the kind of ride that I wish Universal would do.